Impact: Shoeshiners

When I travelled to La Paz in September, I was welcomed into the home of Randy and Dani Davis, two missionaries that have used proceeds from Cafe Yungas sales to further their work. Randy reaches out to shoeshiners, teenagers that work the streets to make some money. Here is Randy's introduction to the ministry:

"If you visit La Paz, Bolivia you will inevitably see various notable things: the astounding mount Illimani, traditionally dressed indigenous citizens, and most likely several people with their faces covered by ski masks, walking or seated on little boxes in the streets.

Because of their masks, sometimes they seem dangerous and certainly mysterious, but they have families, dreams, challenges, jobs and beliefs. They laugh, cry, feel happy and frustrated, get hungry, joyful and desperate.

Behind their masks there are people with their own stories… people that need, just like any other person, the love and support of others. People with hearts made by and for God, which need to hear the good news about their eternal problem of death. People with hands and feet to serve others, and that need to mature to be more like their God that created them."

Funds from Cafe Yungas have helped send shoeshiners that Randy has discipled to leadership training so that they can learn to invest in their peers the way Randy has reached out to them.

Here is a link to more info on the Davis's and their work: www.kayuparu.org