A Success Story

For children growing up in poverty, in orphanages and in similar situations life is hard and success in life is a remote thing. If you go to the shantytowns in the outskirts of Lima you find story upon story of misfortune, abuse, drugs, gang crime, etc. When we first arrived in Lima and were not yet familiar with life in all its harshness in these shantytowns it was a shock to see, first of all the amount of children running around all over the place. Secondly, the numerous young, as in very young, teenage mothers. Encountering a girl at only about sixteen already having two children definitely was an eye opener.

This girl is not a mother, but imagine if she was...

We were in an area where probably 10.000 families lived in small shed like cabins, some of them too small to park a car. There was no running water, no sanitation, electricity had been established less than a year earlier. Not a place you would want to live, that's for sure. Yet, for the people living here, this was their home, these were their conditions. It seemed that the second part of the old statement ”The rich become richer and the poor have more babies.” was a fact of life here. There were children all over the place and thousands of them. What one might first expect to be older siblings taking care of the younger ones often turned out to be the mothers.

Not a prescription for success in life, if you ask me. It seemed that an evil circle would keep these people in a hard grip of early pregnancy, no education, underemployment and continuous poverty. A malignant cancer to hope and progress.

In another suburb not far from there an orphanage houses around 750 children. Yes, that number is correct! At the moment they are fostering 45 newborn babies that have been left in cardboard boxes at the entrance over night. The mothers, most likely all of them teenagers too young to bring up a child have found this their only way out, lest the baby be malnourished, maltreated, or die.

No success in sight.

Never say never, though. One of the girls we met when we first visited the girls home in La Victoria in Lima, is a success coming out of a disaster. Born in a dysfunctional home that has long since been split up with a mother who is mentally unstable, without a job and not interested in working and a father who has since remarried and established his new core family, hers was a case headed in the wrong direction. Nevertheless, this girl managed to get an education and also succeeded in landing full time employment. Getting to this point did not come easy. Only recently did we find out that she only ate one meal a day all through her student time. Paying rent and studies consumed almost all she earned. It took a lot of consistency and endurance on her part to make it through and obtain her education. In addition, she is also caring for her brother and sisters who have likewise grown up in children's homes.

Some girls growing up in the same home as our success story girl

Growing up in a home where she was cared for, learned about faith in God and learned to trust Jesus gave her the necessary strength to stick it out and complete her studies. How did we get to know? She worked with us for a while to earn extra money so she could complete her payments to the school and receive her certificate. That allowed us to become part of her life, her fights, her difficulties and her joys. We have kept that contact and she has a place she can come to whenever she needs comfort, encouragement, advice, or simply wants to share her most recent victory. The three of us have grown care so much for each other that she calls us her mom and dad. That is what we have become to her by simply being there for her. Our home has in a way become hers, it has become a haven that she knows is only a phone call away.

I dare say that by God's providence we got to Peru in time for the three of us to meet in the girls home, for her to see and understand that we were seriously interested in helping with the needs they had in that home and to gain confidence enough in us to share her life story and to trust us.

For us this has been a tremendous experience as well. It has shown us an extra dimension of the needs of kids growing up in foster homes. They don't just need a roof over their heads and food in their mouths. They need somebody to love them and truly care for their well being, somebody they can call late at night or come visit with their heartaches and headaches at any hour of the day, no matter how early or how late that might be. Or a place to come to, have a meal, throw themselves down in the sofa and just feel at home and be able to share the latest success in life. A place that could have been their own home, people that could have been their own parents as it were.

Her life story could so easily have become one of the many hopeless stories of the shantytowns, But thanks to God's providence it didn't. It became a success story.

Torben & Yurika

Quality isn't just doing 'something'

"Oh wow, it is incredible. I couldn't recognize it!" This could be the reaction to a change from mediocre to superb. A change in quality.

Time and again we run into differing views of what is needed for children here in Peru. It is as if some people are satisfied with a status quo of conditions. If we can give them a roof over their head and some sort of food in their mouths, then we are doing a good job, is the argument. It doesn't matter that there is no formal training in the areas such as hygiene and skills development, no goal setting in education, an environment that is constantly dirty and messy. For some that apparently is a good enough job to do for these kids. It seems that there simply is no understanding for doing a better than average job. It is as if the kids don't deserve it for they don't know any better anyway and therefore mediocre will do.

At Por una vida digna para los niños del Perú (Toward a Dignified Life for the Children of Peru) we strongly disagree. Food is not enough. A varied and nutritious diet is. A roof over the head is not enough. A proper bed in a nicely painted, decorated and clean room is. Daily training, learning and certain routines in life are important, too. That is why we chose our long and akward name. This is what we believe in. We believe that no matter where these children came from, they are valuable and absolutely worthy of the best we can do for them. Mediocre won't do for us.

