And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:40
Giving Hope in Uncertain Times
Thanks to generous donors, our staff and young men of Casa de Reyes have served their local community during an incredibly difficult time for Peruvians. Government intervention for the poor is very limited. Though the boys of Casa de Reyes remain quarantined on our gated property, our staff must leave to buy necessities. With COVID-19 relief donations, they have bought extra groceries and items to serve many in the local community. Bags were distributed by our staff to families in dire need of food. These acts of kindness give hope to struggling families, allowing them to see a glimpse of Jesus.
Furthermore, we have also monetarily supported individuals and families during this time. Because the majority of Peruvians work daily to survive, most of them do not have any type of savings. The quarantine orders do not allow them to work, which is leading to hunger. Two boys in our home have families who cannot survive during this time without aid. We have been able to send both families money for food. We have also supported two young men who were previously a part of Casa de Reyes. We were able to provide life-sustaining medicine for a brother during this time who suffers from liver disease. We have been able to help young men living in Lima that we have personal relationships with. Without these donations, many simply would be starving.
It is with sincere gratitude that we thank you for making donations that are literally saving lives and preventing hunger.
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
Proverbs 19:17
The Sweetest Act of Service
Recently on his own accord, Alexander asked Daviczon if he could clean his teeth. Daviczon is the newest member of Casa de Reyes, and was thrilled to be cared for in such a special way. It is inspiring to see how well the young men of Casa de Reyes take care of one another as brothers, with selfless acts of service. Surprisingly, Alexander is not going to school for dentistry, but for chemical engineering!
The Power of Prayer
We believe in the power of prayer. The weight of the current situation in Peru effects the work of our ministry in many ways. We would like to share some specific prayers requests with you to lift up alongside us:
We ask for your prayers specifically for God to open gateways for funds to easily reach Peru. As supplies dwindle, stores have closed and the prices of essential items are rapidly rising. A state of panic and chaos fills the city of Iquitos. Banks are closing because they are unable to provide funds. It has been very challenging for our staff to retrieve money, and they can only do small transactions at a time. Lines that lack any kind of social distancing, like the one pictured above, are very common during this time and operations are only open for a short time.
Our leadership carry much of this weight to continue operations. Recently our Account Manager, Scarlett, has been dealing with a severe eye infection. Please pray for her full and complete healing as she returns to a specialist on Monday.Pray for God’s protection over our team as they distribute essential items to the community.
The immune systems of several of the young men of Casa de Reyes are of high-risk for the virus. We are asking for God’s protection and strength for the bodies of these we love so much. One of our young men has a severe ear infection that has not been resolved- we ask for your prayers for complete healing and relief.
Another young man in our program went to visit his mother in a remote city before the quarantine was put into place. He is now stuck in this city with very limited resources and is having challenges with receiving funds from us. Please pray for his protection and for God’s provision in removing barriers to support him and his family.
While the magnitude of this crisis is so much bigger than ourselves, we serve a great God who holds our world in His hands & has the power to heal nations. View the document below for prayer and scripture prompts from Unite714: a worldwide Christian movement to unite "churches, pastors, leaders, and individuals, across the globe to pray for a miraculous healing of our lands from the coronavirus and a spiritual awakening among the nations." Join us in pleading on behalf of Peru, the USA, and our entire world.
Coronavirus Update
The quarantine and strict guidelines in regards to the coronavirus in Peru continue to be extended. As of today, there are over 31,000 cases of the coronavirus in Peru with 854 deaths. Hospital systems are already collapsing. The hunger the nation is facing is an even greater problem.
In a recent article, the reality of the crisis in Peru builds:
"Many poor Peruvians live in cramped, unsanitary dwellings. Nearly a million in Lima alone lack running water."
"So far, nearly 60,000 people have been arrested for violating the rules... But single mothers have also been detained, mainly for violating a controversial gender-based requirement for men and women to go out on alternate days."
"Peru’s upward trend could be a harbinger of things to come in other developing nations with poor sanitation, weak public institutions and frayed trust in authority."
“'There is a lot of hunger,' says Garrinzon González, who runs the Venezuelan Union in Peru, a self-help group for immigrants. 'I can hear the desperation in their voices when they call me. There are people getting by with boiling water with sugar. It is terrible.”' From the Washington Post
Though things are grim in Peru and the worst is far from over, we are thankful that as Christians our hope lies in Christ alone. He is worthy to be praised, and we believe He will work this out for the good of those who love Him. We believe He can heal, and He is bigger than any crisis we face.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
All About the Boys
Carlos (pictured left) and Jeygler (pictured right) celebrated their birthdays this month! Even in quarantine, they were able to receive special attention!
Summer break in Peru is December-February. The boys started a brand new school year in March, which was almost immediately altered due to the coronavirus. This month, they began virtual classes. Our ministry has been blessed with sponsors who have graciously provided several laptops for Casa de Reyes over the years that have become critical during this time.
Peru began a television program titled "I Learn at Home." It has different schedules for each grade level. Some of the boys in our home are following this television program for their distance learning.