¡HOLA!From the students

at El Puente Christian

School in Quepos, Costa

Rica

I am 8 years old and in 3rd grade at El Puente Christian School. My dad died when I was younger and I now live with my mom, my step-dad, and my 3 sisters. We lost our house last year when the town where we live got flooded, so now we are renting a small house farther way. Both of my parents work a lot to be able to pay for our house, food, and my school. My mom also makes the jewelry to sell. I like Costa Rica because it a happy & peaceful place. I want to be a singer when I grow up. I love Jesus because he made me and loves me.

Meet Emily

Scholarship amount needed:Monthly Amount: $90

Total for the Year: $1,080

My name is Keilyn and I am 5 years old. I started at El Puente when I was 4, but sometimes I can’t come to school because my mom can’t afford tuition. My mom works painting nails at a local salon, and now she is making jewelry to help pay for my school. While my mom is working, my grandmother takes care of me. She runs a small ice cream and soda business out of her house. It is close to school so we walk there together. Most of the time my little puppies follow us all the way and try to come in the classroom. I love animals!

Meet Keilyn

Scholarship amount needed:Monthly Amount: $60

Total for the Year: $720

My name is Valeria and I am 5 years old. My cousin Keilyn and I are best friends and we are in Preschool together at El Puente. My parents recently got divorced, and I live with my mom. She works hard as a secretary at a community college, and is trying to take classes herself so that she can get a better job and take care of us. I am not able to go to school right now because we don’t have enough money, but I hope to start again next semester. I love dressing up in the preschool play clothes. When I grow up I want to be an actress or a princess.

Meet Valeria

Scholarship amount needed:Monthly Amount: $80

Total for the Year: $960

We came to Costa Rica and El Puente Christian School 2 and 1/2 years ago after our father died in an accident in the US. Now we live with our step-father, mom, 2 baby brothers and 2 dogs. We love to read and play soccer. At school we learn about God. We don’t have a favorite Bible story because we like them all! We live in a small neighborhood 45 minutes away from school. To ride the bus to school costs $6 each day and sometimes we have to stay home from school when our parents don’t have enough money to send us. Our favorite gifts anyone ever us were food, a Transformer, & a t-shirt.

Meet Bradley, Nathan, & Ryan

Scholarship amount needed:Monthly Amount: $150

Total for the Year: $1,800

Valerie is 8 years old and in 2nd grade and Kendall is 6 years old and in Kinder-garten. We like school because we have friends there, the teachers are nice, and sometimes we get toys! Valerie wants to be a teacher when she grows up & Kendall wants to be boxer. We have to stay with our grandma during the week so we can walk to school because our family doesn’t have enough money for us to take the bus from home. We don’t know our dads, but our moms make jewelry and help clean the school so we can study. Recently people in NC gave money for us to get glasses and we are very happy. Thank you & we love you!

Meet Valerie & Kendall

Scholarship amount needed:Valerie: $150/month or $1800 for the yearKendall: $90/month or $1080 for the year

We are sisters and go to El Puente Christian School in Costa Rica. Alisson is 9 years old and in 3rd grade and Vielka is 7 and in 1st grade. Our parents are divorced, so we stay at our dad’s house sometimes and other times with our mom. Both houses are little, but our family is big so we all sleep together. Our mom works hard at 3 jobs as a waitress to pay for us to go to school. She is happy that we are learning English. We both want to be veterinarians when we grow up. School is fun because we learn about animals, other countries & God. We now know that God always loves us, takes care of us, and protects us.

Meet Alisson and Vielka

Scholarship amount needed:Alisson: $75/month or $900 for the yearVielka: $75/month or $900 for the year

We are four year old twins and are in preschool at El Puente Christian School in Costa Rica. We live with our grandfather, uncle, and mom. Our family works at the local market in the center of town, so we spend a lot of time playing there. We like school because we get to play with Play-Doh and get to take books home. Our public library is very small, and we don’t have any books at our house, so we love being able to pick one out at school each day and take it home to read with our mom. Our favorite cartoons are Cars and Strawberry Shortcake.

Meet Joel and Hillary

Scholarship amount needed:Hillary: $30/month or $360 for the yearJoel: $30/month or $360 for the year

My name is Edward and I am 5 years old and in Preschool at El Puente. My dad works the nightshift at a local hotel, and my mom works at a small typical restaurant during the day. Even though we don’t get a lot of time together as a family, I know that they both love me. My dad brings me to school every day on his bike, and then goes back home to sleep until time to pick me up again. I am an only child, but we have lots of other pets including rabbits and chickens. My favorite is my pet chicken “Comelon” which means “Piggy” in Spanish. I am a very happy, smiling boy.

Meet Edward

Scholarship amount needed:Monthly Amount: $20Total for the Year: $240

¡GRACIAS!THANK YOU!

FOR HELPING US STAY IN SCHOOL & LEARN ABOUT

GOD’S LOVE

For more info or to make a donation, visit

www.elpuenteschool.wordpress.com

Checks may also be made out to Zeeland Christian School and sent to 334 West Central Ave, Zeeland, MI 49464*PLEASE write COSTA RICA on the memo of checks