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Care and Provision Guidelines

Following are our basic care and provision guidelines and goals (Mark 12:30):

Spiritual: Bring to the children a direct understanding of who God is and how He has provided for us a means of salvation. The children will be taught who God the Father is, how and why he sent His only Son to bring salvation to the world and how the Holy Spirit is working in the lives of believers today.

In addition to the basic lessons of Christianity will be teaching of "Biblical Culture" (as opposed to the "Gringo Culture" or the "Bolivian Culture"). Basic truths regarding subjects of lying, stealing, gossip, attitude, materialism, servant hood, respect for others, etc. will be emphasized. These will be taught with the Bible as the base-line. The basis for much of this teaching is leading by example and teaching in teachable moments. The leadership of Bolivian Youth Ministries should be ready and available at any given moment to reflect the love of God to those around us.

The spiritual side of this ministry is to be considered the base by which the other three aspects are measured.


Physical: Provide for the children the basic necessities of life. This includes proper nutrition based on the individual need, secure housing, physical activity or exercise, clothing, and medical and dental care. By the Grace of God, it will be guaranteed that the NEEDS of life are met. This implies that the WANTS of life may not always be met.


Educational: Facilitate the educational advancement of the children. This includes insuring each child an education based on her abilities. Basic education will be provided by the fiscal school system of Bolivia or a chosen and approved Christian school. Included is the provision of needed educational material: books, supplies, uniforms, shoes, etc.

Additional education and 'helps' will be provided on site by Bolivian Youth Ministries. This will be in the form of a "Centro de Estudios" or Study Center which will provide tutors, tutoring, and educational and spiritual lesson plans for the educational and spiritual advancement of the children. School aged children will attend a fixed schedule Centro de Estudios during the school year and a more flexible Centro de Estudios during holiday times.

Pre-school aged children will attend a half day Guardaria (Nursery) during the school day. This will be structured with lesson plans to facilitate early childhood development and capacitation of preschool educational development.

Emphasis will be placed on individual need in the area of educational development. Should it be determined by the organization (through study by the psychologist and educators) that a child is not advancing at a sufficient rate, other educational options will be considered.

The primary goal of the educational area is to provide a base of knowledge for the children; giving them the capability to function in life, support their families and bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Nations.


Social/Emotional: Support growth in the children's social well being. Provide for them the inner tools that will enable them to become Godly, productive citizens of Bolivia. The children will leave the mission some day with an understanding of their world and how THEIR lives should integrate into the lives of others (Mark 12:31). Social teaching is needed to give the children the ability to relate to those around them; both Christian and non-christian.

The children are to maintain a lifestyle while under our care that will enable them to re-enter the Bolivian culture and it's lifestyle. This is to say that we must not allow them to deviate too far outside the social boundaries of the Bolivian culture. Simple cultural aspects will not be lost; for example: *Work ethic: clothes washing, meal preparation, assistance within the household, older caring for the younger, Etc.; *Language: maintaining a Spanish speaking lifestyle, maintaining Quechua when appropriate; *Gender orientation: maintaining traditional roles; *Family orientation: maintaining contact with their immediate families.

These guidelines will be subject to review and change as needed. We recognize that we have a lot to learn and through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will strive to become wiser and more efficient in every area.

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