Kids Alive Peru

Luis Fernando

2011-03-04T12:00:00.005-05:00

Enjoy Luis Fernando's slideshow.

Widescreen HD

Lower Quality Version

Shantal's Slideshow

2011-02-25T12:00:00.034-05:00

We are beginning a series of slide shows to demonstrate the lives of each of our kids as they grow up in our home. For those of you who have visited the home, we would love to include pictures that you've taken of the kids. You could either upload them to our Photobucket group album - http://gs129.photobucket.com/upload/groups/QUAOB5N9R2/ (you will need to log in with either a Facebook or Photobucket account) or you can email them to kaiperucorrespondence@gmail.com. Please make sure to include the date of the picture in either the email or as a tag.

This first video of Shantal. Enjoy!

Christmas at the Oasis

2011-01-14T12:00:00.004-05:00

Here are some pics from the Christmas program at the Oasis.

Visitor's Day Christmas Program

2010-12-20T09:20:00.001-05:00

Every first Sunday of the month is Visitor’s Day, but in December we have always done an evangelistic Christmas program for the relatives and friends who visit. Each house prepares a skit, song or choreography to present and then a guest speaker shares the gospel. This year we had a theatrical group from Camino de Vida church including our own Home grad “Doctor” Javier who showed the importance of having our hearts of stone turned to hearts of love through Christ.

A Special Thank You

2010-09-10T12:00:00.003-04:00

We are all very appreciative for the blessing that the Juniper Tree is to us and we want to do our best to keep it clean and maintained. The teams’ work has helped us maintain this pride in our new home.

The focus for the past few months has been to reduce dust and clutter at the Juniper Tree. Being at the edge of a desert, the home site has more than its fair share of light, sandy soil that gets tracked into house. To combat this problem we have been pouring cement and planting grass to give the kids non sandy places to play.

A team from Lawrence Free Methodist Church (Lawrence, KS) poured a concrete patio at the back of one of the houses and sealed off some ventilation holes that were left open on top of the houses.

A team from Door Creek Church (Madison, WI) poured a concrete base for our new carpentry workshop.

We then started on the structure and a team from Holy Trinity Church (Raleigh, NC) finished the structure and started putting wood trim on the walls.

Next, a mixed team from Pennsylvania , New Jersey, and Ontario finished the wood trim on the workshop and painting the entire building. Then helped begin huge concrete sports pad, where the kids have been enjoying skipping and hopscotch as well as rollerblading and spinning tops.

The last team of the summer from Hespeler Baptist Church (Cambridge, ON) finished the sports court and did a major cleanup of the entire property.

Throughout the summer we have planted grass around three of the houses. It not only cuts down on the dust, but also gives the kids a place to kick the ball around and just lay to watch the clouds go by.

Behind the Scenes

2010-09-03T12:00:00.003-04:00

Though hands-on work with the kids is done on the field, nothing that we do would be possible without some behind-the-scenes help from the Kids Alive International home office staff.

I had a rare opportunity to visit the home office yesterday and met these wonderful people.

Here they are.

Marketing

Clockwise, starting top left - Kristian Pruitt, Director of Marketing and Communications; Debbi Kozak, Data Coordinator; Valerie Blohm, Communications Coordinator; Beth Murvine, Grant and Major Donor Writer; Phyllis Pierson, Donor and Network Specialist. NOT PICTURED - Rich Anderson, Director of Special Services

Accounting

Left to right: Lindy Melrose, Accounting Clerk; Brenda Yack, Accounting Assistant; Marjie Van Schepen, Accounting Clerk. NOT PICTURED - Renée Beauregard, Chief Financial Officer

Operations

Left to right: Gordon Sheffer, Director of Administration and HR; Cambria Breitzke, Short Term Missions Coordinator; Emily Johannes, Sponsor Relations Assistant; Ashley Berry, Receptionist/Operations Assistant. NOT PICTURED - Traci Hardel, Sponsor Relations Coordinator; Rachel Yack, Sponsor Relations Assistant; Ashley Rice, Sponsor Relations Assistant; Matt Parker, VP of Operations; Jeff VanDerMolen, VP of Operations

The Kids Alive President of Operations, Al Lackey, also wasn't in the office when the pictures were taken, but here's a picture of him visiting the Oasis last year.

Getting Involved

2010-08-20T12:00:00.001-04:00

It's been great to see several ways that the kids at the Juniper Tree have been able to help out.

Some like to help out with construction.

And others have enjoyed getting involved by leading devotions in a praise band.

Even the little kids have been helping out by presenting choreography that goes along with Christian music. Here they are practicing.

Look for the next edition of the Llama Reporter to see a video of the kids' choreography.

Pachamanca

2010-08-06T12:00:00.002-04:00

Not to be confused with Pachacamac, a pachamanca is a method of utilizing the ground to cook your food. Check out the pictures below, but look for the next edition of the Llama Reporter, scheduled for the end of August, for further explanation.

Visiting Andahuaylas

2010-07-23T12:00:00.049-04:00

It's been an amazing trip to our Friends of Peru home in Andahuaylas. We have all been amazed at the warmth and servant attitudes of all of the kids and staff. A service team from Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church has spent the last week doing construction in the mornings and spending the afternoons doing soccer and volleyball clinics, art (including creating a mural), and working with Shannon Eaton on doing medical checkups for all of the kids.

On the first evening we were treated to a special welcome from the kids and staff that included snacks and singing.

Much of the morning construction has been building retaining walls to prevent rain water from coming into the buildings. The team had to mix the cement by hand.

Jaime, the home's director, has been working hard all week long along with the team, but I was able to get a picture of him relaxing after a good day's work.

Here are a couple of views from the home.

The kids also found a little time to relax in the middle of the day.

After lunch it's time for sports and art.

In the evenings we are all treated to a meal at Jaime's house and then it's back to the hotel to rest up for the next day.

Holy Trinity Church - Day 6

2010-06-26T12:00:00.001-04:00

***Special guest blogger Emily from the Holy Trinity Church Service Team***

WOW is about all we can say.

Quick run down of the day- pllllease ask us for details later, we're wiped, attempting to reflect on this experience and planning for another full day.

7:30 bfast

8 boys left for The Juniper Tree

8:30 girls left with Brenda (Tyler's wife) to go grocery shopping for "Love Gifts" for some of the ladies of the Oasis Care Center then we went to visit them in their homes. We we're welcomed into 3 homes and it was moving to say the least. No words could do it justice. We visited with these women, whose stories, we could never compare our own to, encouraged them through scripture, then would pray for them and their family.

Noonish girls arrived at the Tree to help complete the boys mighty hard work, we broke for lunch and then did a good clean up of all our materials, and unloaded some more materials that "Mucho Machi" (house dad who has the only license to drive the Kids Alive bus, only speaks Spanish, but we did teach to say "Sup Bro", Richardo also tries to teach him English...all around GREAT DUDE) had brought back to the Tree.

