Preteens Making a Difference in Peru

A note from Nick: I want to introduce you to Rozanna Leever, who sent me an email regarding how the preteens in her group made a difference in Peru. Yes, one of our series, Force Field, was used to motivate the group into action. Whether you use our curriculum or not, the preteens you lead really can make a difference in other people’s lives. This post is more about how preteens can make a difference in their community and world & less about promoting our curriculum. I was inspired when I read her email and it brings me great joy to share this story with you.

Rozanna: Last year I helped lead a group of about thirty 5th and 6th graders called”The Edge,” from church in my home. We live and work in Doha, Qatar andour church serves the ex-pat community with people from around the world. My friend showed me your website and I found the 4-week  “Force Field” series. They were so well done and very impacting. The kids especially loved the skits each week. At the end, when they were challenged to think about how to impact their community, city and world. Our kids really started thinking.

Now, I need to back up two months. Last summer, my husband and I took our family of six to Peru to minister and tour. While we were there, we had an opportunity to fund the building of a small house on the outskirts of Lima for a family in need. We met Maria and her kids and felt called to this, although it was not planned. We worked through Childcare Worldwide and within one week the house was built. The Peruvians do the building, so when we returned from a side trip to the jungle, we were able to dedicate the house and see the change that had come over Maria and her kids. This experience greatly impacted our son Hayden who was eleven at the time.

Back to Doha and our preteen group, “The Edge”. Hayden mentioned his Peru experience to his friends and thought about how he could use baseball to get sponsors and possibly build another house the next summer. One of his friends, Jonny, helped him create a prezi about the project and off they went. The whole group rallied around the idea after the Force Field lesson.

In the end, the group spread the word and raised enough money to build and furnish six houses.

In addition, five families heard about it and donated whole houses. We took a group of 18 to Peru this July to dedicate all eleven houses.

Here is a link to Childcare Worldwide if you want to read more.

I just wanted you to know the impact your lessons are having. Thank you so much for such agreat resource. May God bless your ministry. I’m going to use all your new lessons this year.

– Rozanna Leever