As you all know, we’re not just building. We also continue to be very active in Los Guido, a rough and tough inner city area which offers little opportunities to its inhabitants. Drugs, gangs, prostitution, and violence run rampant at times.
We have restarted the feeding program in the Los Guido Methodist Church, now feeding 50 kids per day, and providing a large, nutritious meal. We’re now spending a little more than a dollar per day per child just on food, not to mention gas, pay/insurance for the main cook, kitchen needs, etc., and we’re pleased with the outcome. The total cost comes to about $32 per child per month. Due to early giving this year we have the 50 children covered until October, but we still need $1600 per month for November and December 2011, and that’s with no increases in number of children or inflation, or any sudden extra expenses. Of course, if those months come in through giving as well, our next step is to begin raising the number of children receiving a meal. As there are 1000 needy kids within just a few blocks of the church, the sooner we can feed more the better.
We have also set up an educational center in the church there, at this time receiving 64 school age children every Saturday for classes. This in conjunction with public schools and institutes should ensure that many students can finish their schooling through high school and perhaps get out of such a tough neighborhood. We are paying one retired professor to take care of most of the classes, and we’re hunting for an English teacher and a high school math professor to cover the other needs. This professor will also begin teaching classes during the week at the Alajuela Methodist Church, beginning sometime around August. This program is costing only $700 per month as it is now, and the additional program in Alajuela should add just another $200 per month in expenses. Again, it’s the same professor teaching in both places, keeping the cost down. Of course there will be some cost increases once we find the additional teachers for Math and English, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Finally, we have one more feeding program that we expect to help in the near future, near El Infernillo. This is another tough neighborhood, only 10 minutes from our base, and a Methodist Church on the outskirts of this neighborhood is already feeding kids on Sunday afternoons, after church. We hope to be able to help this program as well, with time. That would bring our total, within just a few years, to 4 feeding programs and hopefully just as many educational centers. Education is the sure way to end the cycle of poverty, and kids need good nutrition for their minds to work correctly.
With the move of our headquarters we’ve incurred some immediate needs, and some teams have begun to ask how they can help. We will need to buy a washer/dryer, a couple of microwaves, an additional refrigerator, a vacuum, and a stove with oven. Pretty much in that order. If there are folks who would like to help us with these things, we would be most appreciative.
To recap, we need your help, as always. We continue to grow, thank the Lord, but we cannot do it without faithful people such as yourselves. Thanks for all you do and continue to do. I know the Lord will bless your gift for all.
Paz y bendiciones,
Charlie Strong
Director, Strong Missions
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