The following talk was delivered by Kim Bollen, who, with her husband, Mike, is one of Ad Fontes’ founders.  Kim spoke at an AFA parent meeting on January 11, 2010.  Below is the text of her talk in its entirety.

IT’S NOT ABOUT US

“My grace is sufficient for you,  for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9

This is the first chapter of the history of Ad Fontes Academy.  A story about the very early days; this is a story of God’s faithfulness.

It was the fall of 1994, our oldest of four children, Rebecca was entering the 7^th grade at Immanuel Christian School in Springfield.  David was close on her heels entering the 5^th grade.  High school seemed just around the corner and we were praying about where the children should spend these important years.

We began talking to friends at church and school to see what others thought, over and over again we heard, “Yes, there really should be another option.”  We kept praying and reading Scripture and anything we could get our hands on.  We kept talking to people and hearing the same lament.

One day in prayer time I felt the conviction that we should do something, but what in the world could we do?  And I heard that still calm voice speak to my heart, “You have a coffee pot and mugs, use them.”

So in December of 1994 we invited all the folks who had been saying there should be another option over for coffee, conversation and to fill out a survey about the need for a Christian High School in Fairfax County.  I was surprised when our living room was pretty full of people that night.  We prayed, we talked, filled out the survey and decided to expand the survey to other families at Immanuel, other Christian schools who stopped at 8^th grade and area Churches.  We were flooded with responses!

Soon, it was decided we should become a legal organization.  Everyone was excited in the committee as we approached this huge step toward being something solid.  We needed six people to sign the legal papers, more than enough were active members on the committee.

It was exciting, but truth be told, we felt we were in way over our heads, our family was feeling the strain, so we had made the decision to home school the next year to cut out commute time and keep family ties tight.  A six-week summer trip was planned, a drive across the country, Mike would join the children and me four weeks into the trip at his brother’s home in Montana and we would all drive home together.  We were tired and overwhelmed.  One night as I talked to Mike on a pay phone under a star filled sky in South Dakota, he told me everyone who had said they would sign the papers had backed out for one reason or another.

The huge western sky could not contain my joy!   “That is great” I said, “that must mean it is not God’s will, we do not have to do this anymore.”  The taste of freedom was sweet!

Mike joined us and we continued our adventure. We just had to worry about our own kids again, we would figure it out.  Mile after mile on our trip home our joy faded and peace slipped away.  At the same moment Mike and I looked at each other and said, “It’s not about us or our kids.  Even if our children never attend this Classical Christian School, we have to keep taking steps until the Lord lifts the burden.  It was amazing, a steady, deep, abiding peace settled on our hearts and in our heads. We had to keep going.  And it was good.

Ad Fontes Academy opened September 10^th, 1996 with eight ninth and tenth grade students and one paid teacher, Mrs. Sandra Busching and one gracious volunteer teacher, Mr. Frank Lifsey.