"Arlington is working to develop well-rounded students who understand more about our world and their spiritual obligation to help our fellow man."

ACS Establishes Sister School Relationship

In the United States, we take for granted the resources that we have available to us, such as the ability of our students to attain a Christian education here at Arlington; but if you take a short trip by airplane to Central America, you will witness a different story. The country of Honduras is about the size of Tennessee and is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. While the country does have a government-funded education system, many children are unable to attend because their parents cannot afford uniforms or pencils and paper for their children.

In 1991, a group of Christians from the Slidell Church of Christ in Slidell, Louisiana, were visiting the town of Trujillo (pronounced True-hee-yo), on the Caribbean coast of Honduras. As they walked from their hotel into town, they saw a group of young children playing. They asked why these children were not in school and found out that their families were too poor to send them. This encounter was the inspiration for the establishment of the Trujillo Christian School. Built on land donated from the city, the school started with just a kindergarten. Today, the school has grown to nearly 300 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, and in February the school adds ninth grade.

This is an exciting time for the school because now, children will be able to graduate from TCS and go on to College, which is similar to what we call high school. This is also an exciting time for Arlington, because we have been asked to be a sister school to TCS. The first step in our relationship will be a spring break mission trip that several of our students, parents, and staff will be making to Trujillo. We will have an opportunity to work with the students on school and community improvement projects and will also start building personal relationships between the two schools.

We ask all of you to pray for and encourage the group that will be visiting Trujillo very soon. God willing, this will be a great kick-off for the establishment of a relationship that will transcend language and culture. It’s one more way that Arlington is working to develop well-rounded students who understand more about our world and their spiritual obligation to generously help our fellow man.

A Few Facts About Honduras

• We take off for the summer. They take off for the rainy season.

• Most students only go for a few years, but TCS works hard and is successful at keeping kids in school.

• Class sizes are larger than in the US. Some schools have as many as 8o students in a class.

• Many families will choose one child to send to school, since they can’t afford to send them all.

How TCS is Funded

The Trujillo Christian School’s finances are provided through the sponsorship of individual children. Sponsorship of a child is only $30 a month. This provides for the entire cost of educating a child, including the cost of uniforms, shoes, basic supplies, and all of the administrative costs. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, visit trujillocs.org to find more information or call 770-713-5197.