Dear friends; My heart is so full and grateful to receive what is happening all over the world with the CCCS projects. August 15 is the due date for the second report of the projects and already before that date we have pages of news to share. We want you to know what your gifts are doing, not only for the children but the directors and teachers who are working with them. The encouragement to the teachers helps them feel a part of making a difference in their world, sharing the love of Jesus and giving children the chance to grow intellectually. We are working in the poorest countries and we can see the growth and change. Guatemala, our first country, has grown from one small boarding school to 5 schools and 11 additional scholarship sites, all run by Christians, many educated through the scholarship program.
Bangladesh: From Monotosh Banargee living in Bangladesh we read: “We are thanking God and you because we are able to run our education program. Six primary schools in Jessore, Bagerhat, and Gopalgon district are running well although we face lack of funds, especially during the rainy season. We pray for funds to purchase land for more schools, and we ask your prayers for us so that God gives us knowledge and strength to do His work. We thank Pastor Elieo Bairgee of POBLO for his faithful support.”
El Salvador: Mariana Mendez from Pasaquina, El Salvador was raised by Rev. Ciro Mejia in Guatemala so she could finish high school. Upon graduation she became a teacher and married Rev. Mauro Recinos. They returned to Pasaquina and in thankfulness started Monte Sion Lutheran School which goes through the 9th grade and three village elementary schools. Her husband died several years ago and this has become her life, caring for over the 200 children she serves in these rural villages. Marina cares for the whole child, providing medicines, snacks, school supplies and the transportation for the teachers who travel to the villages. She enclosed many thanks yous and I will include only one as most stories are similar. “My name is Jesús Adonay Rivera and I am 12 years old. I live with my grandmother and I have a scholarship to go to the colegio. Thanks to God and to you I am studying in Monte Sion School. May God bless you.”
Guatemala City: A Mighty Fortress Lutheran Church started in 2000 and has focused on children. With CCCS help they have started “Kids Club” and meet with the children every Saturday. Areceli Bonilla, a social worker and member of the church, works with the parents and mentors the children who have CCCS scholarships. In the last three years Dr. Elry Orozco has taken over a Kids Club in one of the poorest barrios, Amatitlan. He mentors over 50 children with scholarships who now the opportunity to go to school. (My daughter Ann, a physician, is at Amatitlan this week with her son Andrew and 9 from Messiah Church in Seattle, doing a Health Clinic and a Vacation Bible School)
Sierra Leone: Eric Quee, director of the CCCS scholarship program in Sierra Leone, rejoices for the new motor bike donated from the KS LWML to give him a way to get from village to village to visit the CCCS schools. He reports 15 schools in the Kono Dist, 7 in the Kailahun District, 3 in Bo Dst. and 92 teachers for a total of 2861 pupils making an average of 31 students per classroom. Their request is for better buildings for the students, teaching and learning materials and funds to support teachers to attend training colleges.
Venezuela: Maturin, Christ the King 9th grade school is celebrating its fifteenth year. It started as a pre-school and the CCCS has watched it grow. Alaska, the daughter of Luis Aristimuño, the director, is among the students who went from pre-school to graduation from the 9th grade. To continue with a scholarship program for that many years, accountability is essential.
In 2006 David and Luz Maria Ernst began a pre-school in Caramuco, a growing area of the State of Barrinas. Their pre-school has received wide community support and at their graduation the President of the Community Council and Director of all the pre-schools in the area were in attendance. David writes that the public schools for first grade are full and they are dreaming and praying to open an elementary school. For the CCCS our joy is that all the children are being taught the love of Jesus.
The above are tiny snippets of projects in only 5 countries and there are now 21 with 18,000 children.
Your prayers and support have made this possible. We thank you.

Edie Jorns, Project Director, CCCS
Mark 10:14 “Let the little children come to me.”