1:30 went to some ruins, super cool to see the the desert meet the ocean, with a bit of lush valley in the mix. So thankful we opted to ride the tour, instead of hike the tour.

3:30 picked Edwardo up from The Tree and said more goodbyes....gross.

4 hit Manchay and dropped Edwardo off for the last time, again, another goodbye...gross.

4:30 hit our neighborhood (Lo Molina) and said goodbye to Tyler...we were super sad to say goodbye to this legit dude. What's great is that he totally started making cracks on us, by the end of the week, praise the Lord for the hearts of these missionaries here!

packed, regrouped, hung out

6:30 dinner YUM YUM YUM AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN.

7:30 went to the Lima mall.

10 arrive back to apartment...and now reflecting.

goodnight and God Bless.
it's been great.

Finale Team Macho Machi

Holy Trinity Church - Day 5

2010-06-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

***Special guest blogger Emily from the Holy Trinity Church Service Team***

WE FINISHED THE WORKSHOP! PRAISE THE LORD! We finished our assigned project in 4 days and we're able to start digging the trench for the electricity to be brought out to the workshop, since it is towards the back of the property. We were even able to put the piping in, and glue the piping together. Successful day. Biggest highlight of the trench digging...was finding 2 dead chickens. Then, having to move the duck coop to dig the trench behind the coop.

Lots of animals at The Juniper Tree, if we haven't told you yet. 2 goats: Ya and Yo. A dog named Negrito. 7 chickens. 7 ducks. (Who don't like each other.) And now a little kitten.

...But what was even more successful was the 4pm bonfire, s'mores, sing song, volleyball and conversing with all the children and house mothers. The little ones LOVED the s'mores and kept asking for mas, with lots of chocolate on their faces from their previous s'more. All this lead into dinner with the children in their homes, where conversations continued and relationships were strengthened. Everyone was having way too much fun to stop and take any pictures.

AAAAND JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT IT HAD GOTTEN GOOD...THEN CAME DEVOTIONS. One of the older boys, such a cool dude, lead us in worship. His buddies we're playing backup on drums and various other instruments. A room of about 50, mainly children's voices, singing unto the Lord, pretty powerful. And listen to how awesome this is...THE JUNIPER TREE IS GOING ON A MISSION TRIP! In the middle of August, the kids are headed to help Earthquake victims and are going to evanglize and share Christ's love to the hurting, so they did they're dance for us and then we joined in. Check the youtube video of some Xtreme Kids trying to be as cool as the Juniper Tree kids. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkDzVf8dNAM

When it finally got to our turn...we read the story of the woman at the well, then re-enacted it with a skit. Lane was the well. Hunter- Jesus. It was awesome. Mal was the Samaritan woman at the well....the rest of us, dressed as either a Pharisee or a disciple.

All this...just the tip of the ice burg for sure. A very busy remaining 48 hours-- please pray for strength and good health, strong finishes. Tomorrow morning-the girls will go visit with local women who need encouraging, please pray that the Lord gives us His words.

Psalm 34: 5 "Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed." AMEN AND AMEN. What we witnessed tonight...

The weather is here. Wish you were beautiful,
Team Vanilla Cookie Monster.

Holy Trinity Church - Day 4

2010-06-24T12:00:00.002-04:00

***Special guest blogger Emily from the Holy Trinity Church Service Team***

Amigos!

Today was a whirlwind. A lot of progress has been made at The Juniper Tree. Whitney, Emily and Edwardo (the man giving the OK on the ladder who works for KidsAlive) built the forms for the roof of the workshop. So much so, that we're going into a business named 2 Chicas y un Drill. Mark, Lane, Richardo y Arthur helped to complete the Super Board/Fiber Cement board in high altitudes.

A girl at The Juniper Tree has an English exam in September- so everyday, 2 of us sit down with her, to review English words and make flashcards. Today, Duncan and Tyler spent an hour with her in the morning. They felt like she is almost ready for another lesson. She seemed to be catching on very well. They really enjoyed their time with her-all smiles after leaving their tutor session.

Katie and Mallory spent all day working on shelves for the workshop, you'll see them sitting on one of their completions, giving it a trial run. They perfected the table top saw. Katie has requested a table top saw for her birthday gift and a planer. She's considering leaving her Law Practice to make handmade crosses, out of scrap wood, to sell at the Flea Market. :) You'll see one of the older boys, joining them in the fun!

Our after dinner entertainment was one of the Worlds Largest and Finest Car Collections. We walked down our street, turned left, beat on a door and then...lights came on. Richardo had a BALL- note the picture.

It was reallllly cool. Tyler, the Construction Czar/host missionary, took us on a mighty nice tour.

We're excited that tomorrow is our evening with the kids. We'll have s'mores, devotions, songs and a skit! More to tell tomorrow.

We love you all and appreciate your role in our lives.

En Cristo,
Team USA (because we heard you are taking it to the next round in the World Cup)

Holy Trinity Church - Day 3

2010-06-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

***Special guest blogger Emily from the Holy Trinity Church Service Team***

Back to the work site. Today we almost completed the exterior walls for the workshop, and started to install the interior walls. Tyler and Lane went to the Peruvian Home Depot for lots of supplies, so that tomorrow we can make our final push on the workshop.

For an afternoon snack, we walked into the town of Pachacamac for an ice cream snack. More soccer was played- chicas vs. chicos. Duncan scored 2 goals.

Dinner was served at the team apartment with two of the missionary families. After dinner, we drove into town (more or less) to enjoy a TASTY TREAT - ice cream and peach frozen drinks at San Antonio's. This was a lot of fun and a good time to get to know the missionaries better.

Calling it a night...tomorrow morning will be here quickly.
Thank you for the prayers-please continue to pray for the country of Peru and all that serve it, day in and day out.

signed,
team 'hoop der it iz.

Door Creek Church - Day 9

2010-06-22T12:00:00.004-04:00

***Special guest blogger Ella and photographer Kristin Karls from the Door Creek Church Service Team***

The last and final day of our trip began with an early wake up call for breakfast at 7 AM. We had an 8:00 tour of the Islas Ballestas where we saw dolphins, humboldt penguins, and many different kinds of birds. Our tour guide Luis also showed us the mysterious Candelabra (a gigantic impressed image of a candelabra on a sand-dune) which was found in the late 1800s. It's uncertain how or who made it; when we asked why it didn't wash out of the sand we learned that it's because of the lack of wind and it only rains 22 millimeters there a year. We were also told that Guano (bird poop) is collected there for fertilizer. Overall, it was a breath-taking experience. After the tour we walked around the Paracas markets and then went to the Reserva Nacional de Paracas and saw some amazing sights and views. Shout out to Leo for the awesome driving, big appetite, and excellent sense of humor. We had an interesting lunch experience where a bunch of waiters and waitresses ran up to our van trying to get us to go to their restaurant. After lunch we headed back to Lima and had a delicious pizza dinner at the Fieje's home and sadly said our goodbyes.

