On their first morning at Living Stones, Jin walked his sister Grace to her classroom. She hesitated. New language. New faces. A world that felt impossibly different from home.
Then a classmate gave her a handmade bracelet with beads spelling out her name. This bracelet became her treasure, a reminder that she belonged.
Grace and Jin came to Living Stones last year when their family moved from South Korea. Their father Yohan served as a visiting scholar at Calvin Theological Seminary. Because international scholars aren’t permitted to work in the U.S., this family couldn’t have afforded tuition.
Yohan and his wife Sunhee told me: “We had concerns about American schools — stories of violence, racism, or social issues that made us wonder if our children would feel safe and confident. Yet at LSA, we found none of those concerns to be true. Surrounded by kind teachers and friends, our children have developed a healthier and more confident sense of self than ever before.”
Every day, I see that same miracle unfolding. Students and staff from 22 nations are growing in Christ side by side, laughter echoing among friends who might never have met anywhere else.
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude…from every nation, tribe, people, and language.” — Revelation 7:9
In a world often divided by fear, Living Stones is a joyful witness to what’s possible in Christ: belonging that heals, community that overcomes, and love that shows up in simple and profound ways.
Your generosity makes stories like Grace and Jin’s possible — ensuring that every child can learn, grow, and flourish in a Christ-centered community.
With gratitude and hope,
Ashlee Eiland
Head of School
