Guatemala (MNN) — The wife of
Guatemala City's mayor has teamed up with Orphan Outreach to provide a biblically-based education to the city's poorest children.
Patricia Arzú, wife of Guatemala
City's mayor, Alvaro Arzú, grew concerned about the spiritual condition of the
people of Guatemala. In 1996, using her position as First Lady when her
husband was president of Guatemala, Arzu decided to bring biblical education
into schools–even the public municipal schools.
She runs
three schools through her foundation. For preschoolers (Los Patitos), school
age girls (Las Rosas), and school-age boys (Los Cedros.)
These schools serve the children who
live on the outskirts of Guatemala City. Many are so poor that they are
literally naked and living in the dumps.
In each clean, brightly-decorated
school, the children gather each morning to bathe and put on clean uniforms,
which staffers have freshly laundered on school grounds.
Orphan Outreach works with
preschool education, early intervention support and evangelism, where they
become the hands and feet of Christ. Their
work dovetails into the passion Arzu has shown for over a decade.
The Bible serves as curriculum,
with classes for teachers as well as students. In support
of her vision, Orphan Outreach and a team of 60 women recently visited the
schools and brought with them hope in the form of school supplies.
They're still looking for more churches and individuals who would like to support school
for orphans and impoverished children. Click here for more details.
