December 2019 Updates

Adios 2019! Hola 2020! 

As we ring in a new year, we cannot help but reflect on the year that is ending. 2019 was an incredible year for Kings and Queens. It was full of joy, growth, service, blessings, and so much gratitude! Review the fullness of this year in the photo series below!

JOY
2019 was full of joy! The young men of Casa de Reyes celebrated school promotions, delighted in a finished soccer field to call their own, and were thrilled to experience the joy brought by several mission teams!

GROWTH
2019 was full of growth! Our church plant, Divine Grace, grew in members. New young men were added to Casa de Reyes. We took in younger boys in our new home, Casa de Reyes Niños. We added new board members and hired Amanda Markley, our non-profit coach & advisor.

SERVICE
2019 was a year of service- both in Peru and in the United States! All fundraising events could not have been possible without the efforts of volunteers who served so graciously. Our gala committee especially helped ensure a successful second annual gala through selfless service. Several mission teams went to Peru and poured their heart and souls into building relationships with our boys and serving the city of Iquitos. Our church plant, Divine Grace, served its neighboring community well. The young men of Casa de Reyes invested their time and energy into tutoring younger children and spending quality time with them.

BLESSINGS
We experienced countless blessings this year through generous donors and miracles from God. Our ministry would not exist without support from donoros. This year we raised $14,000 at our Top Golf event and riased $58,575 at our second annual gala. We recieved generous donations year round and maintained monthly recurring support as well. We were gifted incredible items- such as a bus to use for transportation and soccer goals for our boys! Dozens of people took time our of their busy lives to go serve and love on our boys. The young men and boys in our home are healthy and are thriving in many areas. We are truly blessed!

GRATITIUDE
We are bursting with gratitude for all that God has done in our ministry this past year. We are especailly grateful for the completion of several different construction projects this year that enhances our ministry for years to come- a garage, walkways, home remodeling, and the construction of our church! We are thankful for our beautiful land that is self-sustaining. We are grateful for all of the people- from donors to staff to board members to volunteers to prayer warriors- who make our vision to combat child abandonment a reality. We are grateful for God's continuous faithfulness. He is so good, and we praise him!

God Gave the Growth

Emily Reeves, Sponsorship Coordinator


After serving since 2012, I spent my first Thanksgiving in Peru this year. My trip was full of joy and love at being reunited with the young men of Casa de Reyes- my friends and brothers. It was full of hugs from the new boys of Casa de Reyes Niños. It was my first time to meet them. When I told the boys goodbye at the end of the trip, one of them begged me not to leave- calling me his mama. It's a grim reality- thousands of children in Iquitos are abandoned or on the brink of abandonment and are in desperate need for healthy attachments- and for Jesus to cover them in his love and heal them in his goodness. My heart breaks over the pasts of these new, young boys, but has such hope in their futures. I am thankful for the love and care they are receiving in the new home and am positive that God will use their time here- however long or short- to grow them in his love.

This trip included a lot of firsts for me- my first time to meet the new boys, to see the finished church, to eat at restaurants I didn't even know existed, to hold a sloth (and I am not ashamed to admit I happy cried!), to be strongly dependent on my broken Spanish, and so much more. It was also my first trip since 2012 without Jair being in our home.

 

I met Jair when he was twelve years old in an orphanage. We chose each other as our own flesh and blood. Every year we poured life into each other. We’ve helped one another and gone through life together- even when we were apart (thank you, WhatsApp!). I love him the same way I love my daughter Lenox. I keep saying how hard this year has been, but one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced was when Jair left our home this year to live with his family. I was happy for him to be reunited with family, but the grief that would overtake me knowing I may never see him again was almost too much to bear.
 

We barely get to talk now. The village in which he lives has rarely any service. I sent messages telling him when I would be here- just hoping for a way to see him. And see him I did.

Jair traveled for three days from his hometown on a boat down the Amazon river with over 300 people crammed in it with no rooms and only hammocks to sleep on to get to me in Iquitos. 

He boarded that boat to get to me before I ever even left Alabama.
 

1 Corinthians 13 says, even if we have everything- we have nothing if we don’t have love. It tells us love is above all things. Verses 4-7 say, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
 

If there is one thing Jair and I have done well, it is show one another this exact love that could only come from God. We have planted seeds in one another, and I can only pray that no matter where we are in life or what we go through, that they will continue to blossom.
 