This experience was life-changing and humbling for all of us and we are so thankful for all of your prayers and support.

Holy Trinity Church - Day 2

2010-06-22T12:00:00.001-04:00

***Special guest blogger Emily from the Holy Trinity Church Service Team***

getN’ 2 werk.

Huveos for breakfast and microwaved bacon, toast and jam. We had us a buff-ette.
Then we loaded up the clown van, got some air in our tires, picked up Chica, dropped her off, picked up Eduardo, and took him with us to The Juinper Tree. He is the Master Carpenter.

Got right to work. Whitney’s words were, “I can do a drill.”
Tyler and Duncan played Picasso and panted a new clothes shed, which is on the roof. Arthur and Lane failed miserably, but the comeback story of the year- is their successful screen installation. The rest, helped to construct “walls” for what will be a workshop for the younger boys at The Juniper Tree- to learn life skills. That was tough work. You will see the photos, from the start of the day to the end of the day and the fiber cement (Super Boards) that we put up with lots of screws and bad drill bits. 3 of 4 walls are completed as of late afternoon. Lunch break was interesting. We forgot the cheese for the sandwiches, so ham, bread and condiments were the tasty treat. The loud noise during lunch was our workshop structure collapsing. Or taking a little siesta. (Not our fault) We did quickly fix it, though.

Dinner = Delish. Tradition Peruvian Pepper Chicken (Ají de Gallina).
Tonight we’ll be on our rooftop, hanging out as a group and laughing ridiculously.
Team Dy-nasty

Holy Trinity Church - Day 1

2010-06-21T18:00:00.001-04:00

***Special guest blogger Emily from the Holy Trinity Church Service Team***

We arrived late last night in Lima, after an easy flight, Lane was asked if he needed a taxi, but he said no, multiple times. Richard quickly made fun of Arthur’s coordinating hair color and luggage. The Peru Kids Alive team quickly found us and escorted us to the vans.

Quick sleep, farmers breakfast and departure for church. Lane was asked to come up front for the congregation to sing Happy Birthday in espanol and ingles. Preached on discipline for 1 hour and 15 minutes, in Spanish.

After church, a traditional Peruvian meal of Boston Market look alike, with all the missionaries and their families. There are 3 missionary families here, with a combined total 8 children. Frozen lemonade – was actually limeade- was tasty tasty.

Drove about an hour outside the city to tour The Juniper Tree Home, where the children now reside. Team USA got crushed by Team Peru, the average age of the Peruvian team was 5 and Mark had to remove himself from the game after getting a “boo boo” from getting schooled by a 4 year old.

Leaving the Juniper Tree- we went to Manchay Oasis Care Center, a day care center and preschool for at-risk children, which also has created a program for some of the moms of kids in the program.

Thankfully, Richardo Barefoot came along. He was riding shotgun and entertaining Machi with his attempts to speak in Spanish.

WE SAW A LLAMA AND AN ALPACA TODAY. (for you Susan)

We are happy, healthy, thankful and tired.

Love,

Team AWESOME

Door Creek Church - Day 8

2010-06-21T12:00:00.001-04:00

***Special guest blogger Ella and photographer Kristin Karls from the Door Creek Church Service Team***

After finishing up our work week we had a little down time so on Saturday morning we had the opportunity to tour the famous San Francisco monastery in downtown Lima. The architecture was breath-taking; unfortunately though, we couldn't get any pictures due to restrictions. We also went into the Catacombs and saw all the graves of the Franciscan order and monks from the church as well as an estimated 25,000 others in good standing with the church.

After our tour we walked down to the square, saw the beautiful sights, and had lunch at Bembos (Peruvian McDonalds). With our bellies full we started out on our 4-hour drive to Paracas for the night. To entertain ourselves on the way we told embarrassing and funny childhood stories, sang along to the fantastic American radio station music, and made bracelets.

Upon arrival we had a few issues getting to our hotel, but after finally figuring it out, we walked down to the beach and had dinner at a seafood restaurant. We got to taste octopus, calamari (squid), and many other strange sea creatures. Following dinner we had devotions led by Chelsey on trusting God and we all shared how we feel going through hard times and our reactions to them. The day was long but we all survived and slept well that night.

Door Creek Church - Day 7

2010-06-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

***Special guest blogger and photographer Kristin Karls from the Door Creek Church Service Team***

Wrapping up the work week has been a time of bittersweet feelings, as we've said goodbye to the children and families at the children's home. We've realized more and more throughout the week how valuable relationships are. It's been great to do what we can to help through physical labor, but how we'll cherish the times with the kids - whether playing soccer or blowing bubbles with them, exchanging language lessons, going on a walking tour of their village, or just hanging out... we've been nothing short of blessed to have this experience here in Peru.

God is teaching the team many different things. We've shared with each other how we realize how much we take things for granted, living in the states. Often times we think of ourselves, and what we have to accomplish, etc. - our thoughts revolve around ourselves. However, the missionary life (moreover, the Christian life) is to be lived with humility, putting others before ourselves. As Ella shared in devotions, we are to be lights in the world of darkness. And as Luisa shared for her turn of leading devotions, God helps us be these lights in darkness - He promises to never leave us or forsake us.

So we are blown away by the joy of the people here, despite the "little they have." But what defines how little or how much people have? Is it monetary things or possessions? Their generosity is astounding. We were able to witness their decision to tithe money they raised through a garage sale to the church. As the children all exclaimed their joy, "Iglesia! Iglesia!" (They wanted their money to go the church as a tithe), we were convicted of our own willingness to give. We thank God for His faithfulness to us. He is always waiting patiently as we continue to learn through such things as this.

Thank you everyone for everyone's prayers, love and support!

Door Creek Church - Day 6

2010-06-18T12:00:00.002-04:00

***Special guest bloggers Ella, Kaitlin, Courtney, Abbi and photographer Kristin Karls from the Door Creek Church Service Team***

Jueves! Breakfast was oatmeal, bacon, ham, and toast made by Alec and Abbi today! It was our first morning without Kyle and of course we were all running late. We started off with a few small work projects and then finished up cementing! Shout out to Eduardo for doing half of the work set out for us. After that Courtney, Ella, Abbi, and Chelsey used power tools (the skill saw and nail gun), and nailed siding to the shed on the roof, and no one died... success. The rest of the team lacquered wood and prepared the siding for the tool shed.

We were all very excited to switch up our routine and have dinner at the children's home and stay for devotions with the kids. Dinner consisted of roasted chicken, white rice, lemon salad, and potatoes.

