May 26, 2021 Learning about Jesus in the Floating Classrooms of Peru

My name is Jos and I’m 9 years old.

I’m the eldest of my three siblings, Alex and Silvia. We live in the Uros Islands of PeruÑwhich consists of about 120 man-made islands on Lake Titicaca. We travel by boat to go to the market, visit relatives and friends and to go to school.

I just finished two years at the public school when teachers from the Uros Adventist school visited our family and invited us to a meeting. At the meeting they had a wonderful presentation. The teachers told us about Adventist education and about JesusÑthe greatest teacher. They also told us about how God wants us to grow mentally, physically and spiritually. I really liked the program and my parents did too. I asked my parents if I could study at the Uros Adventist School and they said yes! I was so happy!

I have been a student here for four years now. I’ve learned many good things in addition to my regular classes, like Christian values and how to respect my parents and others. Most of all, I’ve learned about Jesus and His love. My teachers have taught us well, despite limits on transportation, challenges from the pandemic and our lack of school supplies. We don’t have money to have cell phones or computers for online classes. We also can’t afford to buy textbooks or notebooks. However, my classmates and I have been able to make the most of our studies in class.

Although we have limitations, our teachers and directors are so creative. Public schools in Peru have a breakfast program for students called Qaliwarma but we don’t have this program at our school. My classmates and I sometimes go to school without having breakfast. Thanks to our director and teachers, we now have our own Qaliwarma with the support of donors abroad who give us resources to buy food. Now our mothers prepare the food so we can have a school breakfast on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

My parents don’t have many financial resources. My father is a fisherman and my mother makes handicrafts. With the pandemic, it’s been a struggle to afford our daily needs. All of us who live on the Uros islands depend on tourism, but because of the pandemic, there has been no tourism. No foreign tourists have come to buy the handicrafts my mother and other people make. So we don’t have enough money for the food we need. My parents and neighbors are very concerned about this situation.

Thanks to QHM CaresÑreaching across borders, we have received basic food items. Now we have food to eat for me, my siblings and my parentsÑand for my 22 classmates and their families for several weeks!

We are also very happy because our school has been blessed with the support of Quiet Hour Ministries. Three of our teachers have been supported, and our school has been painted and the desks have been repaired for all my classmates and me. Now we can study with more joy, because our little Uros school is being restored after a long time.

We thank God that there are people with great hearts who help us from afar like Quiet Hour Ministries.

Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. John 17:3

Will you pray for Jos and his classmates at the floating Adventist School in Peru? This is one of many evangelism related projects QHM has supported around the world. We’re so thankful to all our supporters that are keeping mission moving forward around the world.