After 18 years of loyal service to the same company, I never expected to be in a conversation with HR about my department moving to India. They told me, and everyone I managed, would be let go for no reason of our doing – just because labor in India was cheaper. And just like that, I was without a job. The call couldn’t have come at a worse time, as I was also in the midst of a divorce. Everything around me felt like it was crumbling – my marriage, now my livelihood, shortly thereafter the sudden death of my 15-year-old niece, and then I lost my only brother to an illness following a leg amputation.

In 2008 when I told the Lord I would make whatever sacrifices needed to send my daughter, Jadyn, to Timothy, I had no idea that a few years later I would be in a situation like the one I was facing. I grew up in a religiously diverse community and wasn’t really exposed to the idea of Christian education beyond the church. So, Timothy didn’t even enter my mind until I started looking into private education for reasons unrelated to faith. My eyes were opened after learning about Timothy's Mission and I realized that Timothy was exactly what my daughter needed. Timothy went beyond education, they wanted to grow her as an individual and disciple of Christ. I was sold.

So, Jadyn started preschool at Timothy and year after year the Lord provided all that we needed to continue her education. She loved her school and the fruits of Christian education were blossoming in her life as she grew into a woman of God who sincerely desired to glorify Christ in everything. When I lost my job, even more devastating than the loss of money was the heartbreaking reality that we might not be able to make Timothy work. I tried everything I could think of to cut costs and as I sought out changes to insurance, home assistance and more, all I heard was “no.”

I had heard of the Timothy Fund before, but didn’t know much about it. In desperation I reached out to the school to explain my situation. They said, “Let us see what we can do to help.” They didn’t say no, and with those three words, let us help, a bit of light began to shine in darkness. While there still remained a financial commitment on my part, I was moved to a place where I was comfortable enough to not pull Jadyn out of school. Timothy had always felt like my community, but this was the embrace of family.

I did not expect Timothy to go beyond for my family when I reached out that day. To be quite honest, even with all the good that was happening for Jadyn at Timothy, not everything was peaches and cream. But, as our family worked through what place we would have at Timothy moving forward, Jadyn’s personal courage and tenderness of heart started to show through in a way that I had never seen before. This was something I knew Timothy helped foster in her.

The real fruits of a Timothy education came through in the midst of the greatest trial our family has yet faced. They came through my daughter, whose faith, optimism and courage shined brighter in dark times. They came through the embrace of my Timothy family, who went beyond what was expected in our time of need – with hugs, words of encouragement, and financial support through the Timothy Fund.

We thank God for His provision that allows us to be a part of this community and for the support of our Timothy family, which has allowed us to continue to see God’s goodness and mercy, for which He shall forever be praised.

The Timothy Fund is able to help Timothy families because of the generous support of Timothy donors. When you make a gift to the Timothy Fund, you are helping families like Jadyn’s and dozens of others receive a Christ-centered education at Timothy. It is our prayer that students like Jadyn will one day go on to make an impact for the Kingdom of God.