By Moisés G. Hernández
The space of “Mi Pequeña Lucecita” (“My Little Light”) has become too small. The demand for this preschool is so high that there is a waiting list to enroll. This is because it is the only Christian preschool in La Caramuca, a neighboring town of the city of Barinas, about 500 kilometers southwest of Caracas, Venezuela.
This preschool has been a success. It belongs to the Lutheran Church “La Epifanía”, led by Pastor David Ernst. His wife, Deaconess Luz María Ernst, is in charge of the only educational center that serves children of maternal age, that is, between one and three years old.
“We are the only institution that serves toddlers on the fundamental Christian and biblical principles established in the Lutheran confessions,” says Luz María, who also has academic training in primary education and computer science.
When La Epifanía started its school program, they found that the educational level of the children’s parents was very deficient. Some of them could not read, which prevented them from helping in their children’s learning.
“That gave us the opportunity to serve with afterschool tutoring, accompanying the children in their school work. It is still maintained, with a marked incidence of attention to students with difficulties in their academic performance. For example, a 6th grade child who does not know how to divide, a 2nd grade child who does not know how to read… In that context, they propose to create a preschool section, because there was no preschool in the entire sector, with the staff paid by the State. Over time, other institutions emerged, and ours was limited to maternal care,” the deaconess recounts.
The small school serves 28 children from the locality and nearby sectors. There are three teachers and two teacher’s aides. One of the teachers is a graduate in special education, which allows the institution to help children who need additional attention.
Luz María remembers how difficult it was for parents to understand that their children required special attention. “At first, the response was one of denial. Then they have expressed gratitude for the early diagnosis and the accompaniment received,” she assures.
The children participate every day in a devotional led by Pastor David, whom they see as a paternal figure. This facilitates the learning of Christian songs and the Lord’s Prayer.
“We thank God that he gives us the opportunity to share his word, serving a community and, within it, the most vulnerable population, which are the children,” affirms Luz María.
There are plans to expand the “Mi Pequeña Lucecita” space to be able to admit more students, once the improvements required by the State on the property are achieved.
“One of my big prayer items since returning from the US in late March was that God would provide my music ministry with a few new musicians that already have somewhat of a foundation in music. God answered that prayer with providing 3!”, he says.
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