1 Corinthians 3:6 says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” I pray God will grow Jair in all things good, revealing more of himself, more of his goodness, to him always.
 

I love him so. And I love all of the young men and boys in our homes. I love the community and the entire city of Iquitos. I love it all so much that sometimes I feel like it will all come bursting out of me. And as I reflect, I find myself clinging to the fact that God loves Jair, our young men and boys, and all of the people in that city, and Iquitos itself even more than I do. I find expectant hope welling up inside of me for the growth that God will give to all the love we are working so hard to plant. 

Christmas in the Jungle!

Thanks to the generous contributions of supporters, our winter leadership team to Peru (including a first trip for board member, Jennifer McWilliams!) was able to deliver over 60 filled Christmas stockings, shoes, and even a new foosball table to Casa de Reyes! The children celebrated with smiles and excitement for the Christmas season of giving, while remembering the true gift of Jesus!

Looking Ahead to the New Year

Here are five ways YOU can get involved with Kings and Queens this coming year!

  • Pray: Pray specifically for our Peruvian staff members, the boys in our home, our financial needs to be met, and for wisdom in regards to all aspects of our ministry.

  • Donate: Donate your time by volunteering to help with fundraising events. Donate your resources by sending items and gifts to Peru with our mission teams. Make monetary donations to help make a difference in the lives of the children we serve.

  • Partner: Partner with us by making monthly recurring donations to further the impact we can make in our efforts to combat child abandonment in Iquitos. We are specifically looking for churches and businesses to partner with us in 2020.

  • Sponsor: Sponsor a former orphaned or abandoned boy with monthly recurring donations which allow him the opportunity to receive an education along with providing health care, food, shelter, and the leadership of Christian mentors.

  • Go: Join one of our mission teams and serve in Peru first-hand!

If you would like to know more about any of these opportunites, please email us using this link.

November 2019 Updates

God's love covers all life stories.

Giving Tuesday is in two days!

We are SO excited to share how the Lord has richly provided this year for Giving Tuesday, a national day devoted to giving back. Thanks to a several very generous donors, this Giving Tuesday, December 3, your gifts will be DOUBLED up to $20,000! Consider how the Lord is leading you to give to the ministry of Kings & Queens, doubling your impact at the end of the year.

A need of $60,000 is still required to fund our annual budget, as we provide care for children in our home and college transition program, as well as reaching the local community through our church. The needs are great, but our God is bigger. His heart for the orphan and fatherless is evident in His Word. We are praying He continues to raise up His people to join alongside us to combat child abandonment in Peru.

All gifts are tax deductible, and will make an eternal difference in the life of a child. Thank you for your generous support!

Christmas Giving Opportunity

Second Annual Gala

Our Second Annual Gala was held on November 2nd, with over 150 guests in attendance. It was a beautiful evening of fellowship, shopping, fun, and celebration of the Lord's work in Peru, while also sharing the big needs for the upcoming year with our addition of Casa de Reyes Niños. We are so grateful to all who attended and showed their support through fervent prayer and generous giving.

We are especially grateful to the generous donors who gave their time, talents, and resources to make the evening wonderful. From the flowers, to the entertainment, to the amazing auction items- so many people came together to make this evening possible, and for that we are truly grateful. It is beautiful to see people come together for the purpose of something much bigger than themselves. Also a huge thank you to the wonderful women on our Planning Committee whose efforts went into the invitations, promotion, silent auction, decor, and all the details in between.

This evening raised $58,575 toward our efforts to combat child abandonment in Peru. God is SO good, and ever faithful to provide for every need of His precious children.

So Much To Be Thankful For

Sponsorship coordinator, Emily Reeves, spent Thanksgiving in the jungle this year! She was so excited to meet the new boys of Casa de Reyes Niños, spending time getting to know them personally, as well as visiting some precious friends she has come to know through the years. We are so thankful for her heart for sponsorship & the children we have the honor of serving through this program. What a gift it is to show love & be loved in the name of Christ! She would greatly appreciate your prayers as she heads home on Tuesday. We can't wait to share more next month of her time in Peru.

The 8 sweet boys of Casa de Reyes Niños are still in need of sponsorship. Would you prayerfully consider giving $15, $30, $60, or $115 a month to fulfill their needs & provide them with holistic, gospel-centered care?

What is a Sponsorship?

