Marla H. Corts Mission School 2022 - Flipbook - Page 11
Volunteers/ Visiting Teams
The Lord has blessed MHCMS by touching the hearts of many to give their time, skills, and finances so that a quality
education can be provided to its students. Pastor Gibson has organized and led many mission trips to the school,
taking volunteers and donors so they can see, first hand, the fruits of their labor. Below are a few testimonials of the
impact the school has had on these individuals:
Ms. Dianne Kennedy, a retired educator from the Birmingham City School System in Birmingham, AL recalls how
eager the children were to learn. “They were not easily distracted.” She also inferred that the adults who would be
teaching the children were just as eager:
“When we were preparing to hold the teacher’s refresher workshop, the people in the
village spread the word to neighboring villages which were miles away. At the end of the
workshop, I passed out some giveaways to those in attendance, and all the teachers
decided to give them to a man that had walked 3 days to attend the workshop. I was
deeply moved by this strong commitment to learning. This made me revisit my
commitment to teaching.”
Ms. Kennedy also discussed the impact that receiving solar
panels had on the village. “We took solar panels to be installed in the school building so the
village could have light at night. The people celebrated all night. A boy was discovered
sleeping in one of the classrooms. He had been reading.”
Mr. Alfred Morton, a retired engineer and graduate of Tuskegee Institute, remembers
the times he’s visited Marla H. Corts Mission School:
“The villagers were happy for Eddie to come and invest in their future. The school has
inspired them to want more in life. They realize that education can make life better for
them and their children. The school brought employment opportunities for teachers
and campus workers.”
The school has also brought employment opportunities to those that supply resources needed by the school, things
such as uniforms and meals. When asked about the impact his visits to Marla H. Corts Mission School have had on
him, Mr. Morton replied, “I received a world view versus an American view on what is important. I could see that
these people really needed help. They lacked vision, but through the efforts of others, including myself, God was
providing them with what they needed to move forward and progress.”
Ms. Marla H. Corts, a former First Lady of Samford University, nurse by profession, and
also the eponymous financier who, along with her husband, Dr. Thomas E. Corts (former
President of Samford University of Birmingham, AL) was the first donor towards EGIM’s
vision has this to say:
“One of the most satisfying efforts of all my years has been participating in the life and
work of "MY" Mission School in Liberia. It began in 2001 in a remote area where no school
had ever existed and since then has offered basic education to hundreds of
children. Most importantly, all school activities, in and out of the classroom are offered in
a Christian context.
Teachers and staff model as well as teach the Good News, and in doing so provide not just
an education but a moral compass and a life manual for heart and soul. When I think of the principal, the teachers,
the pastor, the staff, the school nurse, the students, and the day-to-day operations of such a place, I am reminded of
Daniel 12:3, "Wise leaders will shine with all the brightness of the sky, and those who have taught many people to
do what is right will shine like the stars forever." (Good News Translation) Indeed, it is a privilege and a blessing to
help support this Christ-centered endeavor.”
