A story of faith, loss, and return

Kathryn Bedford was raised in church. Her grandfather was a Baptist pastor for forty-five years in San Antonio, and church life was not optional in her household. Even when her mother worked three jobs, Kathryn and her brothers were in Sunday school, Sunday morning worship, Sunday night service, and Wednesday night Bible study. Saturdays were spent cleaning the church. “I know about being in church,” she says. “I grew up in it.”

She gave her life to Christ and was baptized under the ministry of Reverend Short. He guided her early walk with Christ, and though he passed away more than twenty years ago, his influence remains part of her spiritual foundation.

But her life has been marked by deep loss. She has buried her father, two brothers, and a husband. Furthermore, her marriages also carried deep wounds. Her first marriage began at age eighteen and concluded in divorce due to infidelity. Her second husband, Ricky, loved her children as his own. When he became gravely ill, Kathryn earned her CNA certification so she could better care for him until his death.

A later marriage brought another painful break. In 2017, her husband’s affair with someone in their church left her broken. She tried to remain, participated in counseling, and prayed for strength, but her spirit was not at peace. She stopped attending. 

Yet even in grief, her faith remained steady. Her prayer during that season was simple and sincere: “Lord, guide me to the right church. I’m tired of making wrong decisions. I’m broken.”

The answer came unexpectedly—through a smile.

While shopping at the HPCAN thrift store, Kathryn was greeted by the always cheerful Minister of Outreach, Daniel Arrendondo. “Every time I went in there that man always had a smile on his face,” she said.

When she asked him about his church, Daniel pointed to Baptist Temple’s large sanctuary across the street.

From her first visit, she says she felt the presence of God. She kept coming. And when she finally joined, she knew she was home. “God got me to the right church,” she said.

Service is part of how Kathryn expresses her faith. In the past, she visited hospital patients, cared for homebound members, and shared Scripture with those unable to attend church. Today, she serves in the thrift store, cleaning up and sorting clothes. Now retired and caring for her mother, Kathryn’s desire is simply to serve, grow, and draw closer to God.

Katherine’s faith, passed down through generations, tested by betrayal and loss, was renewed by grace. God leads the broken back to Himself. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18 (ESV)

Celebrating 55 Years of Faithful Ministry

Baptist Temple's desire to meet the needs of our community set the tone for what became the longest-running community ministry in San Antonio’s South Side: the Baptist Temple Early Learning Center. In 1970, it was not yet evident that the program would endure decades of change. The first day, just three children arrived. But founding director Bea McEntire saw something much larger taking shape. “It was a chance to teach the children about the love Jesus has for them and to teach them to get along with each other,” she said.

Teachers like Billie Anderson, who would later serve as assistant director for two decades, remembered the spiritual atmosphere. “I loved sharing Bible stories, verses, and songs about Jesus with the children,” she said. “Hearing them sing... I was blessed.” 

By 1975, enrollment expanded, kindergarten and summer programs were launched, and the center’s license grew to serve 110 children. Children who attended sometimes came back years later as parents.

Serving families quickly became more than childcare—it evolved into a broader community ministry. It marked an era when Baptist Temple began to focus on ministering to a neighborhood that was rapidly transitioning, in keeping with the words of Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you.”

When McEntire retired in 1988 after 18 years of service, her successor, Audrey Good, continued the Christian-centered model of care. Good ensured that faith remain the thread running through everything. “We are a Christian program that provides songs, prayers and other activities that acknowledge God’s love for children,” she said.

The Early Learning Center (ELC) adapted across generations: remodeled facilities, expanded age groups, after-school programs, accessible playground construction, and the acceptance of CCS vouchers for working families.

But no challenge was greater than COVID-19. Kathleen Lanzalotto, became the center's director just as shutdowns began. With medical workers and first responders needing childcare to perform essential tasks, closing wasn’t an option. She re-trained staff, created safety protocols, and reopened after a two week break. Under her leadership, the center grew, bought a new van, expanded after-school care, and earned a dramatic jump in its online ratings.

The program has reached the highest distinction available from the Texas Rising Star program: a Four-Star rating, recognizing excellence above state standards. “We are aiming for best practices,” said Baptist Temple Executive Pastor Jonathan Clark. 

For many parents, the difference is obvious the moment they arrive. “It looks and smells clean,” said Assistant Director Cindy Mendez.

One parent, Eric Estrada, said he once planned to keep his baby at home. But after enrolling, he changed his mind. “It feels like she’s with adults who care about her as much as we do,” he said.

Staff say their philosophy is simple: you can teach skills, but you can’t teach a heart for children. “If you love kids, you’re paying attention to them,” said a staff member.

What sets the ELC apart isn’t only the curriculum or the professional standards. It’s the consistency of mission. Faith remains central, with chapel services every Wednesday to honor the Proverbs 22:6  imperative to “Train up a child in the way he should go...”

After more than 25 years of service to ELC, Pat Mejia became director in 2025.She started at ELC as a teacher in 1999 and became an office assistant in 2020. After completing the required courses, she was promoted to assistant director in 2023. 

Through neighborhood transformation, economic hurdles, changing family needs, and even a global pandemic, the Early Learning Center’s 55-year story is not just a timeline—it’s a testament to endurance, faith, and the generations who shaped it.

After loss and violence, one woman finds her way to Christ

COVID-19 was still months away when Adelina Sanchez accepted an invitation from her friend Maria to visit Family Deaf Church. She immediately felt the warmth of the congregation. But when Maria later moved away, Sanchez stopped coming. “I didn’t quite fit in,” she said.

As a child growing up in poverty, she felt like an outsider even in her own home. “I overheard my mom one time telling my oldest sister, ‘I don’t want you talking to Adelina too much because she’s gonna corrupt your mind,’” Sanchez recalled. “I was always left out.”

Those words settled deep into her heart. As a teenager, she dreamed of finishing school and escaping poverty. “I wanted to graduate and do something for myself,” she said. 

Instead, she became pregnant and her mother insisted she marry. “I didn’t know nothing about taking care of my baby,” she said.

Her husband was a hard drinker and the marriage became abusive. During one violent incident, she said her husband struck her in the head with a brick, requiring eight stitches. “He almost killed me,” she said. 

That was the night she called her mother and came home to San Antonio. But returning to San Antonio did not bring healing. The feeling of isolation followed her into adulthood. “My sisters still wouldn’t talk to me,” Sanchez said. “I have eight sisters and three brothers, and they all treat me the same.” 

She managed to raise two sons, but the hardships continued to mount. In 2020, one of her sons died suddenly from a heart attack at age 43. Her other son had just finished serving fifteen years in prison, was released this August, and was soon arrested again.

In her grief and isolation, she felt her heart turning back toward God. She started attending Robbie White’s Bible study class where she learned about forgiveness and faith. She began volunteering in the thrift store, and she kept coming to worship. Still, social connections remain difficult for her and she hesitates to call the people around her friends. “I have just acquaintances,” she said. 

She has been through so much loss—her oldest son gone, her youngest son cycling in and out of jail, and loneliness waiting for her at home. Her days now revolve around the gym, the thrift store, and church. After a lifetime of rejection, violence, and loss, she keeps coming. She keeps trying. “I’m trying to reach out,” she said, “I've been through a lot.”

I told her, “You are very welcome here… Jesus died for you.”

Adelina accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and was recently baptized at Baptist Temple. In a life marked by rejection and hardship, Adelina has found a place where she is seen—not as a burden, not as an outsider, but as someone God loves, someone worth saving, someone whose story does not end in pain. She is still walking through grief, still learning community, still discovering hope. But she is not walking alone anymore.