A sponsorship is an investment. It provides a child or young man with a home, clothing, food, healthcare, and an education. It provides them with Christian caretakers, tutors, house parents, and leaders who disciple them and love them well, who raise them up in Biblical truth and life. Sponsorships are not only investments in the present, but are investments in the future. When you sponsor a boy, you invest in his physical, emotional, and spiritual care that will in turn meet his needs, help heal his hurts, and make an eternal difference in his life. When you invest in him, you invest in his future family, his neighbor, his community, his city, his country. When you invest in him, you invest in our world for the Cause of Christ.

We also ask for your fervent prayer for these needs to be met, and, if you feel led, support through sponsoring one of these sweet boys with a monthly recurring donation of any amount!

Merry Christmas to you!

From all of us at Kings & Queens International, we wish you & your family a wonderfully blessed Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of our precious Savior! We are so grateful for your part in sharing His great name in Peru!

October 2019 Updates

Immeasurably More

A word from Emily Reeves, Sponsorship Coordinator of Kings and Queens International:

 I met Yair when he was 12 years old and had just come to live in an orphanage. He was from a tribal community and was abandoned due to poverty and abuse. His community did not value education, and he came to the orphanage speaking the Ticuna language, with Spanish being foreign to him. It’s like he instantly chose me as his own flesh and blood. We were inseparable. I returned to see him and invest in him every year. I will never forget looking into his eyes as he transferred into the care of Kings and Queens International and telling him I would be one of his sponsors. Through our home, Casa de Reyes, he grew in his knowledge of Christ and was baptized, publicly acknowledging God as Lord and Savior of his life. He received a whole set of brothers and a family who poured into him and encouraged him. He graduated high school and received his degree, a miraculous feat for a formal tribal boy. Yair is no longer in our home. He finished school and moved back to help his family. That was only made possible through Kings and Queens. Though personally his absence can at times seem like a loss for me because I miss him, it is, in reality, a win for him, his family, and his tribe. There is no way I could begin to conclude how the seeds planted in him during his time with Kings and Queens will blossom and spread to every person who sees the light of Jesus in him.

Yair wrote me a letter- one that I laminated. It wrecks my world in the best way. He wrote,  "I'll always carry you in my heart. You are like my mother. I will always be praying for you. Thank you for loving me as your son, as you love [your own daughter]. You are my mother. You have taught me how to love and how to trust. Because of you, I have light. Philippians 1:3 - I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”  In his book The Noticer, Andy Andrews writes, “Consider that even the simplest actions you take for your lives matter beyond measure… and they matter forever.” My investment in Yair matters forever. What simple action will you take that will matter forever in the life of another? What child will remember your light- the evidence of Christ in you?

According to Unicef, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. Over half the world- over three billion people- live on less than $2.50 a day. In Iquitos, over seventy percent of the population lives in poverty. Furthermore, half of the World’s wealthiest people live in the USA- and that probably includes all of us. The amount of work to be done is overwhelming. It is unending, burdensome, emotionally draining, and seemingly impossible. But Christians are not allowed to give in to those mindsets. Our hope is greater than any worldly strife. We are not called to solve all of the problems only a Savior can solve, but we are called to act. Psalm 82:3-4 commands us, “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy.” We are called to free the oppressed, to give to the impoverished, to help the orphan, to serve the least of these, to have compassion as Christ did. We are called to enter the harvest in which the laborers are few. The harvest looks different for every one of us; but it’s our harvest nonetheless. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit alive in us to answer our calling. What desires is God cultivating within your own heart? Are you to be the intercessor, the one who goes, or the sender and giver?       

Sometimes I find myself having a closed mindset, a narrow view of the God I serve, but the Apostle Paul reminds me in Ephesians 3:20-21 not to put limits on God, for “he is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, [and] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!” To God be the glory for the immeasurably more he can do through you. To God be the glory for the immeasurably more that he has already done through sponsorships.  There is a generation of young men in Peru who are fully sponsored in Casa de Reyes and are being raised to know, love, and follow Jesus Christ and to share his name with the lost- to God be the glory. And there are eight little boys, and more to come, in our new home for young abandoned boys, Casa de Reyes Ninos, who all need sponsoring. They were lost but have been found. They were rejected but have been taken in. They were abandoned but are now wanted.  In our home, they now have the chance to know God, find freedom, discover purpose, and make a difference- to God be the glory. It is my prayer that God will do immeasurably more than all those eight little boys could ask or imagine according to the power that is at work within you. 

