m o u n t a i n
m i s s i o n
CHALLENGER The Newsletter of Mountain Mission School
Reaching Appalachia...
and the World! Grundy, VA USA
SUMMER 2019
People & Churches Who Bless MMS
Serving kids in need in the name of Christ since 1921. mmsKids.org
In the midst of deep darkness,
a little light peeks through!
was a high school student K insey suffering from mental health issues when she had her first child, a son. Because of her unstable situation, the boy was placed in the custody of his grandparents.
Kinsey then left to live with a boyfriend in Galax, Virginia, who ended up not being safe for her. Eight months pregnant with Lydia, Kinsey fled and went to live in a safe home. The darkness of depression overtook Kinsey, and she wasn’t able to care for Lydia. Child Protective Services got involved and asked the grandparents to care for Lydia as well. The case worker advised the grandparents to file for custody, even though they were dealing with health issues of their own. A church member, who happened to be an MMS board member, stepped in to help by telling them about MMS. Once the family visited MMS, they realized this is the best place for Lydia.
A Toddler Hall Testimony Melissa and Ben Ferrante (hall parents at our “Toddler Hall”) have been Lydia’s primary caregivers since her arrival here just a few months ago. As Melissa explains below, this experience has been an extraordinary demonstration of God’s healing grace: The first evening Lydia was with us, I noticed many developmental delays for a child her age: she did not talk, was lacking in motor skills, and her interaction between us and other children was almost nonexistent. She was also very violent: she would yell, scream, cry, hit, and kick as her form of communication. We quickly learned that Lydia was unable to regulate herself in a way that came natural to most other children. Lydia, as we would later learn, has Sensory Processing Disorder, and does not respond to pain—or even feel it the same way that
most people do. When she would get upset, she would hit her head on the floor or on other objects, as hard as she could. Ben and I spent much of our time making sure Lydia was physically safe, and were always on guard trying to keep her from hitting her head. We soon started to notice huge changes in Lydia. We started having occupational therapists meet with her weekly, helping her learn new skills, regulate behaviors, and improve developmental delays. They also recommended that Lydia wear a helmet to help protect her when she throws herself backwards or hits her head. Mountain Mission was able to purchase that helmet, and she wears it every day. Since wearing her helmet, she has hit her head less as she learns how to regulate herself. We look forward to the day when she no longer needs the helmet. In these last few weeks, we have seen a huge change in her vocabulary. She is saying words, and even at times putting words together to form a thought. She interacts with us and the other children in a positive and loving way. She listens and follows conversations and interacts appropriately. Her motor skills are taking off! She is running, climbing, and picking up items in ways that are closer to her ageappropriate developmental stage. Lydia’s story (which is still being written) is an amazing testimony to God’s grace.
Kinsey:
In Her Own Words I had a bad past experience with men. The suffering I experienced ruined me, and I wasn’t in a place to care for my children. I prayed and asked God to help push me out where I need to be. I love Lydia to pieces. It kills me as a mom, but right now, I just don’t have the means to meet her needs. I want to be the best mom I can be, and the decision to put her at MMS was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I need to get on my feet and grow into the person I need to be for my daughter. I’m so thankful to MMS. It’s astonishing what they’ve accomplished with Lydia. The Ferrantes are such a blessing; I couldn’t be more grateful for them. It makes my heart so full that they are helping my daughter become the person she needs to be—and are caring for her until I can finally get my life together and be the mom she needs. Lydia’s such a light. My prayer is for her to be protected from the darkness that comes with life…for her to become the bright light everyone needs in their life.
“Therefore go and make MMS HAS BECOME A MINISTRY THAT REACHES
IA N
C A N A DA
KEYONE
YODIT
LYDIA
T E X AS
TE R RI
OH I O
TE
VI RGI NI A
From our earliest days, Mountain
NN ES S E E
HANSEL
Mission has had a constant mission: to love, shelter, and educate children in need. Founders Sam and Jane CO L Hurley did not limit their care to UMB I A children from specific counties or states, but opened their arms to every boy and girl suffering in desperation. Today, we continue to provide a sanctuary to children throughout the Appalachian region, yet word of our ministry has spread across the globe. Throughout our history, our campus has welcomed children from more than 70 countries, enabling MMS to touch the world by changing lives across the continents.
