OPENING DAY!!! Kid's Club at the orphanage...

Celebrate with us!!!  We just returned from Opening Day of our new Kid's Club at the orphanage!  This day has been a couple of months in the planning... when we took a team of college kids from the Wesley Foundation to visit the local orphanage, we were asked if there was any way we could help teach the kids more about the Bible and Christ.  That was back in March.  In talking about the possibility of a Kid's Club at the orphanage, we had some young ladies jump on the opportunity to work with the kids and lead this ministry -- Hallelujah!!!  This is exactly what we want - Peruvians leading ministries to their own people.  We are here to support and encourage and help, but it is so much better when local people take responsibility and ownership for their brothers and sisters in Christ!

So, after receiving an anonymous donation to cover the sound equipment and puppets and game items, we were ready to start.  This morning at 10:00, we officially opened Kid's Club in La Aldea Rosario, Huancayo, Peru!!!  WOO HOO!!!  With 6 Peruvian young ladies in the lead, and two gringo missionaries in the wings, we taught several Christian songs with dance steps and hand movements, prayed with the kids, played several games, taught a bible story about the love of Christ and how is death was meant to save us all.

It was fun.  It was CHALLENGING - first time, need to establish rules and procedures, tough kids, etc.  Please pray for the kids... they are well fed and clean and sheltered, but that is about it.  There are too many kids and not enough staff.  Many of the kids were found on the streets and have spent a lifetime of fighting and scratching to survive... this carries over into the orphanage and there is lots of fighting and yelling to get what they want, or were removed from extremely abusive situations.  It is going to be a long process of loving on them and trying to teach them to love each other and to talk through their problems - not fight.   They need a lot of love and patience.  Also, please pray for their little hearts and how they see the world... it is not part of Peruvian culture to adopt children.  Once they are in the orphanage, they are there to stay forever, until they "age out" and are put back out on the street at 16 years old.  It's a rough life with little perceived hope.  Pray for our ability to shine the light of Christ into their lives and sow seeds of His hope.