Missed the first post about the Beca 18 scholarships? You can read it here.

Last week we received the news that all 4 of the boys who applied for the Beca 18 scholarship were awarded the scholarship from the Peruvian government!

Wilfredo, Daniel, Eloy & Huberth

As I wrote before, the Beca 18 scholarship is a great opportunity for any of its recipients and offers programs of study in both the university and institute (technical school) levels. The scholarship covers tuition, English classes, a new laptop, uniform for classes (like a suit if needed), private insurance, and provides the student with a monthly stipend for housing, food and transportation. It is a great opportunity for these 4 guys that who would not necessarily have had access to higher education studies.

A few days ago, Billy and I visited both the university and institute where they will be studying. We met with the government scholarship representative at each school and were filled in on all sorts of details like when classes start, benefits of the scholarship and class schedules. We were helicopter parents at its finest.

On April 29th, Daniel and Eloy (business administration at the Instituto Emprendedores) start with a welcome ceremony where they will be given their class schedules, a tour of the school — basically everything that a welcome day entails. For Wilfredo and Huberth (chemical engineering and architecture/urban planning respectively at the Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola), they will register for classes during that week as well but the date for their welcome event hasn’t been determined yet.

Their classes will begin on May 5th with something called ciclo cero de nivelación or pre-semester. Typically, schools in the provinces of Peru are not as great as schools in Lima. Therefore, all of the scholarship recipients will participate in this ciclo cero where they will review key topics and learn things that might not have been covered in their high school classes and also get them accustomed to university life. This pre-semester will go until mid-August when they will officially start the classes needed to earn a degree.

Both Daniel and Huberth are already here in Lima and have a place to live while they are in school. Eloy and Wilfredo are still at their respective Girasoles homes and will arrive to Lima on April 27th (about a week before classes begin). Neither Eloy or Wilfredo have a place to stay here or are familiar with this huge metropolitan city so they will be living with us for the first few months. It will be a big change to add two adults (and guys!) to our apartment but thankfully we have 2 guest rooms. Our parents and friends here in Peru laugh when we tell them that we are “adopting” these two (who are 16 and 21) and say that we are bypassing diapers and going straight to university!

We are so excited for these 4 boys and excited to see how the Lord will direct their path. They have been given a wonderful opportunity and have become role models for the younger Girasoles. A number of boys who have 1 or 2 years of high school left have said that they are going to work hard so they can apply for the scholarship when they graduate. They are changing their futures and are setting themselves up to make a great impact on Peru.

Join us in praying for their studies, for discipline, for good friends, for their futures, and for their decisions as they live in this new city.

And pray for Billy and I as we navigate the Peruvian university system with them (and life with roommates!).

– Kate