One of our key words when we talk with people is quality. Quality of life, quality in life, quality environment, quality nutrition. But how do we define quality? Consulting a dictionary you are likely to find that it defines quality as ”superiority of kind” and ”Degree or grade of excellence.” Now apply this to the life of a child that grows up either in poverty or in an orphanage away form his/her parents. Is it ok that we provide something good in one area, but leave the rest unchanged? Let us imagine that we put in a new playground for the small children, but we do not bother to look at cleanliness, order in the daily routines, health in general, the food or the condition of the home. Now the kids have a place to play, but their lives are unhealthy chaos. Have we provided quality in their situation. Absolutely not! We have given them a few minutes of joy the days they get to play on the playground, but no matter how expensive that playground is, it still does not give them an overall improvement in life.

In other words improving life in one area does not improve life much in itself. A little sharply one could say that we have really only exposed the size of the problem. Or, we have pushed the problem on to the next item that need to be dealt with. In reality, providing quality of life for these children we need to adapt what in business terms is called the Toyota Model. Very briefly the model deals with quality improvement in process and says that you must make improvements of equal quality in the entire chain of process to have accomplished improvement at all. Or, removing a bottleneck in one area of production only really just pushes the bottleneck to another area in the production line.

So, if we go in and improve food only for the children, but their education, cleanliness and environment is left untouched, we really have not done what we should to improve the quality of life itself. What is needed, according to the Toyota Model, is that we look at everything in the lives of these children in order to actually change their situation for the better.

I suppose we could just have called our orgnaisation Dignified. That word is like superglued to quality. The two are inseparable. We want even the poorest of kids to have a dignified life. Therefore we cannot go in and just do a quick fix type of job. We need to examine the situation we enter into and from there start giving advise and provide help in the areas needed. Nothing less will do the job of providing a dignified life for the children of Peru.

ICE AGE 3

I love the Ice Age animated movies. They are well done, they are humorous and they can even teach you a lesson or two about the importance of friendships when life goes sour.

I am not so sure that the boy wearing this old, worn out, faded t-shirt is even remotely aware of what Ice Age 3 is. I can promise you that he has never had the pleasure of going to the movies to watch it on a large screen, enjoying popcorn and Inca Cola (the Peruvian delicious alternative to a Coke), while laughing his heart out.

If he was to do that at the price this costs, his whole family would not be eating anything for days. But it is just one person going to the movie, you protest. That's right. Just one boy. What you may not know is that his parents only earns a bare minimum. In Peru that sort of income very far from allows such luxuries as going to the movie. For them even celebrating a birthday with a cake may be a major expense for which they will be saving for a long time.

As you read this, I hope you realize that there is a huge difference between poverty and poverty, depending where in the world you are. Peru is one of the countries where only the affluent can afford going to the movie theater. That population is growing, but in this country about 25 per cent of the people are still living in poverty. This boy is one of them.

Now, I could plead with you that you pitch in and help him have the experience of going to the movie, but I won't. Ice Age 3 simply is not a concern in comparison to what he really needs. He needs a healthy diet, education and clothes as he grows as the three very basic needs. Once we have that covered, we can start talking about running water, proper sanitation in his home, etc. I hope you get the point. This kid may be wearing the t-shirt, but Ice Age or anything else provided by the entertainmaent industry is so horribly far down the list of necessities that we can return to it in about 20 or so years.

You may not at all be rich where you live, but the very fact that you can log on the Internet and read this blog already makes you way richer. You may belong to the low income group in your country and money may be tight, but you have been to the movie, you have eaten out, you may even have an old car, but a car nevertheless.

As for myself income is also really low, yet I am writing this blog from a café in town during a break between classes (I'm a teacher). I am way richer than this kid and his family. We are so much more privileged than this boy. We enjoy a form of life that he can only dream about.

You and I need to stop for a moment to realize that we are the lucky ones, we are the fortunate ones. We have access to so many things that this boy does not. We actually (admit it!) expect to be enjoying things in the near future that he may never have heard about. So, Looking at the photo of this boy in his well worn Ice Age 3 T-shirt should remind us how privileged and well off we are in comparison, and we need to be thankful for what we have and for what we will enjoy tomorrow as well. Yes, we may be poor in our world, but our poverty is nothing in comparison to his. Therefore we would be fools to not understand how blessed we actually are.

Torben

WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE BLESSED?

To receive a blessing has different meanings and one of them is to be given something for which one is thankful. We most often relate it to a material blessing. For some it is getting a new 46” wall mounted plasma television, for others it is exclusive jewelry. Common for us all is that we like to receive things that can make us happy or can give us satisfaction in one way or another.

Who would not be happy to receive a gift as precious as this one?

