El Puente (which means The Bridge) is a Children’s Home in the heart of rural Paraguay set up to rescue abused and abandoned girls and provide a loving, secure Christian home for them to grow up in. Currently there are 15, ranging from 1 to 16 years old (photos below). The home is run by an inspirational Paraguayan couple - Osvaldo and María Luisa - and supported by an equally inspirational Christian charity called Operation South America (OSA). You can find out more about them from their website by clicking on their icon on the sidebar.
The home is in a beautiful part of the countryside and also runs a feeding programme and provides educational support for around 100 of the village's poorest children. FEISA recently helped them to set up their own Toy Library which is being used as an outreach to all the young children in the village and we also hope to take it to other children's homes and poor schools in the surrounding towns and villages to give them the opportunity to learn through play.
With the restructuring of FEISA, Samantha has now left the college to work in the Home as an Educator. She is currently teaching Maths, literacy and English as well as doing Bible studies and pastoral care with the older girls. She is loving it and feels like she has suddenly acquired 15 daughters! Rupert continues to work in FEISA and is planning to leave in 2010 after he has closed the 2009 accounts and trained a local accountant to take over. He hopes to get more involved in the Home next year helping Osvaldo set up some computer provision and training for young people in the village. (Rup with Osvaldo, final photo).
We feel excited by the new opportunites to serve in Paraguay and are delighted to be working with Osvaldo, María Luisa and OSA. You don't need to spend long in the Home to experience the love and grace of God in action and realise it is a very special place.
We'd really value your prayers for this next step in our lives and that we might be a blessing and support to Osvaldo, Maria Luisa and OSA.
Please also pray for Rup's health. Tests recently confirmed that he has a heart arrhythmia and the doctors are now doing further tests to diagnose what type he has and what course of treatment to give him. We have been extremely impressed with the quality of health care he has received in Paraguay and thank God for the care and thoroughness of the doctors here.
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