Sports & Arts Camp in Peru

During the spring of this year I read an article in Relevant Magazine on homeless children through out the world. The article focused on homeless children in Central and South America whose parents had left them to move to Spain with a desire to make more money for their families. In most cases the parents never return and the children are left to themselves.


The article reminded me of the poverty that I saw in Lima, Peru where my team went on Josiah Project. Our team saw children and families living in a desert, where they moved because they couldn't make it in the city. In an effort to create a home they picked up everything they had and made makeshift homes in the desert. They have water, which they had to pay for, delivered in trucks. As we walked around the makeshift city (literally thousands of people lived there), we saw children playing on piles of garbage.


Through the article I thought and prayed and wondering whether God wanted us to go to Peru and run a sports and arts camp. Why a sports and arts camp? As I look through the ministry that exist for the children and their families, there are many that offer food, shelter and finances but not necessarily a place for children to have fun and be children. What better place to have a sports and arts camp. Lastly, I wanted us to go to help out the missionaries who are already there and I found that our desire and the missionaries match up.

With all of that, I am telling you that we are headed to Peru this January 2010 (its summertime in January in Peru) to run a sports and arts camp for a week, as well as leading an Intro to Youth Ministry course. The missionaries in Peru desire to create a youth ministry at one of the local churches from the youth who attended the week long camp and with the Peruvian leaders who lead the camp along with us.

It is an amazing opportunity that God has given us, pray for us as we prepare.