The Promise of Education… by
Ron Shultz
When Maria began first grade at PROMESA this
year, she wasn’t even able to write her name. After her new student evaluation
session, we had some real concerns about whether she had some learning
disabilities and how she might “survive” in a bilingual school. We prayed
for wisdom and decided that we would do our part, and then see how God would
bring about changes in her life.
She began the school year as a very quiet and
reserved little girl, rather petite for her seven years of age. Maria is the
youngest of four children raised by a single mother. In search of work, Maria's
mother has traveled to the jungle area on the backs of produce trucks –
desperate to bring a meager income back to her family.
As the weeks and months of the school year
went by, we were amazed to see Maria’s steady progress. She gradually became
more comfortable and outgoing in this new learning environment. The affirmation
and confidence that she has received have truly enabled her to spread her
newfound wings. Now as we end this school year, Maria is reading and writing not
only in Spanish, but in English as well.
Maria is one of twenty students at PROMESA who is able to receive a quality Christian education because of the sponsorship program we began in 2005. Her mother is able to afford little more than the cost of the public bus that brings Maria from her small town to the school each day. But because of the dedicated support of her sponsor family and the loving commitment of the teachers and staff, Maria’s future is much brighter and more hopeful than it was just a year ago.
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Jose is another first grader who began the
year with significant academic deficiencies. Unlike Maria, Jose was not
quiet and withdrawn: he could not sit still. He was always in conflict
with his classmates and a constant distraction in the classroom. He
didn’t know the letter names of the alphabet and often formed his
letters and numbers backwards. He also had problems controlling his
bladder, which meant we always needed an extra change of clothes in the
school office. Jose's father is a new Christian, but still
struggles with past choices and addictions. Jose lives with his
non-Christian mother and some of the extended family who want little to do
with the father. Jose is caught in the middle. Although neither of his
parents have much to offer materially, Jose has learned quite well to
manipulate the situation to his advantage. One result is Jose's lack of
respect for any authority figures – causing frustration for his teachers
and limiting his learning potential. |
We finally reached the point that if Jose was
going to continue at PROMESA, some changes needed to be made. The school and the
pastor of the Mennonite church met together with both of the parents to reach
some common agreements for Jose's best interests. We gave counsel that would
provide more emotional stability and learning support for Jose even in the midst
of a broken home situation. We also addressed the spiritual needs of the family.
The changes were not immediate, or without extra effort on everyone’s part, but we noticed some definite changes over the course of the rest of the school year. One of the first things to change was the bladder-control problem. And with some after-school tutoring, he made significant progress in his school work. With lots of hugs and words of affirmation by our staff, Jose gained renewed respect for adults as well as his peers. Around mid-year, he volunteered to be part of one of the student worship teams that help to lead singing during our morning devotional time. Jose became more attentive and cooperative in the classroom.
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I wish I could say that Jose’s parents have
gotten back together and that God is unifying the home situation.
Unfortunately, he is still caught in the middle of a mother and father who
struggle with different faiths and have not been able to let go of past
hurts and addictions. But there is hope in the midst of the darkness. Jose
is experiencing Christ’s unconditional love through his teachers; and
although he still needs to make additional academic progress, he is far ahead
of where he would be had he not come to PROMESA. Although we are a Christian institution, our doors are open to non-evangelical families who are in agreement with the vision of the school. Many of our students come from broken families, or at best from homes where at least one parent is a fairly new Christian. We frequently deal with children and mothers who suffer from the abuse of a drunken father or other family member. We could easily employ someone to work full-time in the area of family counseling. |
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Ron (teacher and promotor)
and Regina Shultz, along with their children Hannah, Jeremiah, and Bethany, are
near the end of their first three-year term with EMM, serving the church and
working at the school in Cusco. Initiated by the vision of the Mennonite Church
in Cusco, Peru, PROMESA is a Christian bilingual school preparing to begin its
third year in March 2007. PROMESA is the Spanish word for promise; it is also an
acronym for: PROgrama Menonita de Educación en Sabiduría y Amor (Mennonite
program of education in wisdom and love).
*Names have been changed.
Article and picture used by permission from Eastern
Mennonite Missions.
Article first appeared in the February 2007 issue EMM Missionary Messenger.
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Education Trivia: It cost $375 a year to education a student at Promesa or $35/month. Salary for a teacher is
$2,400 a year or
$200/month |