Making Education a Priority

by elfaro | Jun 28, 2015 | Education

Making Education a Priority

Education is a privilege here that unfortunately many can’t afford. Primary school through middle school is free (not including school supplies and uniform) through the unstable and unorganized government system. In our area if a student desires to continue their education they must either travel 20 minutes by boat to Puerto Barrios or travel 30 minutes on a motorbike (if they have one) to a village. Many times, sadly, many families decide not to push their kids to aspire to go to school because of the financial pressures it puts on the families. It is a very sad reality that disappoints and saddens many of those at El Faro especially when there is so much potential and dreams in the young person.

Karlita Gomez is a teacher by trade and a very good one at that. She has served at El Faro alongside her husband Sammy in many different areas including children’s ministry, youth group, graphic design, and homeschooling missionary’s children at El Faro. She saw the need in the village and knew there were little options for the youth and especially for the adults who never had the chance to finish their education. She worked hard at the end of last year to partner with a school she taught at previously in Guatemala City and in January El Faro became the proud new branch of the America Latina Academy.

The academy offers elementary school, middle school, and high school for adults needing to finish school and also youth who can’t afford to travel. In its first year we have 26 students from six different villages including Sarita which is an hour motorbike ride for our student who is a pastor and is finishing his elementary education. The academy only is one day a week on Sundays and it is a neat sight to see students of all ages coming together with a dream for themselves and families. Within a normal “school day Sunday”, each student remains with their same classmates and rotates to the different subjects given by different teachers from El Faro and the community. At the end of each Sunday, they have a small devotion focusing on values that can help them in their personal lives.

There are many stories of the students and the struggles that detained them from continuing their education. Girls who are needed at home during the week to help care for the house and don’t have the money to travel to another village, a woman who got pregnant too early in life and had to leave school to raise her baby, and the list goes on. One unique story is that of Daniel.

Daniel is an employee at El Faro who is 29 years old. Growing up his family lived and worked on a farm in the village of Santa Maria. He was a very good student and was awarded a scholarship on behalf of the farm to travel four hours each Saturday to a city called Chiquimula. He was in his last year of primary school when the farm closed unexpectedly and his family was left without a home, work, and Daniel’s scholarship was suspended. He was forced to begin working at the age of 14 in order to help provide for his family. Years later he was the only one of the El Faro employees who never finished school to stand up and persevere.

It is for people like Daniel that this academy was started at El Faro. He is the oldest student in his class and although sometimes embarrassing and uncomfortable, he is overcoming and and making something of himself.

Many of the students who are in the academy still have many responsibilities with families of their own and work throughout the week. They are only able to study at the El Faro Academy because they are being supported by scholarships generously given at the beginning of the year through our education campaign. We are truly thankful for those who believe in the power of education and we are already seeing results and dreams coming true. Thank you for helping people like Daniel who believe is the first of many to be examples to their entire community.

If you are interested in helping the El Faro Academy, please contact Luis Pedro at misiones@fundacionephraim.org

GLOMOS Graduation 2014

When we wrote about the GLOMOS pastors training in a previous newsletter, little did we know the grand impact it would have on the lives of the people in the program. Not only were there pastors from various towns and villages in the class, but there were also El Faro missionaries and volunteers from the USA and Mexico that received the course. Over the eight months the different classes were given by teachers who traveled to El Faro from different countries including the United States and Costa Rica. The students were able to receive a biblical, occupational, and personal education on how to be a Christian leader in their church, ministry, and families. For many, this was the first time receiving formal Bible training.

One special story comes from Livingston where Kike is from. Along with his family he attends the home church of Miguel and Laura, Guatemalan missionaries to the Garifuna people in Livingston. He is quite popular in the town because he is a singer who since being saved has made a complete and public transformation. Kike says that he was impacted by GLOMOS because he learned things he never knew. “I learned to not judge people for what they do or believe. I have to teach them the truth in love because I too was once like them. I am going to put what I learned in practice by preaching the word to those who don’t know the Lord”.

Another story comes from the village of Sarita where pastor Samuel is from. Sarita is a village 1 ½ hours away in car. His first language is Quiche and even though sometimes it was hard for him doing the homework and taking the class in Spanish, he still continued coming faithfully each month. He successfully was able to complete all the work and tests and even sang in his native tongue the day of graduation.