Devotions were AWESOME! The kids performed some lively skits, dances, and music that they will be using on their upcoming mission trip in August to do some street evangelism. We attempted a skit on Daniel and the lion's den and Alec shared his testimony. After just arriving home from a long night, we are excited and sad for our last day with the kids tomorrow.

Linda's luggage arrived late Thursday night! Praise God.

Hamster Updates*:
Courtney - Tuesday
Abbi and Chelsey - Friday
Ella and Kaitlin - Possibly Friday

*Note: To Hamster (verb) latin root: hamos-stinkarono; To go without showering for more than 24 hours (under our conditions)

Door Creek Church - Day 5

2010-06-17T12:00:00.002-04:00

***Special guest bloggers Caleb and Alec and photographer Kristin Karls from the Door Creek Church Service Team***

The 3rd day of work was another fun-filled day that was very successful. We started off with a very nutritional breakfast prepared by Caleb and Joel: Eggs and bacon sandwiches along with rice! And of course, fresh Peruvian juice. After the filling meal and time with God, we headed off to the work site. As soon as we arrived, the skilled worker Eduardo went straight to work on preparing the area for concrete.

As Caleb and Courtney began work on the re-bar grid, (which, I might add, turned out flawless on our part), in the meantime Abbi provided excellent assistance for Eduardo, while Alec and Chesley made an engineering marvel connecting two roofs of a complex. The morning went quickly and more was accomplished than expected. After lunch, we began work on pouring the cement. Alec, Kaitlin, Caleb and Louisa professionally shoveled rocks and sand into the cement mix. Abbi, Courtney and Chelsey used wheelbarrows to transport the mix to the pouring site.

Abbi took a break from the hard work during the morning to provide a little homework assistance to one of the older girls in the home for her English class.

Kristin expertly documented our journey through the work day with breath-taking images with her camera. Later Linda and Kristin interviewed children for Kids Alive. After all the work for the day had been completed, we bumped and jostled our way back home in the back of Machi's bus (singing entertainment provided by Alec Vice and Caleb Karls).

Para din din we sampled guinea pig, which most of the team disliked. We believe the distaste for guinea pig meat had to do with the fact their appendages were still present. Unfortunately a dear member of our group was lost: Kyle Glenn (onto a wedding and Guatemala mission trip, please pray for him). With one less leader and friend, we will have to be that much more on our A-game. We are happy to announce Ella is over a recent sickness, thanks to God. Today, she put her skills to practice by making a scrapbook page for the Kids Alive service team scrapbook. As it is late and our wake-up call is early, we can hope and pray for another good night of rest and thank God for seeing us through yet another day.

Door Creek Church - Day 4

2010-06-16T12:00:00.006-04:00

***Special guest blogger Luisa and photographer Kristin Karls from the Door Creek Church Service Team***

Work day two was the best work day at the home yet. The day started out with the usual breakfast and quiet devotion time at the team apartment. Afterward, we all donned pre-soiled work clothes and headed to the children’s home. Soon after arrival, we started mixing and pouring cement for the base of the new workshop.

We worked hard, taking lunch breaks in shifts, as we sweat and exercised our arm muscles while heaving large wheelbarrows full of wet cement. After we finished laying 1/3 of the cement needed to complete the foundation of the shop, Alec and Caleb attached doors to two small fixtures located on the roof of one of the houses. (See pics below.. Imagine getting those 2 storage houses from the ground to the roof... TEAMWORK!)

Later in the day, the team was able to socialize with the kids. We enjoyed several fun and intense games of soccer, a bit of volleyball, and long conversations. After dinner, Kaitlin lead devotions on Psalms 139. Directly following devotions, we went out for ice cream with Jon and Mike. We are really excited to see what God has planned for us tomorrow. . .

Door Creek Church - Day 3

2010-06-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

***Special guest blogger Ella and photographer Kristin from the Door Creek Church Service Team***

As we trudged down for breakfast to begin our first day of work we were welcomed by team member Linda who finally made it to Peru! She told us her adventures over breakfast and then we gathered our gloves, put on our grungy clothes, and headed out to meet Tyler who was going to lead our work projects at the home. As we arrived were greeted by Eduardo who works for the children’s home and would be assisting us in our work for the week. We began by shoveling dirt to even out a foundation for the tool shed. While we were doing that Alec, Caleb, and Joel worked with cutting the Re-bar poles. When they finished, we did a lot of measuring and laying of the poles in 30 cm grids. Tying the poles together involved a lot of tedious work with wires as well, and by the end of the day we were all very exhausted and dirty, however, we felt very good about what we had accomplished.

Devotions were led by Alec on Romans 12 and we ended the night with a game of Salad Bowl and scary stories. We’re very excited for what God holds in store for us tomorrow.

Door Creek Church - Day 2

2010-06-14T12:00:00.006-04:00

***Special guest blogger Ella and photographer Kristin from the Door Creek Church Service Team***

Day Two! This lovely Sunday morning we had the pleasure of accompanying the Foss family to church at Nueve Vida in Manchay. We were greeted by many of the locals and got to experience a Peruvian church service en espanol. We quickly learned to appreciate the pleasures we had back in Madison while we sat on wooden pews, sang songs from a sheet of paper, and did not underst a word of the sermon.

For lunch we ate at Mediterranean Chicken with the Fosses and Chadwicks where we got to taste the famous pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken) of Peru. After eating our fill we experienced the Indian Markets and tried out our skills at bargaining.

Of course, we were thinking of all of you at home and purchased you souvenirs with our shiny Nuevo Soles. Then Jon took us to the beach where we finally saw the ocean, though it was too cold to swim in.

When we returned back to the team apartment we had a delicious dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and some Inca Kola. We ended our night with a few fun games and a solid devotion led by Caleb on Matthew 6:21. Tomorrow we’ll be laying a cement foundation for the new tool shed we’ll be building for the home. We’re very excited to start our first day of real work and look forward to having Linda join our team.

Door Creek Church

2010-06-13T12:00:00.003-04:00

***Special guest blogger Ella and photographer Kristin from the Door Creek Church Service Team***

Hola! After 21 hours of traveling, a 5 hour layover in Atlanta, having to fly around a volcano in Ecuador, learning how to do bathroom yoga on the flight, and losing Kaitlin’s guitar, we’re happy to announce we arrived safely in Peru at around 11:30pm last night.

We were greeted at the airport by Mike, the director of the children’s home in Lima, and Machi, the other driver, whom Joel graciously chose to ride with back to the apartment and test his Spanish on. After we arrived at our team apartment we were pleasantly surprised that it was much nicer than expected. So after being reminded a dozen times not to flush the toilet paper, and figuring out how to brush our teeth with a bottle of water, we all crawled into bed completely exhausted from our adventure.

