New school year enrollment

Today I would like to share with you our enrollment numbers from August, the opening of the school year.

The day care center in Monte Plata has over 125 little ones, from infants in the nursery, to classes for mentally challenged and autistic children, as well as children needing help to get up to speed to enter grammar school.

Preschool class at Portal de Belen

Challenged children at Portal de Belen


At the school at Don Juan we were able to add the 7th grade because of the two new classrooms that were just built. That school now serves children from preschool through 7th grade, for a total of 406 children. Next year an eighth grade will be added to the school.

New classroom at Don Juan

New second floor classroom at Don Juan


In Hato Nuevo this school year, the number of children we serve has grown by leaps and bounds! The daycare has 90 little ones, 90 children attend the after school program for those not in school or who have problems learning, and grades one through four study at the grammar school. This significant growth demonstrates that the sisters in Hato Nuevo have gained the confidence of the people there.

Third grade students at Hato Nuevo

Fourth grade students at Hato Nuevo


Que Dios siempre le bendiga
~P.Ron Gaesser

Faith

Thursday, October 1st was the feast of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, who is the patron saint of the little chapel in L'Elmo. A Carmalite nun who never left the convent, Teresa is the patron of missions because of her intense prayers for the missions. She died at the age of 24, after 18 months of suffering from tuberculosis. What has always fascinated me is that on her deathbed she spent hours wrestling with her doubts about faith in God.
As a result, the recent revelations over the doubts of faith of Mother Teresa of Calcutta don't surprise me.

At times, I wrestle with my own faith. Although working with God's favorites, the poor, constantly reinforces and strengthens my faith.

Children at mass

The Catholic chaplain at the University of Rochester, NY, Fr.Brian Cool (whom I have known since he was 2 years old), is working to raise funds and book students to come and build a new chapel for the people of L'Elmo, hopefully this January.

The chapel at present
Preparing for mass inside the chapel

Two members of the little community of L'Elmo, despite their poverty, generously have donated the land for the new chapel.

Several views of the donated land which will be the site of the new chapel




God continues to surprise me with the generosity of others.

~P.Ron, Don Juan DR.