CUDA Peru Newsfeed

New Schools in Arequipa with Libraries More Alive Than Ever

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 13:09:00 GMT

By: Lucía Márquez

Just a few days from beginning 2015, our minds were filling with ideas - some outrageous and others exciting. We considered the living libraries that we would have wanted to have as children and searched websites to find ideas. Finally we were able to visualize an area with a tree that we painted ourselves - a strong trunk shaped in brown, light and dark green leaf shapes stamped from carved potatoes, resulting in textured leaves and a strong Peruvian presence. But the work doesn’t end there…a drill is required for this task, so that we can build shelves onto the tree and add other items to the wall. What a job! This team is excellent, with plenty of potential, ability, will and love for the work.

The libraries are more alive than ever. This year the curriculum plan contains new approaches in the lessons for the children, always demonstrating by using concrete, sensory experiences, valuing group work so that the children learn among themselves to take advantage of their diversity; we introduce activities in art, science, communication, interpersonal relationships, personal reflections so that we learn about nature and its mysteries, play, participate in physical education, sing, and create. We make mistakes throughout the year and grow through them.

On the other hand, our relationship with the teachers will be strengthened through clear, friendly, respectful and fair dialogue. We will guide the educators in learning the Reading Plan based on Metacognitive Strategies that we propose, and of course we will support their creativity, nevertheless highlighting that the teachers themselves are the ones responsible for making their way in the Living Libraries Program over the 3 years of our contract. Their leaders (the directors) play an important role of keeping their teams spurred on, prepared to handle changes, willing to have fun each day with the students, while collaborating on ideas and thoughts with parents.

In 2015 we have 4 school families: 2 new schools include “Manuel Gallegos Sanz” in the Cayma district and “Pedro Villena Hidalgo” in the Hunter district, one in its second year (“Mario Vargas Llosa” in the Alto Selva Alegre district), and another in its third year (“Gerardo Iquira Pizzaro” in the Miraflores district). We appreciate the schools that are in their second and third years of work for each moment of teaching, each mistake and lesson learned, while we expect willingness, love of learning, hard work, trust and friendship from those beginning their first year.

The training will be very active, including some theory, good practice and interchange of experience among teachers, parents and people who are generally interested in forming part of this reading challenge, which turns us into the vehicle through which our children can have power and freedom of thought.

We don’t expect to change the world, but we can introduce the world of reading to our 650 students and maybe that will be an incentive for them to take a new path in life.

On Development: A Change In Mindset

Tue, 16 Dec 2014 22:56:00 GMT

by Greg McKinzie

"What we need is a change in mindset, so that people can recognize the dignity and creative capacity of their brothers and sisters in the developing nations."

This video brings together the strands of the On Development series in the essential idea I would like to present to CUDA supporters: let’s change our mindset. The theory of microfinance and the capacity of the poor help us see the poor as entrepreneurs and creative problem-solvers. They are not helpless and hopeless. The holistic and systemic nature of human wellbeing invites us to consider the complexity of poverty and further adjust our perceptions of the poor. Only then can we begin to address the issues that limit the potential of the poor. This is where development initiatives can make a real, sustainable difference—in partnership with the poor, relying upon their resources and abilities, and working against systemic injustice.

Previous posts in the On Development series:

Introduction
Economic Theory of Microfinance (Part 1)
The Capacity of the Poor (Part 1)
Systems (Part 1)
Holism (Part 1)
Economic Theory of Microfinance (Part 2)
Systems (Part 2)
Holism (Part 2)
The Capacity of the Poor (Part 2)
Systems (Part 3)
Holism (Part 3)
The Capacity of the Poor (Part 3)

The Kingdom Gospel in Latin America: Holistic Missions

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 14:28:00 GMT

by Bill Richardson

[Teacher, friend, and mentor of the families that founded CUDA, Dr. Bill Richardson has been an important part of the work since its inception. We were honored to have him speak at the benefit dinner hosted at the 2014 Global Missions Conference on October 17th. The following is the manuscript of his thoughtful and heartfelt lecture.]

I first traveled to Latin America in the summer of 1979, accompanying the Jerry Hill family overland to Guatemala following their one-year furlough in Abilene, Texas. I was enthralled as we crossed the Mexican border, drove along the Gulf coast, traversed from Vera Cruz to Tapachula and entered Guatemala. In that brief visit, I determined that I would be a missionary to Guatemala. In February of 1981, my bride of nine months and I took up residence there. It was a very troubled time and our stay was far too short. But it was my first experience in Latin America—a land of abundant natural resources that have been mismanaged and misappropriated by corrupt governments so as to impoverish, disenfranchise, and marginalize those who would otherwise be the rightful heirs of these riches.

It was my first exposure to these warm, passionate, hospitable people we know as Latin Americans, who struggle with their own sense of identity and worth—descendants of both conquerors and the conquered—inheriting the values and world views of Maya, Aztec, and Inca as well as those of fifteenth-century Iberia. These are resilient people who have survived the atrocities of the Conquest, European disease, miscegenation, the imposition of European laws, and subsequent wars, natural disasters, poverty, inequities, oppression, gangs, drugs, and heartache. And, through it all, they have retained, for the most part, a belief in God and the spiritual realm. This is our beloved Latin America, the context in which we labor, anticipating the day when the repercussions of the conquest of those Iberian kingdoms give way to the redemption, liberation, and wholeness that attend the kingdom of God.

