January 2024!!!

January 2024

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Greetings to all ! This has been an incredible first month of 2024! We pray it has been for you as well!!! Here we are full swing into SUMMER!! With soaring temps, kids out of school, and no AC that only means one thing….LOTS OF ICE CREAM!! No really, I’m not kidding…Ha ha!!

35 Year Anniversary CDV

This month there is SO MUCH to share about! Our church Camino de Vida celebrated their 35 year anniversary 2 weekends ago with a really wonderful celebration to honor the founding pastors Robert and Karyn Barriger, and then make the official transition of lead pastor to their son Taylor and his wife Chana. It was a really special weekend and we are truly honored to be a part of this church and under their leadership.

Last Saturday we were able to host our very first parent support meeting with parents from our church who have kids with special needs. The title was called “Hope for the Future”. It was designed to help parents to begin to dream about their child’s future. To understand and remember that God has created each one of us with purpose that HE has designed us for. That includes their kids too! It was a really special time with 18 parents who attended. We were able to invite an inclusive catering company to provide empanadas and the owner shared her own personal story of why she started the business- her sister, Nataly, who has down syndrome!

There was a time where parents were able to share their child’s positive qualities and begin to openly dream for their future. While the parents were in their time, childcare was provided for their children. Our incredible team of volunteers put together a program that included gross motor play, making a sensory lava bottle to take home, a craft with the verse Jeremiah 29:11, and most definitely, snack time….

We are incredibly grateful for the amazing team of 25 volunteers who took their Saturday morning to pour into the lives of these families. One parent mentioned that they were so surprised with what they received and grateful to be invited to this event and hope to be invited to the next one.

Our plan is to offer 2 more events this year but on a much larger scare where we can invite all 70 families who have children with disabilities to participate. We ask for prayer for wisdom, logistics and topics to address as we begin to plan out the next 2 events.

We thank you for your continued support financially and in prayer to allow us to continue to serve the people with disabilities in Peru. As our Ps Robert says, we want everyone to have a seat at the great banquet, so we must continue to build longer tables so that everyone fits. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue towards this goal.