 | | Isaac rowing us out of a tight spot. |
Dear Friends & Family,
We are ending our "winter" season here in the Amazon when things are supposed to slow down. But, things have been anything but slow for us over the last two months. Since our last update, we've made a few trips to the capital for immigration paperwork, Sis Ann Buening arrived and we are working on obtaining her missionary residency visa. We've experienced a real touch of God on our tribal work. Also, I've had the pleasure of many sessions with our two tribal pastors in counseling and discipling, and much more. Peruse our blog for more information on the above activities. In this update I want to share more in-depth about the girls home ministry and share some needs we have for the home. Thanks for all you do to make our missionary ministry possible. Your prayers and giving are our constant source of encouragement. His for the Harvest,
Missionary Joe Barraclough
The Missionary Minute is a periodic e-letter sent free to friends and supporters of Vision Ministries International, the missionary ministry of the Barraclough Family. The purpose of the letter is to communicate the activities of our family in missionary ministry to foster partnerships in prayer. |
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Vision Ministries
the ministry of
The Barraclough Family
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Address for Correspondence and Support:
Vision Ministries PO Box 429
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"Are we there yet?"
- often quoted by five of our seven children. |
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Good Seed Girls Home
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When God opened my heart a few years ago to the needs of orphaned and abused children, the weight of the burden seemed so heavy. When we started out to fulfill this call, we had no idea that it would eventually lead us to work for abandoned and abused girls.
After so much time in construction and learning, the home is off to a great start. A few of the older girls have grown up and have moved on in life, pursuing their dreams, and more children have come for help and healing.
Though the home has faced many challenges and we as part of a team are still learning, we're working hard to make the home a place where God can heal these little wounded hearts and give them hope for a bright future.
Currently, the home has nine girls, ranging in age from 11 to 17. We are ardent in our pursuit to provide them with a stable Christian home environment and the best we can in the way of an education.
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Educational Needs
 | | Touring the campus of the Lima International School of Tomorrow as we learn more about educating. |
We just returned from a trip to Lima, the capital where we met with Miss Elizabeth Lopez, the director of ACE schools in several South American countries. We are working on adapting the ACE curriculum in Spanish to the educational needs of the girls in the home.
The cost for the curriculum and materials for each student will run about $225 per student per year. With nine girls, that total cost for this year of schooling will be a little over $2,000. If you would like to give toward this project please write "ACE Peru" in the memo of your check. For online donations, please send me a quick email to let me know how you would like the funds utilized. | |
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A Plea for Electricity
The girls home is located roughly 11 kilometers out of town. Up until now, the only electricity the home is able to have is through generators. On a normal day the home only has enough funds for about 2 to 3 hours of electricity per day.
Now, we have an opportunity to provide the home with 24 hour power if we can raise an additional $3,500 of a total of $6,000 for the equipment and labor to install electric lines from the nearest power lines to the home.
24-hour power will actually be a huge savings over the few hours that the home is able to run the generators due to the high cost of gasoline and maintenance of the generators. Additionally, full-time electricity will allow the home to have a continuous supply of well-pumped water and refrigeration.
If you would like to give toward this much needed project, please write "Good Seed-Electricity" in the memo of your check or send me an email informing me of how you would like to designate your donation.
Thank you so much for your help to improve these girls' lives!
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Barraclough Family Update
 | | Jessica, 2 years old, at her first dental appointment in Lima |
Things have been unusually busy for us lately. And of course, for a family of nine, every day is a monumental task. Here's a low down on how the kids are spending time in both work and leisure.
Nadia: She's a big help in the kitchen. This year she has started making pies and experimenting with gluten free grains to make yummy treats for her daddy.
Isaac: He likes the rigorous tasks of river travel and to shoot his bow and arrow.
Jenny: She's a natural little mommy with the baby girls and Justin. She helps by holding the baby, and by playing with the toddlers.
Caleb: He is buddies with Becca. They like to play sword fights, wrestling, police, and other imaginative games.
Becca: She's rough and tumble with her older brother, Caleb. Her chirpy personality is a joy, and she loves to talk on and on (in both Spanish and English).
Jecca: Wow! This girl is brave. As seen in the photo above, she wanted to sit in the dentist's chair for her own cleaning. She climbs up in the indians' hammocks, and sits down in their laps. She is definitely on a quest to get the most out of life.
Justin: He, well, er...cries. A lot. He is starting to try to crawl and stand up in his crib. As the little guy he gets lots of attention.
Wedding Anniversary When we went to Lima, the capital city of Peru, recently, the timing of our trip coincided with our 15-year anniversary. It was so much fun to go to Chili's to eat. The mall in Lima even had a Tutti-Frutti where we went for desert afterwards. Two days were spent in a quaint bed-n-breakfast. We really enjoyed the cooler weather. I'm so thankful for my helpmeet! | |
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