The brief eleven months in Guatemala was also my introduction to the divide between evangelistic efforts and any attempt to improve the physical or social condition of the people. As part of that generation baptized in McGavran’s church growth axioms, I learned to be concerned with too much lift following redemption, the phenomena of “rice Christians,” and the paternalism and dependency issues that result from the unwise use of American dollars. It is worthy of note that before Donald McGavran wrote The Bridges of God in 1955, many denominational mission agencies were content to maintain a mission station and, in many settings, missionaries served primarily in hospitals, schools, orphanages, and seminaries, pursuing a strategy of “gradualism” that McGavran disdained.

I have now lived long enough, and was fortunate enough to sneak into the academy when hiring practices were extrememly lax, to be teaching missions to a new generation of would-be missionaries who have experienced their own baptism into relativism, political correctness, and all manner of movements vying for the rights of people to live life according to their own standards so as to make the notion of people actually being lost appear as unloving, intolerant, and contrary to the very heart of Jesus.

In short, in my lifetime, I have only had a few true glimpses of holism and otherwise have experienced prime examples of halfism: In their extreme manifestations, on one end of the spectrum is found an urgent evangelism that cannot take time to serve people’s needs or to discover effective ways to equip and empower national Christians; and on the other end is a de facto universalism that is too often reduced to pre-1955 gradualistic do-goodism that never gets to the point of personal conviction so as not to offend. These easy generalizations will probably raise the ire of brothers and sisters on both sides and are admittedly unfair and incomplete evaluations, but I risk being misunderstood on this point to make a more critical point: We are easily swayed by the prevailing winds of our times. We are adoptionists, missiological band-wagoners. We have been indoctrinated by sociology and philosophy, persuaded by pragmatism, humanism, liberalism and other -isms and have been content to let others decide our approach to missions.

Which brings me to the operative term in my theme: kingdom gospel. By using this term, there is no intended inference that there are multiple gospels. There is but one gospel. This is the good news that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, lived as the true manifestation of the image of God in man, and surrendered his life on the cross in atonement of all those who will surrender in obedience to his lordship. He has been raised and ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, reigning authoritatively until the last enemy is placed under his feet. He has sent his spirit to convict, intercede, transform, and guide his people until he returns to take us to be with him where he is. This is the gospel. The kingdom gospel is all about the king!

But kingdom gospel allows us to see results and implications of the gospel that we perhaps do not normally conceptualize. The gospel touches my life personally in making atonement for my sin and reconciling me with my God. But God’s kingdom is bigger than my personal atonement. In God’s kingdom, the Lord God reigns and we are his subjects. God’s agenda dictates. This is missio Dei and God, in his mercy, includes and entrusts us with the gospel. My atonement allows me to be a participant in this kingdom that is so much greater than I.

The scope of God’s kingdom is greater.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:18-23)

Everything that was touched by the fall is now affected by the cross. It is an uninformed Christian who says, “I have been washed and forgiven and now am just waiting for the heavenly kingdom.” This would be to overlook the immediate presence of God’s rule that evokes a lifetime of worship, service, devotion, and transformation. It would be to overlook the purpose of this lifetime of blessed relationship and preparation. That is to say that the Kingdom of God does not just commence in the hereafter but is a present reality in the here and now.

Note the recorded words of Jesus:

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” (Mk 1.15)

“If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (Mt 12.28)

“The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Lk 17.20-21)

In the same way that God’s Spirit is at work in me presently, God at the cross has begun his current work in all of the creation to reverse the fall, to restore the entire created order, to redeem all things from bondage and to fully restore its glory.

The power of God’s kingdom is greater. When we think of power we tend to quantify. We think in terms of numbers. As a recovering disciple of Church Growth principles, I can appreciate that God is interested in numbers. Donald McGavran was a devoted and godly man but, based on reflections provided by Ebbie Smith and Peter Wagner, close colleagues of McGavran, we may note that he was a practitioner rather than a theologian. As such, he was highly pragmatic. He was not so interested in what should bring people to Jesus but very interested in what does, in fact, bring unbelievers to Christ.

We must take great care with the easy success of pragmatism. Pragmatically I know how to attract enough Latin Americans to fill an enormous soccer stadium. Before I tell you my secret method, I want to signal the importance of why they are there. What has caused this multitude of people to assemble themselves together? If they have gathered to form a community dedicated to the praise of God’s glory, to pursue the exercise of Spirit-bestowed gifts in ministries to the body and surrounding community, to live exemplary lives of purity and sacrifical love, and to engage thoughtfully and devotedly in the mission of God, what will sustain them in these efforts? Which is another way of asking, to whom or what have they been converted? Now I can reveal my method for filling the stadium with people. Host a soccer match. Try it! It works!! Pragmatic genius! Do we see the importance of asking why they are there?

