Sponsoring students at Escuela Integrada is a family affair: How we decided to split the cost and sponsor together

When I first heard about GRACES’ Sponsorship Program, I thought it was far beyond my reach as a single 20-something living on a teacher’s salary in Denver. I still had student loans, and I was already working a couple jobs to stay on top of my expenses.

But, after two summers in Guatemala, I couldn’t deny the reality that I still had so much more than the children at Escuela Integrada, and I was determined to find a way to sponsor a child.

I asked my parents and my sister if they would be interested in co-sponsoring a child at the school. Even though they had never been to Guatemala, they had heard about how the school was making a difference for the kids, and they replied with an enthusiastic, “Yes!”

We signed up as a family to sponsor Fernanda, a new kindergartner at the school in January of 2019. Six months later, my parents visited Guatemala and got to meet her in person. A year and a half later, my sister made the trip too.

All of us have had the chance to build relationships with Fernanda, her parents, and her two sisters. We video chat with the family and send messages through WhatsApp, assuring them of our prayers, even when we are far apart.

This January, we will have been sponsoring together for three years, and doing so has brought us closer together as a family. What I never thought I could do on my own opened a door for us to do something together that truly makes a difference for a child in Guatemala.

You, too, can co-sponsor a student at Escuela Integrada with your family, friends, Bible study, colleagues, or even your pickle ball team!

We currently have 51 students who need sponsors. A sponsorship costs $90 per month, and can be split between individual contributors. Talk to your herd, and then sign up to be handpicked by a student at Escuela Integrada!

If you are interested in splitting a sponsorship, and need help getting connected with others who want to co-sponsor, simply fill out the form with the amount you are comfortable contributing, and we’ll help make it happen!

In Solidarity,
Autumn Jones
GRACES Director of Communications