Family News

Celeste

One of our desires is for Oasis de Esperanza to be not only a safe place for children and a Christian education facility but also a good neighbor to the community. We try to do that through education, feeding programs, church services, movie nights, short-term mission teams, and community involvement. We want to promote a family atmosphere because many of our students come from single parent homes with little or no adult (male) influence or mentoring. It’s one of the main reasons young people are drawn to gangs because it provides, although not in a good way, a sense of belonging.

In the past week, our school “family” has experienced two tragedies and we would ask for your prayers of comfort.

Jacqueline Alvarado is a lady who has worked with us for four years. She is uneducated and single mom to Jose Luis, a student at Oasis de Esperanza, and Jennifer, a deaf girl Elaine and I have “adopted” and placed in a Christian deaf school. Jacqueline is in charge of the school snack bar and is our housekeeper. She and her family have been a part of the school and our “family” for many years. This past Saturday her mother suddenly passed away due to kidney failure/diabetes. It’s the only family Jacqueline and her children have and they were very close. Elaine and I visited the house, paid our respects to the family,, and comforted Jacqueline, Jose Luis and Jennifer as best we could. The school and Savior’s Tear provided financial assistance for food to visitors and funeral expenses.

Two days later we received a call that the father of three of our students was killed in a motorcycle accident. Tragedy has stricken this family twice in eight months. Last year, the oldest son, and one of our students, Wilbur Molina, was killed by a shotgun blast and now the father, Luis Molina, has died in a motorcycle accident. Three of the family’s children, Esmerelda, Angel, and Luis have been students in our school for 4+ years and this is a good Christian family with a strong faith. Our hearts and prayers for God’s comfort are with them.

You may also remember Celeste, our Pre-K angel, who last November was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer. She has received lots of prayers from the school children, teachers, you and us. We have also been supplying PediaSure to help with her weight and strength because she was scheduled to begin chemotherapy in late-November. What a joy and blessing it was to see her at graduation in December! She was taken to the children’s cancer hospital and tests revealed no need for chemotherapy. While they did not pronounce her cancer-free they did say she would continued to be monitored for any signs of cancer. Prayers answered!!!

She now attends class every day and while her weight is still below average, she’s typical of our 400+ children, laughing, singing, praising, eating and learning.