Children in Ventanilla

Yesterday I traveled with Sarah Tester, another missionary here in Lima, to Ventanilla, an area north of Lima. Each Tuesday and Saturday, Sarah works with the neighborhood children at the Anglican church, San Patricio. While I gazed out the window of the bus as it moved through cityscape, airport, oil refineries, cow pastures and desert mountainsides, Sarah worked on her lesson plans. During our travel time of about two hours, we took three different buses with a stop in between at the local supermarket to use the dependable restroom.
In the areas leading to Ventanilla, the houses sit up on the sandy hillsides. Ventanilla looks down onto the Pacific Ocean. The sun rises behind the mountains, and sets down below them into the ocean with its white breakers and sandy beach.

Sarah and I got off our final bus and headed up the hillside. Running down the road, the children greeted us warmly, shouting "Hola!" They grabbed Sarah's hands and walked up the street to the church building which is up on the left. On Tuesday and Saturday afternoons Sarah runs a Bible camp for them that includes play centers, Bible stories, games and teaching. The 30-50 children are from two years old to about twelve. Older siblings bring the younger ones along, so there is quite an age range. Some moms stay and help, and on Saturdays a mom prepares and helps serve a healthy snack for the 40-50 young children who come for Bible class.
The older children take charge of the younger ones and teach them all manner of things.
Sarah with her young charges. They love her and she them! She visits their families on the hillsides after the program finishes around 6 p.m. Mothers greet her affectionately and she always asks how they are doing. On this day she had some used clothing to share with some of the families.
This young boy was ready for the program to begin. I enjoyed playing catch with him later in the area out behind the church. Children and the neighborhood dogs wandered in and out of the church during the afternoon.
I was struck by how helpful the children were in setting up the space and sweeping it clean of the ubiquitous sand. When Sarah brought out the containers of games and toys, they helped arrange them into centers. At the end, they helped put things away. She had taught them well and they took responsibility for the toys and supplies. I think they are used to helping at home with cleaning and care of siblings.