Students at the Kosrae Adventist school playing volleyball.
Our Lake Union Conference island is Kosrae, a small island 2,800 miles southwest of Hawaii with about 6,600 residents.
For the past three years, students and church members across the Lake Union have been praying for our brothers and sisters who live on Kosrae. Many people in our Union also have helped to mail care packages since, for many months, ships were not allowed to deliver supplies to the islands due to COVID‒19. Many also have helped to raise funds to build a mission gym for their school.
During these three years, the school has grown from 50 students to 76 students (Pre-K through eleventh grade). The positive impact that this school is making in the lives of the students, many from non-Adventist homes, is unmistakable.
Since February 2021, a LUC administrator, pastor, youth leader or educator has preached the last Sabbath of the month for their Sabbath church service via Zoom.
Principal Kamran Masih shared the following, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Heavenly Father for His goodness and for all of the Lake Union family who are praying for us. We are so humbled and honored by the partnership with the Lake Union.”
The church members on this island need us. Even though they are dedicated, they are few in number. Knowing that people in the Illinois, Indiana, Lake Region, Michigan and Wisconsin conferences are praying for them is a source of strength and encouragement.
Messages from Students
The SDA church on Kosrae was established in 1973 and the Adventist school opened its doors in 1979. Classes are taught in English, which is important to many families. The Adventist school is respected for its strong academics and Christian values. The school is accredited by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
New Gym
A big thank you to each Lake Union student, teacher and church member who has donated/raised money to build a gym for the Kosrae SDA school! Land already has been cleared and containers with gym materials have arrived on the island.
Money from a 13th Sabbath School offering and ADRA has already been sent to the Guam-Micronesia Mission for this gym. Our LUC goal was to raise $75,000. We currently have $50,000 in the Kosrae account. Only $25,000 to go! If you would like to donate, you can do so by:
Principal Kamran
Kamran Masih and his wife, Saima, are missionaries from Pakistan and have served four years at the Kosrae Seventh-day Adventist School. Kamran serves as the principal; he also teaches a freshman physical science class, helps with maintenance, and is the head elder at the church. Saima is the Pre-K/K teacher with 17 students in her classroom this year. She is grateful to have Mia Neth as her assistant.
Kamran and Saima have two children. Their daughter, Misha, is in the second grade; their son, Abner, is in the kindergarten class.
Student Missionaries
The Lake Union would like to express appreciation to the student missionaries who chose to give a year of their lives to teach at the Kosrae SDA School. This year, Jordan Magakat from Andrews University, and Kelsey Perez and Dylan Waters from Southern University are teaching Bible, computers, language arts, math, P.E. and science classes to grades 5‒11. Student missionaries not only teach academic classes, they also make a spiritual difference in the lives of their students.
Water Bottles
In January 2019, a Lake Union team was privileged to visit the Kosrae SDA church and school. During that week we visited classrooms, attended prayer meeting and visited in Pastor Manny de Guzman’ home with church and school leaders. Pastor de Guzman’s wife, Betty, teaches the third- and fourth-graders. They are both missionaries from the Philippines.
On Sabbath we worshiped with Kosrae members at Sabbath School, church and vespers. We were treated to two delicious meals—Sabbath potluck and a farewell supper. What precious memories we treasure!
It is our desire that the students at the Kosrae SDA School know that we are praying for them—and that we are glad to have them as part of our Lake Union family. This year at Christmas each student received a water bottle from the Lake Union.
Linda Fuchs, Lake Union Education director
