About Saving Grace
Thank you for visiting The Saving Grace Project!
Saving Grace is a project to ensure that more than 600 missionary kids in Chiang Mai Thailand are able to continue their education at Grace International School. After eleven years serving thousands of missionary families, their children, and the kids of local Thai families, Grace International School (GIS) is in danger of eviction from its middle/high school building due to actions being taken by a few members of a local neighborhood association. These people have sued to remove the school from the property that has housed it for more than a decade, turning the property over to the neighborhood association to operate as a high-end health club. This site is the official site for The Saving Grace Project, with a goal of $2.5 million (USD) to help relocate the school to temporary facilities, purchase land for a new campus, and prepare architectural plans to make that new campus a reality.
Please read below for background on why Saving Grace represents an urgent need for individuals, churches, organizations, foundations and companies to support in prayer and with financial help!
Grace International School Loses Bid to Keep Current Campus. Unfavorable Court Ruling Jeopardizes Missionary Kids’ Education!
Hundreds of missionary kids and their families are wondering about their future schooling, the result of a recent court decision that awards possession of the Grace International School campus to a local neighborhood association. Grace International School, located in Chiang Mai, Thailand, serves the children of missionaries from more than 26 different nations. Purchased eleven years ago, the school occupies facilities that housed a popular athletic club. While the school has enjoyed the gymnasium, athletic courts, weight and racquetball courts and Olympic-sized swimming pool for more than a decade, the Nittibukon, an association representing the surrounding neighborhood, recently sued to regain control of the property.
The court case concluded in August with the judge ruling in favor of the association, meaning, in effect, that Grace International School will have to restore the property to its original condition and turn it over to the association. Grace is appealing this decision, but is making plans for relocation.
“It is obvious that we must begin now to plan for new facilities. And we need them! We simply have no more room for growth.”
Don Williams, GIS superintendent, is hopeful that a just resolution will come from the appeal. “Right now the courts are saying that we must restore the facilities, hand the deeds over to the Nittibukon, AND pay a fine in excess of $140,000 — despite the fact that in our original purchase all due diligence was pursued to ensure the legality of the transfer. We’re praying that won’t be the ultimate judgment! But it is obvious that we must begin now to plan for new facilities. And we need them! We simply have no more room for growth.”
Should the courts not rule in favor of Grace, the school will be forced to vacate within the next year. As a result, Grace is beginning the task of raising $2.5 million to temporarily relocate the secondary school, purchase land and prepare to build new facilities.
The fundraising project is being coordinated by Grace International Educational Foundation (GIEF), located in Plano, Texas. GIEF’s purpose is to support missionary education overseas and is headed by Mr. Tom Matyas, president and CEO.
PLEASE PRAY for the hundreds of Christian-worker families in Thailand who are now uncertain about the future of their school! And PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY to help with the relocation plans for Grace International School!
