So tell us a little bit before we get into life Wise Academy, tell us a little bit about Kelly Harmony. So I grew up in Bedford County and yeah, and I went to JF Yeah, and then got married. I've been married for thirty four years. Wow. Yeah, congratulations, two kids and a grand baby, no kidding, Yes, my first grand baby too. Oh man, Yes, yeah, it's great. Yeah, yeah, I can't wait. Yeah. And so started coming to Bedrock I don't know fourish years ago, several other churches in their backgrounds yep. Yeah, and then this opportunity with Life Wise presented itself. So again before we get into that real quick, I am curious. You are married to Dan, and Dan was in sheriff. Department, he was. So if anybody's listening and they got a ticket from a harmony, don't he's yeah, two brothers, all three of them. So I'm just curious. What's it like being married to a police officer? Is it? I did not like it, Okay, that's what. Yeah, it's very stressful. Well, thank him for his service too. Yeah. So obviously you're probably a lot like me. We we sit beside the harmonies or behind the harmonies. In church, So. I had how did you get into the life Wise Academy? And before we tell us a little bit about life Wise, and then I'll ask you how you got into it. Okay, So life Wise is a release time religious instruction program for public school students. So during the school day we are picking up Liberty Middle School students and bringing them to Calvary Chapel, Bedford during the school day. The reason or how this is made possible is from a Supreme Court ruling in nineteen fifty two that it has to be off school premise, parent permitted, and privately funded. So that's how it's legal. That's awesome. And so what's great about that is it gives a kids the opportunity to be able to get Bible teaching at through a public school, but off campus, and you're providing all the I guess education material for that correct. Correct. LifeWise is a plug and play model, so they supply all of the curriculum. So basically, as long as you can kind of follow a recipe, you know, it's very simple. So do you know the inner makings of how this came about through Bedrock. A little bit? I believe it was presented to John G and the elders, you know, and it was like a year in the making. Life Wise is headquartered in just outside of Columbus, Ohio, and they've been around since twenty nineteen, Oplie and so yes, this oppresentunity was presented to John G. And they had been toying with the idea of, you know, do they start a charter school? You know how you know, they knew they were leading in the direction of students, but just didn't know what that looked like. Then this opportunity presented itself, and it was like a year in the making from kind of when the opportunity was presented until it was actually launched. And how did you get into this? So my day job was I recruited medical and pharmaceutical sales reps. And I've been doing that for twenty plus years. Wow, and you know that's one hundred percent commission which to kill, So you know about that, right, So I would just wasn't feeling it like you know, I used to get so excited, you know, like helping people and hearing their stories and working nationwide. It was very flexible. When our children were little, you know, I worked from home and that was work for our family. Especially being married to a cop. Right, So. Then I was just praying and I'm like, God, there's got to be something else out there for me, you know, more than just this. What do you have for me? And went to church that Sunday and you know, they had been talking about life wise in church, but you know, I didn't have kids in school, so I was like, yeah, that's great, but you know it's not for me. And then John Gy was like, we're looking for a director and I had just prayed that morning, what do you have for me? Oh? Wow? And I'm like, you know your the hair stands upon your arms, you know. And I'm like like, okay, I guess maybe I don't know. Friend of mine I work with he calls those things God winks. Yes, I use that term too, really cool. I've never heard that a couple of years ago, and now I see him all the time. It's like I recognize when it happens. Yes, yes, so I applied. And ironically enough, or as bad as this may sound, we were part of Bedrock, but we're not entrenched in. We were flying under the radar, like we had come from a church where we were very plugged in, so much so that they like would peck me on the shoulder and say, hey, Kelly, we've got extra kids in the nursery, can you come, you know. And I was it was great. I like that, but it was nice to kind of fly under the radar in a new setting and nobody really knows who you are. So John g had no clue who I was, and so I applied to Bedrock directly, not understanding that this is a life Wise program like