Visit to Construction Site of Graceland International School

Visit to the construction site of Graceland International School.
Our visit to the construction site was a highlight of the trip. It was amazing to see the first building already under construction! The second floor just needed to be roofed so that the internal finish work could be done.
We were also able to see the adjacent tract of land, approximately 160,000 square feet which more than quadruples the size of the school property!. At the time of our visit, it was being leased to farmers during the growing season, but Bishop explained that the balance of the purchase price was due at the beginning of December. The amount needed for the land was $30,000.  In addition another $10,000 was needed to put a roof on the existing building. The thought of raising $40,000 in just three and one half months was a bit overwhelming, to say the least, but after discussion and prayer, we pledged to Bishop John that the money would get to Gusau.

Since property boundaries are often marked with cinder blocks, the idea of selling virtual cinder blocks seemed to be a viable option to get the fundraising started- 400 x 400 = 1600 blocks; 1600 blocks x $25 each gives us $40,000- simple! We tearfully ended our stay in Gusau with the $40,000 figure in the forefront and fleshed out the fundraising campaign on the plane ride home. This involved approaching our respective churches, writing to newspapers, approaching friends and personal contacts. While the figure seemed totally out of reach, we took comfort in the chain of events that initially provided the land and the down payment.

​​Photo: View of adjacent property                       Photo: View of classroom block