 |
| Dock alongside the lake |
Pucallpa is beautiful and while there I lived on a mission campus called TEC (this stands for teach every child). TEC has an amazing campus on the shores of a large lake home to pink amazon dolphins and apparently piranhas, the campus also has many fruit trees which grow coconuts, papayas, mandarins, oranges, lemons and star fruits. The organisation aims to feed, clean, help and teach to the local children of this poor town. Here I was called Hermana Abi (Sister Abi) which did make me feel like a nun at certain times.
Club de Tareas (Homework Club):
I loved this amazing programme that saw so many of the local children come to the TEC. Each week the children would eat with us which included dietary supplements, as many of the children only have one meal a day. Homework club also included a devotional where we would sing songs, and read a bible story, along with small classes practising, maths, writing and other subjects.The kids also have showers here once a week as many do
not have the facilities at home. To be honest my favourite part of this club was just playing with the kids, who were fascinated by how my eyes with the colour of the cielo (sky) and obsessed with asking if I have a boyfriend.
Youth Club:
This was very similar to Homework Club however involved teenagers from around the area. As high school starts midday here the kids arrived for breakfast which often included a jungle drink called chapo ( made with evaporated milk and plantains). Then we would have Bible studies and worship, the most interesting incident here occurred when singing Bless The Lord Oh My Soul in Spanish, but the end was in English. I was the only one singing. I cannot sing. As I've learnt teen pregnancy is a massive issue in the jungle, so they had many talks on marriage etc while I was here. Every year at least 1 girl from this youth club gets pregnant and I met young mothers of 15 and 16. This shocked me as I am 18 and cannot imagine having the responsibility of a child. The culture difference between home and Peru really hit me here as the topic of marriage came up. The fact that I have been in a relationship for 2 years but am not yet married is crazy here. The fact that I am 18 does not come into it as people in the jungle can get married at any age with parents permission (although I am not entirely sure it is legal).
OANSA:
This was very similar to Homework Club however involved teenagers from around the area. As high school starts midday here the kids arrived for breakfast which often included a jungle drink called chapo ( made with evaporated milk and plantains). Then we would have Bible studies and worship, the most interesting incident here occurred when singing Bless The Lord Oh My Soul in Spanish, but the end was in English. I was the only one singing. I cannot sing. As I've learnt teen pregnancy is a massive issue in the jungle, so they had many talks on marriage etc while I was here. Every year at least 1 girl from this youth club gets pregnant and I met young mothers of 15 and 16. This shocked me as I am 18 and cannot imagine having the responsibility of a child. The culture difference between home and Peru really hit me here as the topic of marriage came up. The fact that I have been in a relationship for 2 years but am not yet married is crazy here. The fact that I am 18 does not come into it as people in the jungle can get married at any age with parents permission (although I am not entirely sure it is legal).
In English this is called AWANA and stands for
approved workmen are not ashamed, it comes from 2 Timothy 2:15- Be diligent to
present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed
rightly dividing the word of truth.Much to my amazement every club
starts with the Peruvian national anthem seen to the right. Then they have
games and bible study. The kids in OANSA loved talking to me in
English and asked me to translate an English book about Moses into Spanish.
This was interesting and I had to resort to performing some of the
words that I did not know in Spanish.Unfortunately although it was
supposed to be coming to the end of the rainy season, it rained often whilst I
was there. When it rains the kids can’t come to TEC. They often live in 1
room with their whole family which means that they are occupied with keeping
all their things dry. They don't have many changes of clothes so to come to TEC would
mean ruining one pair in the rain. This so upsetting to me and I continue to
pray for all the children that attend TEC.
 |
| Guarding me as I watch the dolphins |
I will miss all the lovely staff and children at TEC, but I will also miss my personal body guards.
I have loved this place and I will always look back at it with amazing memories of jumping off the dock into the warm lake and trying new foods and driving on motorbikes and "motocars".
 |
| Jumping of the dock |
Prayer points:
TEC is currently opening a children's home so prayer for this big venture would be much appreciated.
The poverty that occurs there.
The young mothers learning to cope with babies.
