{"id":1253,"date":"2019-12-10T14:56:08","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T14:56:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.presbyterianmission.org\/weekly-offerings\/?p=1253"},"modified":"2019-12-10T14:56:08","modified_gmt":"2019-12-10T14:56:08","slug":"christmas-joy-menaul-school-puts-children-on-new-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/weekly-offerings\/2019\/12\/10\/christmas-joy-menaul-school-puts-children-on-new-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Joy: Menaul School Puts Children on New Path"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Struggles of New Immigrants<\/h4>\n

Tony and Lilia Acabal carried deep memories of the struggles they faced as new\u00a0 immigrants years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tony\u2019s family escaped violence-riddled Guatemala in 1987 when he was 15. A\u00a0 decades-long civil war, which claimed the lives of 200,000 people, posed danger at every turn. Lilia\u2019s family came to the United States from Mexico when she was 14. <\/span><\/p>\n

For Tony, getting a good education in his home country was difficult at best,\u00a0 compounding the challenges of learning a new language and culture. Lilia still\u00a0 remembers the loneliness she encountered when she started high school in the U.S.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Challenging and Spiritual Experience<\/h4>\n
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The Acabal family at Marco’s graduation.<\/p><\/div>\n

For their own children \u2014 Marco, Celeste and Luis \u2014 Tony and Lilia considered the sacrifices they would have to make and decided to send them to the Menaul School, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)-related secondary school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And they couldn\u2019t be happier! Their children are growing up with enriching experiences on all levels: educationally, spiritually, culturally and socially.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur children feel like they belong to the community, and we feel like that as well,\u201d Lilia said. \u201cThey build close relationships with other students as well as their teachers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Their son Marco, a 2019 graduate, acknowledged that Menaul is \u201ca challenging\u00a0 experience,\u201d but he said the concern of teachers and small classes help students succeed. He added that Menaul, much more than most schools, offers classes where \u201cthey talk about spiritual things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While Tony and Lilia sacrificed financially to send their children to Menaul, they know their children\u2019s school would not have been possible without the generosity of others. Gifts to the PC(USA)\u2019s Christmas Joy Offering help Menaul extend scholarships to the 60 percent of their students who need assistance.<\/span><\/p>\n

In gratitude for their children\u2019s opportunities, Tony and Lilia are among the school\u2019s most faithful volunteers. They are frequent chaperones at dances and other school events, and Tony, a nurse, accompanies students on school-sponsored camping trips, medical supplies in tow. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe really want to give something back because Menaul has done a lot for us,\u201d Tony said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christmas Joy Makes a Difference<\/h4>\n

The Acabal family has come a long way in a single generation, thanks in part to the generosity of Presbyterians around the country who come together through gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering. These make a difference in the lives of young people who have been enriched by the Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color over the years. Your gifts help not only with their education, but also with their spiritual awakening and faith formation as church leaders of the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

They also help church workers \u2014 past and present \u2014 and their families with critical financial assistance. Please give generously.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let Us Pray<\/span><\/h4>\n

Faithful God, we pray that you will strengthen and encourage parents who are striving to afford their children a better life. We give thanks that you are opening doors of opportunity for a new generation. May our children and youth be able to\u00a0\u00a0 become all that you have created them to be. Amen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Join Us<\/h4>\n

For more information and resources related to the Christmas Joy Offering, visit presbyterianmission.org\/christmasjoy<\/a>.
\n<\/u> This post is based on the Minute for Mission script which can be found on our\u00a0website<\/a>\u00a0as a\u00a0script<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Please give generously to the Offering:<\/p>\n