Please celebrate with us and watch this fantastic video of our graduates!15 of our sponsored students graduated from high school this Spring. What a testimony of what God is doing in the lives of children and their families for more than 25 years through Mission Emanuel’s education partnerships. From the humble beginnings in Javier and Rosario’s living room to multiple school partnerships and even university sponsorships, God has used the Mission Emanuel Child Sponsorship Program to change the lives of countless Dominicans and Americans!
Jack Larson, our late Founder, was so proud of how the sponsorship program has developed. This still is a major component of his vision for God’s Kingdom expanding in the communities of Cielo and Nazaret. Jack was a master of inviting people to come and see what the Lord is doing in the area of missions. Jack often said “God has a plan for your life, let me tell you what it is.” As a result, thousands of people were forever changed and ventured into a God-sized plan for their lives. One such person was Margaret Wray, from Winston-Salem, NC, who first came to the Dominican Republic with a team at Jack’s invitation more than 25 years ago. She saw the need for Americans to come alongside families to sponsor their children so they could be educated in a Christ-centered school. This is how our Child Sponsorship Program began.
When COVID-19 hit in March, our schools were forced to switch to virtual learning, as did many schools here in the US. The Dominican government is requiring that all schools meet virtually during this new school year while COVID-19 continues to spread in the country. Our dedicated teachers and staff in the DR are working hard to ensure the best possible education experience for students this year under these challenging circumstances. Most families have smartphones and will be able to attend classes from the safety of their homes via the Google Classroom app.
We have a need to raise $6,000 to improve the internet capacity at the school and purchase seven laptop computers needed for our Cielo teachers so they are able to teach virtually from their classrooms. Our top priority is that quality education continues…it is critical for the future of these children. We are grateful Mission Emanuel’s Sponsorship staff and our teachers are committed to making this happen. Thank you for continuing to support the Sponsorship Program!
Be encouraged, safe, and blessed!
Cindy Sweeney
Director of Education Partnerships
