After the first week at a specially selected private school, I could see a reluctance in the girls when time came to go to class. Something had them stirred up, and I waited for a storm cloud to burst. The following week, Leti* came in with red eyes and a pout. We needed to have a visit.

“Leti, sit here, and tell me why you are upset.”

Slow at getting started, Leti explained, “I don’t want to go back to school. The kids make fun of me because I’m in the baby class.”

Leti’s friend joined the conversation and added, “Yeah, the kids make fun of all of us because we live in an orphanage. The teachers don’t do anything to stop it. Nobody wants to be our friend.”

Oh my! The school year could go painfully on forever if something didn’t change. I prayed for the Lord’s intervention.

Joanne and I had checked out this well-known private school. The director impressed us with the concern she showed for the girls and her promises to help them in any way possible. Now we needed another visit with her to find a solution and ease the agony the girls felt. The director showed her compassion for the children and said she would handle the situation.

I sighed deeply, not realizing how angry I felt about the degrading words aimed at my girls. Thank you, Lord, for the love you have for these children. We don’t know what the director told the other teachers or students after our meeting, but from the chitchat of the girls, it appeared life at school had improved. All except for Leti.

In Guatemala, a student needs a certificate to show the completion of a grade before she is allowed to go into the next grade. This law worked against some of the girls in the Home because several of them had never attended school. Because of the law, twelve-year-old Leti sat in humiliation with the first graders. This bothered us until one day Joanne said she had a solution.

Before coming to Guatemala as a missionary, Joanne and her husband started a private school in Alaska. “How hard can it be to start our school here? I have contacts through Associated Christian Schools International and with a knowledgeable attorney. We can have a place for these kids to get an education without the hassles they now face.”

Bursting with the news, we told the girls about our plans, hoping it would ease their misery for the rest of the school year. Joanne went into action and found a compassionate couple to head up the school. (This faithful couple continues to serve as directors today.) They drew the girls to them with magnetic force. Donors from the States stepped forward to help with the expenses. Papers went to the authorities, and when approved, we sought a place for Liberty Christian School.

We rented a little house, and the girls pitched in with full energy to make it ready for their school. I saw a blend of pride, excitement, and hope as they applied paint to the filthy walls. Posters, pictures, and other wall decorations brought out a charm that tickled me as a former teacher. Then the big day came.

Dressed in cranberry-red plaid uniforms and full of giggles, the girls stepped into a new beginning in their educational program. Liberty Christian School was their school, and the desire for academic success rose in this private school. Leti didn’t come home with a smile on her face every day, but she did look forward to sitting with the other girls while doing her grade-appropriate work.

*Name has been changed.