Chalice: Notes from the field...

Chalice's next mission will bring our team to Peru from  October 15-23 !  The cost is approx. $2,150 (including flights, ground transportation, accommodations and meals).  There is an optional tour at the end (inquire if you are interested). We’ll be visiting our Cañete Sponsor Site, working alongside our partners, building relationships with the families we serve and other Canadians with a heart for service.  Our focus will be Works of Mercy . Cañete is a town located 150 km south of the capital, Lima.  50% of the population are living in families who struggle daily with poverty, working as agricultural laborers in the nearby valley.  Issues like poor housing conditions, overcrowding, malnutrition, and lack of drinking water aggravate the living situation.  Sponsorship helps children, seniors, and families cover their basic needs of nutrition, education, health, hygiene, and clothing.  The Site also offers lunch for children and seniors in their comedor (soup kitchen

Before I came on this mission trip I had many questions. I had read that 92% of the money goes to the children, but was that true? Were the letters we receive from the children really their words or do adults write them? Are the children made to do these letters out of obligation or do they want to write them? I am writing to tell you what I have seen and felt. The children truly receive what they need and more from the sponsorship money. This includes the basic needs of food, clothing, and school supplies (which they have already received for the next school year). Once a child is sponsored, the whole family is welcomed into the Chalice Family.  There are group activities for the children as well as adult education programs for guardians. The families work together to build community in their village and regional area. We saw how Chalice has provided new windows for homes and schools, playgrounds and music programs for children, and helped finance renovations in a children’s hos