Our Tech school gave a display of patriotism and joy celebrating Honduras 193 years of independence with a beautiful parade, floats were decorated with the different technical trades from the school, from sewing, auto mechanic, wood carving and wood working, and one specialy design for the tech school's services of turism and souvenirs, which had the support of some of our volunteers.
This past weekend Sherly Mendez, Katy Mendez and Patty Avila, graduated from Nursing and Psychology, respectively, at the Adventist University of Central America, UNADECA in Costa Rica . We feel very proud to share their accomplishments Congratulations!
The dream of a new school became a reality for more than one hundred little ones who have been meeting in a temporary lean-to for several years in the near-by communities of Las Palmas and La Torre. Pan American Health Service donated a lovely hill-top site for an architect with Schools for the Children of the World of Mears, MI, to coordinate and assist the efforts of the children’s parents, the Yibrin family and our local municipality of Santa Cruz to build the three-room school. Construction began in February with the students and their families providing the unskilled labor. Working together, the school was finished and inaugurated on July 12, 2013.
After watching them grown through the years, our hearts were filled with pride and great joy to witness Patty, Ana Elsi and Dinora receive their university degrees in Nursing. Ana Elsi completed her degree with a thesis to become a licenced nurse. Having achieved her dream of becoming a profesional nurse she is now joining our work team at Servicio Panamericano de Salud (PAHS Honduras). Meanwhile Patty and Dinora will return to their university in Costa Rica, UNADECA, to complete their degree to be licenced nurses also. We are deeply grateful to all our supporters who have made this great achievement possible for our girls! A special thanks to those who sponsored their scholarships Mend a Child Foundation, Dr. Larry & Jean LaClair, Paul & Sheryl Selivanoff, Dr. Carlos & Graci Japas and John Beldin.
Seventy students graduated from the Dr. Stephen Youngberg Technical Vocational School on December 6. The graduation ceremony took place in the lovely facilities of the local university campus of Universidad Cristiana Nuevo Milenio. The graduates received certifications and diplomas in Auto Mechanics, Sewing, Wood Carving, Wood Working and the EDUCATODOS program - 6th and 9th grades. The joy and pride of the students and families was a pleasure to behold and it fills the PAHS team with great satisfaction to know that we are helping to break the cycle of poverty through education.
It is a great source of joy to witness the graduation of 6 of our young people! Thanks to our alliance with the Mend-a-Child Foundation, PAHS has the honor of seeing Josue, Johana, Yeimi, Stephany, Gaby and Yini receive their secondary school diplomas on 24 de Noviembre from Centro Educacional Adventista. They are now eligible to enter University in search of their dreams. Josue will pursue a degree in theology, while all the girls wish to pursue careers in the medical professions: Johana and Stephany want to be nurses; Yeimi wants to be a dentist and Yini wants to be physician. We are sure they have what it takes to succeed in their chosen fields!
Johana, Josue, Yeimi and Gaby
Johana, Josue, Yeimi and Gaby completed their professional practicum or internships after finishing their course of study for secondary school which included a technical specialty in computers. The young people spent six weeks at different companies in San Pedro Sula, learning about what it takes to be a professional on a team and to be a part of the work force. They were successful in meeting their objectives and received good reviews and a few even had invitations to join the permanent staff. We are proud of each of them for setting a high standard and for the great impression they left at their respective places of practice.
September 15 is a special date for our country, Honduras, as well as for all the Central American countries as it commemorates Independence Day. This is why our children dressed in patriotic fervor, took to the streets in an organized parade hosted by their school to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day. Set to the cadence of their school’s Marching Band our children of all ages participated in different squads all with the intent to commemorate this special season as they wore the pride of their country on their faces, pride at being born in such a beautiful nation as Honduras!
Centro Educacional Adventista - the educational center our children attend for private education - celebrated their 50th Anniversary this month, and as part of the celebration our children participated in a parade honoring the milestone of their alma mater. The students were happy to be part of this special celebration and with great pride marched on behalf of their school through the street of our local town, Peña Blanca.
Our children had the pleasure of experiencing an unforgettable, educational and fun trip to the Joya Grande Zoo in a nearby town. The trip was sponsored thanks to the generosity of Peter and Beth Malgadey of Florida, friends of Bonnie Gray a faithful volunteer of over a year. Our children were able to see animals they had previously seen only in photographs such as a lion, giraffes, tigers, leopards, hippopotamus, and crocodiles among others.
Thanks to an innovative project spearheaded by volunteer, Bonnie Gray, our campus appears cleaner. The children decorated 20 five-gallon buckets as small trash receptacles to be placed in strategic spots around our campus. This has given the children the opportunity to learn in a fun and creative way the importance of caring for the environment by avoiding the habit of littering and keeping our environment trash-free.
For their mid-year vacation our children and teens from the Homes traveled to the remote beach property of Punta Sal for a camp out. They enjoyed a much needed break from the usual routine of classes and chores and played in the water and enjoyed the beautiful beaches. The trip is a tradition and reward for students who have made the effort to work hard to get good grades and to complete their assigned chores.
We have been blessed this year to have the visits of many groups affiliated with Maranatha Missions who were visiting our local Academy and chose to help continue the construction of the building that will be our Nutritional Rehabilitation Center, a building that is greatly needed. This was the case when our brothers and sisters from the Paradise Adventist Church spent two weeks helping us advance this special building project – a wonderful answer to prayer. Additionally they hosted medical clinics around the Lake Yojoa area and saw approximately 500 patients. We are so grateful for their love and support!
Students from San Gabriel Academy in Los Angeles, CA visited our campus and volunteered their time to help with bean harvesting and the child care in our Casita Feliz. They were visiting our community as part of a Maranatha Mission Team to the local our local academy Centro Educacional Adventista.During their time here they also held Bible School classes filled with fun activities for our children. We are grateful for their attentions and for their help!
This year’s graduation class of Fountain View Academy in Canada chose to come to our community for their Senior Class trip. While here the Seniors chose a variety of projects to benefit our campus. They took turns over the span of 10 days to help in the daily caretaking of the little patients in the Casita Feliz. Others organized a Music Camp for the children and teens from our Homes. Our children were thrilled to be learning music in this fun and entertaining way. Some in the group dedicated their time to furthering the construction of the new building that will house our Nutritional Rehab Center. We are deeply grateful for all of the contributions that these young people made to our campus life.
The academic year started and the excitement of our children is a beauty to watch. Everyone is excited about school and doing their chores has taken on a new meaning for them, as they realize the importance of appreciating the great privilege that is theirs in having a private Christian education. We are very proud of our children for their efforts in their school work as well as in their chores.
With the purpose of seeking excellence in a new year of studies, seven of our girls boarded the bus to Costa Rica to attend UNADECA in Alajuela, Costa Rica. This is a new experience for Nelly who will study English while at the university. Three other young ladies, Jennifer, Carolina and Beatriz started their studies at the National University of Honduras in San Pedro Sula.
A very happy celebration for 77 students and their families took place as The “Dr. Stephen Youngberg” Technical Vocational School hosted the end of year graduation ceremony.
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