This story comes from an administrator at an international ACSI member school, who asked that the name of the school and country be left anonymous.
When I first arrived in my current school in 2022, the government began investigating Christian schools throughout the country, seeking to close many of them and push students into the public school system. Smaller Christian schools, especially those operating within church buildings, were particularly vulnerable—some were forced to close, while others were able to reopen as educational centers.
Our school, by God’s grace, was not initially asked to shut down. However, in early 2023, we faced a second investigation. At that time, we were told we would receive an official letter ordering us to close—but were also informed that this would be more of a legal formality. We would have the opportunity to respond through legal channels and could remain open. Two weeks later we received the promised letter.
We entered into a lengthy process, again seeking the “permission to operate” that we had requested in the past, but never received a response to.
In early 2024, I was summoned—without any explanation—to appear at a government office downtown. I was fully expecting that our school would be forced to shut down.
But what happened next was entirely unexpected. The meeting took a surprising turn. Over the previous summer, Pope Francis had visited our country. During his visit he declared Papal amnesty for several groups. Unbeknownst to us, our school fell under the umbrella of that amnesty.
The purpose of my summons to the government office was simply to sign the paperwork acknowledging that the charges against our school had been forgiven. I was stunned. Our lawyer leaned over and said, “Just sign the paper!” And so, I did.
This experience prompted our school board to pursue accreditation to help secure our legal standing. Following our lawyer’s counsel, we began the accreditation process in November 2023. Just a few weeks ago, we hosted our on-site visit—and our school is being recommended for accreditation!
This entire journey has been a powerful reminder of the sovereignty and faithfulness of God. He has guided us through each challenge and continues to equip us for what lies ahead. I am confident that He will see us through the remaining steps as we continue working toward legal recognition as a school—outside of government control, but firmly under His care.
Please join us in praying as we move forward through this process. Praise God with us for His provision, His protection, and His work in the lives of our students. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve these families and to help their children grow—not only academically but also in their faith and character. Also pray that we would be able to be fully staffed as we go into our next school year.
