News from GRACES
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Love is kind
At the beginning of last year, Sergio, a father of one of the students at Escuela Integrada, handed his sons teacher a bag of school supplies saying that it was for Maria. Maria’s family simply could not afford the small amount of additional school supplies that families are supposed to provide for their children. Instead of putting the burden back on the school, Sergio took it upon himself to purchase…
How a sponsor is changing Oliver’s life
When I first met Oliver, he was young and timid. It was his first time in a new school with new kids and new faces. He was one of the children at Escuela Integrada who needed someone to sponsor his education. Morgan and I knew we wanted to sponsor one of the children, but there was a small problem… There were so many kids that needed a sponsor. How were…
Remote Control Cars for Christmas!
Last week, I went to the toy store with a young boy that I’ve known for a long time. It was his birthday in November so I told him he could pick out two gifts: one for his birthday and one for Christmas. I won’t lie, it felt amazing to be able to offer this young boy something that he never gets to do. When I was a child, I…
Escuela Integrada partners with Catholic parishes to expand ecumenical mission
This February, Escuela Integrada will welcome its first Catholic mission team from St. Mary’s and St. Rose of Lima, two parishes in northern New Mexico. The relationship between the Catholic parishes and the school began in the fall of 2017, when Father Josh Mayer, pastor of St. Mary’s and St. Rose of Lima, and Father Daniel Ciucci, parochial vicar of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Longmont, Colorado, discerned…
Small Gifts Big Blessings
We’ve all got that one person on our list this season who’s just impossible to shop for so why not give them a blessing? During the Supporter’s Gathering and planning meeting in Guatemala this year a couple visiting the school for the first time joined us.  During the planning meeting seasoned supporters and staff were struggling with how to promote and fundraise for the work we are all passionate about…
GRACES launches new film— ‘Day in the Life: Eli’s Story’
 Earlier this summer, GRACES’ film crew captured the everyday obstacles faced by students and families who attend Escuela Integrada. The short documentary features Eli (14), a 7th grade student at Escuela Integrada, and first premiered at the Quetzal Gala in September 2018. Two of Eli’s siblings, Gladis (16) and Evelyn (12), also attend Escuela Integrada. Gladis is in 8th grade and Evelyn is in 4th. Each day, Eli leaves…