Peru: Lima Boys' Home

PERU HOME

LOCATION
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is located on the Pacific Coast. Peru, nearly twice the size of Texas, is a country of contrasts. Located in the coastal desert region, Lima receives less than one inch of rainfall per year. Moving thirty to fifty miles inland, one encounters the majestic Andes Mountains and highlands, which separate the coast from the vast Amazon jungle. These three distinct geographical regions each have their own culture and people groups, making Peru a fascinating place to visit and live.

HISTORY

The Home was founded by Larry and Betty Bartels in 1993 in a rented facility in the suburbs of Lima with ten boys who were released from a government home that was closing. The number grew to sixteen children in July of 1994 when the site of just over half an acre was purchased. In 1999 an additional parcel of land was purchased about a mile from the first parcel. Mike and Diane Fietje became directors of the home near the beginning of 2000 when the Bartels returned to the United States.

The Lima Home has experienced God's blessing time and time again in its relatively short history. We are thankful to Him for each physical blessing as well as each of the children to whom we have been able to minister.

FACILITIES

The present facilities on the main property, besides the essentials (i.e. - bedrooms for kids and staff) include a playroom, an activity room containing a library, homework and craft area, and missionary apartments. Also on the property are a basketball/soccer court, a huge multi-level "Jungle Gym," a sandbox, and a swimming pool that can be used nearly year around. Extensive remodeling and construction, including the addition of a second floor on the main house, has improved the property. Much of the work has been done by Service Teams.

There is one main building on the new property. The older boys live at this location along with their house parents. They enjoy the use of a weight room, trampoline and ping-pong table. There is also a "halfway house" for the older boys that have graduated from High School and are not yet ready to live on their own.

Transportation is taken care of by three vans and a small car. Public transportation is readily available and inexpensive.

PROGRAM

Christian and Dalila Albujar are the houseparents for our older boys who are generally in high school or getting ready to go out on their own. Like any parents they give the boys love and discipline, teach them important skills like how to cook, clean and respect others.
They seek to give the boys a spiritual base and an emotional support to confront the tough issues which any teen faces but which often are compounded in children at risk.

Currently the Albujars and their own 2 biological sons live with our 8 oldest boys in a rented facility 10 minutes from our main site.

FUTURE
Future plans include getting a new large piece of land in order to build apartments for each family group (house parents with their kids). This will enable us to house more children in a more family-type atmosphere while having space to make workshops so that the kids can leave with the knowledge of different trades such as carpentry, welding and auto mechanics