Meet the Ahiome family. When George and Sara were moving to Grand Rapids from Kano, Nigeria in 2022, they had many decisions to make. George was working as the executive director of Yandutse School in Kano and Sara as the program director, and the decision about where to send their daughters to school in the States was a significant one.
How did you know that Living Stones was the right school for your family?
Admissions director Nadia Kimble went above and beyond by giving us a virtual tour since we couldn’t come to the school in person. We got to interact with teachers and students who were genuinely warm and welcoming. We also loved the idea that our kids would be around others who came from different backgrounds and even different countries.
What is an example of a teacher showing love to your kids?
One of our kids had an issue in the beginning of the school year with feeling self-conscious about the food in her lunch. We sent a message to the teacher about it and she responded back almost immediately with a plan she was going to implement that day: they were going to read books about different foods and talk about how food is fuel for their bodies, and then continue to talk about it throughout the week. The teacher did it in such a sensitive way that didn’t make our child feel singled out, and she started coming home proud of having eaten most or all of her food by the end of that week.
How has the school supported spiritual growth in your children?
Wednesday worship isn’t just singing with Mrs. Fynewever. She has a gift of leading kids in worshiping God and giving them opportunities to lead, too.
We have also seen our girls grow in prayer, caring for others, and in curiosity about God and the Bible.
What does Living Stones mean to you as parents?
Being a parent is hard in so many ways. We fall short and realize we can’t be everything to our kids. Having a safe place where our kids can be nurtured academically, spiritually and emotionally alongside other Christ followers has been a huge gift and blessing. Raising kids in community with teachers and other parents who are also following Jesus is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ.
