A CASTLE RISES FROM THE DUST

Dean Tinney

Children at our Christian School in Ensenada have little or no opportunity to attend public schools because they must enroll within a few days at the very beginning of the first semester or miss the entire year. And most of these children do not have a required birth certificate or money to buy shoes, school supplies and uniforms.

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In 2003 under a tree by a dusty road, we began to tell these poor Oaxacan children living in cardboard shacks in rural Ensenada about Jesus. After a focused five-year search for affordable property to build a Christian elementary school near the migrant hovels, we bought a strategically located property with help from Mission advocates Bobbi Adkins, Tim Springer and friends.

Then little-by-little, we built a Disney-style castle with seven classrooms and plenty of eager, happy students. The Mexican government was so impressed with our rural elementary school that they decided to help by providing five trained and partially paid teachers.

Supervisor Selene Contreras, and our ten teachers are making a lasting difference for children who are among the poorest in Mexico and beyond. The goal of our Christian kinder, elementary and Jr. high school is that more poor children come to know, love and serve Jesus.Our happy, eager students learn English, Spanish (many of our students speak Oaxacan, not Spanish) computers, music, art, Bible and more.