Well, I took a look at what the Bible has to say on the subject from just that perspective. And you know, sometimes the Bible has a way of straightning out our daydreams at the same time as it teaches us a lesson about life. So what now? Am I to forget about the big wall mounted blessing? - you ask. Maybe not, but you might still be in for a surprise. In the book of Acts the apostle Paul, when talking about his life accomplishments, makes the following statement:

            You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and

            the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind

            of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus him-

            self said: ”It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:34 – 35, NIV)

Paul says, in other words, that he has helped those less able than himself. He did not want to be a financial burden to the young churches he and his fellow workers established throughout Turkey and Greece. They wanted to be a blessing to them instead. The reason for it was quite simply the words of Jesus, that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

That is not the order in which we often think of blessings. Most often we think that when we have a surplus we can give to others. What we are really saying is that when we have been blessed almost right out of our shoes, then we can give. Yes, Jesus does say the exact opposite. Start by giving and then you will be blessed. Really? But how? Am I to give before I receive???

As I was talking to one of my students one day, he shared a little story. He had made an agreement with a foundation to support them with a montly amount to enable them to help people in need. He then told me how all other bills were just that, bills. But when time came to send money to this foundation, he thought about how he was helping someone else by sending this money. And then he said: ”It made me so happy to give this money away.”

”So happy” Right there lies the secret. You see, giving to someone else becomes a blessing in itself. The blessing comes right back to you as a sense of happiness and satisfaction. This is exactly what Jesus and Paul knew. Giving can make you happy. Giving can give you satisfaction back! That is why Paul worked so hard. It was in order to be a blessing to others because this would become a blessing to himself.

If you haven't tried it you should. Like that student of mine you, too, can experience the happiness that comes from doing something good and worthwhile for someone else. And as you probably know, we are taking over the burden of caring for another 25 kids in an area where poverty is widespread. So we have the perfect opportunity for you to get started. Just send us a mail requesting more information to: 4perukids@gmail.com

So now, at least in theory you know that blessing comes through giving, not just by receiving.

Giving to others can bring joy and satisfaction, too.

Tienes la oportunidad de cambiar 25 vidas mas!

“A veces sentimos que lo que hacemos es tan solo una gota en el mar, pero el mar sería menos si le faltara una gota.”

Esta frase proviene de Madre Teresa y nos insta a pensar que lo que podemos dar aunque  pequeño es vital. Cada gota es imprescindible!

Por una vida digna para los niños del Perú entra a su segundo año de vida formalmente hablando y este año empezamos con un gran reto; Dios ha puesto en nuestras manos la responsabilidad de 25 niños que asisten al comedor del Proyecto Josías en Laredo, Trujillo. Para los que conocen de nuestro trabajo el comedor Josias ha recibido nuestra ayuda durante el 2012 pero no era nuestra responsabilidad como lo es el Wawawasi Samuelito.

El comedor Josías pertenecía hasta el mes de Diciembre a la Asociación Nuevos Pasos, una Asociación española. Debido a los problemas económicos en Europa esta asociación esta reestructurando y haciendo cortes en su presupuesto en el Perú y ya no podrá apadrinar a los 25 niños que han estado asistiendo al comedor diariamente.

Como saben la zona de Laredo es una zona muy pobre donde los niños sufren de desnutrición por falta de alimento y su rendimiento intelectual es bajo ya que los padres no pueden ayudarlos con las tareas, educarlos y prepararlos. Viendo esta problemática “Por una vida digna para los niños del Perú” ha decidido aceptar este reto y para esto necesitamos tu ayuda.

Te pedimos que te comprometas a apadrinar a un niño por el periodo mínimo de un año, el costo es de 85.00 Nuevos soles mensuales. Con este monto podremos nosotros pagar su almuerzo, al profesor/ra y el personal de cocina y limpieza y pagar los gastos de alquiler, agua, etc.

Los niños que asisten a este comedor son alumnos de primaria, ellos vienen a las 8.00 am hacen sus tareas, juegan, cantan, almuerzan, se lavan los dientes y se van a la escuela. Este nuevo reto hace que tengamos que buscar nuevos locales en Laredo e impone gastos no previstos. Si deseas ayudar pero no deseas comprometerte con un monto mensual puedes hacerlo apoyando el proyecto en general y tu dinero será usado en implementar los locales que estaremos usando.

Desde ya te agradecemos por leer este email y te instamos a decidirte a ser instrumento de cambio en la vida de estos niños. También puedes unirte con otra persona y de esa manera ser de bendición en la vida de un niño.

Contáctanos por esta vía para enviarte nuestro nro. De cuenta e información del apadrinado: 4perukids@gmail.com

Gracias por tu atención!