A pragmatic approach can also build and fill church buildings. But we need to ask the important questions. For this reason the Apostle Paul writes “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord.” If we have attracted them by our own clever methods, what will sustain them? It should concern us that far more books have been written about the pragmatics of missions than the theology of missions.

Kingdom economics is mysterious because too often it is qualitative rather than quantitative. How else can we explain Jesus investing so much time and energy into twelve disciples when it was manifest that he possessed the ability to gather the masses? The Gospels reveal that Jesus values germinal mustard seeds over sterile fig trees. He invested in those who had no where else to turn but to Him who had the words of life and allowed the “loaf and fish” disciples to stumble upon his hard teachings.

In the mysterious economy of God, the demands of the kingdom are greater than many calculate. “If you wish to gain life, you must lose it.” “If you wish to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross daily.” It is not that three times per week in a Christian assembly will punch your ticket to heaven; it is if the Lord Jesus Christ reigns in your heart and has transformed your deepest desires. Kingdom citizens do not have a peculiar way of looking at certain things in life, they have a certain way of looking at everything in life.

And on and on and on we could go with our reflection on the greatness of God’s kingdom. These illustrations are given to demonstrate that holism is inherent in God’s kingdom. It is a manifestation of our misunderstanding of God’s kingdom that we would ever coin the phrase “holistic ministries.” Service in God’s kingdom cannot be anything but holistic.

I observe that when we speak of holism, we usually focus on human methods. I believe this leads to a false dichotomy that pits evangelists against servants. Instead we should focus on divine results. The gospel is holisitc in the sense that it makes broken, bankrupt, alienated, hurting, dying men and women whole, integral, entire once more. As God’s Spirit wields his sword and breathes new life into the penitent, obedient believer, he restores God’s very image in deformed and disfigured humanity.

Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Unless a man is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” The kingdom gospel brings new life! Its aim is to make people whole again!

When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Luke 7:20-23)

The hallmark of the kingdom is wholeness. The king’s rule is absolute even as his salvation is complete. When God’s kingdom breaks into the human predicament, nothing remains outside the reach of his compassion and power. Scripture teaches that salvation is not just forgiveness of past sins, but it is God’s Spirit empowering us to say no to temptation and sin. It is the washing of present sins as we walk in the light and confess to our faithful and just Father. It is complete salvation, complete renewal and it touches all facets of life. In similar fashion, we are involved in a ministry to restore and renew men, women, boys, girls, families, communities, people groups, nations, and creation itself.

I mentioned earlier that I have been privileged to witness a few instances of holistic ministry. The ministries that I have seen the Smiths and McKinzies pursue in Arequipa, Peru are among the finest attempts to display the kingdom of God drawn near to people in need. They have worked to establish neighborhood libraries but have gone beyond to teach school teachers to help children with literacy. They have worked to empower people living in new neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city to put in septic systems and have gone beyond to encourage neighborhood associations of cooperation and communication. They have established a program of micro-loans and gone beyond to train each recipient of a loan in principles of business ethics. These good works are commendable but there are three important postscripts. PS #1. They have prayerfully abandoned all projects that they have judged unsustainable; PS #2. The sustainable works have been passed on to Peruvian Christians who have been empowered to continue the ministry; and PS #3, all of this has been accompanied by the proclamation of Jesus as Lord. It is a tribute to their love for people and their obedience to Jesus that they would emulate his own ministry among the Arequipeños. The fruit of their labors are a small but devoted band of disciples who are enjoying the refreshment of fellowship with the triune God.

May we all pray to possess such a vision and understanding of God’s kingdom. May we seek to be such servants and then to join forces with such servants, so that we can also pray with clarity and confidence: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

CUDA Benefit Dinner

Tue, 14 Oct 2014 20:56:00 GMT

We are coming to the Global Missions Conference 2014, taking place this week in Memphis, Tennessee. Come support CUDA, drink great coffee, and take advantage of so many great hearts and minds in one place, all talking about the mission of God. Even if you can't come, spread the word!

Expanding Language

Sat, 20 Sep 2014 20:43:00 GMT

by Briana Froud

As I near the end of my language school experience, I am thankful that we have been able to support CUDA during this process. But I am most grateful for the friendships I have formed as CUDA has done an amazing job with choosing their language teachers. Each of us (Morgans included) have formed friendships with the teachers throughout the past 7-8 months, relationships we will continue to develop throughout our time here.

As mentioned recently, big changes have come to CUDA with the termination of the cafe. Another development is that Passport Language School is introducing home stays. Home stays are available for those who wish to speed up their language learning by taking classes that are then applied practically by living with Peruvian families. Total immersion is the best way to learn a new language, and CUDA will now be able to offer an even fuller experience toward that end. Perhaps the most exciting part is that home stays will commence with the arrival of the two remaining team couples arriving by the beginning of October!

Hard to say goodbye

Fri, 19 Sep 2014 20:46:00 GMT

In case you missed it, about a month ago, CUDA decided to close Café Connection. Those of us who have been with it since birth are sad to let go. It was a fun venture and we had high hopes for it as a sustainable source of income for the NGO, but in reality it fell short. It simply required too much investment of time and resources without generating consistent profit. We chose not to renew our lease of the space and found another location to house our offices and language school, with new ideas for ways to use it to generate income. It will house a snack area for workers and language students, so we have one cafe employee making the move with us and we'll still offer bagged coffee and to-go drinks and snacks. We'll miss the sillar walls and familiar feel of this place that has served as a hub for the last couple of years, but it's the right time to reconsider our best approach.

