Supplies!

For those of you who have followed our blog for awhile you will remember a post we shared this past July about the Kids Ministry at Hope Church raising money for our ministry through their annual VBS. Through the generous giving of the kids they we able to bless us with over $1,000 to be used for ministry here in Bolivia. This past week we had the privilege to witness first hand the incredible way that God took the sacrificial gift of children in Cincinnati and used it to provide hope, joy and educational opportunities for underprivileged children in Bolivia. Yearly, FH supplies each sponsored child with a packet of materials for school. In Bolivia, all students are required to have their school materials within the first 2 weeks of school or they are not permitted to continue. With that said, many of the families that FH works with do not have the income to purchase school materials for their children. Thus, their kids are left with little to no education and little hope of escaping the generational poverty that limits them. This year as FH organized their budget for school supplies they realized that due to economic conditions and the additional number of sponsored children that they were stretched to find sufficient money for this project. With the help of the Hope Church children’s ministry the necessary amount needed was exactly met and the materials were supplied for each child. For some, this project seems small and insignificant, but for the children of Orna C’Kasa this project provides hope for a better future. On behalf of 850 children in Sucre Bolivia…. thank you Hope Church children’s ministry for your generous gift. You may never realize the opportunity that has been given through your sacrificial giving. Below are some of the faces you have blessed some 4,361 miles away!

Preparing the supplies the day before...we had lot's of help, including the dog!

Supplies given to each child: 2 notebooks, 2 folders with paper, 2 pencils, 2 pens, 2 erasers, 1 pencil sharpener, colored pencils

Supplies bagged and ready to be given away!

Since we knew each and every sponsored child would be showing up to get their school supplies, we tried to get a few other things accomplished as well. Below are the steps each child took to get their supplies.

Step 1: New photo for their sponsors.

Step 2: Registration with Pastor Pancho

Step 3: Updating their information with Jhonny.

Step 4: Writing thank you cards to their sponsors.

Step 5: Doing their part. Each child was asked to contribute 3 bolivianos (0.40 cents) towards their supplies. Even though the cost of the supplies is much more than this, it reinforces a feeling of ownership and serves as a reminder that they need to take an initiative in creating a better future for themselves.

Step 6: Receiving their school supplies.

Next...Pictures of kids with supplies and happy faces!