Bedrock. Yes, was instrumental in bringing it here, but I'm a life Wise employee. So then after that kind of got straight you know, where I was actually to be applying to. Then you know, kind of went through the vetting process and you know, we're right here in the just right around the corner from Liberty University. So there were a. Lot of people more qualified than myself on paper, you know, for what this role was. So I totally believe that it was. It was a god toore just to align all of that. Now. I had served on the school board for four years, okay, I had served for Bedford County Economic Development for four years, so you know, I was kind of entrenched in the schools just outside of being a parent. Yeah, very cool. Very active man. That's that's incredible. So I think having been part of this journey a little bit on Sundays with you, was there a number in the back of your mind of all right, this is our first year going into this. If we can get ten or fifteen kids involved, this would be a win. Was there a sort of a prerequisite in your head of we we should reach this number. My goal was one hundred. Okay, if we could reach one hundred. Now we were six seventh and eighth graders, so you know, collectively one hundred, and we're at one o seven. Wow, you know, But and we launched in October, so we launched with forty nine and then we outgrew the space at bed Rock and now we're at Calvary Chapel, Bedford, And like I said, one hundred and seven students. And I didn't even. Realize that life wise does like a little shout out when you hit a hundred. It was just the number I had in my head, you know that, you know, like, yeah, you have a ride, that's right. Yeah. So anyway, yeah, you get a little shout out at one hundred. So it's six seventh and eighth grader, so you're in a Forest middle School. You're going to Stanton, Ver, You're doing Bedford County or is it just anywhere? Or is it just LCA schools? What is Where do you go? Right now? It's Liberty Middle School? Liberty Middle School? Okay? Correct? Yeah, we launched there as a pilot program. They have been excellent to work with. You've gotten over one hundred kids at one school. Correct, Holy kid? Not amazing? That is so great. Yeah, that's all. And it's the opportunity that they have, yeah, because normally they wouldn't have that opportunity to take a Bible study class. Well, I will say that the first forty nine students that we launched with, most of those children were churched. Most of those students. However, our teacher's amazing, and she had she has five children of her own, so she's very regimented. Which is great. But they give you a scope in sequence of the curriculum. But she knew a lot of those students were churched, so she went and picked out the the you know, not just Noah, not Jonah, you know, all the other little stories you know that aren't as prominent. So it's kept them engaged because yes, they're churched, but they're still learning because it might be something that they've only heard a little bit or you know, not really in depth. Now we're seeing the tides shift a little that we're getting more unchurched students, which is great. I mean, we had a one kid in particular. He came and he was just so excited, but he didn't sign up until November and he said, I'm a Christian and I love this. And I said, what took you so long to sign up? And he said, my mom wouldn't sign me up. I had to wait for my dad to do it. But I'm the only Christian in my family. And he was so excited because every student gets a Bible. It lives in the LifeWise classroom, and then at the end of the year they get to take their Bible home. He was so excited because his Bible falling apart nice. So he was so excited to have the opportunity to get a new baby. So logistically, I'm sorry Brian if I jumped in here, but logistically I like to see how this works. So you've got one hundred kids, that's say, from three different grade levels. Do they get on multiple buses? From middle school and come to your place during an hour or so. How does it function? So it's three different classes, So we do eighth grade, sixth grade, seventh grade is how it rolls. The sixth graders we have for a longer amount of time, which is good because they're youngest group and we will end up having them for longer, you know, should they stick with the programs seventh and eighth grade. But we have them over their lunchtime. Okay, so they come and actually eat lunch with us. But on average it's about fifty minutes forty five to fifty minutes for the other two grades and then a little longer for the sixth graders. So does it help because, like you said, when you first started, you were over here behind Bedrock in the new area Shallows Place. But now you're at which is right there beside the school. So does that help in your instructional time