Giving the gift of an education...

Jim and I have started a relationship with Cristóbal Colón School, a small elementary rural school in El Melonar, a community not far from our home here in Somoto.  The school year here runs from the beginning of February to the beginning of December.  This school has 2 classrooms with 2 teachers and had 32 students enrolled last year.  Six students from the 5th and 6th grade had to drop out just a few months before school ended because they lacked school supplies.  We did not find this out until it was too late and it broke our hearts.  We do not want to see that happen again. 

We are often asked how people can help us here in Nicaragua.  What do we need?   We usually tell you that we need prayer...and we do.  But we now have a tangible way that you can help and that is to provide a year's worth of education for a child in the Cristóbal Colón School in El Melonar.  We have a preliminary count of about 40 students for next year and we want to make sure that these children have every opportunity to attend school. 

The cost of school uniforms and the cost of a year's worth of school supplies would be manageable for most of us in the U.S., but there, in the community of El Melonar, it's far more than most families can afford.  Some of the children don't even have shoes to wear to school, let alone the mandatory uniforms that the government requires.  Food for a family will always take precedence over school supplies.  We think with your help, we can ensure that these children have the opportunity to receive a basic education for this coming year. 

You can sponsor a child for $100.  This amount would provide 2 school uniforms, a pair of shoes, several pairs of socks, a backpack and all the necessary basic school supplies that they would need for the 2013 school year.   I’m not going to take the route of trying to guilt anyone in to giving.  I’m simply going to ask you to pray about being part of this.  You can touch the life of a child in a way that they will carry with them the rest of their lives...the gift of an education.  How cool is that?  :)

If you would like to be part of this, you can take or send your money to First Baptist Church, 602 West Street, Cassville, MO 65625.  Of course, we would love it if you could do a full year’s sponsorship for a child for $100 but if you are unable to give that full amount, any amount would be helpful and greatly appreciated.  Just be sure to indicate that whatever the amount you give, it is to go to the Cristóbal Colón Student Scholarship Fund in El Melonar.  We will be begin purchasing uniforms and supplies in January in order for the children to have them by the time school starts in February.

If you are unable to contribute to this financially, we always covet your prayers.  Thank you and may God bless you richly for considering partnering with us in this endeavor.