July is an important month in the Peruvian culture, where the people spend the 27th and 28th celebrating their independence. The streets are filled with Peruvian flags, banners decorate the stores and patriotic pins are clipped on every shirt. Our children celebrated with a program for the visiting group, our board members and other supporters of the orphanage. Each casita chose a region of Peru to represent, dressed in traditional costume, performed a skit or song and made typical food to share with the guests. Even the volunteers dressed in their Peruvian flair and performed. Celebrating national freedom is not only an important part of the Peruvian culture, but also a reminder to every child, worker and volunteer of the freedom and possibilities we have in Christ.
Tim Brooks and his adopted daughter, Loren, returned to the orphanage this past month to serve. Loren and her two sisters were adopted from our orphanage in 2006 by Tim and his wife, Andrea. This time, they came with 23 other members of Windsor Road Christian Church to serve the very ministry that brought them together three years ago. The group spent their days providing a Vacation Bible School program for the children, a variety of crafts and activities, health care lessons for the staff, repairing screens, painting and building a car port for our bus.
The days were jam packed with activity, but more importantly they were filled with hugs, laughter and love. Tim, Loren and the entire group blessed the children, staff and volunteers with all of the supplies and gifts they brought and with the old and new friendships that were established! Read about their adventures on their own blog by clicking here.
As I mentioned a few months back, doing laundry for 48 children is a huge task. The orphanage spent a lot of time and money, in the past, making repairs on machines and dealing with sand in the water tubing. A few months back, I shared the need for an industrial washer and I am grateful to those people who generously gave. After investigating the best system for solving our problem, we were able to put in a new filtration system for the laundry room and purchase 4 semi-industrial washers – and still have funds left! The madre tutoras are so excited to have the new machines and the simple task of doing laundry has become an amazing blessing. Thanks to those who gave – you have made an impact!
There are so many ways to be involved in the work of Hogar de Esperanza/Saving Street Children, Inc. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact us. Everyone has something to share!
Changing hearts together,
Dave
Saving Street Children
422 Armour Road
North Kansas City, MO 64048
