I´ve got 2 quick stories to tell you.

First I´d like you to meet Miguel. I used to see Miguel standing outside the school gates waiting for school to finish, waiting patiently to spend the afternoon with his friends. He looked in with such expectant eyes.

I met him when I took some of the kids to the local pool one afternoon. As we splashed in the pool, he sat outside the gate looking in. Again seperated by a gate, I couldnt help but notice he was a constant spectator, a persistant observer of other peoples lives. Beating down that wall I gave $1 to one of his friends, inviting Miguel to join us. With his joyful smile he splashed in the shallow of the pool, unable to swim with any level of competence.

After our outing I spent some time talking with Miguel. I found that he is 10, and that his mother was unable to send him to school as he made a financial contribution to the family. His single mother cooked lunches in her kitchen, and he spent his afternoons delivering lunches around the village. The $4 he made a week seperated him from education, but provided vital income to his family.

When my auntie and uncle from France arrived, I told them of Miguel´s story. We visited his house, and my auntie spoke with the mother, pleading the importance of education for Miguel. After some time Miguel´s mother agreed, and we made arrangements for him to start his first school year EVER this Feburary.

I wish I could have been there to see the excitement in his eyes the day they told him he was accepted into the school. I know how much he yearned to be a normal child. I wish I could have been there for his first day of school, to see him walk through that gate that for so long seperated him.

The reports of his first week are so encouraging. He was so eager in his first week, and he impressed his teachers so much, that he has already been skipped from 1st to 2nd grade. I am so proud of him.

A condition of him being in school was my promise to his mother that I would cover his school fees and all necessities. With $400US a year he has his education, books, uniform, and lunch covered.

My second even quicker story of a new project the nuns are implementing in their community (the community I spent Christmas with). Spending time in Bogota I realise that EVERY street corner has a bakery. They are everywhere, I´m sure that Colombians must live off bread! The nuns came up with a great idea to start a bakery in their village, as there are no bakeries in the area. They have found a house to rent, which will be seperated into a bread factory, and a store for the villagers to buy bread. I am so excited about the idea.

We have chosen 5 'at risk' mothers to learn how to bake the bread. One of the mothers is very close to my heart, as I was witness one night to the horrible domestic violence that she and her 4 children endure (a totally different story that I would love to share with you one day). Mothers like that are so stuck in this society, and learning skills such as baking bread will be of immense value.

Women will learn skills, employment will be created; and after all wages are paid ALL profits will go directly into the community.

I wanted to share these 2 stories with you as you can be part of this with us. Your contributions will go directly into funding the new project, and in covering Miguels school needs. The ministry the nuns run is very special, and I feel very fortunate to be able to share this project with them.

I pray continually that God will be glorified through these acts of mercy and compassion. I share with these people verbally that God loves them, and I do hope that through these projects they will SEE God in action. That they will experience His love in a very real way. If you feel led to be part of this ministry, please let me know. If you can uphold these projects in prayer, I would be most appreciative.

Love,

Jon Howes
Serving Colombia.