As we entered through the gate our eyes wandered across the striking blue school building, the graveled play yard, and the canopied sports court. Bold letters on a nearby wall stated the truth, “My school is my second home; my home is my first school.” The sounds of children’s laughter, crunching footsteps, and squeaking swings reached our ears. From all sides we were greeted with warm-hearted “hola” as dark eyes looked at us curiously. We had come to visit the “Escuela Cristiana Reforma” and felt instantly at home.
The school is located in the “Las Palmas” quarter of Honduras’ second biggest city, San Pedro Sula. The institution was founded and built with the financial help of the Good Samaritan Department in 2004. Its completion took two-and-a-half years. Right next to the school building is an IMS church, which the school also uses for parent workshops and other meetings.
In all our churches there should be schools…. It is essential that teachers be trained to act well their part in the important work of educating the children … not only in the sciences, but in the Scriptures. These schools (should be) established in different localities and conducted by God-fearing men or women. (Child Guidance, p. 306).
The principal, Sister Wendy Maldonado, and the nine teachers have been doing their best to provide a quality, Christian-based education to the 106 students currently enrolled in grades Kindergarten through Grade 8. School always starts with morning worship and the Bible worker, Brother Celvin Ovelso Guardado Mejia, gives Bible classes every day. Besides classes in PE, math, IT, spelling, writing, and social and natural sciences, students are encouraged to serve the community by visiting orphanages and nursing homes as well as helping sick and homeless people. Not all the students can afford to study at the school. The Good Samaritan Department provides twenty scholarships per school year to help.
One asset of the “Escuela Cristiana Reforma” is that it is a bilingual school where the students have the option to learn English as a second language. It is scientifically proven that the best time to learn a language is between birth and the age of eight. Learning a new language is similar to receiving a key to a new culture. The children are given the opportunity to communicate with people from other countries. Another benefit is that by studying another language, students broaden their minds and improve their thinking abilities. A language is not just a given number of words and a set of grammar rules. New mental pathways develop when learning other languages. Furthermore, many job listings in Latin America require a proficient level of English, but only 20% of Latin American professionals currently possess this skill.
As soon as we went up the stairs to the second floor, the temperature in the classrooms rose noticeably, causing beads of sweat to appear on our foreheads.
A few scattered fans made the heat more bearable, but it was still uncomfortably hot. For this reason, classes begin at seven in the morning and end around noon. San Pedro Sula has a tropical climate with year-round high temperatures reaching 35°C (95°F) in May. Since the school is built out of concrete block walls and a corrugated tin roof, the classrooms heat up quickly. Studies show that heat affects the students’ ability to learn and function. A high level of humidity, which is usually accompanied by hot weather, lowers concentration while increasing sleepiness. A heat wave with high humidity can sometimes cause students to feel like they are lacking energy. Therefore, it is urgent for the school to insulate the building and install air conditioning.
As part of our visit we held a teacher training and a parent workshop.
The teacher training emphasized both the great influence and crucial work of a teacher as well as the use of adequate methods and class arrangements. In the parent workshops we focused on the importance of cooperation between the church, the parents, and the teachers in order to provide a strong moral foundation for children. Margie Seely, the leader of the Education Department, illustrated this thought with the Bible verse in Ecclesiastes 4:12, “…a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
As our visit came to an end, teachers, parents, and students did not want to let us go. With tears in their eyes they gave us big hugs to express their gratitude and affection. We said goodbye but left a piece of our hearts there. It is our sincerest hope to see each other again, either here or in our heavenly home.
by Manuela Di Franca