There is no change with coffee sales in the States, so be sure to check out Luminous Coffee and figure out which of our three varieties is your favorite.

Clinic Friends

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 20:39:00 GMT

by Bethany Gray

We have now seen over 200 patients in the Diabetes Program. We have had meetings with the doctor which has helped us know where we need to steer the program and also has given us a bit more control of the program. We have a very successfully team meeting about ideas, thoughts and procedures. We are excited that Sarah Morgan will be joining us with education programs soon. I have started some new systems to help keep track of patients and follow up with care. We are excited about the progress we are having and are excited for the future. We would love to introduce some friends from the clinic in Hunter that have helped us, had good conversations with and always give us big smiles.

Our friend Felicia, who owns the little cafe in the clinic. She makes from really nice apple & quinoa juice and papitas (sliced battered then fried potato. Delicious. Very unhealthy. We don't recommend this for our diabetic patients!)

Andrew and Justin with Rosario who works with adolescents in Hunter. Rosario always makes time for us and is happy to help. She helped us get our first 10 patients!

Andrew with two clients after consultation

Education Campaign 2014

Wed, 23 Jul 2014 20:38:00 GMT

I remember sitting in the library office with Lucia dreaming about what could come for the future of Living Libraries (more than a year ago). We tossed several big ideas around that day, but one that became a reality this past month was an international education campaign that included speakers from the U.S. and Peru. I am excited to share my reflection of this event.

We began Living Libraries because there isn’t a culture of literacy here in Peru. Educators’ opportunities for professional development are few and far between. We start libraries, but one of our biggest goals in Living Libraries is to equip teachers with strategies for the classroom. In the school where we work this year, teachers from each grade level (1-6) attend a once-a-month staff development meeting to discuss the strategy we model throughout the month. I cherish this time with the teachers. It builds our relationships with them, and I know how beneficial the time can be to discuss the strategy as professionals without students present.

While our man power is low, and we can only manage to work with 2-3 schools each year, a door was opened for us to spread professional development to close to 100 teachers. Lucia worked countless hours to make the campaign a reality. She scored a way for us to host the campaign on one of the city’s most esteemed university campuses. She contacted and communicated with several big names in Peruvian education to come and speak at the campaign, along with several professors from the hosting university. It was a wonderful week, and a fantastic first campaign. There were, of course, a few glitches, but if there is something our NGO knows it is “live and learn.” We learned a lot from this first experience.

CUDA is blessed beyond measure to have two of its board members specializing in education. Dr. Clara Carroll and Dr. Ileene Huffard made the long trip to Arequipa to participate in the campaign, check out the Living Libraries in action, and meet with CUDA staff in person. It was an honor to be named their week-long tour guide. It was an absolute blessing for the two of them to see the library this year. The school surprised them with a show of traditional Peruvian story and dance. Both doctors spoke 3 different times in the areas of literacy formation, child development, instructional strategies, and reading comprehension. They were a huge hit with the Peruvian teachers attending the conference. It was an absolute delight to have them share their expertise with many hard-working teachers who don’t have access to new materials in the education field. We were beyond thankful to have them as keynote speakers.

Two other speakers that I really enjoyed meeting were Javier Arevalo and Manuel Herran. Javier is a Peruvian author who started an NGO in Lima called Recreo. His NGO starts libraries in schools, but they have a strong emphasis on parental involvement. We really enjoyed sharing ideas with Javier, and there is potential for an alliance to develop between our two groups in the future. Javier is also responsible for a Peruvian law that was passed for a national reading plan in the public schools. Manuel is a professional story-teller. In his talk, he presented Jim Trelease’s work on the “Read-Aloud.” He tours the country of Peru speaking on behalf of the publishing company, MacMillan. He has agreed to come and tell a story to our school this year the next time MacMillan brings him through Arequipa.

The campaign was every evening (M-F) from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm. All that attended received a certificate of professional development hours for 120 hours stamped by the ministry of education (these hours also included extra technology and follow-up on the topics presented). Their certificates can be applied toward incentives from the ministry.

For me, the major highlights that came from the campaign were (1) CUDA’s name getting out there; (2) the new relationship that CUDA has with Recreo; and (3) Clara and Ileene seeing the work in person. The final day, a teacher approached me and asked, “When will you all be offering another opportunity like this?” That comment was icing on the cake. Living Libraries will be seeking out other opportunities in the future to help and equip the education professional community of Peru.

CUDA Rebrands Coffee

Fri, 18 Jul 2014 13:38:00 GMT

The Christian Urban Development Association has rebranded its premium Peruvian coffee as Luminous Coffee™. The change comes after marketing consultation and a difficult decision. Brand confusion with CUDA Coffee Company, a Florida-based online coffee accessories vendor, was a major factor. CUDA hopes the change will help customers identify their coffee more easily.