because you don't have the transportation that you had previous. Definitely, even I mean we utilized every moment. So even when we were at Bedrock, a lot of our teaching was done on. The bus, gotcha, So. You know, it was again our teacher, you know, yelling from the front of the bus, you know, and and kids engaging and you know, we give them they're incentivized, you know for engaging and participating, wearing their T shirts. Every kid gets T shirt, you know, just trying to keep them engaged. I will say that since Christmas, really we've seen a little. Bit of a drop off. You know, we had the weather, you know, the bad weather, and so we've seen a little drop off in participation. But you know, we're trying to incentivize them to come and piece of parties and we had Palm Sundays with ice cream and ice cream Sunday for Sunday, you know, just doing those little things. That's all. Uh. Is there any inkling of moving or not moving, but expanding to forest and that river. So we are actually having a fundraiser tomorrow and in Bedford and h Yes, we are looking to launch at least three additional programs WOW one at Stanton River, Middle one at Otter River and one at New London. We have secured host sites in those locations pretty much one is almost there, but the other others are secure, you know, So we're looking for you know, church partners obviously you know this is privately funded, so they anticipate. It's it's about forty thousand dollars per program. We were very lucky with our program. When we launched, someone donated a bus to us. You know, we were able to get it wrapped. You know, funds have just come. God has answered and the money's gone. That's just incredible. It is incredible. How big a. Staff, how many people are involved? Would you say that you. Get rid of the bus? Keep it up? So we have one teacher and then we have probably ten to fifteen wow, kind of permanent volunteers. We have some that kind of float in and out, but and some that don't show up. Yeah, some that never show up. I've been. I have been. It's been Kelly and I talked and I'm gung ho about doing it, and then I. Just I don't know. I'm still working. I mean it's during the week, right, so it's Monday through Friday weather in school, you're usually. Just Fridays, just Friday, Friday, just Fridays. All but something. Kelly, Now I see why he's under the bus. Oh lord, So anyway, all right, Uh, tomorrow night is the dinner. Yes, Life, liberty, happiness will be there. Yes, we have a table. So I'm excited about being there. If someone wants to donate, where do they go? Go to w W w W dot LifeWise dot org, Ford slash Bedford v A okay, and then on there you will see a give tab and you can donate electronically. And if they wanted to volunteer and take Brian's place. Yes, they can reach out to me. Kelly Harmony, K E L L. Y Harmony h A R M O N Y at LifeWise dot org. I would do that with you. Do what with me? Volunteer on Fridays A two for you work, I work half days Friday. Listen to this even better, even better. It just keeps working out, all right. Good Now, we are thankful that you joined us today, and I'll tell you before you get out of here, thanks for what you're doing. And I hope, obviously we'll see you tomorrow night. But I hope we raise a lot of money tomorrow night. I hope we get some people to We have people who listen from the Bahamas, so if you can still send money from the Bahamas, so it's electronic whatever that is. There's a segment I do that's called have at It's usually the tope rated part of the show. But usually it's usually just the dumb stuff that these kids get. I mean, it's just and they're indoctrinated into these things that even the libraries at the schools allow. And it's so beautiful that we have somebody that's letting someone learn about God that they wouldn't have had otherwise. Congratulations for doing. This, Yes, thank you guys. All right, before you leave. We always ask our guests if you could choose a person to be with for a one twenty four hour period, who would it be? Anybody in history or currently you just wanted to hang out with them for a day. Who would it be? And where would you hang out with him? We've had some great answers, Oh for twenty four hours, Yes, anybody in history. And just throw it on the spot. I think I would like to be with God for twenty four hours. That's a yeah, we get that one. And that's like one of them, I think said Jesus just like at a certain spot Like that would be interesting, wouldn't it. Yeah, just to get a glimpse, would you ask a lot of questions? Oh yeah, I would probably be speechless, you know. Yeah, we're like, yes, it would be one of those moments. All right, Kelly with Harmony or Kelly Harmony with LifeWise Academy. Thank you again, Thank you so much,
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