For about two years we have not had any eye clinics at the orphanage. Our last Peruvian doctor who was performing cataract surgery came down with stomach cancer and had his stomach removed. He survived the cancer and the surgery and feels he needs to dedicate his life to help the poor in Peru with their eye sight. About eight months ago he began construction of a new eye clinic dedicated to the poor in Peru. In February, Dr Borges invited me to see the facility. I was completely dumfounded of what he built. The poor are taken care of like Royalty. They have modern marble showers with hot water to freshen up. Then they are invited to come to the marble waiting room with new lounge seats to wait for their eye appointment. When their name is called they go to the modern examination room where they have the latest in high tech equipment (the poor feel like they died and went to heaven). If they need some surgical procedure they are placed on the calendar and given a time to return. If they need glasses they go to another room and get their free eye glasses. The cost for the poor is three dollars for a visit and a cataract surgery 40 dollars. The Lions Clubs in the US have donated 20000 dollars worth of equipment for this clinic as well as supplying 3000 pairs of glasses. Dr Borges is a great testimony of turning a catastrophe unto a blessing for thousands of Peruvians.

Solamente en Peru

I have been ministering in Peru for seven years and I have learned to expect the unexpected but this month was above anything I could possible conceive. We finished the water reservoir for 20000 people in the town of Alta Salverry . It gave us the capability of furnishing about one and half gallons of fresh drinking water per person per day. However, we need the fresh water which is in the mountains seven miles away. The plan is to have various church groups come and lay a section of pipe until we connect to the reservoir. This process will take approximately 1-2 years. During the interim someone came up with an idea of digging a well on the orphanage property and using it to fulfill the water needs. Many volunteers and paid labors started hand digging a well the first week of February that was 42 feet in diameter and 7 feet deep. It took approximately two weeks to finish and the well produces 2000 gallons per hour and can adequately meet the water needs for the town. However, on February 28 two people came to the well early in the morning with a bull-dozer and started to fill in the well. One of the person’s had a shotgun and tried to keep our workers away. But our director’s wife who is pregnant went to the well and stood in front of the bull-dozer so he would not advance. The police came and stopped the bulldozer and we filed a complaint with them. In Peru, it does not matter if you have a legal title to the land which we have but if you can defend your land with enough force to keep out others. This person was doing a power play to show that he was owner because he had a bull-dozer and a shotgun to go on our property and exert his will. I do not know how this will be resolved but please pray for Alex and Liz ( directors) to give them wisdom in this matter.

My wife has been focused on the library at the orphanage. We have had many generous donations of spanish books and cash to build our library. The library is not only for the children but
also for adults. We have some excellent reference books that local pastors come and use as well as students who need research material. A dvd player and TV for our educational material was added. If you have some spanish books that our not being used please email us.

My wife and I are claiming Romans 8-28 and trusting the lord. Thanks for all your support.

Chau,

Dave