Street Kids ministry

We are continuing to work toward opening our street kids educational ministry.  Billy had a great day Tuesday, meeting with different people in several areas outside of town.  He finally landed in the town of Isco... a tiny town in the shadow of the Huaytapallana glacier range.  After visiting with the mayor and the officials in the municipal building, he was introduced to the director of the food program in the area (think WIC and food stamps, but in Peru).  The director was very excited about the possibilities and is helping us with many things, including getting firm numbers for us on the amount it will cost to reintegrate the street children into the school system, how many children are not in school in the area, and helping to find us a donated space-building to use to start the center.  We meet with them again tomorrow (Friday).

Please pray for this endeavor.  This is Billy´s passion!!!  He aches for these children every day. Approximately 20-25% of the child population in Peru cannot afford to attend school.  Instead, they are on the streets, or working in the fields with their parents.  Their parents would like for them to be in school, but just can´t afford it.  When they get into school, they need LOTS of support and reinforcement because they are very far behind academically... but most of their parents are illiterate and cannot help them with school work.  So we will be working with them in several ways:  

1. financial support through sponsorships from USA supporters - supporters who will commit to paying the school tuition and the cost of school supplies for the school year.
2. academic support through the tutoring center - Peruvian teachers/tutors (and us) will meet with the kids every day at the tutoring center to help with homework, study, reinforce academic concepts, and fill in the academic gaps.  
3. ministry to the children as well as to their families in the form of sharing the gospel, bible study opportunities, discipleship opportunities, oral bible storytelling, etc.

We hope to open the tutoring center sometime this summer.  Please pray for the planning process, the sponsorship process, and our ability to find the children and the families that truly want an education.  Pray for Peruvian teachers/tutors to sign on to help support the kids.