Squeals of joy and excitement come from the little ones as Jorge Pastor knocks on the door of the preschool classroom. They run to greet him with hugs and kisses, and he responds with the same.
“We love you.” “Please stay.” “Look at my drawing.”
The preschoolers can’t wait to show him their drawings and crayon masterpieces of the day.
Pastor, director of Alpha Omega School, visits each of the classrooms every day. Groups ranging in age from three years old to 14 years old are greeted by Pastor at their level of maturity but with the same genuine love and affection to everyone.
“The kids are in need of love,” Pastor said, nothing that 60 percent of the 14-year-olds have divorced parents. “We are building for the future.
“We kiss and hug them and are very affectionate because it may be all they get,” said Pastor, who is also pastor of the 300-member Denia Baptist Church and president of the Baptist Union and president of the Baptist Union of Spain.
At the school from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the children eat two meals and spend most of their time there. The school also serves special-needs children and has a separate classroom for kids who cause problems.
The only evangelical school in Spain, Alpha Omega has 350 students enrolled and increases a grade each year as the oldest students move up.
While the children have to pay to go to the school because it is a private school, scholarships are available for about 30 percent of the children, Pastor said.
All money from tuition is used to pay the salaries of the 45 staff members, Pastor noted. All of the buildings and extras, such as the sports field, are gifts from friends and efforts by volunteer teams, he said.
In fact, the first building of the 20-year-old school was build with donations from the Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia.
Volunteer teams from Alabama have restored the garden, repaired some of the houses, cleaned the grounds and were involved in an unsuccessful effort to repair the large swimming pool.
While religion is not taught in the school, 90 percent of the teachers are Christians, Pastor said. “And we offer opportunities to learn the Bible if a student chooses to do so.”
The school is also used as Spain’s Baptist camp and retreat center, Pastor noted. “We organize camps of all kinds for churches in Spain such as Sunday School, music and discipleship.”
Pastor encourages all Baptist churches to start schools. “It is a good tool,” he said.
“We encourage churches to grow through schools.”
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