Calvary Chapel Iquitos

Hi Everyone,

Here is our 2018 Year End update;

It has been a busy year with many ups and downs for us, as I'm sure for many of you.

So I am going to share a little "Good News" and "Bad News" on this update, let me know what you think.

Good News

Albert:

I got to go to California on furlough this past summer, to meet with the ministry that handles our funds, to visit a few churches and to hang out with family & friends.

Kids:

3 of our girls graduated high school this year.

Keymi got a scholorship;

One of our girls, "Keymi (kaymee) got a scholorship to attend university from another ministry here in Iquitos, she and her famlily have been praying that she would be able to go to a university, and God is good, He has provided for her.

I first met Keymi when she and her younger brother were selling candy on the streets of downtown Iquitos, about 8 years ago. I new that they were new, not only because I had never seen them around before but because they were both still innocent, not street smart yet. After seeing them around for a few days, I decided to meet their mother and found out that their father was in the state prison and their mother was working washing clothes, she only made about $15 dollars a day and that was used just for food for her and her 4 chldren, with nothing left over for school or other needs.

Around that time COTA (children of the Amazon) whose ministry is to help children in the Amazon area of Peru, partnered with us and I was able to add a few more children to the few children we were already helping. So Keymi and her brothers were perfect canidates for assitance. As I have mentioned before there are many children with needs, but we come along side those who need it the most. Mainly familes with no father in the house, but with a mother who is working and raising her children the best she can. As I have also mentioned before, school is free in Peru, but if you don't have the money for matriculation, uniforms, shoes, school supplies etc.. then you can't attend.

I could tell that the mother took good care of them and that they were well disciplined and respectful. I really wanted to get them off the street before they changed, the children who have been selling or working tend to change and not for the better, so we began to come along side this family. I can say this has been a good investment and I am so proud of Keymi as she has worked hard and focused on her studies the past 8 years. Her brothers are doing good also, the youngest boy "Mefi" got straight A's this past semester and won a prize from hermano Alberto.

When I first met them in 2010

Keymi won a basket & a chicken at school

The family in 2012


Keymi with 2 of her brothers

Keymi with new uniforom & school supplies 2012

Best students picked for School Police

Keymi graduated elementary school in 2013. There is no Jr. High here, you go straight to high school after elemenary school and graduate in 11th grade.

Keymi & mom - graduation from elementary School

Albert filling in as dad at graduation dinner

Crafts that Keymi made in 2014
I didn't include any pictures of her High School graduation, her graduation dinner was on Dec 26th.

(click to enlarge)

If you would like to see more about Keymi and her family you can click here: Keymi's Family

Thank You:

Thank all of you who contribute to the children's ministry. Some funds go for school, some for medical needs, some for children's ministry at our 4 churches; depending on how you want it used, or for the Children's General fund and we decide where it is most needed.

Christmas Program:

Our Christmas programs went very well. The youth from our church in El Terminal prepared a program for the children of the other CC churches we visit, and they did a great job. Also the mothers at each location prepared the big pot of hot chocolate "Chocolatada" along with the Italian bread we give out "Panetone", a tradition here in Peru.

And more good news, we raised more this year than any previous year for our Christmas program, we even had some left over to purchase 2 new pots, the older ones were on their last legs, one without a handle. And we will have some left over in that account for next year. Thank you for those who gave to the Children's Christmas Program, and thanks to my sister for raising the funds from family & friends. It really is a blessing to the children and they really look forward to it.


Bad News

Estrella (K43)

Well one of our girls did not graduate this year, she got pregnant at the beginning of the year. She had her baby in October, when the baby (Junior) was about 5 weeks old, he developed a cold which got worse, we took him to see the Doctor, but he continued to get worse.

Two days later we took him to the Local ER. They informed us that we had to make an appointment for tomorrow. We then decided to take him to the Seventh Day Adventist Clinic here in Iquitos, they have the best attention, but you have to have the funds to pay for it, so it is unavailable for the majority of the people here. Thinking it would be something simple we arrived at the Emergency Room. After being there a Pediatrician happened to be passing by and noticed that the baby was breathing about 80 breaths per minute, something I never noticed or maybe he got worse at that time. The Pediatrician said that the baby needed to be hospitalized immediatly so they could nebulize him every 3 hours that the situation was critical. Well there was nothing I could do, so we hospitalized the baby, paying with my visa card and trusting the Lord to pay the bill.

After 3 days in the hospital, they called me to let me know the baby got worse and needed to be moved to intermediate care, so they could have a nurse there constantly. After another 3 days they said that he was not doing well and needed to be moved to Intensive Care. On the 15 of this month baby Junior Eliseo passed away, the Doctor said he was also anemic and didn't have the strength he needed to fight the congestion in his lungs, and not strong enough at 6 weeks to cough it out.

One of the hardest funerals I have had to do, we had an all night wake at our church. Then in the morning we went to a local cementary, where I had made arrangements, it was a chaos of graves and crosses, they found a little space for us and we buried baby Junior on a rainy morning this month.

I hate to bring up finances, but that is part of my job, raising funds, and praying that funds come in. The cost to hospitalize baby Junior was about $4548.00, so if you would like to contribute to our Children's Medical Fund, it would be greatly appreciated. We have on going needs all year, mainly pharmacy, sometimes Emergency Room & sometimes we even have to hospitalize some of the children as needed.

Pastor Quinn (K43)

Our beloved friend, Pastor Quinn from Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel passed away this December. He was a friend to our ministries here and a great blessing to us. And a true friend, we will miss him very much, but comforted knowing that because he had accepted Jesus as his saviour that he is in heaven at this moment. A reminder to all of us, that we don't know the day or hour when our time here is up. So it is so important to have accepted Jesus as your Lord & Saviour, because the Bible teaches us that there are only two places for us to go after our time here is done. Please think about that and write me if you have any questions about the most important decision of our lives, and the reason we are here on this planet, for us to decide where we will go for all eternity.


Facebook

In case you want to see more pictures you can check us out on Facebook and get up to date there:

"Calvary Chapel Iquitos" (There are more pictures there than I can send in an update)


Needs

Pastor Jose (K43)

Although Pastor Jose was very blessed with the addition of the wall on his property, they had to move some of his roof to get that done, which exposed some rotted wood, & some of the tin roof that was moved needs to be replaced. Well actually his whole roof needs to be replaced. If he could finish the wall on the other side that would be best, so then they could put a new roof over the parallel walls. So please pray that funds come in for Pastor Jose & his family to finish putting their house back in place.


Praise Reports:

Prayer Requests:


Opportunities to partner with us:

If you would like to contribute to any of the following ministries\expenses:

You can send donations to the following address: (Putting our account # (62414)in the memo portion of your check & the ministry you wish to donate to)

	Harvest Alliance International
	P.O. Box 4550
	Oceanside, CA 92052
	Memo: "62414 - XXX"  
(62414 is our ministry number) (Where XXX = General Fund, Children's Ministry, etc...)


*Note: The dollar is currently at 3.31 or 331 soles for every $100 (U.S.).


Thank you all for your prayers and financial support.
 
         and God Bless you   
 
                Albert Smith 

 
     
     Calvary Chapel Murrieta
     24225 Monroe Avenue
     Murrieta, CA 92562  
 
     Memo = Peru, Albert Smith
 
Or for Jose
     Memo - Peru, Jose Garate 

Pastor Javier & Pastor Raul's offerings go through Harvest Alliance International (above).


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