A few months ago when I first arrived in Chile, i started thinking about how cool it would be to open up a preschool for really poor kids, where I could tell them about Christ and get to help their families. Well, I have already mentioned this ministry with street kids here in Santiago that I have been hoping to be a part of. I went to a meeting of the leaders yesterday and got to see what is really going on. And I am so stinking excited. There is a group of chileanos and a missionary couple from switzerland who are starting up this project. At the meeting we started to work out the details. Basically, we are going to start this year with only the 5 year olds and hopefully in teh future we can work with more ages. A program that basically looks like a kindergarten will offer free schooling to kids from Reñca, the worst part of Santiago. At this time we already have 35 kids signed up and we will be opening the school the second week of March. The problem is that even the public schools here require that every student wears a uniform and some of the families just cannot pay for that, so the kids don't go to school. Some of our kids won't have running water at home, some live in one room with all 6 members of their family, and some of them are coming from abusive homes. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that these kids have gone through. But I cannot wait to love them with that love that Jesus has shown me over the years. And His love heals.
We are now trying to staff the school to stay open from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. The majority of the staff right now being women, and the neighborhood being fairly dangerous, we cannot stay there after it gets dark, so we have to close at 5pm. I agree with this decision, but I think it is sad that we know that the neighborhood is so dangerous that we must leave it before dark, but these little kids live there every day.
In any case, these kids will be given an education, a safe place to stay for the day, a healthy lunch, and most importantly, they will be told of the hope in Jesus. I cannot believe that God is letting me be a part of this. Not only is this exactly the type of ministry I want to do, but I am experiencing it in the begining stages, so someday, if I am called to start a similar project, i will have this to learn from. I am telling you now, God gives us dreams so He can answer them. His is good. He is good indeed.
We are now trying to staff the school to stay open from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. The majority of the staff right now being women, and the neighborhood being fairly dangerous, we cannot stay there after it gets dark, so we have to close at 5pm. I agree with this decision, but I think it is sad that we know that the neighborhood is so dangerous that we must leave it before dark, but these little kids live there every day.
In any case, these kids will be given an education, a safe place to stay for the day, a healthy lunch, and most importantly, they will be told of the hope in Jesus. I cannot believe that God is letting me be a part of this. Not only is this exactly the type of ministry I want to do, but I am experiencing it in the begining stages, so someday, if I am called to start a similar project, i will have this to learn from. I am telling you now, God gives us dreams so He can answer them. His is good. He is good indeed.
Comments
I'm speaking from experience, as someone who had a friend walk home through a questionable area (in Manhattan, not far from where I lived) and not live through the night. I left NYC a few months later, partly because of her death.
Love,
your Jewish mother
(and also speaking for your Jewish grandmother and also your Swedish mormor, who I'm sure would feel the same way as I do)
and also speaking for Nigel too -- he read your blog and brought it up to me on his own. And he's not even Jewish or a mother or grandmother!