Sponsor a Book program visits Lima Hospitals for Christmas

Maria & Jacek Zychowicz

On December 21 and 23, 2011, we had the most wonderful experience of this year's humanitarian projects in Lima. Every year we organize “Sponsor a Book” program; distributing character building materials books in the poverty stricken areas of Lima. This year while planning the program we were thinking of who would appreciate those great books the most and so we decided to give them to hospitalized children.

These children are facing the holiday season knowing that they will be missing out on many holiday traditions with their family over Christmas & New Years. Earlier that month we contacted the biggest children hospital in Lima, “Hospital del Niño”, where children are being cared for from all over Peru. We were able to visit their bedsides hoping to give some encouragement with our gifts, conversations and smiles, and also to offer to pray for them. We also had a chance to get to know some of the hospital staff & get their input on some of their challenges in caring for the children which helps us know how to plan for future visits.

Another hospital that we had a chance to visit during this Christmas Season, was INEN, Instituto Nacional Enfermedades Neoplasicas, Lima-Peru. It is very big hospital for cancer patients. We visited the pediatric department of INEN and distributed colorful Grandpa Jake's Storybooks with CDs and give away some other gifts. Due to the children's low immune systems we were not permitted to go inside the rooms and talk personally with the children like we had done in “Hospital delNiño”. But we smiled and blew kisses to each of them; gesturing & the gifts we were leaving them & their faces lit up.

This was our first experience in children hospitals in Peru. We are very thankful that it happened this year and we were able to share with those wonderful children a bit of Jesus' love and care for them. We would like to thank Acivated Ministires for making it all possible by donating the storybooks and being so supportive of our work.