Why Luminous? “Uniqueness is a key issue,” says Greg McKinzie, a CUDA board member. “We need to stand out, and Luminous definitely achieves that.” For the missionaries who started the NGO, Luminous brings to mind “light to the nations,” a phrase taken from Isaiah 49:6 that inspired their work. “Coffee is something that lights up your day. It’s just a drink, but coffee lovers know a good cup can make everything brighter,” says McKinzie. “We think ‘Luminous’ captures that essence.” Two of CUDA’s existing varieties, Sunrise and Fireside, also evoke images of light, and the recent addition of a dark roast called Darkstar hints at a theme.

What’s Next? Luminous Coffee will roll out a new logo in the coming months and plans to repackage its products as quickly as possible. CUDA is intent on growing the brand into a major source of revenue for its holistic development programs (read more at www.cudaperu.org). In October, Luminous will provide coffee for the Global Missions Conference (www.globalmissionsconference.org), a tri-annual gathering of Churches of Christ missions leaders and organizations. CUDA plans to begin marketing to churches and other Christian organizations. Board chair Kyle Smith states that churches should become conscientious about purchasing products like Luminous Coffee. “Every dollar a church spends should support businesses that have a greater mission than just their bottom line. At one time churches might not have worried about everyday expenses such as coffee, but we know too much now. Churches need to make budget decisions that reflect the values they claim to hold.”

Contact:

Tim Henderson (COO)
luminouscoffee@cudaperu.org
www.luminous.coffee
www.facebook.com/luminouscoffee
www.twitter.com/drinkluminous

Covenant

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 20:32:00 GMT

by Chase Froud

My family and I have been in Arequipa for just over 5 months now. During that time, I have accompanied Alfredo and Greg to a nearby pueblo in Mirador to assist in a community develop project that has since fizzled out. Also, I tagged along with Paty and Greg to listen to a business ethics class that our borrowers are required to attend. I have not yet taken the opportunity to be at the school for the library program, but the photos of the excited children provide a good assessment.

For my part, I have been involved primarily with CeDeTe, the center for theological development, as a student. This class is a great foundation for any new Christian or not yet believer. It is also beneficial for our Peruvian church leaders to increase their knowledge and their ability to talk about God.Thus far we have studied the story of Israel within the Hebrew Bible. We are just over half-way through the first trimester. Greg has done a wonderful job instructing, and I am increasing my biblical spanish vocabulary. Just this week we discussed the covenant God made with David, and Greg pointed out how integral this occasion was for the people of God. In 2 Sam. 7, the prophet Nathan outlines the covenant God is making with David. I only want to point out two important features within this covenant. First in v. 13, God tells David that his son will build a temple and that David’s reign over Israel will continue forever through his descendants. Second in v. 14, God says that He will be a father to Solomon and Solomon will be his son. This language is powerful covenantal language from God who longs to dwell with his people (temple) and have an intimate relationship with them, never removing his love! This type of relationship between God and humanity was was to set in motion Israel’s calling from the days of Abraham to a blessing to all nations! Even in spite of her stubbornness, God, through the monarchy of David, would once again reign over Israel. And what would this kingdom look like? In Psalm 72 David prays for his son’s kingdom and his theme, I think, captures the essence of what CUDA stands for. Here is an adapted portion and may this be our prayer too.

May we judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice!

May we defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the children of the needy,

and crush the oppressor!

May we fear you while the sun endures,

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!

In our days may the righteous flourish,

and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

For we deliver the needy when he calls,

the poor and him who has no helper.

We have pity on the weak and the needy,

and save the lives of the needy.

From oppression and violence we redeem their life,

and precious is their blood in our sight.

May there be abundance of grain in the land;

on the tops of the mountains may it wave;

may its fruit be like Lebanon;

and may people blossom in the cities

like the grass of the field!

May people be blessed in us,

all nations call us blessed!

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

who alone does wondrous things.

Blessed be his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory!

Amen and Amen!

Health Project Update

Sat, 31 May 2014 10:31:00 GMT

by Andrew Gray

Three or so months into our adventure in the development of a CUDA health program within the city district of hunter and we are slowly building traction.

As it seems with all programs and projects started within a Developing country dictate that all things take a while to ‘develop’. Our presence is growing in the health centre. This is positive and encouraging given the nature of health centres, changes happen frequently and people come and go but people are learning our names and bit by bit we are making connections with all the staff and nutting out ways of collaborating and improving health outcomes. We are currently solely working in the area of Diabetes diagnosis and prevention (which, to be honest is an excellent place to start given the nature of diet and health practices in Arequipa). We fill out simple forms with people and do a simple test to uncover potential diabetes. However by far our most useful and potentially far reaching aspect of our program is Education on nutrition and lifestyle for the prevention of diabetes for which has received very positive reaction from patients. We have currently seen 130 patients and lead to the potential diagnosis of 4 patients (of which we refer to the Doctors in the centre). These are humble beginnings but there are a lot of exciting opportunities to come.

On Development: The Capacity of the Poor (Part 3)

Mon, 28 Apr 2014 11:46:00 GMT

by Greg McKinzie

"Slums are indications that people have the ability and the willingness to solve their problems."