Casa de Reyes Niños

Eight new children have entered our new home for young abandoned boys and are in immediate need of sponsorship! Meet Jacobo and Alios below and consider making a lasting difference in one of their lives through sponsorship.

What is a Sponsorship?

A sponsorship is an investment. It provides a child or young man with a home, clothing, food, healthcare, and an education. It provides them with Christian caretakers, tutors, house parents, and leaders who disciple them and love them well, who raise them up in Biblical truth and life. Sponsorships are not only investments in the present, but are investments in the future. When you sponsor a boy, you invest in his physical, emotional, and spiritual care that will in turn meet his needs, help heal his hurts, and make an eternal difference in his life. When you invest in him, you invest in his future family, his neighbor, his community, his city, his country. When you invest in him, you invest in our world for the Cause of Christ. 

We also ask for your fervent prayer for these needs to be met, and, if you feel led, support through sponsoring one of these sweet boys with a monthly recurring donation of any amount! 

You may sponsor a child in full or in partial amounts. Check out the sponsorship breakdown below.

All About the Boys

  • Germán celebrated his birthday this month. He was given a birthday party!

  • The older boys of Casa de Reyes have been spending quality time with the younger boys of Casa de Reyes Niños. It is beautiful to watch healthy relationships develop between the older and younger boys through discipleship.

  • The younger boys of Casa de Reyes Niños are adjusting well to their new home and are eager to be involved in church, school, and all activities around the house such as playing soccer, attending morning devotions, and working closely with a tutor to fill in any educational gaps.

Get Ready for Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is nationally celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. It is a day set aside to give to charitable causes that make a lasting difference in our world. It is a jump start on end-of-year giving. In recent years, Facebook has matched millions of dollars that are given to charities on this day.

This year Giving Tuesday falls on December 3. We ask that you, or even your business, prayerfully consider setting aside donations to Kings and Queens International on this day. Giving Tuesday and end-of-year giving make a huge impact on helping sustain our ministry throughout the next calendar year. You will be able to make donations that have the possibility of being matched on our Facebook page, or you can donate directly through our website and donation links.
We are so grateful for your support!

September 2019 Updates

Casa de Reyes Niños:
Immediate Sponsorship Needed!

SEVEN new children have entered our home and are in immediate need of sponsorship!

Because of the overwhelming number of young, abandoned children in Iquitos who live on the streets, Kings & Queens was presented with the opportunity to become legally qualified to house minors. After receiving approval from the Peruvian government and completing a lengthy process, we were granted permission to legally care for younger children. This month, we opened Casa de Reyes Niños, a home for younger abandoned boys. The government immediately placed boys in our care, and we now are housing seven children, ages 9-13. We can’t wait for you to meet them!

With such an exciting opportunity, there are many urgent needs. It is much more expensive to run and maintain a younger boy’s orphanage due to the additional legal requirements like extra safety measures and triple the staffing. This is exciting because more holistic care can be provided for the boys through new staffing additions such as a psychologist, full time tutor, and extra caretakers.

Because of these extra expenses, it will cost $500 a month per child to live with us. Each sponsorship covers clothing, education, food, healthcare, and housing for one boy and goes towards a portion of staff member salaries.
Would you prayerfully consider supporting one of these precious children?
We trust the Lord's provision for these children, as He so faithfully has provided in the past. We need your support in giving these children the love and care they so desperately need! We are grateful for the future and hope God has given them and are thankful to be a part of helping them break the cycles of poverty, abuse, and abandonment. Please share our story with your friends and church to help us raise awareness for this great cause. We also ask for your fervent prayer for these needs to be met, and, if you feel led, support through sponsoring one of these sweet boys with a monthly recurring donation of any amount!

A Dream with an Eternal Purpose
A message from Julio Saboya, our Peruvian director:

Casa de Reyes Niños was a dream God put in our hearts a long time ago. A dream that only those who know of God's love can understand: that love that makes us give up ourselves to take care of others. Casa de Reyes Niños opened with some fears about how quickly things happened, but God is used to testing our faith. Even when we get carried away, God makes things perfect. Now we have 7 children with broken hearts that God is healing every day. Children who are learning to have a family, who are learning to feel loved. The work is not easy, but it is God who sustains all this and is the One who strengthens us every day. More children with the same needs will continue to arrive, and we must all make a difference and live life with an eternal purpose in serving them.

