Lima Slums

Today was a busy busy day, we left the hotel at 9am and didn't have time to stop for lunch all day. I think I could write alot about today but it would be so much. But what I will write is a story of a child we got told from a pastors wife, right at the end of the day. Her and her husband run little church for children from around their community. This lady begins with the story (real life story) of a young boy who comes and knocks on her door during the week after his mother has beaten him up, this boy is four years old, my heart literally broke, she explained his condition when he arrives at her door, his face bruised and bleeding, absolute torture for this child...four years old? Whatever the age this is just disgusting, to be honest I cannot truly express how I felt today when I heard this story. This child is mentally and physically abused, he is psychologically damaged, often in the day this lady sees him lying on the ground at the end of her road crying, his mother goes to work most days, his father is an alcoholic, locking him in the house all day or leaving him to roam around, but what is keeping him where he is? The pastors wife explained that this is one of many stories of the children that live in her community, they provide a hope and a safe enviroment for the children to learn and live in. This couple are fully aware of this situation and it is delicately being dealt with by professionals, its just a long hard process.