Kids Alive International - Christian Care for Children at Risk

LIMA CHILDREN'S HOME
40 children; 7 missionaries; 6 national staff

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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. The rich and the poor, the beautiful and the ugly, the historic and the modern, the mountains and jungle all add to the mystique of this Latin nation.

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.

CULTURE
Peru has a population of almost 30 million people of which at least 90% are Roman Catholic. Nearly a third of the population lives in Lima. Unfortunately, the majority of the population is very poor as there is a huge unemployment rate and many white-collar workers are leaving the country. The Kids Alive Home was begun in an attempt to respond to the tremendous number of needy children caused by this poverty, as well as terrorism and immorality. Fortunately, terrorism has been under control since about 1993, but the need for the Home and others like it continues.

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
The Home has about 40 children. They range in age from preschool to 18. Assisting Mike and Diane Fietje, are "later in life" missionaries Dave and Connie Rhodes as well as a number of talented short-termers. The Peruvian house parents are mature Christians, dedicated to attaining the goals of the Home. These goals include not only providing for the physical, educational, and emotional needs of the children, but also meeting their spiritual needs, preparing them for adulthood as Christians and as upstanding citizens in their community. As a result, a lot of emphasis is placed on devotions, discipleship, Bible memorization, and church attendance.

The children attend four different schools in the area depending on their age and abilities. In the home there is also an emphasis on learning English, which will help them get better jobs in the future. In the summers the children attend camp, go on trips, learn different crafts and life skills. The older kids get job placements or work at Christian camps.

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.