Second Annual Gala

Join us at our second annual gala for an evening of music, dancing, speakers, photography, pre-Christmas shopping at the auction & more! We would love to see YOU there! The gala will be held on November 2 in Fort Mill, SC. A ticket includes catered meal & 2 drink tickets.

Individual ticket $125
Table for 8 $800

All proceeds will go towards funding the first year of Casa de Reyes Ninos.

Meet Dario

Dario is 9 years old and in the second grade. His favorite color is blue. He loves to help! He’s one of the first residents of Casa de Reyes Niños, our new orphanage for younger boys! Will you sponsor him with monthly recurring donations of any amount?

Sponsorships will provide Dario with clothing, education, food, healthcare, housing and a portion of staff member salaries. These staff members- a director, psychologist, tutor, chef, caretakers, & more- help give Dario the holistic care he needs to thrive! You may correspond with Dario through email communication & could even one day meet him on one of our short-term teams!

All About the Boys

  • Alonso celebrated his birthday this month and was given a birthday party.

  • The children of Casa de Reyes Niños have settled into their new home. They are thankful and are loving the love, attention, and affection they receive from Peruvian staff and the young men of Casa de Reyes.

  • The men of Casa de Reyes are thrilled to welcome younger children under the umbrella of Kings and Queens. They have loved and served them well! We look forward to the discipleship that will take place between the two homes.

  • To accommodate the new home, our older boys have moved off of our property to a very nice, affordable rental home closer to their school. They still spend much of their time on the Kings and Queens property as they are always eager to see the younger boys, gather fruit, and play soccer! They enjoy the shorter commute to school. The long-term goal is to be able to have both Casa de Reyes and Casa de Reyes Niños on our property.

All About the Church

  • Divine Grace Church was blessed with over 100 Bibles from a missionary group to the area. These Bibles will be used in discipleship of new believers in the community!

  • Divine Grace continues to regularly serve the local community through meeting needs and sharing the love of Jesus Christ. Baptism will take place next Sunday!

Professional Development

Titus Bowen, President of Kings and Queens, along with Kailee Bowen, Executive Director, and Amanda Markley, our ministry advisor and coach, traveled to Orlando this month for professional development. They attended MissioNexus, a national conference gathering mission leaders from across the world. They collaborated, prayed with, and met like-minded leaders passionate about sharing the message of Christ with the nations. They look forward applying new things they learned to the future development of our ministry!

August 2019 Updates

Community Outreach

One of our greatest desires through Kings and Queens is to connect with the local community and be the hands and feet of Christ. Our missionaries and church leaders were busy this month planning and carrying out community outreach events to impact the city of Iquitos for the cause of Christ. 

Divine Grace, our church plant, hosted a movie night for the local community, providing snacks & a viewing of The Passion of the Christ. Please pray that any person who watched this movie and does not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life, will come to faith in Him. 

Due to incredible donors, our missionaries were able to put together bundles of hygiene projects to give out to local families. They went door-to-door handing out these bundles and kids' vitamins and supplements. The families were so grateful. 

Missionary Bronte recounts a night of relationship building below:

"Last week we were able to take three of the local families to the movies to see Angry Birds 2. They all showed up in their best outfits with the biggest smiles on their faces, and a couple of the little girls even got to wear some of their mom’s perfume for the special occasion. They couldn’t stop smelling their wrists throughout the night and giggling & smiling. Being able to take families like these to the movies is the sweetest treat. Getting to sit beside all the kiddos while they experience their first movie in a movie theater is priceless."

Every opportunity to love on, serve, and build relationships with the local community is a chance to point the lost to Christ and to encourage other Christians. We are honored to be a part of God's work in Peru and look forward to the fruit to come from the seeds being planted. 

Early Bird Special

Order your tickets to our second annual gala- today is the final day to receive our Labor Day special of $185 for two tickets.

Through September 15, tickets are $100 each and a table for 8 is $700.

The gala will be held on November 2, 2019 in Fort Mill, SC. There will be delicious food, captivating speakers, joy-filled dancing, silent auction shopping, and plenty of fellowship.

