Christmas in Peru
Thanks to you, our Christmas shop raised an amazing $7,368! We were able to use these funds to make Christmas extra special in Peru for our community, the men of Casa de Reyes, and our team.
We are celebrating that even during a worldwide pandemic, God provided for us to be able to bless our local community this Christmas! We made Christmas gift baskets for families largely containing grocery items, as the need for food is great throughout Peru. We hosted a gathering and presented 200 children with gifts, fed them and their parents breakfast, and were even able to give them a special treat- hot chocolate! These families were presented with the message of Jesus!
Christmas was also special in Casa de Reyes. Those in the home were treated to individualized gifts, a nice Christmas dinner in a restaurant, and an ice cream night! Going out is a big treat for them after so many months of quarantine and closures. With extra funds that were given, we have an exciting gift in store that will be ready next month... stay tuned! On a separate night, the staff and volunteers of Kings and Queens Peru got all dressed up- without the boys- and were treated to a nice Christmas dinner. Our staff members were also grateful to receive a Christmas bonus.
It was wonderful to be able to bring joy and extra blessings to so many this Christmas season. We are so grateful for our supporters who made all of this possible!
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19
Summer Mission Team
One of the saddest parts of 2020 for us was that for the first time ever, the young men of Casa de Reyes were not able to have mission teams visit them- one of the things they look forward to most each year. However, we are optimistic in resuming mission trips to Peru in 2021! We cannot wait to return to Peru and bring a whole team to serve and bring smiles to the boys we love so much!
With other mission organizations successfully resuming mission trips, it is our hope that with the fading of winter, the coronavirus vaccine, and a little more time, conditions will improve for us to plan team travel. We will continue to monitor the coronavirus and travel recommendations both here and in Peru. Therefore, we are ecstatic to announce that our summer mission trip will take place:
July 2-11, 2021
Our plans for the summer mission team include hosting a Christian conference for the men of Casa de Reyes, enjoying special outings and discipleship opportunities with them, and serving our local community through health clinics and Vacation Bible School. Please email us here if you are interested in being a part of this team!
All About the Boys
The boys were thrilled to receive their Christmas presents!
This month we welcomed two new boys into the home, Lexon and Rogelio. We have known them for many years, and are so excited to have them as a part of the house.
Several of the boys got to visit family members this Christmas break.
We continue to host a younger boys' orphanage on our property each month. Several of the young men in Casa de Reyes have younger brothers in this jungle orphanage. Our boys were excited, as always, to greet them, play soccer with them, eat together, and gift the younger boys with Christmas presents.
Year End Giving Update
We are blown away by the amount of year end donations that came in totaling over $48,900! Even in such a time of uncertainty, God provided in abundance for our ministry, and we are in awe of his goodness through his people. We give him all the praise! With these funds, we will be able to keep our reserves built up as a safety net as well as complete a variety of projects and meet several goals.
First, we now have the funds needed to make improvements to our property. We will be able build bleachers for the soccer field- the neighborhood hot spot! We will add a covered common area for recreation for the boys- a staple Peruvian piece of architecture. Staff living quarters will be constructed.
Second, we will be able to continue our Saturday Feeding Program and Bible School and continue to aid the local community in coronavirus relief. We support over 150 families through these programs and are overjoyed to continue throughout 2021.
Finally, we can focus on necessary improvements for Casa de Reyes. These funds will cover the salary of our psychologist who meets one on one with each boy regularly. It will also allow us to treat the boys to a wider range of experiences that will benefit them such as camping trips, conferences, and workshop opportunities. We can now create a special fund to provide financial support to each young man who graduates from Casa de Reyes so they can begin their lives independently.
Thank you for making all of these things possible! We are dedicated to all the Lord has planned for us in this new year. We welcome 2021 with open arms, looking ahead with hope and believing the best is yet to come!