When I went to Lima and Cusco, Peru on a Buckner International Shoes For Orphan Souls mission trip this past March, I got to see first-hand just how much orphaned children need new shoes and how happy they are to receive them. And they need pure, true love just as much as they need new shoes.

Here I am helping mi amiga Thalia with some new shoes!

Above:

Julie of Buckner helps a girl try on some new shoes.

(Center) Photo of a boy's old shoes.

(Right) Me helping a young girl with her new shoes.

Photos by Jenny Pope of Buckner International.

Girls at the Girls Home in Cusco after they got their new athletic shoes. They'd been wearing their black school uniform shoes. Photo by Jenny Pope of Buckner.

Boys at Hogar in Cusco after they got their new shoes. Photo by Jenny Pope of Buckner.




I took this pic of mi amigo Doug Moore of WFRN (in Indiana) as he helped a little boy at a Boys Home in Cusco with his new shoes.

Here is Brad Fisk of ShareMedia Services checking out little Jose's feet to see if we had shoes to fit him. Sadly, we didn't have any shoes with us in Jose's size. However, some of the boy's clothes that I had brought to give away on the trip ended up in our bag for this home, so I was able to give Jose's mom some clothes for him. Buckner staff will make sure Jose gets new shoes.

Me and some sweet little boys as they show off their new shoes.

My shoes were a gift from my sister-in-law last year.

These boys were rescued from the streets and their shoes are gifts from people they've never met who donated new shoes to Shoes For Orphan Souls.

Here's Roy happily wearing his new shoes. Roy came into the boys home off of the streets the very day we came to bring shoes and minister! And, praise God, I am happy to say that Roy accepted Jesus as his Savior that day, too! :)

You see, Buckner's Shoes For Orphan Souls teams don't just bring children new shoes. They also bring the good news of God's love and the hope of salvation through Christ! As you shop for shoes to give to Shoes For Orphan Souls during WBFJ's Shoe Drive, please pray for the child who will receive the shoes. You can even send a note and/or a photo to the child who will get the shoes. Some of the kids we ministered to in Peru received notes/photos with their shoes from the person/people who donated the shoes. They were very happy to have that extra dose of love and assurance that someone really does care for them!

Between July 9th and Monday July 30th you can drop off new shoes for Shoes For Orphan Souls at these participating Christian bookstores across the Triad:

Winston-Salem
Carolina Christian Supply
Family Christian Stores
Lifeway Christian Stores
Piercing Light Christian Books & Gifts
The Master's Loft

Greensboro
Lifeway Christian Stores

High Point
New Life Books

Kernersville
Chosen Path Christian Bookstore
Lemstone Books
HeBrews Cafe & Bookstore (located inside Calvary Chapel of the Triad)

North Wilkesboro
For Heaven's Sake

Elkin / Jonesville
Heavenly Treasures

Shoes can also be dropped-off at WBFJ in Winston-Salem.
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James 1:27"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

Next Monday, July 9th, we will be broadcasting live from 3 different areas to kick-off our shoe drive. Everyone who drops off a pair of new shoes during one of our remotes will receive a CD from WBFJ!

Lemstone Christian Books in Kernersville (8-10am)

Lifeway Christian Store, W-S (12p-2p)

Greensboro
Lifeway Christian Stores (4-6pm)

For more information about WBFJ's Shoes For Orphan Souls shoe drive, go to http://www.wbfj.fm/ or http://www.stereo1550.com/ and look for the SOS logo/banner or give us a call at 721-1560.

Happy Shoe-shopping!

:) Jennifer

Je parle un peau de francais, mais je ne parle pas beaucoup d'espanol.

I speak a little french, but I don't speak a lot of Spanish.

Thus, I must say MUCHAS GRACIAS to all of the great translators who helped us communicate with the children and adults (including market salespeople!) during my trip to Peru in March with Buckner's Shoes For Orphan Souls.

Carla, Eduardo and me on the bus on the way to the Palace in Lima 3-19-07 to meet the Primera Dama (First Lady).

Me at the Palace in Lima.

Carla and a sweet little baby at the Baby Home we visited that same day.

Julie and her neice Alessandra.

Arturo, Erik (the tallest man in Peru, I think) and Alex at a beautiful park in Lima where we ate lunch that day. Here's the lunch we ate. :)

I can't imagine what my trip would have been like without the help and encouragement from these translators. I got to know some of them pretty well and consider them friends/amigos.

Pictured above is Leslie Chace of Buckner International. She is in charge of Buckner's Latin American programs. She actually grew up in Peru as her family moved there when she was a child due to her father's job. So, she knew the areas very well and was a wonderful blessing as she helped with everything from translating to helping a certain young lady who was experiencing major packing anxiety when we had to prepare for our trip to Cusco. :) Gracias, Leslie!

We also had the privilege of meeting and getting to spend some time with some of the Buckner Peru staff--Rosa, Claudia and Sylvia.

Rosa reminded us toward the end of our time in Lima not to forget the kids we met there. She said, "They expect more from us. The kids deserve a family. Please continue with the efforts for the kids when we're back home." She also told us that Buckner is trying to assist the Peruvian government in launching a Foster Care program in Peru.

Claudia is a lawyer whose garage doubles as the Buckner Shoe Warehouse in Peru.

Sylvia is the sweet lady who met me at the Lima airport upon my arrival in Peru. She helps arrange all the in-country travel, meals, lodging, etc and does whatever Buckner needs her to do. And she does it with a smile. :)

Rosa will be happy to know that we at WBFJ are continuing our efforts to help children in Peru--and in all the countries Buckner takes Shoes For Orphan Souls. We are starting our WBFJ/Buckner Shoes For Orphan Souls Shoe Drive next Monday July 9th. I'll be broadcasting live with other WBFJ amigos at Lemstone (new!) in K-ville, Lifeway in Winston-Salem and Lifeway in Greensboro. Come out and see us and bring a pair of NEW, good-quality shoes to donate to SOS and we'll give you a CD! :) Remember, please, that the shoes you give will be the only new shoes that a child may receive for a while. So please buy sturdy shoes like you'd buy for a child in your own family. Orphans love light-up shoes just as much as our children here do, too, by the way! Thanks in advance for your help and for the gifts you give to share the love of our Abba, Father with the precious orphans Buckner works with! I look forward to meeting you at one of the remotes next week! For more details, go to http://www.wbfj.fm/ or http://www.stereo1550.com/ and look for the Shoes For Orphan Souls logo. :)

Adios for now,

Jennifer

Carla, Julie, me and Alessandra with the Pacific Ocean in the background. :)