Construction Updates

We are so excited about several new construction additions that have recently been made to the property! We now have a driveway for our new bus, a walkway that leads all the way through the property to the home, and a fence that surrounds the property. Lights & fans were installed in the church, and we now have a water tank to provide water at the front of the property. We have also completed the church bathrooms. We are so thankful for the supporters that made all of these additions possible!

All About the Boys

  • The boys were on a break from school for the first two weeks of August. Several picked up jobs during the break to earn extra spending money.

  • A few of the boys traveled with their school to attend a conference in another city.

  • Before classes started back, the boys were treated to an Avengers movie night at their home, complete with hamburgers and fries. They are ready for another one soon!

  • Waltahir and Alexander both had birthdays this month and were celebrated with a party.

Sponsor Daviczon

Daviczon is the newest member of Casa de Reyes. He is hardworking and kind. He fits right in with the rest of the young men in our home and is so loved. Daviczon has special needs and still needs to be sponsored with monthly recurring donations. Get to know him below:

”My name is Daviczon. I am 18 years old. I recently aged out of another orphanage without knowing where I was going to go and how I would be able to continue my education. On August 6, 2019, a government official brought me to Casa de Reyes, which has quickly become my new home. My favorite part about this home are my new brothers that have already become like family and have welcomed me into the home. A few of my favorite things are hamburgers, playing volleyball, singing, listening to music and meeting new people that quickly become new friends. I am excited to continue my education here and hope to one day become a police officer. I am so thankful for my new home and the opportunity to be here!”

Praising God for Good News


Last month we included the beautiful story of some of the young men of Casa de Reyes shaving their heads in honor of Beth, a loved supporter of our ministry who was diagnosed with cancer in June. We are praising God for the news that Beth's cancer is now in remission! She will continue with her treatments, but we celebrate this wonderful news! Please continue to keep Beth and her family in your prayers.

July 2019 Updates

Recap: July Mission Team

We are so grateful to our July mission team for serving so faithfully. They had opportunities to serve through our church, Divine Grace, by community outreach. They gave out hygiene items to families in need and served local children of poverty by giving haircuts, painting nails, and teaching them about Jesus. They completed various projects such as deep cleaning around our home and property. They also served the young men of Casa de Reyes as well as younger boys at a local orphanage. They helped the boys tie-dye, swam with them in the Amazon river, played lots of soccer, arm-wrestled, held dance parties, and even brought out a slip-n-slide. Thanks to generous donors from the US, they were able to gift our boys with both needed and specially wanted items!

Their presence brought much joy and laughter to the people of Peru! More than that, they represented Christ well and were able to point others to him through their good works, conversations, and devotions. Peruvian lives are changed for the better as a direct result of this team. And as given testimony from multiple team members, their lives were changed as well.

Contagious Joy

Our missionaries were able to serve a beloved family by taking them to the movies. It was the first time for all of the family members to ever go to the movie theater! Missionary Caroline described the experience:

"We picked them up at the scheduled time, only to find them in their BEST clothes with the BIGGEST smiles! It was so humbling to watch them walk through the theater, pick out a snack & drink, and make their way to their seats with a smile from ear to ear that didn’t fade throughout the entire evening!

I couldn’t help but to just watch them and gaze as they snickered and giggled throughout the whole movie. Contagious JOY- that’s what comes to mind when I look at their faces and listen to their laughs."

Second Annual Gala

Tickets are LIVE- reserve your spot at our Second Annual Gala! It will be held on November 2, 2019 in Fort Mill, SC. There will be delicious food, dancing, silent auction shopping, and plenty of fellowship. You won't want to miss this event! Not to mention, you will be supporting an excellent cause!

All About the Boys

  • The boys just finished up exams for school. They are out of school next month for a break.

  • The boys helped fill in the street leading up to our property with dirt to make transportation easier after recent flooding. The neighbors were very grateful for this act of kindness that impacted them all.

  • Rivaldo celebrated his birthday this month and was given a party in celebration!

  • A paved driveway and walkway leading up to the boy's home on the property is currently being put in. The boys are excited to have these updates to their home.

  • The boys were thrilled to have visits this month from both the second summer team and the vision team. They are often most joyful when teams are there showing them love and attention and serving alongside them.

All About the Church

  • Construction has continued taking place on the church. The ceiling has been put in the church and bathrooms have been completed!

  • Five members of the congregation were baptized this month. It was a special time as Titus, president of Kings & Queens International, was able to be here for this event and baptize them alongside Julio, Pastor of the church and Director of Kings & Queens: Perú. We celebrate this act of obedience and bold claim of their faith!

