The School a refuge of Faith

Vocation to teach and serve

 On this occasion, we tell you the story of Sister María and all the challenges she has had to overcome, to give the children of Venezuela an adequate space to learn.

 It all starts with the idea of ​​having a school that provides children with a meaningful place of learning. She worked as a teacher for a government school where she served for many years. But her situation has changed so dramatically after the education sector inflation.  The salary of teachers is basically worthless.  

 Sister Maria started a school in her home but continued to work in the public sector. She didn’t want to give up that job, because it was something she enjoyed and allowed her to serve.

The first challenge

 The idea was to formalize the school, but it was something that seemed impossible. With so many requirements and coupled with it the bureaucracy in all government entities, discouragement wanted to rob her of her optimism. However, Sister Maria knew that there was a higher power that could help her resolve legal procedures. Nor did she have the money to manage all the permits.

She trusted Heavenly Father and his divine guidance, so she exercised her faith and moved on. Although she managed to overcome all the legal requirements, she had to spend a long time to get them.

Now she needed to be certified by the corresponding educational entity to endorse her school. Although the sister knew the procedure very well and all the people who could go for this process, the road turned stony.

First, the government had suspended permits for public schools to operate. However, Sister María’s school could carry out its activities under another legal figure that limited the inclusion of children of other ages.

While waiting for government authorization, Sister Maria continued to train preschool-age children. But she did not expect the crisis to affect his school and even more so with the pandemic.

More stumbling along the way

The second challenge was to lose the headquarters where it operated. High costs led her to move her school three times to different locations. All in search of an infrastructure that could pay. But her options were very limited.

Finding a shelter to welcome her children was what she most wanted. She trusted the Lord’s promises that if she developed her talents she would be blessed. Also, if he served beyond his personal and family needs, she would receive more than she had.

She did not find a place that was within his budget, so she decided to prepare her house to receive the children. The sacrifice was great, every day Sister María had to vacate her room and that of her children to set up tables and chairs. But she knew her effort was worth it.

Very early they did the same job: taking out the beds, putting in the chairs, cleaning, and at the end of the day putting the beds back to sleep. But little by little they got what they needed to build a room for their family.

It was not the most comfortable but they no longer had to take out and put so many heavy objects every day. The joy of receiving her little ones in a clean, orderly and welcoming environment was her reward.

A hope for the little ones

Years later, Sister María received great news, the government had approved her request to operate legally and be able to include other children from higher grades. It took 6 years to see how his great wish came true.

The wait and the efforts were not in vain, because she knew that one day Heavenly Father would hear her prayers and the best thing is that they were answered.

They were years of tribulations that with the help of the Lord he managed to overcome. The school went through many changes throughout these years. But their activities never stopped, that was a great relief for the parents who put all their trust in Sister Maria.

The example of this sister’s service allowed some parents to know the gospel of Jesus Christ and now sharing their faith is one of the purposes in her life.

The school welcomes children from preschool to elementary school. The values ​​and principles that are taught are very valuable to parents. One of the premises of the school is to consolidate meaningful learning based on values.

Now Sister Maria is an example to follow, because she never stopped being optimistic in times of crisis. She continued with her purpose which was to serve children and as time passed she managed to legalize her academic activities.

All the parents eagerly awaited this news and although some did not know all the sacrifices of Sister Maria, they are grateful for the love that she shows each day to her children. As demonstrated by the Savior Jesus Christ.

A United family

The Caraballo family continues to try to be self-sufficient in a country that does not have the best economic conditions and it is difficult to deal with red tape. But the sister knew that in every step she took to keep her school afloat, she was being guided by our heavenly father.

Each member of the family has sacrificed for this project that has been consolidating for more than 15 years and has been a journey with many successes and failures. But this has allowed them to grow and be one in Christ.

Now that she has the means to support her family, Sister Maria can better serve in the church. She has been a seminary and institute teacher for many years and is now a self-reliance service missionary.

Their role is to help the brothers get a better education and guide them on that path.

There is no doubt that there are still teachers with a vocation in our country. Despite the difficulties, the Lord invites us to watch over our little ones and that is something that Sister María has carried out for more than 20 years.

Children are his reason for being, they are his inspiration and his strength. Sister Maria’s school is more than a learning center, it is a refuge of faith.

This story never ceases to amaze many Venezuelans who have great difficulties supporting their families. But they keep their trust in the Lord and hope for a miracle for our country.

Meanwhile, faithful servants of Jesus Christ understand that adversity is part of our eternal progress and that there is always a way to persevere.

Mrs Luces is available for freelance writing about all things Venezuelan and can be contacted at reynaluces1986@gmail.com