(Versión en ESPAÑOL)

***NEWS***

$400,000 raised so far of the needed $1.1 million, as of July 2008. Please keep praying.

For up-to-date news on the El Alfarero, Santa Cruz project, along with other updates and photos, El Alfarero has a group site on facebook.com.

Why not sign up to www.facebook.com and search for the El Alfarero group.

Alternatively, contact Graham Frith at  graham.frith@sim.org for regular email updates.

The El Alfarero ('The Potter') - Student Centre project has been functioning in the city of Sucre, Bolivia since 2001. Its mission is to university students and young people in general (Mission Statement).

Its vision is to impact the city of Sucre through evangelism, counselling and discipleship, while also being a resource for the local churches to maximize their impact on the city (Vision Statement).

Before you read on about the project have a look at this video about some of the lives that have been changed through what God has been doing at El Alfarero.

How does it work?

The Alfarero project is moving toward complete self-sufficiency and independence, while still ultimately responding to SIM. The project now has its own Bolivian legal identity, with a functioning board of directors. It employs 15 Bolivian staff, has a Bolivian leadership team of 5 people, and has approximately 100 volunteers helping to make it all happen. More...

Around 250 students per night come through the cafe doors, and find good food, cheap prices, games, contemporary Christian music, friendship, security and acceptance. More...

Biblical counselling

The free counselling offered at El Alfarero - Student Centre is Bible-based. While not discounting secular counselling and all the advances that it has brought us, biblical counselling is considered to be more helpful in dealing with the majority of human problems.  More

The city of Sucre is regarded as the 'capital of abortion in South America', and there are huge problems with regard to unwanted pregnancies and abortions. The Pregnancy Crisis Centre seeks to help the students who find themselves in crisis. More...

In 2006, the day-care centre opened to care for the babies of the girls who decide not to abort, so that they can continue with their studies and not drop out. More...

Also in 2006 the young women's refuge opened within the Alfarero project, with a view to providing temporary housing for girls at risk, or girls who fall pregnant and as a result lose their economic support or housing. More...

Discipleship

The Alfarero project has a strong emphasis on discipleship, and runs several discipleship programmes for individuals and groups to help them mature in their faith. Most of the students who receive discipleship are those who made commitments to Christ within the project. More...

Courses and training

One of the aims of the project is to be a resource for the local church, and there is a programme of courses related to issues encountered in counselling. Alongside the courses, there is a growing library, open to the public. More...

For more information, please feel free to write to SIM UK missionaries Graham and Debbie Frith at   graham.frith@sim.org

Also, why not sign up to Facebook.com, and search for the El Alfarero group, for regular updates, photos and events.