Torben y Yurika Kristensen

What's not in the news

We are constantly bombarded with news, most of it being sensational or negative in some way.

Just recently New York and hurricane Sandy had the attention of all news media. We also clearly remember the big earthquake in Japan and the following tsunami and all of the devastating destruction that took place. And who can't still recollect the horrifying images of Port-au-Prince crumbling during the Haiti earthquake in January of 2010. A city turned into dust under the influence of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

People half buried in rubble after earthquake

Or think of some mad suicide bomber robbing a lot of innocent people of their lives. Even the tragedy of the Taliban attempt at taking Malalas life in October just because she wants girls in Pakistan to have the right to go to school and get an education.

What does not reach the news are the millions of people all over the world who live in poverty daily. Every single day their story is the same. They go hungry, they can't afford what the rest of us take for granted. No running water, no education, no shoes.... the story is the same each and every day.

This is the untold catastrophy. Untold because it does not change. Untold because it is present year in and year out on end, and as such becomes uninteresting. It is, however, also the story of our failure to seriously help make changes for the better. We may excuse ourselves with tight economy and financial crisis, which is not untrue in one sense. But try, then, to compare yourself with them and see if you are not actually still extremely rich in comparison.

Got roof over your head? They do, too. Some live in a cardboard box or under a piece of plastic. Ever go to the grocery store to do your daily shopping? They never would be able to afford that, not in their economy either. Do you still get to eat out from time to time? They never do. Or put in another way, they always eat out when searching other peoples trash for leftovers. Still got a car despite tight economy? Some of them can't even afford shoes for transportation. I could continue, but you get the point.

What if this was your family home?

They are not in the news because they mirror our failure to properly get them the help they need. And by that I don't mean that we should endlessly fill food in their mouths, build their houses for them, pump them with money and their kids with expensive toys, and the like. Actually this will harm them rather than help them. That would allow them to lean back and do nothing on their own. The best we can do is to offer the education necessary to teach them how to survive and improve their condition. That may involve providing some sort of home and food for a while, but those two alone will never do the job.

Next time you watch the news, try to remember those who are not in the news. Then think about how you can involve yourself in bringing the best form of help! They need it and you need it, too.

W W J D ?

Do you remember the WWJD that ran through many church teen and youth groups like a wildfire about 10 years ago? If not, let me refresh your memory. WWJD essentially was a disciple and Christian integrity revival, helping young people strive to live more like Jesus did. What Would Jesus Do? was the simple, yet profound question to the things young people encounter in today's society. It was intended at helping them make the same choice in life as Jesus would have made.

Carried on to a ministry perspective, we recently had the privilege to listen to Pastor Matt Miller of New City Church, Shawnee, Kansas when speaking at Potential Church. Pastor Miller shared what Jesus actually did in his minstry and boiled it down to three basic things that Jesus brought to people. He brought 1. prosperity, 2. justice, 3. integrity. Jesus motivation to bring these three things wherever he went was that he cared for people. Jesus cared to improve, to repair, to heal the situations he encountered. He cared to bring the kingdom of God to people and the kingdom of God holds these three things. Prosperity, justice and integrity.

He brought prosperity to the wedding at Cana when he turned the water into wine. And it wasn't just any wine either. It was a quality wine so good that the master of the banquet was clearly surprised. Even as to the amount of high quality wine, between 120 and 180 gallons!, there was plenty for the town of Cana to continue the wedding celebration. (see John ch. 2)

Or take the tired fishermen who are back ashore after a long night without a catch. Jesus gets involved and again prosperity is so overwhelming that one can barely believe it. So much fish landed that the nets are about to burst and two boats about to sink from the sheer size of the catch! (Luke ch. 5)

Now, consider the woman caught in adultery. She was dragged out in the street by the religious people who wanted to stone her to death. They had the law on their side and she knew that very well. Jesus did not deny what the law said, but brought justice into the situation by saying that those who had no sin should throw the first stone. Justice is, of course, that all sin is equally wrong before God.

Finally, Pastor Matt Miller mentioned integrity and as example gave the exhortation found in Jeremiah 29:4-7 where the exiled Jews are told to be a blessing to the new and strange towns they have been brought to.

The implication is, of course, that we have to bring these three things to the people in our circle, the people who we meet in life. We need to bring prosperity to those who do not have sufficient for their daily needs, we need to bring justice where injustice prevails and we need to be people of integrity in our daily lives. That is our task as we attempt to make this world a better place for others. 

WWJD has now become WWID or What Will I Do? Are we willing to bring prosperity, justice and integrity to those who suffer? Or are we not? Our actions are the answer to the question.

If you wish to watch the message by pastor Matt Miller, click on this link: http://potentialchurch.com/teachings/bob-2012/ and then click on "Bob 2012 - Week 2."

W W I D ?