… and sometimes you’ve really gotta help it along.
The beauty of God’s creation is a critical part of our educational philosophy. That’s why we took our time finding just the right piece of land. So much of what surrounds us is naturally beautiful but there are one or two things that need a bit of human agency to get them ship shape. Case in point, our main entrance.
Now, there’s no doubt that God’s part in all of this — that beautiful sky and the forest beyond — cannot be improved upon, but a previous generation’s metalwork? Well, that’s another story entirely.
We have two entrances to the property along our little country road. The first is a smaller (16 ft) gate near St. Seraphim’s Guest House. Then there’s the larger, main entry above. When the academy opens, we’ll call this the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3) and mean it, but for now, it’s just that old farm gate that needs a heckuva lot of work.
The first order of business is to clear the brush. Here’s a view from the interior of the property looking towards the road:
You know what loves that tall grass? Horses, cows, sheep, goats, and small birds that feed on insects. You know what else loves that tall grass? Snakes that feed on small birds that feed on insects. Yep, it’s all got to go.
We’re planning to build an arched, wrought iron entrance. Something appropriately scaled that will look right at home in rural Missouri (Something like this but, you know, not a cemetery). Eventually, this will be a small reception area. It will allow us to engage in limited public outreach while keeping the main campus set back and private. We’ll have a multi-purpose barn and some (very) limited and discrete parking. We want everything to be in harmony with the rural environment and always respectful of our neighbors.
Of course, none of this can be accomplished without God’s grace and your generous support. Support that includes your prayers, your donations, and your help to connect us to people who have the willingness and capacity to help us build this school.
Please consider helping us and check back often for updates on our progress.