So the question is, can we perceive the assets and abilities of the poor in the midst of systems of poverty? The nature of the situation can make indigenous solutions seem like failure, but are they? This is not merely a matter of appreciation, which can turn into a patronizing attitude that commends a "good effort." What is at stake for development is the profound creativity and energy already at work in the lives of poor people, already effective in the face of astounding adversity.

Previous posts in the On Development series:

Relying on Connections

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 10:29:00 GMT

by Larissa Smith

What a ride is has been to see all the work happening through CUDA since it began in 2008! We initially identified specific needs for which we saw solutions and have been pursuing a closing of those gaps ever since. We have dreams of transforming education with a city full of schools that have functioning libraries, raising children who love to read and are encouraged to learn well every day. We envision small business owners who are passionate about their work with ideas of how to grow it being able to access the little boosts they need to take a new step and establish a reliable source of income for their families. We hope to see doctors able to teach the right patients how to prevent serious illness instead of barely keeping up with the emergencies and diseases that present themselves at the bustling clinic every day. We want to be more than a band-aid or reassurance, but to actually address the source of the problem and make it better, for real.

We love that you are part of it, that this network stretches across the hemispheres and around the world, and every hand that lends a few dollars or buys a book or helps pay one of our workers their salary for the month helps hold that network together. Even the people who come into the coffee shop or take a language class build more sustainability for this organization, so that we can dream bigger instead of scrambling just to keep the commitments we’ve already made. We need our workers, our supporters, ourselves, our target populations and our customers - the interweaving of them all keeps us afloat.

The reality of running an NGO is that it’s hard to keep all those connections taut. Interest wanes or the program hits a rough patch and makes everyone nervous. Tourist activity drops off in the rainy season and coffee sales go down. As Christians, we trust that God will provide even while yielding our own hopes and dreams to Him. It’s a tough place to be, to know when to let go of an effort that is not proving fruitful or when to be faithful to the vision when we can’t see how we can afford to serve those people. Yes, our experience is beautiful. Yes, we’ve learned a great deal. Yes, it’s been frustrating to navigate Peruvian red tape and time frames and international fundraising to keep things going. Yes, we are hopeful and excited about every new opportunity. Yes, we always need help to make it happen.

Development work is by nature slow, as we address the underlying systemic issues that restrict education, business advancement and health. In a numbers game, we won’t ever win. But in terms of long-term solutions, we are confident of our approach and the ways real change can happen.

We ask your prayers as we continue working, that there will be the right intersection of support and opportunities and willing participants to keep it all going.

- Pray for the success of our language school.

- Pray for coffee sales in the US of A to continue growing, so that alongside donations, we have the solid foundation we need to build a lasting organization.

- Advocate for us, spreading the word and sending interested parties our way to fill in the gaps in our know-how or manpower or funds.

- Pray that we will see God’s provision so clearly that we press forward with renewed strength and courage.

- Pray for our workers to have wisdom in all their interactions, to learn to see the world with new eyes and have hearts like Jesus toward those who come to us for help.

And we pray that you recognize your value in this far-reaching web, as we each do our part and see it build together toward something else altogether, looking forward to His kingdom and the true healing that will fix every broken thing that we haven’t yet been able to reach.

Health

Sun, 30 Mar 2014 20:05:00 GMT

by Justin Morgan

Since our family’s arrival to Arequipa just over a month ago we have been overwhelmed by the ways in which the missionaries who have preceded us, as well as the Peruvians, have gone out of their way to serve us and make our transition here as smooth as possible.

One of the ways the church here has served us is by aiding us in our involvement in God’s kingdom here in Arequipa. The Christian Urban Development Association (CUDA) is doing a lot of good things here in the name of Christ. Service is given in the form of teaching only children to read and comprehend better and also aiding teachers to better teach reading skills. Small, no interest loans are given to help small businesses and medical clinics are being helped in accomplishing their goals of improving Arequipeños health.

As nurses my wife (Sarah) and I, along with the Australian couple, Andrew and Bethany Gray have been asked to help with the Health Initiative at a medical center in a part of the city called Hunter. We will be focusing on screening patients for Diabetes and later screening for vision problems such as cataracts. This not only gives us the opportunity to serve in the name of Christ, but inevitably God, in His greatness, will find opportunities for His kingdom to break into the lives of the people here. This is my prayer and hope as we serve in this capacity. In this way I believe Jesus teaching of people being held accountable in the final judgment in Matt. 25:31-46 comes to fruition and to the extent that we serve these people, even the least of them here in Arequipa, we do it for Jesus Himself. I am confident that as we find people who suffer from physical ailments, we will inevitably find people who suffer spiritually and seek to know the ONE who makes us spiritually well and gives true life and health.

On Development: Holism (Part 3)

Mon, 03 Mar 2014 14:45:00 GMT

by Greg McKinzie

"Economic exchange is one form of social exchange, and that is a moral activity."