This morning we woke up and the boys cooked everyone a nice breakfast of eggs, toast, and oatmeal. Then we sat down for a brief orientation with Mike, Jon, and their families where we all got better acquainted and discussed our plans for the week. After lunch we took off to tour the Manchay Oasis Care Center and the new Juniper Tree home in Pachacamac.

When we arrived at The Juniper Tree home Jon showed us around and we introduced ourselves to the families and met their two pet goats. After that we got everyone together for an exciting game of soccer in the yard where the younger boys showed off their skills to us, and a few of the older girls played volleyball.

We just arrived back home after a long day and are looking forward to eating a delicious Peruvian dinner.

Unfortunately team member Linda still hasn’t been able to make it out here yet but we look forward to her arrival tomorrow and hopefully we will make it through the Indian Markets without her Peruvian expertise and advice. We thank you for your prayers and look forward to seeing God work in our lives and the children’s throughout the rest of this week.

Oasis Faces

2010-06-11T12:00:00.002-04:00

Here are some random pictures of life at the Oasis.

Sounds of Andahuaylas

2010-05-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

I recently stumbled upon an old sound clip that I took last year in Andahuaylas. I was visiting the church that the children attend and was amazed to hear the type of music that they sing. They worshiped God beautifully with traditional Andean rhythm and melody. Rather than just letting you listen to the music, I whipped up a slide show with all of the kids' faces. I would have loved to have matched the image transitions to the rhythm of the music, but am limited to using programs that work with my hoof-typewriter.

It's been a long time since myself or other Lima-based Kids Alive missionaries have been able to visit our Friends of Peru Home in Andahuaylas, but we're excited about several trips planned there this summer. They're even going to host two of their own service teams. Needless to say, I'll have lots of good updates and images to present to you later in the year.

The Oasis' Anniversary

2010-05-21T12:00:00.004-04:00

Last Friday, I stopped by the Oasis to watch the celebration of its 7th anniversary. Boy, do they know how to throw a party. The afternoon included singing, a couple of skits, recognition of the staff, short encouragements to the families from Oasis director, Juan Carlos, and Kids Alive Peru director, Mike Fietje, followed by snacks, drinks, and cake.

Our worship team.

Melina leads some of the 2 and 3 year olds down to the party.

Nothing says "Happy Anniversary" like Vilma, the dancing cake.

Some of the women from Moms Helping Moms provided a skit demonstrating the amazing faith of several Biblical heroes.

This final video is a little hard to describe. The humor in it is not really this llama's cup 'o tea, but this style can be found throughout Latin America. If you've heard of "El Chavo," you know to what I am referring. Nonetheless, it was great to see the Oasis staff showcasing their talent and how much the kids enjoyed it.

Basically, Juan Carlos is "El Malo" (The Bad) and the other four are "Los Fantasticos" (The Fantastics, not to be confused with the Fantastic 4). He leaves a banana peel and a stick of dynamite in their path as well as several other attempts to curb their fantastic-ness.

Secret Identity Revealed

2010-05-14T12:00:00.005-04:00

The writer of this blog has been working hard the last six months to bring you hard-hitting stories from the Kids Alive ministry sites in Peru. His work has been selfless, but it is now time to reveal this mastermind to the world. Click Here to discover who it is.

That's right! All Kids Alive Peru news is brought to you by the Llama Reporter. Flying a missionary back and forth to our sites across the country to bring fresh news would have been too costly and time-consuming. Llamas thrive in the highlands and the Llama Reporter loves hiking and visiting our kids in the desert, highlands, and jungle. Today he brings you the newest edition of his quarterly newsletter, The Llama Reporter.

Llama Reporter Spring 2010

*A special thank you to Sean Dawdy for designing the Llama Reporter symbol.

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 6

2010-05-08T12:00:00.002-04:00

***Special guest bloggers Carolyn and Lynn from the Lawrence Free Methodist Church Service Team***

On Friday we bid farewell to the children at The Juniper Tree. Several members from our group asked to sponsor children at the Home and were able to talk to these children for a bit and get a picture with them. Each child at the Juniper Tree has several sponsors and writes each sponsor four times a year so the relationships between the children and their sponsors will deepen.

Karly and her sponsored child. Karly spent several days working with the kids at The Juniper Tree and was drawn to Julio's* kind heart and his smile. Julio* loves to draw and loves school. His favorite class at school is English and Karly knows a bit of Spanish so they'll have a good time teaching each other a bit of English and Spanish. When Julio* learned that Karly wanted to be his marina, he went to his room and got a little stuffed bear to give to her so she could remember him. He asked that she pray for him and his family.

Kelly with the children her family is going to sponsor.
When Kelly came to Peru, she was hoping to meet a brother and sister her family could sponsor since she has 3 sons and a daughter at home. She was quickly drawn to Mario* and Maria*, the two newest children at The Juniper Tree. They are energetic and loving and are very excited about their new home and new Padrinos (Sponsors). They already know the names of Kelly's children and are looking forward to corresponding with them in the future.

Carolyn with her sponsored child. Karlia* is the middle child of three sisters. She is outgoing, full of energy and comfortable with people. She loves to play and is happy to have another marina.

Steve, Lynn, Carolyn, Karly and Kelly at the fishing village of Puku Sana, where we took a boat tour to see the cliffs, the ocean and some lazy sea lions.

Lynn, Steve, Karly, Carolyn, and Kelly with our friend and guide, Javier, at the fountain exhibit in downtown Lima.

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 5

2010-05-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

***Special guest bloggers Carolyn and Lynn from the Lawrence Free Methodist Church Service Team***

We had another great day on our work sites. The highlight for Stephanie and Carolyn was to hear the testimonies of four of the moms in our English lessons. They were fairly similar -- "I went to church a little when I was a child, but for one reason or another it was difficult to go regularly. I wandered away from God when I was an adolescent. I had a child and then, thanks be to God, he brought me here to the Oasis to reconnect with Him. I am now much closer to Him and so happy to be studying His word and growing in my faith." All of our team felt blessed to get to see the work at The Oasis and see how it is having a huge impact on nearly 100 children and their families in Manchay!

A neighborhood we passed on the way to The Oasis. It was built in an old quarry site.

The children at The Oasis celebrate Mother's Day with their mothers. This day is celebrated for several days; the moms are invited to the school for a program one day and a breakfast the next day. Each grade sang a song or quoted a poem for their mothers. Gifts were given and mothers were honored. This is a great way for the Oasis to connect with the mothers of the children that attend their center.

Sydney with one of the moms from the Moms helping Moms program. Our ministry team taught English to 10 different women this week. These women work in the Oasis in the classrooms with the children, in the kitchen and in the sewing area. This is a great way for them to get a great Christian education for the little children (ages 1-5) and great after school help at the homework club for their gradeschoolers. They also are provided with work and are studying the Bible every day. They have been studying the Bible for over a year and have worked through Genesis - Luke. They are currently in the gospel of John.