Joining the Fight

We are especially touched by a true act of selfless love from many of our boys this month. Beth is a strong supporter and dear friend of our ministry and is also the mother of Caroline, one of our missionaries in Peru. Beth was recently diagnosed with cancer. Instead of waiting on chemo to take her hair, she decided to take it herself. Our Peruvian family rallied behind her in prayer but also in action. Missionary Mac decided to shave his own head in support of her and gave the boys to opportunity to do the same if they wanted to. Mac and Julio led by example by shaving their heads first. Many of the young men of Casa de Reyes eagerly and joyfully followed suit. 

Caroline recalled the event, "We FaceTimed her before her hair appointment to show her what we would be doing while she was doing the same, and of course the tears came. I hope my mom knows she has a support system fighting alongside her from Peru."

Of this event, Beth said, "Even in this trial God has shown me His face through examples like this where His love is shared! It was so humbling and makes me love those boys even more!"

Please join us in the fighting alongside Beth through prayer. We are thankful to serve a God who fights for us! 

Jumbo the Bus

The boys love Jumbo, their new bus! We were able to put new tires on it and have it up and running this week! In fact, it was used to transport our young men, our summer mission team, and another group of children to the zoo this week for a special and fun outing! What a blessing it is to own this bus and no longer have to rent such transportation as needed!

You can be a part of this work in Peru! Our Jumbo sponsorship of $175 in monthly support will fund insurance, gas, and upkeep of the bus.

Vision Team

Titus Bowen, ministry president, led a vision team to Peru this month. This group was able to see the vision of Kings & Queens first hand as they became more familiarized with all aspects of our organization on the ground in Peru. We are grateful for the interest shown by this group in our ministry and look forward to seeing how God uses this vision team to impact our ministry in the future.

June 2019 Updates

Recap: June Mission Team

The June summer mission team was a small, intimate group. However, their hearts were big as they gratefully served in so many ways! They spent time with the young men of Casa de Reyes and served alongside them joyously. They also spent quality time in the jungle loving on the boys in a younger orphanage that we partner with. This summer team came alongside our church, Divine Grace, to help with two major outreach events- a social project and a medical camp. Both were extremely successful! The local community was impacted in such powerful ways through these events- many of them receiving such special care for the first time ever.

Members of the community were invited to a social project where our mission team aided the church in cutting nails, washing and cutting hair, and giving lice treatments. Furthermore, participants were taught basic hygiene skills. It was truly a day to show the love of Jesus through meeting basic needs. There was plenty of time to fellowship and play as well!

Approximately two hundred people from the local community were able to receive free medical attention at our first ever medical camp! Several local doctors served at this event and made it possible for families to see dentists, general doctors, pediatricians, and gynecologists. We were able to provide medications, antibiotics, creams, vitamins, supplements, & so much more free of charge! The summer team helped with all aspects of this medical camp.

All of these good works were done in the name of Jesus! The gospel was both shared and lived out. We overwhelmingly grateful for our June mission team who helped make an eternal difference through their time in Peru. 

We are thankful for our supporters for making our first medical camp possible by donating various medications, vitamins, hygiene products & other medical supplies to be provided at this event. We will continue to collect these types of donations for future medical camps.

Church Construction:
Finishing Touches

The church is coming along beautifully, and is already being used on a regular basis for church services and outreach events. Even so, we still have some final touches needed to complete construction and hope be completely finished by the end of July. We are still in need of funding for some of the last safety requirements such as an updated electrical system, special safety lighting, and a specialized septic system.

Transportation Need Met!

We are very excited to announce that we purchased a bus with funds raised from our Top Golf fundraiser! This was a great need for the ministry. The bus will be used to transport our boys around the city altogether, transport mission teams, and to transport people within the community to our property for church and other outreach events. It is an investment that will continue to bless our ministry for years to come! We built a garage on our property to house the bus as well.

Along with this exciting new purchase comes more needs. We need an extra $175 in monthly support for funding insurance, gas, and upkeep of the bus.

All About the Boys

  • We celebrated Marcos’ birthday this month with a party!

  • The young men of Casa de Reyes were thrilled to welcome a mission team this month. They look forward to mission teams visiting them more than anything else. They each were able to receive such special attention and be poured into with love, encouragement, and the truth of the gospel.