All of our interactions with one another and with creation are immersed in the holiness of God's intentions. This is what it means to say that social exchange is "a moral activity": not just that we are able to be individualistically moral or immoral in social exchange but that social exchange is essential to our morality. Just interaction in our social lives is part of our vocation as people created in God's image. So when the deck is stacked against some, and when others care only (or even just too much) about their own benefit, God's intentions for our social existence must inform our understanding of Christian ministry. Here is one sense in which developmental ministry is holistic ministry. We do not combine "development" with "spiritual things" (say, Bible study) to make it holistic, rather we seek to perceive the holy nature of every dimension of life.

Previous posts in the On Development series:

Health Care Initiative

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 13:10:00 GMT

by Andrew Gray

This year, with the arrival of professional medical personnel (potentially: 3 nurses, a pharmacist and 2 physician's assistants), CUDA will be kicking off its Preventative Health program.

We are basing operations out of a national (government-funded) health centre in an area of Arequipa called Hunter. Such medical facilities mainly serve the poor populations of the city. CUDA, in collaboration with the health center medical staff, will be working on the prevention of non-communicable diseases (diabetes, cataracts, hypertension, alcoholism, etc). Primarily, the operation will entail screening for possibly undiagnosed issues, education, and providing support to health center medical staff.

Why is this a good thing? If you get to see how these health centres work, you will see that they are overloaded and under-resourced. In this part of town there is 1 doctor to roughly 1000 people. The physicians here typically have the desire but not the time to focus on health promotion and disease prevention. However, through CUDA, we will be able to assist in these areas. It is not necessarily glamorous, but it has potentially huge implications for the health of the individuals in Hunter. The potential to share the love of Christ in this area will possibly have even greater implications.

Andrew and Bethany Gray are CUDA volunteers from Australia helping to launch the Preventative Health program. Andrew is a nurse, as well as an encouragement virtuoso. Bethany is a guru of administration and kindness specialist.

On Development: Systems (Part 3)

Sat, 22 Feb 2014 18:48:00 GMT

by Greg McKinzie

"it's not that people don't have the capacity to be much more efficient; it's that the access is not democratized."

That's right: you heard Marcela Escobari say it takes 289 days to register a business in Peru. As she explains, that is not necessarily the case. We can easily romanticize the idea of cultural difference, in this case the more leisurely pace of life in Peru, but the fact is that those with privileges do things as quickly as they need to be successful in their business endeavors. The system is unjust.

What does it mean to provide access mechanisms that allow the poor to create their own business models? CUDA hopes that one way of accomplishing this lofty goal is to give poor micro-entrepreneurs access to otherwise inaccessible capital. Think of lending through CUDA Microfinance this way: you are saying no to an unjust system by saying yes to people who deserve the same access to the market as the privileged. It's a small act of resistance, but a change in one part of a system affects the whole.

Previous posts in the On Development series:

Living Libraries 2013: A Reflection

Sat, 22 Feb 2014 17:36:00 GMT

by Megan McKinzie

It is hard to believe that the Living Libraries program completed its first full year of teacher training in its first school. There were ups and downs, but overall the year was a huge success, much was learned, and CUDA is more than ready to duplicate this program with increased knowledge and passion in more schools for the coming year.

Creating A Library Space

Library spaces are a foreign concept in the national schools. CUDA went into the school this year and created a beautiful space for the library books, the kids to do group activities, and the classes to sit comfortably to enjoy reading. CUDA decorated with bright, vibrant colors, provided comfortable seating and art supplies for activities, and used the wall space to display student work and posters of the various reading comprehension strategies we teach.

Besides creating a beautiful space, CUDA staff taught various procedures for use of the library space. Many of the students were clueless about how to maintain order (choosing a book, where to sit, when to be quiet, etc). By the end of the year, students knew what was expected of them in the library and how the library was to be utilized and respected for the benefit of everyone.

Staff Development

CUDA staff had the pleasure of equipping the Peruvian staff with a different reading instruction strategy each month. The teachers would come together for a staff development meeting the first week of the month. In these meetings, CUDA staff would present the strategy in a slideshow with explanation and ideas, and the staff would participate in an activity or activities to model the use of the strategy. These meetings were also used to converse with the teachers about the use of the strategy the month before or any comments or reflections about the program.

It is very important to CUDA workers that the teaching staff sees the work as a collaboration. CUDA is in partnership with the school to improve literacy alongside the staff. CUDA curriculum is designed to be used in every subject area for the improvement of literacy and reading comprehension.

CUDA hit a bump in the road this past year when a group of teachers felt the program was trying to change their Peruvian standards and tell them what to do. In no way was this communicated by CUDA staff, but after discussing the conflict with teachers involved, it was clear that pre-existing negative attitudes of teachers not willing to change or better their teaching methodology greatly affected CUDA’s role in their development. It was decided by CUDA staff at this point to make sure the participating teachers wanted to be in the staff meetings. Attitude greatly affects the mind of the learner, and if one does not want to learn, one does not need to participate in the staff development meetings. After this conflict was resolved, the CUDA staff-to-teacher relationships greatly improved and the meetings ran very smoothly.

