Dear JWC family and friends,
As we enter the second half of the semester and mark the official first day of Spring this month, I’ve been thinking about my immense blessing of becoming a part of the JWC family and returning to South Dakota after years away. As I think about this new beginning, I’ve also reflected on old memories – thinking about the agriculture that surrounded me as I grew.
I don’t think anyone would challenge following statements: farming is hard work, and farming takes time. The hard work of farming: plowing, sowing, reaping, husbandry, negotiation, distribution, preserving, and more. Farmers are never accused of being lazy, because it goes against the nature of the task. On the other hand, there is the time requirement of farming: seeds do not instantly sprout and animals do not spring forth fully grown. The hard work demands sustained effort before any produce is granted. But at the end of the season, American farmers produce not only enough food for themselves, or even for our nation, but to help feed the world. The hard labor over long days of frustration – days threatened by both drought and torrent – results in a harvest. It results in food. It results in life.
I feel like this is a good analogy of JWC over this last year. We have set our hands to the proverbial plow, and have – I believe – a wonderful crop this season. We will be graduating six students in May who have impressed me with their ability to think deeply and critically, live faithfully and obediently, and lead boldly. I’m honored to know them and proud of what they have accomplished, but the next season of planting is already upon us. This Spring we had 30 enrolled students, and we want to continue to serve them and other incoming students in the Fall. This is our mission.
It is hard work that requires many hands, and JWC is blessed with a committed and skilled faculty who place Christ first before themselves and in the center of their teachings. JWC has also been blessed with a place to provide our education, and with the finest supporters we could desire. But new seasons bring new challenges. We need a new location, we want to continue to increase enrollment, and we hope to gain greater financial solvency while still keeping the critical education we provide affordable, accredited, classical, and thoroughly Christian.
We will continue to do this work faithfully as God leads, but know that we cannot do it alone. So we hope that you will help support our labors. For the finest crop to be reaped, a farmer must have seed and equipment along with hands. We are committed to be the hands, and we hope that you will prayerfully consider helping us with seed and tools. Our Generation Six Forty fundraising dinner on March 24th is themed ‘Faithful for the Journey", and we will share how JWC is equipping students in their journey as they follow God’s call on their lives. We will also re-commit to you – our supporters and friends – as we continue the journey of bringing Christ-centered learning to this region.
God has been faithful to us as we’ve labored on past harvests, and we believe He will be faithful to us to strengthen us for another. As He is faithful, so may we all be.
“Because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.” - 1 Corinthians 9:10b (NASB)
