For those of you who have been following our journey in Peru over the years, you probably recognize Lucia. We first met her over 3 years ago. She’s changed a lot in three years. Fear and insecurity have turned into security and confidence. Depression no longer keeps her in bed all day.

Ever since she was 5 years old, Lucia worked by selling trinkets to tourists on the streets of Cusco. It was long hours and hard work, but what came after work was often harder. If Lucia went home without enough money her father would beat her. And then she’d wake up and do it all over again the next day. This early experience started Lucia down a path of destruction that ended at a women’s shelter in Cusco.

That shelter represented an ending and a beginning. We supported Lucia and her two young boys as they transitioned out of the shelter and eventually to Lima. Here, they found the fresh start they were looking for. Her two boys are healthy and growing and Lucia is one of the cashiers at Brothers Bakery. It is the first job she has ever had that is SAFE and provides her a living wage. She and her boys have a safe place to live, food on the table, a community of support and most importantly hope for the future.

Brothers’ Bakery is already growing! This sweet little bakery store is right in the middle of a family-friendly neighborhood. The perfect spot for families who want a quick stop for fresh bread in the morning before work and school or on their way home for dinner.

The sign has been up for weeks and the neighbors are so happy to have this new convenience right outside their doors. Making an impact on the neighborhood and the world!⠀

Read more about how you can be a part of the Brothers Bakery dream and support refugees building community and futures for their families. somethingnew.org/give

Brothers’ Bakery International is OPEN! And wow, this little neighborhood store is a hit. Since day one when Xavier and his wife Johana cut the opening ribbon, they have consistently sold out of every single item by the end of the day.

In Venezuela, it’s not uncommon to find lines in front of bakeries that wrap around blocks for hours. Bread has been hard to find and afford, and has been a rallying cry for protestors. So for Xavier and the other Venezuelan refugees working in Brothers Bakery International, baking bread is a symbol for justice and progress.

This bakery was once an impossible dream in Xavier’s heart, but now it is REAL and it is thriving. Xavier currently employs eight full time bakers – Venezuelan refugees who are actually making a living wage. While we go to bed at night, Xavier and the team stay up. They bake bread through the night and throughout the next day to keep up with the demand. And they are so happy to do it, because it provides for their families, they get to work with people they trust, and they know they’re supporting the bigger community as a whole.

Your donations and support have been incredible, and Xavier could not have opened Brothers’ Bakery International without you. But he does not want to stop there. The average monthly income in Venezuela right now is $2.50 (no, that is not a typo). That is enough to buy one bag of flour for arepas. Xavier plans to open a second bakery location so he can employ more workers and support his community. Will you help us back Xavier and this incredible dream? Click here to donate!

You may have seen the story we shared on social media a couple weeks ago about Jason Makaroff–or JMak as we call him. He is one of our longtime volunteers, and he is also married to my twin sister.

JMak went to Peru in March of this year to help Xavier get Brothers’ Bakery International off the ground. His experience with business start-ups and process improvement is a perfect compliment to Xavier’s master baking skills. 

Jmak ended up getting sick in Peru and shortened his trip before the bakery’s opening date. When he returned home, he found out that he has pancreatic cancer. 

This is a big diagnosis for a healthy 47-year-old. JMak has always been someone who lives BIG, and this new chapter called “Cancer” with a capital C is just giving him an even greater drive to make a big impact.  

One BIG thing that matters to JMak is this bakery in Lima. The bakery represents audacity and courage–the audacity to not settle for mediocre, low-wage jobs and the courage to start a business that will provide jobs for many brothers (and sisters), not just Xavier. JMak’s heart beats to see other’s dreams come true.

We are getting closer to reaching our fundraising goal for Brothers Bakery International and they are making major strides in getting set up. Check out these pics!

JMak set up a Dream Fund to help raise the additional money that Brother’s Bakery needs and to see many more dreams come alive in the future. He is also documenting his journey to live and love with pancreatic cancer at JMaksDreamTeam.com. I highly encourage you to join his dream team and follow along. He is going through a difficult natural process, but I can personally testify that he and my sister are finding a deep and solid peace, joy and trust in God in the middle of it all. 

