This past Wednesday night on the subway back to El Oasis, I couldn’t stop thinking over the meeting that I had just had. I went out to a city just outside of Santiago called Maipú to meet with a guy named Sergio that is working with the kids in the community. Sergio is a photographer and publicist, but lately spends most of his free time reaching out to kids in the neighborhood around his church. This is a really cool church that we have had the opportunity to work with. Some of the students that go to El Oasis are from the church there. We have gone to Iloca through an organization that the church started. Right next to the church building is an area for bmx biking, a soccer field, and these igloo structures that were built to provide an area for the children in the neighborhood to play and learn in different workshops inside the igloos.
Sergio showed me around the igloos and told me how the kids in the area just roam around the streets all day long with nothing to do. Most of them come from the projects which are located right next to the church and the igloos. He said that he hears stories from the kids that basically just make him want to cry. It is a very difficult place to grow up and drugs are a big problem there. In another part of town where they reach out to the kids, the people from the church are actually protected by the drug dealers in the neighborhood. The dealers like what the people are doing. They like that they are a source of light in their children’s lives.
A group of students from El Oasis helped paint the igloos early last year. Since then, the project has had a hard time getting off the ground in part due to vandalism and people stealing stuff. Sergio’s computer and camera were stolen from him in the igloos. A mac book pro and a Canon 40D. Basically his way of making a living was taken from him. What’s hard is that he knows that the same kids that he is investing all of his time in, one of them took it. He said that he could have let it bother him and turn his back on the project, but he just loves the kids too much. I honestly couldn’t believe his attitude. It was inspiring. We went for a walk in the projects and talked to a few people. They love what the church is doing in their neighborhood.
Despite the set backs and difficulties the group opened up the igloos to the kids a few weeks ago and it has been a big hit. Already there are up to 50 kids that come and spend time in the igloos, skate ramp, and soccer field that are located next to the church. There is a gate that opens up directly from the igloos into the neighborhood where the kids come from. The dream is that they would be able to keep the gate open so that the kids could come in at any time, but it’s just not possible at this point. There has been graffiti, windows stolen, wood stolen, etc. They open up the igloos from 6pm to 9pm Mondays through Fridays. Right now the igloos don’t have electricity, which is something that they want to fix before the winter months when it gets darker much earlier.
He was telling me that they have resources but lack people to help run the igloos. Usually they only have one teacher in the evenings. The idea is that each igloo has someone teaching photography, arts and crafts, English, or some other activity to positively impact these children. My purpose for meeting with Sergio was to see how El Oasis can be more involved with the project there. I’m excited because it’s an awesome opportunity to get students involved with being a positive influence in these kids lives. For example he mentioned that we could set up a soccer championship with us from El Oasis playing against the kids, and losing obviously, or a day of theater where we put on a play with the kids. I don’t exactly what it will look like or how often that we will be able to be involved, but I’ve talked to a few students about it already and I know that they interested.
Sergio and another friend of mine are also involved in a group called Los Intocables, the untouchables, that are involved in reaching out to kids like these, people in prisons, and basically the people that are forgotten and not reached out to. They base their name on the scripture from Mark 1:40 where Jesus reached out and touched a man with leprosy to heal him. I love it.
The summer semester and Tertulia Lites have been going great. The interns have started their year of work already and had a week of training last week. We will be having meetings this coming week as a team to plan out Bible studies, devotional dinners, and events for the semester. Please pray for how we might be able to be involved with the igloo project in Maipú as we plan for the year. Thanks!
Philip