Have you ever wondered what Vida Teachers think of sponsors? Teacher Gustavo was once a sponsor child in our program and he now teaches at Vida Chijacorral as a junior high teacher. He’s featured in our Spring Newsletter:
In the Grade 8 classroom, each student excitedly shouts out ideas. They have just received a letter from their class sponsor, and now it’s time to write back. There is a buzz as they compose the letter that will be transcribed into the Sponsorsoft system, translated, and then sent to their sponsor. And they will eagerly await a response.
Sponsor letters are treasured in the classroom. Sometimes Teacher Gustavo sends each student home with their own copy, so that they can reread their sponsor’s words for themselves.
Sponsorship provides practically for a teacher and their class. Facilities, resources, school supplies, even teacher’s salaries. Things that are desperately needed to provide a great education to disadvantaged kids. But it’s easy to underestimate the value of that connection, of feeling loved, of feeling seen. “You see God’s love through the sponsors,” says Gustavo. “Even though they are people we don’t know, they bring God’s love to us, and that is a reminder of God’s faithfulness in our lives.”
Gustavo recalls his own childhood sponsors, and the huge impact they had on his life. They supported his studies and helped him know Jesus. “Now, having a class sponsor is most wonderful,” he says, “because we have more support.” Gustavo sees how happy the students are, knowing that they are being sponsored. Together, they pray for the sponsors, asking God to multiply every little thing that they do for the students.
As a teacher, Gustavo feels supported too. “It helps me to be more attentive to my students,” he says, “not just watching their academic progress, but also their spiritual and emotional lives.” The Support a Class program is the best way to come alongside our Vida teachers.
What would Gustavo tell someone considering sponsoring a class? “It’s wonderful for us to find the kind of people who want to help,” he says. He shares how you’ll contribute to the growth of the students, both academically and spiritually, and how you’ll reflect God’s love to them. And then he adds with a chuckle, “There’s still time!”
Thank you for celebrating sponsorship with us this month! Thank you for supporting our teachers and their classes. And thank you for helping us find a sponsor a day for the month of May.