Here’s an overall of our ministry from the Hearts of Dean & Winnie Peters
We have up the association in Nicaragua as Fundacion Corazon Puro
We need to set up a 501c3 in the states by January as Dawn Piardi is Retiring
The name comes to us after working with so many street children and child prostitutes. Although they appear to be enjoying their lifestyles, when you get to know them, they really aren’t. They are still innocent children. Really, as pure, if not purer than kids in the states on many levels. It is heart breaking. On the outside they seem dirty, but inside, they are just little kids, who have been robbed of their childhood and their future.
There is a population explosions. Soon the 7 billion will turn into 14 billion. The problem is, most of the other 7 billion will be born in the garbage dumps and slums of third world countries. God loves each and every one of those 14 billion future residents of this planet. Our job is to help as many of them as possible to make it into a good adulthood and eventually into heaven.
Right now we are starting in Nicaragua. We have lived here continuously since July 4, 2012.
Average income for adults in Nicaragua is 3 dollars a day. Children make 1 dollar a day average. So, with prices being almost the same as in the states for the basic essentials of life, everyone works, and even then, it is not enough.. Usually a family makes just enough for supper, then back to work the next day to make enough for supper the next night. That’s a typical family structure. The children we predominately work with have a quality of living BELOW that.
Our aim is to prepare these kids for better lives. The Bible in Proverbs says if you don’t have enough money, you are tempted to steal (or do anything else to survive). So first thing is feed them. Papa Perry said,, “a hungry belly has no ears’. We feel if we LOVE them first, they they will see the Lord in us. We want to start with NON conditional love. Whether they are Christians or not, we love them all equally. Irregardless or their race, religion, orientation, we want to pour Jesus’ love on them. They see they are loved, instead of being judged, the chance of them loving the Lord is that much greater.
We have a feeding program. Presently we are serving around 100 kids a day. Our only limit to feeding more kids is resources. There are approximately 1000 children living in the chureca area alone that would come to our feeding program if we had the resources to do it.
We have a FREE prek. Meals included. Parents who WANT to pay can, but we have 30 children on scholarships there. Our goal is a boarding school. We wanted to have an orphanage for the worst cases within a year, but the government would prefer a boarding school concept. I know kids NOW who need a safe place to sleep.
We are also want to be doing vocational tech, and entrepeneurial training.. to teach the kids to think ‘outside of the box’. We need to make this sustainable, and God sufficient,, not USA sufficient,, stuff happens. Many missionaries come home when bad things happen to the US economy. We want to let the Lord show us how Nicaraguans can keep this afloat in Nicaragua, without foreign help if necessary,, then it is reproduceable in other countries as well. We need to establish a business that will be a place to give gainful employment to those kids ( including the now young men and ladies) we have known for decades. A very slow and tedious process. Also we are going to work on the children themselves. We are still just forming the friendships now and letting them know that we are christians and the Jesus loves them.
We will not rule with an iron hand. If a child is disruptive, or coercing other children to be bad, we just replace them with ones that want a better life. No anger, no punishment. Instead, we give the them opportunity to get out of addictions, pick pocketing, begging, human trafficking, prostitution, drug running or other types of criminal activities. I have witnessed first hand many times kids getting banned from a work because of a mistake right off the bat. I don’t think that works. When a kid gets kicked out of an event, or doesn’t get a samaritan’s purse box because he refuses to be a phony and ACT like he’s a Christian, you have lost him for life probably. That is not pleasing to our Lord. He had very strong words about those who cause the little ones to stumble
We are doing as much as possible now, but our funds and resources are extremely limited. There are so many things I could and should be doing, but one couple can only do so much. We need donations, volunteers, supplies, containers, school bus, dish washer, large refrigerator, second floor completed, teams for evangelism, the school and for the feeding center, as well as construciton, teachers, staff, and mostly God’s continued favor and blessing.
As you know, we (Mostly Winnie, I’m just her ‘facilitater’) help kids at risk of child slavery.
We use a six fold approach
1. Really, Genuinely LOVE them
2. Feed them
3. Shelter them
4. Educate them spiritually
5. Educate them academically
6. Actually prepare them for the future
CHILDREN – Since we came back to NIcaragua in 2012, The spanish recycling company has moved the 440 families outisde of the dump, into a place called Via Guadelupe *Acauhualinca*. The houses they moved them into are nice and free. However, they charge for water and electricity.. They pay around 6000 cordobas per
month for the adults that work in the recycling so it appears to be a pretty good set up, except the infrastructure is severly lacking. The children aren’t being fed or actually taken care of so it is becoming a breeding ground for crime.
SCHOOL – We are ONG approved and governmentally approved for the elementary school. Inscription for our 3rd school year are on now, for classes which start in February by the 10th
Dawn Piardi from River of Life has been great, but she is retiring as of January.
Sincerely
Dean Peters
USA NUMBER 1-240-345-9268
local cel in Nicaragua 55010927
Deanpeters123 skype
