Oakdale Church began a partnership with The Methodist School of Coquimbo in Chile in 2015 when we learned of their vision to expand their campuses to provide classrooms for students in senior high school. The school was founded in 1953 by a group of young adults from the Methodist Church of Coquimbo when they became aware of a group of underprivileged children in Coquimbo City’s upper town area were no educational institutions existed. However, the school only provided classes through the eighth grade. The leadership of the school realized that providing high school education would dramatically change the lives of their students and give them a greater opportunity to overcome their difficult circumstances by continuing to nurture their faith and by giving them the opportunity for advanced education.
Oakdale Church and Fourth United Methodist Church in York, PA, sent a Volunteers in Mission team in February 2015, and the team participated in the construction of the first phase of the expansion. Teams were also sent in 2016 and 2017 to assist in the completion of the first and second phases of development. Also, Oakdale and Fourth UMC have provided more than $150,000 toward the cost of construction. The final stage, which will connect the new structure to the existing buildings, is yet to be completed. Currently, we are in the process of raising funds for this final phase, which will cost $125,000. We have already accumulated $45,000 and received two matching gifts, which total $30,000. Our hope and prayer is that we will receive the remaining funds ($50,000) and be able to forward this money by October so that construction of the final phase can begin in December, and we can send a Volunteers in Mission team to help with development in February and completed by March 1, 2020, when the new school year begins.