CUDA staff modeled various lessons in the library once a week to model the strategy being taught. Each grade level attended one library lesson a week with the CUDA staff. In these meetings, teachers observed and helped the CUDA staff with activities in the various strategies for student learning. Teachers had the opportunity to ask questions and receive help for applying the strategies in their everyday lessons. On the final library day of the month, the teachers of the school each presented a lesson (from their subject area of choice) to demonstrate in front of CUDA staff. CUDA staff would observe and monitor the lesson providing critical feedback and encouragement in written form for the teachers. This observation was both rewarding and eye-opening for CUDA staff. Because of these lessons, CUDA staff was able to make notes and improve upon the curriculum for the following year. It was also very clear that many of the teachers improved in their performance over the course of the school year.

Working with Students

The students were a joy to work with throughout the year. They loved coming to the library, and there was a very positive interaction between CUDA staff and the different grade levels. The students were well-behaved and attentive when stories were read aloud. They interacted beautifully when asked to identify various reading strategies. They loved working in groups when asked to preform an activity to enhance their learning of a strategy, and they absolutely loved independent reading time. Many of the library lessons took up the entire 45 minutes of instruction. The kids would moan and groan in disappointment when not given free reading time on the carpet. Teachers were encouraged to keep a different schedule in the week to bring the students to the library space for the sole purpose of reading in pairs or reading independently for pleasure.

One of their favorite months of the curriculum was when the teachers participated in an author study. First and second grades studied one author and third through sixth grades studied another. Each class was given a different book by the author and as a school, they completed a chart to show the various components of their different books. At the end of the year, when the students were asked to list their favorite book from the library, many of the children chose their author study book. It was a wonderful activity to promote love of learning, and to show with various books from one author that a school can participate as a community of learners together.

This particular year, the director of the school where CUDA worked decided to use the Living Libraries program as her project for the year. The school rented a big room in the municipality building to present each strategy. Every grade was assigned a strategy to present to the audience in the form of drama, story-telling, or other interactive activities. Parents of the students, the mayor, and the head of the UGEL (the part of the ministry of education that oversees teacher relations) attended the event. CUDA staff was present, and it was icing on the cake for CUDA to observe all the hard work and effort put forth by teachers and students to show what they had learned throughout the year.

The year was an amazing start to something that CUDA would like to see grow little by little in Arequipa. The teachers and students were receptive, the parents were very encouraging of the program, and CUDA received the full backing from the ministry of education, the director of the school, and the head of the parents’ committee. For the first time, CUDA had schools requesting that they come to them for the next year.

Currently, CUDA is raising funds for the coming school year. It is important to CUDA to check back on the use of the library space in the school from last year, and to provide a continued friendship of respect and collaboration. An Arequipa-wide education campaign is being planned for June of 2014. CUDA hopes to collaborate with many leaders of literacy education in Peru, bring in doctors of education from the United States, and create an awareness of promoting reading comprehension in all of its schools. The ultimate goal of the Living Libraries Project is to create a positive culture of literacy, which starts when student are young. CUDA hopes and prays that this is the wonderful start to such a movement. We are so proud to have our very first group of teachers to finish the staff development hours for the 2013 school year!

On Development: The Capacity of the Poor (Part 2)

Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:55:00 GMT

by Greg McKinzie

"We get used to having things given to us, and that doesn't generate the spirit of the entrepreneur."

In this clip, Yandra Portela expresses very succinctly what microfinance has to do with the capacity of the poor. There is no sense in disparaging the compassion and generosity that compel donors to give relief aid. But she raises two vital points. One, we need to direct those impulses in more effective directions, because just giving isn't getting it done. Two, we need to focus on the spirit of the poor. What is the spirit of the entrepreneur? What, if anything, does it have to do with poverty of spirit (Matt 5:3)? The crushed spirit (Prov 18:14)? The renewal of the spirit of the mind (Eph 4:23)?

Previous posts in the On Development series:

Introduction
Economic Theory of Microfinance (Part 1)
The Capacity of the Poor (Part 1)
Systems (Part 1)
Holism (Part 1)
Economic Theory of Microfinance (Part 2)
Systems (Part 2)
Holism (Part 2)

CUDA Community Development

Sat, 08 Feb 2014 22:24:00 GMT

by Greg McKinzie

Just over a year ago, CUDA helped a poor community, El Mirador, after it was flooded by torrential rains. The relief effort was our first entry into El Mirador. We were glad to help with this urgent need and hopeful that it might present an opportunity to work on long-term goals with our new friends in the community.

Since that time, CUDA has worked with a small group of entrepreneurial women in El Mirador. They have formed into a community action group, and CUDA has helped them gain legal status as a grassroots organization. Their name, Mujeres del Misti, means “Women of Misti.” El Misti is the volcano at the foot of which their community resides.

Mujeres del Misti’s first project is the formation of a community kitchen, called a comedor popular, which prepares low-cost meals for neighbors. CUDA is assisting the association with best practices for grassroots civil action as well as helping with some startup costs of the kitchen.

The long-term goals of CUDA Community Development focus upon the catalyzation and development of community members’ own assets and resources. We believe that once Mujeres del Misti begins to achieve its goals and dream even bigger dreams, more community members will become motivated to define and participate in their own development.

We’re thankful for our friends in El Mirador and proud to work alongside them for justice, wellbeing, and joy in the city.