Our construction and medical teams eating out at a restaurant for lunch, experiencing authentic Peruvian food, including guinea pig.

Our medical team in front of a church in Pachacamac. The church advertised free medical care in the community and spent the entire day providing medicines and performing minor surgeries on people from the community.

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 4

2010-05-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

***Special guest bloggers Carolyn and Lynn from the Lawrence Free Methodist Church Service Team***

Our men needed to move a cement mixer from The Oasis to The Juniper Tree so they hired a truck to toe the mixer 30 minutes on very rough roads. Since the truck lacked a hitch, the took some wire and wired the mixer to the truck bumper, tied some safety rope around it and off they went. Thirty minutes later, the mixer arrived safely at its destination.

Our medical team went to an open air market, told a few people that a dermatologist was available and giving away free medicine. Within a few minutes, a very long line formed. Three hours later, more than 50 people had been helped. Tasha, one of the assistants, was thrilled to get to be in the center of the village helping Peruvians.

Peruvians line up in the market place for a chance to receive medical care from Dr. Joe.

Our ministry team spent the day with children at The Juniper Tree helping them make a "Cristo me ama" craft with pictures of the children and "estickers." The kids loved being able to keep the craft with their own picture.

In addition to our week, the day was also filled with cross cultural experiences: Peruvian food, ice-cream, a herd of goats, rides in taxis, a walk to the plaza, and devotions at The Juniper Tree.

Our group had to avoid being trampled by this wild herd of sheep and goats!

Kelly and Sydney take a Peruvian taxi to their worksite in the morning.

Karly helps the kids at the Juniper tree show the verse to our group at devotions.

Kelly shared her journey of faith during our time of devotions, telling how she learned to trust in God through her battle with cancer even though she had no idea of what the future held. The director of The Juniper Tree explained to the kids that their journey is the same. They don't always know the future, but they can trust God in the midst of it. He will take care of them.

Carolyn's highlight of the day: listening to the children sing and pray during our time of devotions! These children are excited about God and learning to trust in Him completely.

Moms Helping Moms showing off some of their sewing crafts to Kelly, Karly and Sydney.

Randy, Larry and our friend and Driver, Machi, pose for a photo during lunch break.

Stephanie is encircled by a group of girls from the Juniper Tree

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 3

2010-05-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

***Special guest bloggers Carolyn and Lynn from the Lawrence Free Methodist Church Service Team***

"We have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in our hearts"

What a great day we had on our 2nd day of work!

Our medical team got out of the comfort zone of the clinic and went out into the streets to serve those in need. Many came to get medicine for skin diseases and the team was able to perform some minor surgeries.

Our construction team got to work in both The Juniper Tree and The Oasis today, working on some finishing projects to make the places better for the children. They appreciate the opportunity to serve.

Our girls loved the language exchange today with the women of The Oasis. They learned the parts of the body, how to count to ten and basic greetings in Spanish and taught the Peruvian moms those words in English. They ended their lessons singing in English and Spanish "I have the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart." In Spanish, this song ends with "…because Christ saved me."

We are grateful to Christ for His salvation and are filled with joy.

Stephanie and Lynn in front of a local house they helped fix up for one of the moms from Moms Helping Moms.

Willy and Randy working to fix a broken dresser.

Joe and Kelly performing a minor surgery on a patient.

Our missionary team leader, Jon Chadwick, leading us in prayer before another delicious, Peruvian meal!

Tasha providing illustrations for the Peruvian mothers learning English.

Sydney and Karly working with the 2&3 year-old class on their creation pictures.

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 2

2010-05-04T12:00:00.004-04:00

***Special guest bloggers Carolyn and Lynn from the Lawrence Free Methodist Church Service Team***

Today we group from Kansans had our first day of work. We split into groups to tackle several different projects simultaneously -- a medical project, some construction work, a painting project, English lessons for moms, a Bible lesson with two groups of children, lots of soccer and volleyball and even some homework.

In the evening, the families from The Juniper Tree welcomed us into their homes and gave us an excellent Peruvian meal. Everyone on the team had a wonderful time meeting many hospitable Peruvians, working hard and seeing the faith of the children at the Oasis. The highlights of those working directly with children and moms was doing a language exchange with both children and mothers -- learning Hebrews 11:1 in Spanish and English and learning numbers and body parts in both languages. We are excited about tomorrow and what God has for us.

Dr. Joe Gadzia removing a mole from a walk-in patient.

Kelly taking the heart rate of one of the boys at the Oasis childcare center.

Larry and Willy laying brick for the sidewalk at the Oasis childcare center.

Steve repainting a set of lockers for the team at the Oasis childcare center.

Carolyn leading a lesson on faith.

Karly working with one of the kids on memorizing a Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Carolyn teaching the moms English through "Simon Says."

Karly with two of the kids from The Juniper Tree children's home.

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 1

2010-05-03T12:00:00.004-04:00

***Special guest bloggers Carolyn and Lynn from the Lawrence Free Methodist Church Service Team***

Hooray! We made it safe and sound! After a long day of travel, including an almost-missed connecting flight and a 2-hour delay at the baggage claim upon arrival in Peru, we arrived to our apartment around 12:45 am. Our missionary hosts are full of knowledge and hospitality, the people are beautiful, friendly and full of love to share.

Today we had the opportunity to worship at the Vida Nueva (New Life) church in Manchay. Afterward, we ate a delicious meal at a local favorite restaurant. Then we went to The Juniper Tree Children's Home in Pachacamac to meet the kids and their house-parents and visited The Oasis Care Center in Manchay. Tomorrow we get up bright and early to start our work week of construction, medical help, Bible lessons for kids and English lessons for moms.

Thank God! All of our luggage was present and accounted for!
(pictured from left: Karly, Tasha, Lynn, Sydney, Joe, Jove, Darren, Larry, Steve, Stephanie.)

(pictured from left: Willy; Sydney) The view from the balcony of our apartment.

Neighborhood in Manchay.

Some of the beautiful Peruvian landscape.

At The Manchay Oasis Care Center; a group shot from a mini-Noah's ark
(pictured from left: back: Stephanie, Steve, Willy, Randy, Joe, Darren, Jove. front: Tasha, Karly, Lynn, Carolyn, Larry, Sydney, Kelly, Nigel.

The Juniper Tree's Newest Family Members

2010-04-30T12:00:00.006-04:00

Last Monday two new children entered the home. Brother and sister Mario* and Maria* have adjusted extremely well over the past week and are thrilled to be living with their new family. It's always great to bring new children into the home to have a fresh reminder of what our ministry is all about. We have been able to rescue two more children from a dire situation and given a loving family, a stable home, and an opportunity to personally know Christ as their Savior.