On October 9 GLOMOS came to beautiful finale with a graduation at El Faro. The founders of El Faro, Phil and Nikki Ephraim, along with board members of GLOMOS, Bob, Wendy, and Preston Smith, were also in attendance that day to be witnesses and an encouragement to the graduates. Many of the pastors had never had a graduation of their own because many never finished school. Dressed in their graduation togas, they were able to stand tall in front of their family and friends in attendance. George Carr, a very special teacher who had come three times to El Faro and has taught over 75 classes on 8 continents, was in attendance as well and was an encouragement to the graduates.

At one point during the ceremony the leaders and teachers washed the feet and prayed over the students. This act was demonstrated by Jesus and was duplicated as a sign of humbleness before the students and also a kind of “send off” to go and proclaim the gospel. The girls from the El Faro kitchen were also included in the ceremony and it was a moving and emotional experience for everyone present.

We are so thankful that El Faro had the opportunity to partner with Global Action and train the spiritual leaders in the villages and El Faro. We have much hope that these men and women will have the confidence, education, and motivation to take what they learned and apply it in their ministries. Please continue to pray for our first graduating class.

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Computer Class Reach New Heights

by elfaro | Dec 4, 2014 | Computer Class, Education

168 kids from eight villages travel to El Faro on a weekly basis for one purpose: to receive computer classes that are accredited with their village school. Samuel Aguilar is the director of this program and he feels extremely blessed by the way the computer program has grown. It started last year with the donation of 14 computers and the construction of the computer lab as part of the El Faro classroom project. The program has grown so much that the computer room is crowded with each computer being shared by two students. The students learn many of the basic programs that kids in the US learn including Windows Office and typing. The students pay $2.00 a month and for those who can’t afford it El Faro offers scholarships. This year there were 23 students with computer scholarships.

The computer class has become a place of encouragement for many of the students. Many times after class Samuel has a chance to talk with students and hear about problems at home. When you walk into his classroom he has a box for prayer requests and prays for the students on a weekly basis.

There are students that have to make a trek to even come to class. A couple of students are from a village called Sarita and make an hour bike ride to come to class. There are others like Jessica, Deodora, and who walk an hour and half to class from their home in Baltimore. Because their school is in the afternoon in our village, Samuel puts out a table for them after their computer class in the morning so they can work on homework.

Selvin is another boy who even though doesn’t walk far to come to class, has a touching story. On his first day of computer class he was already ready to give up. Through the course of the year, little by little, Selvin was able to gain confidence and by the end he became the number one student in his class.

Samuel is in the middle of doing his vacation computer classes. School has ended for the year and this gives the kids who have never taken a computer class to learn the basics and for those who have already been in the class but are behind a chance to catch up and have more one-on-one time.

Construction will start soon to expand the classroom to be able to fit more computers. The oil company Perenco will donate 10 more computers and the construction supplies to meet this huge need that we have. We are excited to see what the expansion of the class including more students who through this class will be able to continue with their studies.

Painting Smiles

by elfaro | Jul 23, 2014 | Education

Paola Colom is a young artist in Guatemala City who decided to donate her time and talent at El Faro during her two-week break from University. Paola has a heart to teach disadvantaged children the art of painting and had taught in Guatemala City with other friends from school. When she knew she had an upcoming break, she knew she wanted to work with the children in the villages around El Faro. Zita Vasquez, one of the coordinators of the art program, traveled to the school to find the most promising art students through a “painting exam”. Through many donations from El Faro supporters, all of the supplies was able to be purchased and thirty kids were enrolled in the class.

On the first day the students arrived very shy without talking much and with insecurities. However, as time progressed, Paola got to know each one and they began to open up artistically. “In the beginning the students were not convinced that they qualified to be there, but after three days they began to realize that they did have talent. Each student was able to reflect pieces of their personality in each art work they created”, Paola says.

Paola first taught about primary and secondary colors. She only brought paint in red, yellow, blue, and white and the idea was for the kids to learn how to mix colors to be able to create their own paint pallet. Other classes included using different textures of paper and pencil exercises. Towards the end of the two weeks the students were ready for their final project where they got to choose between three sceneries for the older kids and animals for the younger ones to paint. They diligently worked on their pieces and on the final day their class was converted into an “art gallery” where friends and family members came to see the art work on display and write down positive commentary. Paola says, “I was surprised at how well the students painted on their final piece because this was the first time they had ever used acrylic paints.”

“This experience was much more than I expected. Each kid arrived on time and some even walked an hour to get to classes. This experience was one that I would like to continue to live.”

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