Donna and Peter Dykstra: 40 years of changing lives

When I see so many things going well as we educate children, I think about you, the MSS supporters. You’re as much a part of school life as the teachers and students. A Mustard Seed education would not happen without you. I’m filled with gratitude.

I have the privilege of knowing many of you personally, but I realize that many of you don’t know each other. Let me introduce you to my friends, Peter and Donna Dykstra. Although they’ve never had a child attend the school, they’ve been a part of the MSS community for almost 40 years—longer than I have, in fact! It’s about time that we celebrate the work that they’ve done among us.

Donna and Peter have served on the Board of Trustees, various committees, and the Advisory Council. Many students have been educated because of their generous gifts of time and financial resources.

I asked Donna and Peter what compels them to continue to be “all in” at MSS after so many years. Here’s what they said:

“MSS plants seeds of wisdom and changes the world for the better.”

Peter and Donna believe that by teaching children to excel as a grateful response to God’s creation, in a school where people accept, love, and support each other, the school is enriching our communities. They see how a MSS education equips students to be thoughtful leaders where ever they choose to go after graduation.

“MSS crosses economic, cultural, and political boundaries.”

Mustard Seed seeks to mirror the kingdom of God, and that means everyone’s welcome. No matter where you come from or how much money you earn. Peter and Donna value this spirit of inclusivity.

“MSS is educationally impressive.”

Donna says that she’s stood in awe of MSS student presentations that she’s seen. She finds students to be poised, articulate, and to demonstrate deep understanding of their subjects. And their ability to work collaboratively is phenomenal. She should know—she was a middle school teacher for most of her career.

Please join me in celebrating Donna and Peter. They say that they’ve been blessed to be a part of building MSS. We’ve been blessed by them—more than words can express. We extend our deepest gratitude.

And I hope that you know that your support and friendship are equally important. Every moment. Every day. It takes an entire community of people to care for our students and run with them across the graduation finish line. So that they can go enrich their communities. Change the world for the better.