Keeping families together this week means supporting the Open Arms students as graduates!Next to a relationship with Christ, education is key to breaking the cycle of child abandonment!The words "back-to-school" in Mexico don't generate the same excitement as they do in the US. Most kids are excited to shop for clothes, supplies and new backpacks, but in third world countries, like Mexico, back-to-school usually means more hardship for families. But thanks to the people who stand in the gap for our OA kids, the families burden is lightened when it comes to back-to-school shopping. They do not have to worry about how to feed their families and pay for all the supplies and uniform for school. We are able to provide all of the daycare children with everything they need to return to school: supplies, backpacks and uniforms. In addition to the kids in the daycare, all of our junior high and high school kids in "The Cave" can receive scholarships to help offset the cost of furthering their education. No longer an orphan: Wendy graduates high schoolWendy and her two siblings, Miguel and Jenny were a family we rescued out of an orphanage in 2012. After the death of her husband, Wendy's mom was desperate to feed her kids and give them good lives. She took them to an orphanage and dropped them off with the hope that the institution could provide the basics that she could not. When we heard about this case, we immediately intervened. We were able to rescue Wendy and her two siblings, from the orphanage and reunite them with their mom who loves them dearly. Now, she is thriving, attends High Voltage and just graduated High School! This is a HUGE accomplishment in Mexico, and we could not be any more proud of her!
Autistic boy goes into Jr. HighAbdel (below with his family) came to the daycare in 2012. His mom started working at OA as our Office Administrator and she needed care for Abdel while she worked. There was just one thing different than all the other cases we had taken to this point: Abdel is autistic. He became our first special education child at OA. When he started he was 6 years old, could not speak, let alone read or write. This month, we got to see Abdel graduate 6th grade! It has been a long road but now Abdel reads, writes and is heading to Jr High. God is SO good! If you have sponsored a child for back-to-school, we thank you on behalf of the OA families from the bottom of our hearts! If haven't yet, we need your help! We have 120 kids to send back to school. If you would like to become a one-time sponsor for back-to-school click here and for just $65 you can give a child everything they need for school. Arturo, with Franny (the OA Psychologist), graduated Jr High. Genesis & Galilea, cousins who have grown up at OA, both graduated Jr. High. Alejandra, who has been in the daycare for 7 years, graduated 6th grade! Belen graduated from Kindergarten surrounded by OA family and friends.
Symmond, one of our special education kids, joyfully graduated Kindergarten.
Valeria, the second youngest of the La Mision "river kids" graduated Kindergarten. |