Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to
which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord
for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.
(Jeremiah 29:7)

Greetings from Amsterdam!  We’re finally down to the last week of our kids’ school year, and we’re looking forward to a family vacation in the middle part of August. But even while we’re excited for the summer vacation season to arrive, we’ve recently been reflecting on all the different ways that God has been working through our local elementary school—and we realize that God is really doing something special in this unique, though perhaps somewhat incidental, “mission field” of the Basisschool Frankendael (Frankendael Elementary School).

Perhaps most notably, the quality of education at the school has improved dramatically over the last several years. When we first decided to enroll Elliot six years ago, the school was rated quite low. It had even been published on a national listing of “extremely weak schools,” just a couple of years prior to our family getting involved. However, we liked the direction that the school seemed to be headed; and we really felt a good click with the administration and with the kindergarten teacher who would be Elliot's primary point of contact for his first two years in the public sphere. We liked the fact that the school was right in our neighborhood, and we enjoyed the way that the school genuinely reflected the diversity of this part of the city (most Amsterdam schools are surprisingly segregated). Furthermore, we appreciated the fact that the teachers and administrators were very open to our involvement as parents, even though we were “just a couple of foreigners.” Therefore, we got heavily involved from the beginning, and we started to do whatever we could to “seek the peace and prosperity” of the Basischool Frankendael (Jeremiah 29:7).

Ever since Elliot was in kindergarten, Marci has served as a part of the school's Ouderraad (OR), which works kind of like an American Parent-Teacher Organization.  And for the last three years, I've served on the school’s Medezeggenschap Raad (MR), which is a bit like an American school board, though perhaps not quite as formal.  Because of this involvement, we’ve really come to feel a sense of ownership for what's happened at the Basisschool Frankendael.  And this school-year, we rejoiced—along with all the other families and school staff—in the results of the new inspection giving the school its highest marks in decades. We literally catapulted from being one of the worst schools in Amsterdam to being one of the best schools in Amsterdam! As you might imagine, a lot of publicity came along with these developments (television reports, newspaper articles, etc.). One time, I was even quoted in a major national newspaper! But more than the recognition, we’ve just felt blessed to be a part of such a positive development here in our neighborhood.

In addition to the regular educational program, Marci has played a key role in organizing after-school instruction in English as a Second Language (a very useful life skill in today’s global economy). We volunteer regularly to help with special events at the school. And (if you will allow me a brief “proud papa” moment here) we’ve seen how our kids, too, play an important role when they excel in their school-work, which their teachers have repeatedly praised for helping to create a sort of synergy that seems to spill over into other students.

Of course, this “seeking the peace and prosperity” of the Basisschool Frankendael is more than hours of volunteerism or educational ratings. We’ve also developed a number of very meaningful relationships with other families who are involved with the school. We’ve visited each other’s homes. We’ve eaten meals together. And we’ve shared the Gospel with children and parents, alike. This past Easter season, it was especially exciting when Marci and the kids got to share the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection with two Muslim girls from Elliot’s class, who eagerly sought them out over the lunch break, over a period of weeks, at a fountain close to the school. The end results of all these interactions are still difficult to determine, in contrast to the clear signs of improvement in the quality of education at the school; nevertheless, we’ve been encouraged by signs that God is working. And we continue to pray for the school, that God would give it peace and prosperity: mentally, materially, and spiritually.

Would you please pray with us for the Basisschool Frankendael? Please pray for the administration, the teachers, and the other families who are involved in the school like we are. Thanks for your part in supporting the work that Great Commission Ministries is doing here in Amsterdam, so that our family can also be living and working and attending school here in the city. We’re excited to see what the coming school year will hold. In the meantime, here’s hoping the rest of your summer is great! We’ll be in touch…

Eric