HEA
R M LI
G EO R G I A
disciples of all nations... ”
ACROSS AMERICA…AND AROUND THE WORLD.
DIO G O
PO
RT U G A L
DA N I I L
M A LI
B IM
ELINE
CO N G O
TURK EY
FIK E R
N E S SA VA
ETH I OPI A
RUSS I A
SA M I M
AF
GHAN ISTAN
RWANDA
IT’S OUR WAY OF FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION… FROM RIGHT HERE IN THE SMALL TOWN OF
Grundy, Virginia
Church Partnerships: A Lifeline for our ministry
Northern Hills Christian Church
A note from Steve Fulton, director of church relations at MMS:
M
y wife and I have been blessed to visit more than 100 churches on behalf of MMS.
Recently, one particular congregation — Northern Hills Christian Church in Cincinnati, OH — overwhelmed us with their welcome during a visit by the MMS Choir. After an exuberant response to the choir presentation, the congregation took up a generous love offering. Then, the attendees literally “stormed” our display table, signing up for The Challenger newsletter, taking home materials about MMS, and sharing words of encouragement. Families in the church fed our kids dinner, hosted them overnight, fed them breakfast Monday morning and packed them lunches for travel. NHCC’s Terri Stewart not only made all the arrangements for the choir concert, she also put together a special treat for us: a private tour of Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals, where we met quarterback Andy Dalton. NHCC has been a supporter of MMS for more years than are covered by our recordkeeping database! Terri recalls the long
association her church has had with MMS: “Northern Hills first became a part of the MMS family when Judy Sparks joined our congregation. She had been a child in need, raised up at Mountain Mission with Ma and Pa Hurley. Judy was a strong advocate for MMS, and her old home was such a worthy and wonderful place, that NHCC couldn’t help but be drawn in to the work. “Over the years we have cut Campbell’s soup labels and sponsored students. One of our congregation, Amy Stewart, served a brief time as a teacher at MMS. More recent years have seen work groups come to help paint and clean and maintain the grounds during summer breaks. “May God continue to bless MMS in its good work. We are so grateful to be allowed to help MMS serve children in need.” We are so very thankful for ALL of our faithfully supportive churches like NHCC, and we look forward to visiting with each of you. Please call if you would like to host our choir or have an MMS representative speak at your church.
Steve Fulton • 540-537-4733 • sfulton@mmskids.org
MMS Choir members enjoyed a private tour of Paul Brown Stadium in Ohio— courtesy of generous host church, Northern Hills Christian Church in Cincinnati.
A New Adventure Begins FOR TWO LADIES WHO GAVE A CENTURY OF SERVICE TO MMS
W
for the many ways they have enriched our ministry through the outpouring of their skills, their talents, and their love.
Together, these two ladies have invested more than 100 years of service to Mountain Mission School!
Ella and Janice serve as a humbling example to us all of how to fulfill the exhortation of Ephesians 5:15: “Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for His purposes.”
hile many, many individuals have blessed our students through countless acts of kindness, few have been as faithful as Ella Riner and Janice Whitaker.
In classrooms and across campus, they have touched the lives of generations of students (and faculty members) here at MMS. We are deeply grateful
Thank you, Ella and Janice, for furthering God’s Kingdom here at MMS through more than 100 years of selfless devotion!
Janice Whitaker (left) and Ella Riner (right) were hall supervisors for all age groups. Janice also worked as a teacher at MMS, while Ella served many years in Toddler Hall.
1760 Edgewater Drive Grundy, VA 24614
Mountain Mission School admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.
WHEREVER YOU ARE,
you can help care for these precious kids. Mountain Mission School has never received any government assistance, so we rely on the Lord to work through friends like you for our kids’ sustenance. It costs about $15,000 per year to house, feed, educate and provide healthcare for each of our children. That amount may be out of reach for many donors—but if 10 of our friends give $125 per month, they’ve achieved a total that covers one child. Won’t you please consider using the envelope in this issue to make an ongoing gift? You’ll be playing a vital role in the daily care of kids like little Daniel (pictured). And if you happen to know a child in need, please contact us.