Latin Link Project

Sat 24 Jul Circuit

Our team of eager young people (and equally eager leaders) are now out in Peru. We'll aim to keep you posted over the coming weeks, or you can check Latin Link's page. The project is based in Puente Piedra, a town just on the outskirts of Lima.

Team Leaders
Vron and Roland have been chosen as team leaders. They're in charge of the team on a day-to-day basis and have a number of additional responsibilities. Please pray for them. Si Cooper, a 'Strider', is supervising and supporting the team.

Puente Piedra is a Peruvian district just to the north of Lima. It is situated near the valley of the Chillón River. The district has a population of approximately 200,000 people, many of whom are considered to be very poor.

The main Pan-American Highway runs directly through the main town of Puente Piedra which provides quick access to central Lima. Many of the roads close to the main highway are now concreted; however, as you head further towards the surrounding hills the area becomes significantly dustier. The majority of people who live in Puente Piedra have come from rural areas of Peru in an attempt to find employment in nearby central Lima.

The project
The team are working with the ‘Iglesia Bautista de Puente Piedra’. It is located in a fairly developed and established part of Puente Piedra; however, there are still a number of extremely poor dwellings in the surrounding area.

There is a large problem with unemployment in the area; those who are fortunate enough to have employment are likely to be involved in some form of manual labour. Literacy rates are fairly low, with 20% of the local population not being able to read or write.

The aim of the project
The church currently rents a small building to hold its church services. However, recently they have acquired some land. The aim of the project is to help construct a church building for the congregation to meet in on this new plot of land. At the moment the piece of land is empty so the Step team will help with clearing the area, laying foundations, and brick laying.

Who will benefit?
The Church family will benefit from having an increased amount of space to meet in and by having their own building. It will give the church the ability to do more in the way of serving the local community. One of the specific plans is to use the new building to run an education and bible centre.

A number of the young people and adults that attend the church are keen to help with the practical work. This will give the team fantastic opportunities to improve their Spanish!

The church currently has about 100 people attending each of the two Sunday services. There will be opportunities to get involved in children’s ministries.