A Placa for Kenyi
Grace and peace to each of you reading this newsletter. We pray that it finds you well and experiencing the joy of the Lord. We are quite thankful, as we write, to be feeling a bit more “like ourselves” again…after both of us having returned last week from Peru with influenza! There are some things in Peru that a missionary could enjoy taking back with them to the States, but trust us… the flu is never one of them.
Thankfully, our trip did entail more than just contracting a respiratory illness. While we were in Peru, we used the finances you have sown to once again supply them with their utilities for another month, to put food on their table and in their pantry, and to minister to the children and staff spiritually. All of the workers and children savor the special treats that they get to enjoy each time we visit. Though commonplace to us in America, these “delicacies” we purchase for them—items such as ice cream, cake, butter, jelly, eggs, cereals, and oatmeal—really delight their hearts (and taste buds) since they are foods they do not experience in our absence. Moreover, your support continues to supply them with staple foods such as rice, beans, and much more.
We were pleased to meet several new children at the orphanage this month. Since our departure in March, Santa Maria Children’s Home has rescued an additional six children, each of who are in need of love, care, health, food, and JESUS; they are orphans, or children who have no one willing to care for them. One of the children is 12-year old Kenyi.
Kenyi, like most of the children, lived in extreme poverty…with no father to be found. In an effort to make ends meet, his mother spent her days in the streets selling used clothing, which of course meant that Kenyi and his sibling also spent their days in the streets. As street life often goes, Kenyi was not met with kind words and pleasant faces during those years, but was often ridiculed for his large size. His mother sought a better life for her son and so turned to the Santa Maria Children’s Home for help. We praise God that there is such a place for Kenyi, so that he does not have to continue on the streets. The effects of the cruelty he has experienced from his past are still evidenced in the angry words Kenyi currently speaks. Though in a transformational season of healing and adaptation to a new life, not all is smooth sailing whenever a child enters the orphanage. We ask you to join us in praying the grace of the Lord for Kenyi that he might come to understand the love of God and find restoration for his soul. There are so very many children just like Kenyi in Lima, Peru. May God continue to grace us together to reach them. It is possible through prayer and faithful financial support. We cannot articulate our gratitude for your participation in this work; may the Lord add richly to you for your involvement.
One of Kenyi’s favorite interests at the orphanage is the computer lab. However, this lab is in dire need of updating! We are joyfully confident and give thanks to the Lord for granting us the ability to communicate this need. We are believing that our next trip to Peru will provide them with the necessary $2,000.00 to purchase all cables, monitors, hardware, and such for updating their computers and keeping the lab running so that the children can be taught. That said, please join us in seeking the Lord for the needed funds, and consider whether or not He wants to use YOU to help meet this need.
In closing, we request your prayers for the director himself, who is in poor health and in need of healing. We remember the words of the Lord recorded in 1 Peter 5:7…”Casting all your care upon HIM, for He cares for you.” God faithfully watches you and hears you because HE is good, and HE is faithful. As we sign off this month, we remind you that every burden and every fear you are experiencing is an invitation to walk out that verse. He cares for YOU…no matter what you are facing, no matter how desperate the situation. God cares, and God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that you ask or think. May His good Spirit lead you into a deeper revelation of His love.
With deepest gratitude,
Tony and Rosa Rivera
Homes of Refuge, International
