Ground Breaking and The Christ School Trip

Opportunity Knocks

We recently had a ground-breaking ceremony for what will become the Opportunity Center of Cielo, a place for community members to develop their own businesses, find or receive training for specific jobs, and acquire goods and services otherwise harder to access for the community. In a property just across the street from the Cielo School, the Center will be strategically placed to serve the community in multiple ways.

As we open the doors of this Center, we hope to open gates of hope and development for Cielo. This is part of the Cielo Sustainable Economic Development Program, a new initiative in Mission Emanuel that aims to provide households the opportunity to grow through various initiatives. The program starts with education on good stewardship of the resources already available to each family. Training evolves into diverse technical courses, including entrepreneurship. As people’s projects rise, we will act as connections and enablers for them to prosper with access to capital, access to markets, business incubators, and more. People will be enabled to find better jobs, start or improve their own businesses, and prosper financially. Our goal is to provide families with opportunities for growth and greater freedoms to achieve more in the long run. We pray and commit these works to the Lord, and hope to see our plans succeed!

Jim Sweeney, Jack Larson, Porfirio Cespedes, Rosa Sierra pictured with the Vice-Mayor of Santo Domingo West

The Christ School (Orlando, FL) Spring Break

February held our annual Christ School trip from Orlando, FL. It was a group of 8th grade students and their parents. They were the first group to work on the new Commerce Center. They formed a bucket line to pour the footings and then laid the first blocks of the building. They also spent a morning visiting with the 8th grade class at the Nazaret School. After playing games and making new friends, they presented the whole class with new Bibles.

Jason Powell, Headmaster, has a special relationship with a patient at the Leprosarium. Damaris and Jason have been friends for years. When he is there, her smile is bigger and more genuine than ever. Each time, he takes her out of her room and walks her around, introducing her to all the students. Since she cannot see, he guides her throughout the halls. He then dances with her to the worship music playing and makes her feel so loved. Jason has been volunteering with Mission Emanuel for many years and the Cielo Church presented him with a service award on Wednesday night.

Thank you, Dr. Powell, TCS 8th Grade Students and Parents!