  • This month was special for Adrian as he got to be reunited with one of his sponsors who was part of the June mission team (pictured above).

  • The boys served in many ways this month as they loved alongside the mission team, reaching to the local community through the social project and medical camp. They also continued Saturday Serve days by tutoring children in their community.

Get to Know Waltahir Santos

Waltahir Santos is one of the young men of Casa de Reyes. He is working towards a degree in international business. Waltahir loves reading, painting, and working with his hands on school projects. He impressively speaks three languages (English, Spanish, and Ticuna).  

Personal Testimony: My name is Waltahir. I grew up with my parents until I was nine years old. Ever since I was little, I liked to go to church, sing, and pray. At that time, my mom and dad claimed to be Christians and lived as God wanted them to. Like all families, my family had problems. These problems cause my parents to move away from God. My brother died, and my parents were frustrated. My family started to lived in disorder. I could not go to school for a year, because my parents told me we had no money. One day I heard about a home for abandoned boys. I did not know it was a Christian organization. I asked my parents if I could go live there. They did not want to send me, but I insisted until I convinced them to. I arrived at the home for abandoned boys on May 13, 2010. For me it was something new. I liked it because I knew I was going to make new friends and that I would learn to speak Spanish, the language spoken in the home. In this place, I began to hear again the word of God. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior on April 13, 2012. It was a wonderful experience. Four years later I decided to be baptised. Now, I live with Kings and Queens and am happy. I came to understand that despite the problems in my life, God has always been with me, and He will always be with me. He has a purpose for my life. I am happy that I attend Divine Grace Evangelical Christian Church. I am learning more about God there. I want to be a missionary and to study international business. I am grateful to God for everything. 

May 2019 Updates

Mother's Day Sunday Service

Mother's Day is an incredibly special day as it is, but it was made even more special this year by being the first service held in our new church building. Nearly 200 people came to worship on this day! We are blown away by the way the Lord is moving and building our church. After the service, the men of Casa de Reyes served the mothers and children a special lunch in honor of this day.

It is evident that God is using Divine Grace Evangelical Christian Church in mighty ways to impact the city of Iquitos. We look forward to all He continues to do through the church: the heart of our ministry.

However, our building is still not fully complete. We have $15,000 left to raise! These funds will allow us to put the finishing touches on the building including: installing windows and doors, plumbing and completing the ceiling. We ask you to prayerfully consider donating towards this cause that is already making an eternal difference for the Kingdom of God!

Cause + Effect Apparel is on online clothing company that generously gives a portion of its proceeds to Kings and Queens International. It is a brand with a purpose behind it.

Save the Date

On November 2, we will host our second annual gala in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Last year's gala was our biggest fundraising event of the year with over $70,000 raised, allowing us to purchase land to house our transition home & church! We can't wait to see what this year's gala has in store. Please save the date for this event. We would love to have you attend!

Worker’s Day was celebrated in Peru this month with a special meal for the incredible staff God has given the ministry. We’re so grateful for the people that invest their lives in Kingdom purposes!

All About the Boys

  • Saturdays are for serving! Every Saturday the young men of Casa de Reyes continue to serve their community by tutoring children in need.

  • Mardín & Adrian (pictured above) both had school performances this month & did a wonderful job!

  • One of the young men in our program is struggling with some potentially serious medical issues. We ask for your prayers for healing & for wisdom for the doctors as they seek to give him the help he needs.

Loved Like Never Before

Caroline Marvin, one of our missionaries, recently posted about the heartbreaking reality of a family she met in Peru. Read the story below: 
 

Let this really sink in for a second. 10 children, one house. No beds in the house, just a cement floor. No air conditioning. No clean water. No electricity. No shoes. One change of clothes. No hygiene products. No medical attention.

This bothers me. And I believe it should you, too. Allow this to rock you to your core, not so that you may feel guilty or have pity on them but so that you may live with new perspective and be changed.

If I don’t do anything else in life, I want to fight for families like these. Not so that I may receive anything in return, but so that they may experience life change and feel loved like never before.

After posting about this family, many people were touched and decided to act. They donated enough money so that beds, hygiene items, and shoes could be donated to this family. The young men of Casa de Reyes put the beds together for this beautiful family. Children who previously slept on the ground are now sleeping in comfortable beds thanks to the generosity of people who saw a shared need and decided to do something about it. What a story of hope!