There is a lot that you can tell about a mother just by looking at the child.  For instance, this mother saw me getting ready to take a picture and asked me to wait while she wiped her child’s face.  The fact that she has the little girl right by her side says a lot.  This child is not dressed in the latest fashions but she was relatively clean and had a couple of layers for the chilly morning.   

On the other hand, so many children here are not taken care of well at all.  In Anta this past Sunday, after the service there, I was outside by the car waiting for the pastor to finish locking up.  I saw several children playing in the dirt and while all were rather shabbily dressed, one in particular stood out.  She was dressed in a very thin and faded  t-shirt and her pants appeared to be caked in dirt.  That in itself describes most children in the very poor areas, but what really touched me was her hair.  It was super dirty and had about a week's worth of knots in it, telling me that whoever takes care of her does not tend to her as most of us would a little girl.  Many parents here, especially the fathers, are alcoholics.  It is one of the reasons that many do not want to commit their lives to Christ.

Raquel Avila, Peru