We see drunk people all the time, walking down the streets.  Our kids know what drunk people look like, and they are scared of them.  They should be be, because drunkenness leads to unpredictability.  And kids are especially vulnerable to these people.  Frankly they make me nervous when they yell at me in my car or approach me staggering along the road.  I imagine that for kids who are less than half their size they can be very intimidating.  And I think about the kids who live, most often with fathers who drink and then use their size to intimidate and control the whole family.  There are kids at our school who sleep every night outside under tarps instead of inside their houses for fear of their fathers.  As I listen to the rainy season rain outside our warm, dry house, my heart aches for those poor kids.  I wish they had it better, and I wonder what we will do about it.   Here are some thought from Dr. John from the hospital website.

The Sign of the Red Flag

An alternative program

When looking down the hill in Curahuasi, one can see them everywhere.  The Chicha flags.  They indicate the sale of home-brewed corn liquor.  Here, customers can refuel if their alcohol level has dropped.  With a little alcohol in the blood, the suffering of the world is lessened for a little while.  But it has no power to change the circumstances.  Those who are drunk are unable to work.  The house remains dirty and the personal hygiene becomes less than desired.  Violence often rises and the children and spouses are often the victims.  The money disappears into the pockets of the liquor dealers.

We hope that the Diospi Suyana school (seen in the background) will change the thinking of many families here in Curahuasi.  Because of the alcohol abuse here, evangelical Christians in Peru (15% of the population) do not drink a single drop.  Not a bad idea.  Interestingly, the President of the State of Apurimac has the largest liquor brewery in the region.  He earns his money from the misery of the poor.  In the Book of Books it states that each of us will give an account for our actions. / KDJ