In the June issue of the Peru Mission Bulletin, we printed this article describing the plans at Christ the Restorer Presbyterian Church to open a school to serve the children and families of the Manuel Arévalo community. By the time the article was printed and mailed to supporters, the situation had changed so that the saints at Christ the Restorer Church had to delay building the school at least until next year. We would like to share with you here why this has happened and how the plans have changed.

The Peruvian Ministry of Education requires that groups wishing to operate a primary school submit all licensing paperwork by October each year in order to open the school in March of the following year (which is when the Peruvian school year begins). Before a group can submit their paperwork, they must have completed all construction of the school’s facilities. Because Peru Mission plans to assist the church in building the school primarily through the assistance of short-term teams, it was necessary for the church to complete their construction plans prior to our short-term team season (roughly by June, 2012).

In the end, this is where the project failed to take off. The committee was unable to assemble the plans in time for the teams to work on the project, making it impossible for the church to meet the government’s October deadline.

Peru Mission and Christ the Restorer Church are humbled by our inabilities and short-comings in preparing for this project. Once again, we are reminded of our total dependence upon the Lord’s provision and of our continuous and fundamental need to rest in His providence. We know the Lord has a perfect plan for the people of Manuel Arévalo, and it is our hope that this plan include a school for the area’s children. To this end, the leadership of Christ the Restorer Church will soon be re-uniting the education committee and beginning afresh to bring together the plans and paperwork necessary for starting and completing the project. Christ the Restorer Church now prayerfully hopes to build the school next year and apply to open the school for the 2014 school year.

We ask for you to continue to pray for Christ the Restorer Church and for the school they hope to build. The need for Biblical education in our communities is desperate, and a year makes a significant difference in the lives of young children. Please pray that the Lord would cause this school to come about, that He would provide wise and gifted teachers and administrators, and that He would be pleased to use the saints at Christ the Restorer Church to conquer the hearts and minds of the families of Manuel Arévalo.