If you would consider sponsoring either of these children, please send an email with "Maria and Mario" in the subject line to:

Tracy at the Kids Alive US office - traci@kidsalive.org

Margaret at the Kids Alive CA office - marchristy@rogers.com.

Mario* with his new house mom Mimi.

Maria* checking out a book.

*Names changed to protect privacy

A Visit to Pucallpa

2010-04-23T12:00:00.004-04:00

Last weekend Mike Fietje (Peru Field Director), Ken Cristy (Canadian Director), and Jeff Vandermolen (US Vice President of Operations) were able to visit the future site of a children's home in Pucallpa, Peru.

Pucallpa is Peru's second largest jungle city.

The land for the Home was donated by John Hocking, a local, retiring missionary who has also built the first family unit on the property.

The housing units themselves will have a similar layout to the ones at the Juniper Tree,

but like the one in our Andahuaylas home they will have roof made to withstand lots of rain.

City of Manchay Featured in Oscar Nominated Film

2010-04-09T12:00:00.014-04:00

Anyone that has visited Manchay needs no more than to watch a few seconds of "Milk of Sorrows" to say, "Yup, that's Manchay." There's something about the way the dust, the mountains, and the poverty blend together to make Manchay so recognizable. (Note that the images included in this post are not movie stills)

Manchay is home to our Oasis Care Center. The Care Center is designed to exist in the midst of extreme poverty and provide education education, homework help, and a meal each week day. As opposed to our Children's Homes which remove children from extreme conditions, at the Oasis we seek to meet people where they are and help them to improve their lives and the lives of their families and then their community around them.

The film is about a poor girl, living in Manchay, that must overcome fears that stem from folklore. She is a girls that believers herself to be tainted because she nursed from a terrified mother. It is a film that will give you a look into the everyday life of people of Manchay and the beauty that can exist in the midst of such conditions.

***The film has some themes that aren't appropriate for children***

For more information about the movie and about the history of the city of Manchay visit the following pages.
http://www.livinginperu.com/blogs/features/1199
http://www.livinginperu.com/blogs/features/698

Shirley's Quinceañera

2010-04-02T12:00:00.008-04:00

A quinceañera (translated 15 years) is celebrated throughout Latin America when a girl turns 15.

It's similar to sweet 16, but looks much more like a wedding . . .

complete with being walked down the aisle . . .

attendants . . .

and often even a male friend standing in the groom's place. At the children's home we forgo the "groom"

but it is a time to celebrate a girl's entering into womanhood: reflecting on her current virtues and imparting wisdom for the next stage of her life.

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member

2010-03-26T12:00:00.047-04:00

**Written by guest blogger Jill Osborne**

It’s my last night in Peru on my service trip with Kids Alive International.

I can’t believe how quickly the two weeks have passed. It’s been an experience that I won’t forget.

I’m part of a team from People’s Church, Wyoming, Ontario, Canada. There are seven of us: John (or Uncle John, our fearless leader), Dan and Nathan (strong band of brothers), Jessica and Paul (daughter/father team), Lynnae (better known here in Peru as “Nae Nae”) and myself.

We’ve had lots of laughs, incredible experiences and accomplished tons of different things.

Most of our work has been at The Juniper Tree. The children have recently moved into their brand new, beautiful home and we helped out by finishing off some tile and grout, electrical and yard work.

Check out the photos to see the before and after pics of the yard!

On Wednesday night we played “Octapus” with the kids. To see them run around in their bare feet, on the grass, in the middle of the desert, laughing and smiling, made every drop of sweat and muscle ache worth it!

On our travels to and from The Juniper Tree and The Oasis it’s hard not to notice how barren and dry the landscape is. Even the people on the street seem empty. However, when you enter The Oasis or The Juniper Tree, you notice how alive everything is. The buildings and grounds are bright and colorful but more importantly, you can see the God’s love shining in the eyes of the children and staff. I’ve been able to see firsthand what a blessing these ministries are to the families, children and communities in Peru and in turn I have been humbled and blessed once again by our amazing and gracious God!

Kids Host First Team at the Juniper Tree

2010-03-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

The new children's home hosted its first service team this past week. Before, the teams would eat dinners at the children's home and have time to spend with the kids each evening. Now, due to the current distance between the team apartment and the Juniper Tree the work teams divide up and eat in the kids' homes each Wednesday before devotions.

Here are pictures of the team members and missionaries eating with the kids.

With all of the special guests, a kids' table was added in one of the homes.

Here are a couple of pics of devotions. They are currently being held in the older boys' house.

One of the team members provided the devotional and incorporated finger puppets to show that God uniquely created each one of them and loves them. The kids were each able to take one of the unique finger puppets.

Moving In

2010-03-12T12:00:00.004-05:00

As a follow-up to last weeks post, here are some pictures of the kids in their new homes.

Not everything is settled in yet, but here is a look at one of the bedrooms.

House moms preparing dinner for the kids.

Amidst the construction, kids can always find ways to play. This time they were pirates looking for buried treasure.

Pachacamac seems like Timbuktu to these kids and they were amazed to see an airplane overhead.

Dinner time has a different feel with the kids eating in their individual housing units. It was refreshing to see each group look more like a family.

Here's a look at each of the family units.

Two of the older boys have been living with the director, Ronald, and his family since they graduated from high school.

Wednesday was the first time that the older kids were able to meet together for devotions in their new home.

Moving Out

2010-03-05T12:00:00.004-05:00

This past week the kids made their much anticipated move to the Juniper Tree Children's Home in Pachacamac. The move was a mix of sadness over leaving the home they have known for so long and entering brand new buildings with more space and more of a family feeling. It was a lot of work, but everyone chipped in.

Last look at Montecarlo

2010-02-26T12:00:00.006-05:00

Before March 1st, the kids will move from their current home to Pachacamac in the outskirts of Lima. Here is a last look at their current home before they leave.

You may click on any of the pictures to see a photo album with a more complete tour. You will be taken to a 3rd party site that hosts all of the pictures used for this blog.

Here is an overhead shot of the home followed by a pan of the entire neighborhood.

The library/great room where the kids have devotions.

The playground.

The soccer/volleyball court with the pool in the background.

An outside hallway that leads to many of the bedrooms as well as the kitchen and dining hall.

An office.

A look into some of the kids' bedrooms.

Friends of Peru Children's Home in Andahuaylas

2010-02-19T12:00:00.018-05:00

Just over a year ago the Friends of Peru Children's Home became a part of Kids Alive. The home is nestled in the Andes mountains in the city of Andahuaylas almost 9,700ft above sea level.

Andahuaylas is an extremely impoverished area where many children need to hitchhike for several hours each day in order to receive an education. The home was started for children that lived too far away to attend school.

