2011 – July

Blessings from Head to Toe

Summer is in full swing in the United States…a time usually associated with opportunities for relaxing in the sunshine, playing in the water, and family vacations. Do you recall summers gone by while children played barefooted in the sprinklers, or the rain, or just ran around barefooted in the yard? There is something about summer that makes you want to kick off your shoes and relax a while. Maybe here in the United States…but for children in Peru, being able to put shoes ON would actually mean a whole lot more. I’ll explain later.

We just came from Peru last week where we had a great time with the children there. We truly thank you for helping us to provide many needed supplies for them. It is winter in Peru right now and it gets cold, but they do not have heaters like we do, so the children are in tremendous need of blankets. From a wholesale store we were able to purchase six rolls of blanket material (fleece), which someone in the orphanage is using to create 120 blankets for the children. They are all very excited that this winter (which will continue to get progressively colder in the next several weeks) they will be warm at night. Just think about that for a moment, because it is POWERFUL: little children in Peru will actually sleep on beds this winter, without shivering all night…because you were willing to help us sew into Peru over these past few months. Thank you.

After speaking with the food manager for the orphanage, we also learned that they were greatly lacking in food items, and so we were able to visit another wholesale market and stock up the orphanage pantry. What a joy to buy for these children not only what they needed, but also many foods that they do not usually GET to eat, like eggs, hot chocolate, tuna, gelatin, and strawberry jam. Thank you again for your help.

As promised earlier, I would like to explain how you could help us to be what I call “a blessing from head to toe”. Through your help we have provided and will continue to provide many necessary foods that these precious children need to eat. We have also blessed them with beds, and blankets. But there is more that we can still do. These children have a large need that reaches down to their bare feet, and I know that we can supply it. They do not dress well, and are barefooted all of the time. Especially in this time of weather, it is critical that they get shoes. With your help we would like to buy 120 pairs of good quality shoes, which will cost an approximate total of $4,000.00. They also need socks and underwear. I am asking you to take an active role in being a “blessing from head to toe” by considering how much extra you can send this month so we can purchase these items for them.

I would like to end with this brief word about a young boy named Will. As little boys often do, Will has a dream in his heart. He wants to play soccer! He dreams of being a great player, scoring goals, and of being a valuable part of a team. But he does not even have a pair of soccer shoes to put on his feet. Tony spoke with this little dreamer, and the more this young guy described his dream, the more Tony’s heart could not wait to surprise Will with his very first pair of soccer shoes. There are not words to tell what a moment like that feels like…a moment when you reach down into the deep parts of a child’s heart—where his dream is living—and you do something that tells him his dream CAN happen. I find it interesting that his name is Will. It feels like no coincidence to me, actually. Perhaps his name is meant to remind us of what is required if we are going to make a difference for eternity. God shows us the need, and God provides for us the means to help—through faithful prayer and sacrificial giving —but we have to respond with our will. These children have dreams, especially the teenagers, but no one with a will to help them. If God is allowing you to be a vital part, the question is, “What WILL you do?”

Tony and I are so grateful to each of you for your support and continued prayer; you are the ones that make it all possible. May the Lord bless you each.

Grace and peace,
Rosa Rivera
Homes of Refuge, International