Palmview Dorm
The distances in Chad are staggering - 1000 miles from north to south, 500 from east to west, and only 300 miles of pavement connecting it all together. Missionary families minister across the length and breath of this vast expanse, and getting their children to school is a challenge all of its own. Some parents home school. Others, however, find home schooling impractical or impossible in their situations and have opted to board their children at TEAM-Chad's Dormitory facilities at Palmview school.
The TEAM dormitory is a modern, well-equipped, comfortable facility situated on a pleasant 15 acre property in southern Chad with accommodations for up to 16 boarding students. This home away-from-home is staffed by a qualified missionary couple who serve as 'parents' for the children lodged in it. These dedicated individuals raise the children as if they are their own children - doing everything from tucking them in at night, leading them in devotions, and creatively providing activities for their developing minds and bodies, to making them do their homework and providing tasty meals for them.
Looking ahead to the near future...
Kerwin and Jane Broman are currently providing for these needs at the dorm. They are a dedicated, self supporting couple recently retired from careers in the US. At the end of the 2005-2006 school year, they will be returning to their home in the United States and there is no-one to replace them.
We cannot presently guarantee staffing for the 2006-07 school year. If by early 2006 there is no sign of staffing, parents will be forced to make other arrangements and the dorm will be closed. So it is that we are asking now for willing couples to come forward to consider this opportunity for ministry.
One would think that the opportunity to have such a rewarding missionary ministry without the hardship of living in primitive conditions would have the empty-nesters lining up at the door to help raise these children. In fact, finding personnel willing to dedicate themselves to this important ministry is a perennial challenge. On several occasions in recent years TEAM-Chad has unfortunately been obliged to pull missionaries from their primary ministries of evangelization, church planting, or Bible teaching in order to assure the continued staffing of this facility due to the absence of volunteers. This is something we would rather avoid .
Who we are looking for:
A well balanced middle-aged or older couple with a stable loving marriage and home life who love working with children or a somewhat younger couple who are mature enough to handle the responsibilities. Maybe your kids have left home and you're looking for some surrogate grandchildren to raise, this may just be an opportunity for you. The best scenario would be a couple willing to commit a minimum of two academic years to this position.
Responsibilities: Include providing a loving Christian home for the children, ensuring an environment conducive to healthy spiritual and emotional development, supervising the preparation of meals (with the help of a competent Chadian staff), and doing the housekeeping and maintenance of the facilities.