Construction of a new home is currently underway. The first building (1 story) is complete and the second building (2 stories) has the shell and roof complete.

Aside from a loving home and the ability to receive an education, the home has a workshop so that the older kids can learn valuable skills. They've even built much of the furniture for the new home.

A Day at the Oasis

2010-02-12T12:00:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the Oasis. The Oasis is a day facility that provides Biblical education, homework help, a meal, and many other things to impoverished children from 6 months through 6th grade. Come spend a day with us.

It's summer break right now. The Oasis is still open, but many of the kids take the summer off. During the school year, school-aged kids attend school in the mornings and then arrive to the Oasis at lunch-time.

Preschoolers arrive at 8:00am each day.

It's best to feed the babies their lunch before the flood of big kids arrives.

The place may look a little empty in the summer . . .

but during the school year over a hundred people are fed lunch every day.

After lunch, the older kids work on their homework from school, have a Bible study, and, of course, have some free time in the soccer court.

While the big kids are learning, it's time for the little ones to have a nap.

The day ends at 4:00pm

Devotions at the Children's Home

2010-02-05T12:00:00.004-05:00

Every Wednesday night the Children's Home is alive with devotions.

The evening always begins with Juan Carlos (director of the Oasis) leading the worship.

After songs there is a time for prayer. Without fail on of the kids asks to pray for their sponsors. The kids love to have a special guest speaker whenever a team comes.

After devotions is a perfect time to celebrate birthdays.

Special Post - LAM Service Team

2010-02-03T00:00:00.004-05:00

Our first service team of the year came from Latin American Missions (LAM). We also tend to call this team Calvary since many of their team members are from Calvary Baptist Church in Oshawa, Ontario. LAM sent two teams last year and impressed us again in how much work they were able to complete in two short weeks.

For a complete description of all that they completed check out Tyler's Construction Blog.

Afternoons by the Pool

2010-01-29T12:00:00.027-05:00

Mornings during the summer may be spent in the classroom, but afternoons are meant to be spent in the pool.

Summer Camp

2010-01-22T12:00:00.010-05:00

This week the 6-12 year olds were able to go to camp. The camp is run by Bible Centered Ministries (BCM) and is located between our current Home and our new Pachacamac Home. I was able to sneak in for an hour or so to snap a few pictures and first found them in the middle of a Bible lesson.

Can you pick out our kids?

After the Bible lesson, the kids were given some free time to play and visit the kiosk.

Some of the older kids were also there to take classes and do some odd jobs around the camp. They were able to overlap some of their free time with the younger kids.

As I was leaving, the younger kids transitioned into craft time.

The younger kids are never too far away from their older siblings looking over their shoulders.

Visiting the Laguna

2010-01-15T12:00:00.005-05:00

This morning, the children from the home visited the local laguna.

The highlight of a trip to the laguna is bringing along some bread and feeding the ducks, geese, fish, and other birds. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera out when the birds were around.

The kids brought along water and apples and made a morning of it.

The kids made the trip to the laguna as part of their fun Fridays during summer school.

Children's Home Christmas Program

2009-12-14T14:18:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday the children from the home put on a Christmas program for their friends and family. The kids divided into groups and performed songs and skits. It was a hot, hot day in the middle of a relatively cool spring. The sun was so intense that some of the kids' family members had brought newspapers to cover their heads with.

It's so amazing to see the kids' both the blessings and the joy that these children have. After the songs and skits a local pastor provided a Gospel message of Jesus' birth. Afterwards the Christmas tradition of panetón and hot chocolate were served to everyone. Sponsors and donors, thank you so much for giving these kids a loving home and a life of hope.

Llama Reporter Christmas 2009

2009-12-07T11:51:00.004-05:00

Llama Reporter Christmas 2009

Two and 1/2 Years Later

2009-11-19T14:18:00.000-05:00

It may not look like much has changed, but you'd it's something that you have to see for yourself. One of the major changes is the completion of an office building and sewing room. With the new office building, we will be able to open up another classroom and have room to take in more children. The sewing room was created for the Moms Helping Moms program where moms of children in the program can learn to sew and make clothing. Graduates of the program have begun a small business using the room and hope to be able to make the program self-sufficient.

Other changes that you can't see in the picture include lots of landscaping and the completion of the driveway. Also, a home has been added in the front left corner for Liberato, the caretaker, and his family.

Llama Reporter Fall 2009

2009-09-06T11:51:00.003-04:00

Llama Reporter - Fall 2009

Lima Reporter May 2009

2009-05-16T10:43:00.004-04:00

Lima Reporter May

Manchay Oasis Care Center

2007-03-19T14:16:00.004-04:00

Over the last year, God has blessed us with many teams coming to work on the construction of our Care Centre in Manchay.

Jan 2006

Jan 2007

The work that has been achieved is truely amazing! As you can see, the site has developed a great deal from Jan 2006, on the left, to the latest photo, taken Jan 2007.

We have been really encouraged by the hard work of all those who have hepled by sacrificing their time and energy, many returning yearly.

Kids Alive Peru

Luis Fernando

Enjoy Luis Fernando's slideshow.Widescreen HDLower Quality Version

Shantal's Slideshow

Christmas at the Oasis

Visitor's Day Christmas Program

A Special Thank You

Behind the Scenes

Marketing

Accounting

Operations

Getting Involved

Pachamanca

Visiting Andahuaylas

Holy Trinity Church - Day 6

Holy Trinity Church - Day 5

Holy Trinity Church - Day 4

Holy Trinity Church - Day 3

Door Creek Church - Day 9

Holy Trinity Church - Day 2

Holy Trinity Church - Day 1

Door Creek Church - Day 8

Door Creek Church - Day 7

Door Creek Church - Day 6

Door Creek Church - Day 5

Door Creek Church - Day 4

Door Creek Church - Day 3

Door Creek Church - Day 2

Door Creek Church

Oasis Faces

Sounds of Andahuaylas

The Oasis' Anniversary

Secret Identity Revealed

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 6

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 5

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 4

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 3

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 2

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member - Day 1

The Juniper Tree's Newest Family Members

A Visit to Pucallpa

City of Manchay Featured in Oscar Nominated Film

Shirley's Quinceañera

Through the Eyes of a Service Team Member

Kids Host First Team at the Juniper Tree

Moving In

Moving Out

Last look at Montecarlo

Friends of Peru Children's Home in Andahuaylas

A Day at the Oasis

Devotions at the Children's Home

Special Post - LAM Service Team

Afternoons by the Pool

Summer Camp

Visiting the Laguna

Children's Home Christmas Program

Llama Reporter Christmas 2009

Two and 1/2 Years Later

Llama Reporter Fall 2009

Lima Reporter May 2009

Manchay Oasis Care Center

Enjoy Luis Fernando's slideshow.

Widescreen HD

Lower Quality Version