San Marcos Christian School
Carlitos
Ten-year-old Carlitos appeared to be losing his sanity before he came to San Marcos. Now his happy-go-lucky childhood joy has returned. God has been working in his heart since his father enrolled him in our school.
Carlitos’ parents had separated. His dad kept him and his mom took his little brother. As I know you can understand, he was deeply disturbed by the break-up of his family. He began hitting his head on the wall rhythmically and forcefully on a regular basis. He did destructive things like breaking his own glasses. He started cutting himself, trying to distract his heart from his emotional pain.
You can imagine how hard it was for Carlitos’ father to see him manifesting these symptoms of deep distress. He was at a loss for how to help his son. A cousin suggested, “Enroll him in San Marcos Elementary. My own life has been powerfully transformed there.” Desperate, his dad decided to give it a try.
Carlitos heard and responded to the message of Jesus’ love at San Marcos. He opened his heart to Him. One of his teachers set aside time each time to pray just with him and minister to his heart. The Holy Spirit initiated a complete metamorphosis in this young man.
From his teachers, Carlitos learned the power of prayer. His mother had dropped out of his life. When he started to pray, she began to bring his lunch to him daily at school. He kept praying, and his parents started dating again. He prayed some more, and both of his grandparents got saved. They have since plugged into our church.
Carlitos does not bang his head on the wall any more. He no longer cuts himself. His grades have greatly improved. Jesus has healed his heart and slowly but surely is putting his family back together again.
Juanito
Seven-year-old Juanito’s earthly existence began with a moment of passion. Between two individuals gone wild at a gay pride event here in Iquitos. That is, in the natural realm. In heaven’s terms, you and I know that he is Jesus’ special treasure. Sadly, his first years of life were a far cry from receiving the treasuring he deserved.
I would like to share with you the rest of his story.
Juanito was almost dead when his father, Pedro, found out he even had a son. He was five years old at that point. Juanito’s mother had abandoned him as soon as he was born. He spent his early years on the streets, homeless. When Pedro found out he existed, Juanito was dying of hunger. At that point, Pedro rescued him and took him home. Not long after that, Juanito came into our sponsorship program.
Every day at San Marcos Elementary School, children like Juanito learn about how much Jesus treasures them. Every day they are immersed in a warm, loving environment. For many of them, school is a refuge, the only place they feel safe. This is our seventh year since opening San Marcos. Every year, nearly all of our new students have given their lives to Jesus.
As our children turn their lives over to Jesus, their parents begin to see dramatic change in their little ones’ lives. Many of them begin to long for a similar transformation. Juanito’s case is no exception. After living a homosexual lifestyle for close to twenty-five years, his daddy gave his life to the Lord. Pedro had seen the living Jesus in little Juanito’s eyes. This happened not long after Juanito came to our school.
How my heart is moved when I look into the eyes of little children like Juanito. I see how desperately they need to learn how treasured they are. How grateful I am that God has given us this marvelous outreach tool in San Marcos! How profoundly moving to see so many newly beginning lives completely turned around by His love!
Manolo
Manolo’s mother, Ana, was at her wits’ end. She had received word from yet another school that her son was being expelled. This was the fifth high school she had enrolled him in. Each time, he’d only made it a few months before being kicked out. His drug abuse and rebellious attitude were blatant. You can imagine the pain in Ana’s heart.
At fifteen years old, Manolo was already on the road to hell. His custom had become to leave the house as evening set in. To return in the wee hours of the morning. Or not at all. Many of his nights were spent strung out on drugs and alcohol. One of those cases where you hope against hope that the kid is not going to die before he turns twenty.
Ana heard about our Christian school, from a neighbor. “Kids go to this school, and they get totally changed!” exclaimed her friend. A faint ray of hope began to shine in Ana’s heart. She didn’t want to allow herself to hope after so many crushing disappointments. But she decided she had no other choice. Doors were quickly closing to any other schools as Manolo’ reputation preceded him.
Nervously, she knocked on the door of our administrative office. She was embarrassed to ask if her son would be allowed to become a student with us. Our staff assured her that we would be glad to work with Manolo. The small ray of hope in her heart grew just a little bit brighter.
Through Jesus, we were able to offer a brand new door of opportunity to this young man. Manolo became a student at San Marcos High School. For the first time in his life, he began to hear about his Creator’s love for him.
Day after day (the days he managed to make it to school anyway) his teachers shared Jesus with him. And it happened. The Holy Spirit began to work on Manolo’s heart. As the weeks went by, the message began to sink in.
Manolo responded to the Lord. An ensuing dramatic turnaround surprised everyone in his life. To Ana, it almost seemed like her son had undergone a personality transplant. He quit his drug and alcohol habits completely. Now, he began to fill his schedule with disciplined study. His grades climbed from failing to excelling. He even signed up for extra college-prep classes in the evenings!
We have never advertised for San Marcos. Elated mothers like Ana have more than adequately done the job for us. The great majority of our students came to our school through word of mouth.
This is the Kingdom of God. His reign is so powerful, it advances and multiplies of its own nature. “Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though [the farmer] does not know how.” (Mark 4:27) The Kingdom we are receiving is unshakable, unstoppable.
You are on the winning side! Be encouraged today. Just as God is glorifying His name in Iquitos, Peru, so will He glorify His name in your life! He leads us always on in triumph!