Join us in supporting JMak by supporting the bakery. JMak is fighting to live each day to make a difference in someone else’s life, and Xavier is currently at the top of his list. Nothing will make JMak happier than seeing Xavier’s bakery dream come true.

Thank you for all of the support,

With gratitude,

Becca Armstrong

Executive Director

True confession — I am a big fan of professional bass fishing.  Well, at least one special bass fisherman — my 17-year old son, Noah. This past week was his first tournament “on his own,” and it’s a big deal. A really big deal for a kid who knew how to pronounce all the different kinds of baits long before he knew the alphabet. I LOVED watching him step up on that stage for the weigh-ins.  It represents A LOT.

We have always told Noah that we would support him in pursuing his fishing dreams under one condition — he has to go for it. No dipping his toe in or trying the smaller tournaments first. Don’t settle…go BIG…get the experience..take risks…find the money you need to do it right….fight for your dream. And here he is doing just that!

This is the same message Jason and I left with our community in Lima before we came back to Atlanta in March. Instead of settling for mediocre low-wage jobs under horrible work conditions, we urged them to GO FOR IT. Do what is in their hearts to do. Build businesses that are different and can provide a steady place of income for their families and many more to come. Finish the degree they had to put down when they made the difficult decision to leave their homes in Venezuela. Discover a new passion. Help someone else with their dream.

This is what life is about. 

We don’t have time to hold back or play it safe, especially in Lima, Peru, and especially right now. COVID continues to rip through South America, and new more dangerous variants are causing big global concerns for both public health and economic survival. There is no time to waste.  

The needs are great and the opportunities slim for most people in Peru. But, that isn’t true for our little corner of Lima. They are able to GO FOR IT because of the support– financial support from people like you and on-the-ground support from mentors, teachers, and friends.  

Many have never had an opportunity to dream big dreams, and others have tightly held secret dreams once considered impossible. ALL are finding a bigger purpose in pursuing their own dreams and helping someone else with theirs.

Here are three new businesses that represent the dreams of so many:

Brothers Bakery International

Xavier, a master baker by training, bought a dough roller for roughly $5 US dollars two years ago because of the dream in his heart to one day own a bakery. At the time the idea seemed impossible. Recently displaced from Venezuela and barely able to pay rent, Xavier held onto the tool and his dream. Xavier, his brother, and his brother-in-law have signed a lease on a beautiful corner building that will open as Brothers Bakery International on May 17. 

Hope House Food Carts

The informal economy is huge in Lima, and the location of our Hope House is prime for selling all kinds of food. Several residents started out with a simple food cart selling tequeños at the beginning of March. Within one day they sold all the products they had expected to sell in one week. Now they are more like a mini-mall of food carts selling tequeños, specialty hamburgers, the best fried chicken you have ever tasted and all kinds of other delicious goods. The food carts provide income for 5 people already and there is much opportunity ahead for this business.

Constructora Sin Fronteras

The name means “construction without borders” and represents a multinational team of Venzuelans, Peruvians, and some North Americans, who are building a one-of-a-kind construction company. We have a team of 7 skilled construction workers who are learning to work as a team as they stay busy with all kinds of jobs. They are looking to fill a critical niche in the market for expatriates. 

While we can all celebrate the start of three incredible businesses, there is much work ahead. Right now we are focusing on getting the bakery up and running.  This is our greatest financial need.  We have already received a generous $25,000 donation, but more is needed.  There are many things to purchase — huge mixers, an industrial sized oven, lots of fun baking tools and several not-so-fun government licenses.

We will be sharing more on social media in the days ahead about specific needs. We know we have the right people in our corner to help Brothers Bakery International open its doors AND do so much more beyond that.  Our network is incredible because it is made up of people who do want to see other people’s dreams come true. We appreciate your support so much! Donate

With gratitude,

Becca Armstrong

Executive Director

The Easter Bunny made a visit to the Hope House! Most of the kids had never seen an Easter Bunny before.. so today was a treat in many ways!