Leaving Painful Pasts Behind...

Many of the students that enter the Palo Blanco Care Centre in the Dominican Republic come from tough home situations. These situations often present huge obstacles to the students' performance at school and in their attitude and desire to succeed in life.

Both Yani and Josefina are two students who have overcome these obstacles. They entered our programme in 2003 and 2007 with little desire to succeed and they both exhibited poor behaviour. Only after many years of prayer, loving support from our staff and asking God to help them, have we seen their lives dramatically change.

Now they are disciplined learners, have positive attitudes and hopeful outlooks for the future. Yani is now in high school and Josefina is in Grade Eight. They are also excellent role models for other students at the Centre! In addition to their studies, both girls take time to help younger students with their homework and also take time to attend a weekly discipleship club.

While their home situations haven’t changed much, both girls have risen above their circumstances and are making good choices for themselves. Yani is the youngest of eleven children and is being raised by an elderly father and older sister. (Her mother left her dad some time ago and recently died of cancer.) Josefina lives with her mom, second stepdad and four siblings. Both girls have been through a lot of pain and heartache in their young lives - but are emerging as beautiful young women!

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