Where the Need is Greatest: One Teacher’s Journey of Faith

With a swoosh of paint against paper, a bright red smile stretches across an oval-shaped face. Setting his paintbrush down, a child grins back at his self-portrait. It doesn’t look like anyone else’s, but according to Miss Robinson, that’s exactly how it should be. Each child is different and each is beautifully created and cherished by God. Through her work with TeachBeyond at the Christian International School of Prague (CISP), Kelly Robinson seeks to remind students of that truth every day.

Filling a Need

As Kelly prepared to return to Prague, Czech Republic from a 6-month sabbatical in Canada, she didn’t know what God had in store for her. She had taught at CISP since 2011, but had given up her grade one teaching job before leaving. She knew she would continue to serve as Team Lead for TeachBeyond, a position she has held since 2018, but beyond that, Kelly was open to filling any need for the school. She asked the school where she could be used, and the answer was as an elementary art teacher.

Kelly has always approached missions this way. When she first connected with TeachBeyond, she knew nothing about the Czech Republic, but she was willing to go wherever God led her.

“People describe it as a country of unbelief,” Kelly explained. “It’s one of the top atheistic countries in the world.”

Kelly signed a 2-year contract with TeachBeyond, but she quickly realized she needed to stay longer. As an international school, CISP is staffed by missionary teachers serving a mix of local and expat children, many of whom move often from country to country. It currently serves around 170 students from grades 1-12, coming from over 30 different countries.

“The turnover rate is quite huge, from our student body as well as our staff at the time,” she said. “Most people were there for 2 years and then they were gone. I wanted to be one of those people that was more stable for these kids.”

Art as Ministry

In January 2026, Kelly began teaching art to students in grades 1-5. The new role has been a source of joy and a reminder of God’s creativity.

“One of the things I love about art is that it gives us the opportunity to see our creativity in how God has created us to be creative and then also God's own creativity in the world that He's made,” Kelly said.

Kelly teaches her students that art is a process. It may not look the way the students want it to, but in the same way that God is working on their lives, they can continue to work and improve on their artwork.

Sent to Make a Difference

Almost 15 years ago, TeachBeyond sent Kelly to Prague to meet the needs of a growing student population at CISP. Today, she continues to remain open to what God would have her do next.

God has provided a new art teacher for next school year, who will also be sent through TeachBeyond. Kelly will be moving out of traditional teaching roles and into leadership and mentorship positions. 

As she reflects on her experience with TeachBeyond, Kelly marvels at the support she has received.

“I think it's neat to see how missions (involves) more than just the missionary themself and how there's this whole team of people behind the missionary that's being sent,” Kelly said.

“They're the people who are praying. They're the people who are financially supporting. They're the people who are preparing them to go to the field. They're the people that are praying for them when they are on the field. There are people that are checking in with them, making sure that they're okay. And, there are the people that are walking alongside them.”

Missionary teachers like Kelly can meet the needs of schools and communities because of the team behind them. TeachBeyond is a major part of that team for its members. It recruits, supports, trains and sends missionaries to serve where there is a need. These teachers fill important positions that support the spiritual and academic growth of students.

TeachBeyond is seeking to fill hundreds of open positions at schools around the world. Beyond raising their own support, it costs around $1,250 to send 1 new teacher. Your gift to the 2026 SEND Campaign will provide the tools necessary to recruit, equip and send teachers to communities that need them most.