Can you save a starfish?

Last Friday I (Mark) went to Ventanilla for my monthly visit. It is a great time to encourage the staff and children there and also to spend some time sharing what is on my heart with the teachers. It is such a priviledge to be able to be involved in such a work and to be able to help disciple Alfredo, a man who reallys wants to serve in every way possible, living on the breadline, by faith, for the love of God and those he serves.

The kids were in their final class of the week, which was free drawing with the title 'Spring' or 'Primavera' in Spanish. It is lovely to see children who have so little and are disadvantaged in so many ways enjoying learning, and producing good quality work to boot.

As I've got to know this kids their stories have touched my heart. One such story is Sofia (see below) who has no dad and whose mum works from dawn to after dusk to provide food for Sofia to live. Last month when I went to Ventanilla she was just wandering around and had no place to go, until her mum arrived home late at night. What sort of life is this fof Sofia? (She is one example of so many here). Most of the kids have similar stories, with generally 1 parent available to them, when not working, or sometimes they have no-one, technical orphans who live with a family member as both parents have disappeared for one of so many reasons.

This situation really reminded me of a story I heard some years ago about starfishes on the beach. The story goes like this:

'A man was walking on the beach, a beach covered in starfish, thousands if not hundreds of thousands. As he was walking he saw his friend tossing some of the starfish into the water. The man asked his friend 'what are you doing you cannot save all of these starfish'? His friend replied 'you're right, but I can save this one, and this one, and this one'.

I feel this is why I am here in Peru, I cannot save and alter all the lives of the people here in Peru, (although I want to)or even those I meet, or even work with, but I can help one here, one there. I can train and inspire leaders so they in turn can do the same job. Jesus Christ walked the planet 2000 years ago and has altered the face of human history, and he told us to remember the poor. To look after the widows and orphans. I want to do the same. I want to be able to save hundreds of starfishes, as many as possible. My question is how can I do more? I am affecting the lives of many people here, young and old alike, but I want to do more. Can you help us? Can you be a hero of the poor? Can you defend the defenceless? Can you help us save more starfish? Can you help Sofia?

New Year New School

In the Uk, Easter is seen as the time for new beginnings, especially as it is Spring. Here in Peru, we are still in a hot summer, (which personally I am loving) and the only new beginning is the new school year, which starts sometime in March or April.

Some of the new students and teachers

Well last Monday Alfredo opened 'Discovery High School' (that really is the name, and in English as well - and it's a primary school!) in Ventanilla, what he hopes will be his first of many schools in very poor shanty town areas. I went along to meet the 7 kids who had turned up as students on the first day (many can't afford the 40 soles or 8 pounds monthly cost to attend, and others thought it wouldn't open with just a few kids, so stayed away)!!!
Alfredo was only charging, as he needs to find a way to pay his teachers each month, but he believes that God will provide the money through other ways, and he will ask parents to pay what they can afford. If you would like to help, please let us know.

The view from outside the outer wall

On the Thursday night before opening on the Monday Alfredo spoke to me by phone, and he said he had no desks, no teachers, and had just had a horrible mosquito invasion. Well God answered all this in 72 hours. By Friday night Alfredo had 5 teachers, saturday he recieved 30 desks, each for 10 soles rather than the normal 45 soles, and on Sunday had the whole sight fumigated for half the price of fumigating a small house. How good is God? In addition it has been amazing how much work has been done in 4 weeks, since my last visit. When I was last there the roof wasn't on. On opening day, the roof was in, furniture was in, toilets had been built, an outer wall built, and the boundary area sorted.

The current state of the school inside

It was a real priviledge to see the school open after only 4 months from vision to opening the school. They still need lots of things to improve the school, but little by little. It is also amazing to see Alfredo's faith growing daily as this massive project, which was impossible in some many ways, has been started, and opened, and will only continue to help the local community.

The oldest children finishing class