Finding Einstein

Honduras

To survive in the world in which we live, it is more and more important to have an education.  Many parents in impoverished countries are unable to pay the tuition needed to keep their children in school.  The children all have God-given talents that need to be developed for them to become the people God created them to be.  What a waste it is for all of us if even one child with exceptional gifts is unable to use those gifts for lack of an education.  The Diocese of West Texas is helping families around the world to find the means to obtain an education for their children.  Who knows, one of them may be the person who discovers a cure for AIDS or the common cold.

How blessed we are to be able to help needy children learn to recognize and celebrate their gifts and talents.

For the past two years a four-church team from our area has awarded scholarships to Honduran students who wish to enter the colegio(junior/senior high school).  Most families in the colonia (barrio) can’t afford the $250 annually to send their children past sixth grade.  We’d already awarded six scholarships but wanted to award six more, good for the next six years.  Any one in the colonia is eligible to receive a scholarship.

We traveled to Danli, Honduras, and interviewed 11 candidates in the Nueva Esperanza colonia, finally choosing six.

As we were getting ready to return to the hotel a woman came to us and asked if her son could be an applicant.  Knowing we’d already made our decision, I flippantly said we’d consider him only if his grades were all above 90.  Undaunted, the mother pulled our her son’s last report card which had only 99’s and 100’s.  We were amazed and said we’d interview him the next morning.

The house was tiny with a dirt floor.  A curtain divided the sleeping area from the living area.  We met the shy 13-year old and learned that math is his favorite subject.  Thirty minutes a night is all he needs for study.  Impressed, we knew we had to add him to our scholarship award list.

The next night we celebrated with all 13 students and their families.  It was a wonderful occasion.

As I write this, tears run down my cheeks as I think of how close we came to missing the young Einstein.  Instead, we’ve given him the opportunity to develop his God-given gifts to the fullest.

Henry Moore

St. Andrew’s, Seguin

If you would like to help further the education of children in Honduras, Uganda, Mexico, Russia, Belarus or Ukraine, where our mission teams work, please send your donation to:

The Diocese of West Texas (marked “scholarship”)

P.O. Box 6885

San Antonio, TX 78209

Attention: World Mission