RSD Ministry
Creating a safe place and community for the kids of Iquitos.
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About Us
COMMUNITY OF FUN & ENCOURAGMENT
Restoring Sons & Daughters (RSD) has been an official nonprofit ministry since 2017. Jon and Raegan Yerty began working in Iquitos, Peru a few years before RSD became a nonprofit. This ministry started out working with young girls, Restoring Daughtership, but grew into a children and youth ministry in 2017 when RSD was officially founded.
Iquitos is a city filled with poverty and abuse, but the worst circumstance is its isolation. We are a city surrounded by rivers (the Amazon river!) and the only way to get here is by boat or plane. Because of this, most people have never left and have experienced very little. Most people drop out of school before they finish elementary or middle school. The cycles of poverty and having families too young leave people unprepared to change their situation.
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Our goal is to create an environment where the kids can come and escape the abuse, and hardship of their home lives and be kids for a moment. Not older siblings who are forced to care for their younger siblings. Not kids who have to drop out of school and work. They can just be kids, and have fun.
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We focus on learning about their purpose and identity in God, reading books (which they don't have access to), and hanging out. We have different crafts, games, and activities each week so we can hang out and chat with the kids during the weekend. We have boys group on Saturdays and girls group on Sundays.
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What We Do
Saturdays is boy's small group. Sundays is girl's group.
Purpose & Education
We spend a little time every weekend on Biblical studies, through videos and reading. Our goal is that the kids can develop their own belief and relationship with God.
We are also passionate about helping the kids with their education, and learning how to read! There are no libraries here, so we love to read books with the kids. Many of our ten and eleven year olds cannot read yet! So we get to practice each week together.
Fun & Video Games
Given the level of poverty, none of our kids have video games at home. We have found video games to help the kids in reading, their comprehension levels (figuring out how to get through levels or complete missions), and their teamwork!
It's a great way for our older teens to relax and have fun. We love playing games like Minecraft, Mario games, and Just Dance!
Building Community
Over the years, we have changed what we do with the kids, but our focus since the beginning has been giving the kids a safe place to hang out!
The time spent together has created a support group between the kids. Friendships that help them get through the difficulties of life with like-minded people.