Amor Real / Pat's Place Youth Retreat

Hello everyone,

I wanted to share an update from our youth retreat that took place two weeks ago. Our team of 7 Americans (Pastor Rob & Jennifer Walker, Brendan & Maddie Barnett, Tim Koenning, Maile Popp, and myself) and 13 Peruvians departed from Lima for Cajamarca early on Sunday, October 13th at 4 AM. Despite the early start and some tired faces, we reached our retreat center by 9 AM, ready to embark on an exciting four-day adventure. We had 2 sessions a day where we were able to have worship, teachings, and prayer with our students.

We were fortunate to have the best weather imaginable, with cool 48-degree mornings and pleasant 65-degree afternoons. The youth from Pat’s Place were thrilled to have a few days away from their usual routines. One of the highlights of the trip was watching them conquer their fear of heights. While only a few dared to soar through the air on the zip lines, every one of them took on the challenge of the ropes course with determination and enthusiasm.

Thank You to everyone that helped make this amazing trip possible for our students. Without all of you, Pat’s Place would not exist.

We are about to embark on a huge Pat’s Place make over in March of 2025. Every year we must go through the house and perform routine maintenance, and replace things in the house, but next year we are looking to do a lot more. This will be a major under taking for us, and we need your help. Our fundraising goal over the next couple moths is $20,000 dollars to help cover everything we are doing. Below is the short list of items, but it not everything.

1. Replace Every Bed and Mattress for our families.

2. Build out Closets in 8 bedrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floor.

3. Completely rebuild the pantry on for the 3rd floor kitchen where our mothers do all of the cooking.

4. Due to the type of home we have, we have been asked to place braces on the windows for security purposes.

5. Reinforce the stairwell steps from the first floor to the fourth floor along with the outside railings.

We would greatly appreciate your support for our day-to-day needs. If you are interested in supporting our efforts, please know that we cannot do this without your help. All money donated to Amor Real goes directly to Pat's Place. Here are some wonderful ways you can help.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

Amor Real October Update

Hello Everyone, We've had a very busy month, and the next two weeks will be just as hectic. Before we dive into what's coming up, let's recap the past few weeks. Last month, Amor Real received a generous donation from Jim Hankins at Textile Creations: a pallet containing over 1,200 new women's dress shirts in various sizes, colors, and styles. Many of these shirts will be taken to Peru next week by our team to be given as gifts to our families. Eventually all of the shirts will make it down to Peru to bless families or be sold to help raise money for Pat’s Place. We are grateful for this great donation that has blessed us already.

As some of you know, Alex was invited to speak at the Revive Barcelona Conference in Barcelona, Spain. It was a quick three-night trip. During the event, Alex joined a team of Pastors who spoke all day Saturday at the Magic Center, a mall in downtown Barcelona. With over 400 attendees, each Pastor was given a topic and 45 minutes to speak. The team was very well received and felt tremendously blessed to pray over everyone at the conference. Here is a note Alex received from a young man (Andres) at the conference that Alex had the opportunity to pray with. Pastor Alex, You saw me in my storm. You guided me from the test. You carried me in my sadness and changed my life.

As we approach the final months of 2024 and look ahead to 2025, we have some exciting plans in the works. Amor Real would greatly appreciate your help and support as we prepare for Christmas at Pat’s Place. This year's Christmas celebration will cost $1,500, which includes presents for everyone and a nice dinner.

Looking forward to 2025, we are planning a significant renovation for Pat’s Place. Running a house for 30 people, especially with many children, requires a lot of effort. Our goal for 2025 is to completely upgrade the 2nd and 3rd floors of the home with new beds, mattresses, closets, shelving, a pantry, stairwell railing, window railing for the children's security, and new tiles outside the first floor as the current ones are coming apart. We also plan to repaint the house. This project will cost approximately $20,000.

Your support would mean the world to us as we embark on these endeavors. Thank you for considering contributing to our cause.

As we prepare for the rest of October, our team of Pastors and Leaders from The Prayer Room church leave this Saturday to take the teenagers of Pat’s Place on a 4 day trip to Cajamarca, Peru. This trip is needed as we protect and guide the next generation. The only way we can make sure that our youth do not fall into the same abuse that their parents have is to help guide them with the knowledge of Christ. Our theme for this week is Made for More. The team will be guiding our youth through Relationship in Jesus, Overcoming Temptations, Faithfulness, Life as a Child of God, and The Resurrection of Life through Jesus.

Below are pictures of our students and leaders who will be joining the trip next week. We are fortunate to have our leadership team from The Prayer Room Church accompanying us. This includes Pastor Robert and Jennifer Walker, Pastor Alex Compton (Youth Pastor), and Youth Leaders Brendan and Maddie Barnett. Additionally, Laura Ali (Director of Pat’s Place), our Senior Board Member Tim Koenning (Director of Missions), and our long-time house building coordinator Maile Popp will be with the team to assist with translation. Please be in prayer for the entire team, staff, travel, and our families at home. Our families back in the states will need your prayers as the team is gone for an entire week.

We would greatly appreciate your support for our day-to-day needs. If you are interested in supporting our efforts, please know that we cannot do this without your help. All money donated to Amor Real goes directly to Pat's Place. Here are some wonderful ways you can help.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $30 - Supports Christmas for 1 Person at Pat's Place

3. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

4. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

5. $400 - Supports 1 Student for our Biannual Amor Real Youth Camp. We have 12 going to camp this year.

6. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

7. $1500 - Supports Christmas for Pat's Place

8. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

Pat's Place Fun

Hi Everyone,

We have had a few months full of excitement with various festivities such as celebrating the Independence of our country, enjoying holidays where families relaxed in the park without homework, and getting vaccines to strengthen our health. The children of Pat’s Place had a great time participating in the school parade, where we secured second place at the secondary level. The mothers celebrated their children's school achievements, including science projects and group work. This month, the children will begin the school Olympics, adding to the excitement. Families are also learning and enjoying the devotionals. We are immensely grateful for the infinite love and care that God has for the families of Pat’s Place and for the generous support from those who provide for Pat’s Place every month, enabling us to continue moving forward.

**Exciting News! 2024 Amor Real Youth Camp**

We are thrilled to announce the 2024 Amor Real Youth Camp! This year, we are taking our teenagers to the beautiful Sulluschocha Adventure Lodge in Cajamarca, Peru. The cost for each participant is $400, and we are aiming to raise $8,000 to support a team of 20 teenagers.

We are honored to have several pastors from North America joining us to guide and teach our students throughout this incredible journey. In addition to spiritual growth, our teenagers will enjoy a variety of activities including horseback riding, zip-lining, swimming, canoeing, and much more.

This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our youth. We invite you to consider sponsoring a teenager for this transformative trip.

Thank you for your support!

We would love your support for our day to day needs as well. If you are interested in supporting what we do, below are some great ways to help.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

4. $400 - Supports 1 Student for our Biannual Amor Real Youth Camp. We have 20 going to camp this year.

5. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

6. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

Amor Real Summer \ Winter Fun

Hello Everyone,

As you all know, July is winter in Peru, making it a fantastic time to visit, especially for those of us enduring the 100+ degree heat in the South. Last month seemed to fly by, so I wanted to give everyone an update. This will be a longer update than normal.

In June, we reached out with a need for a couple of our family members who required glasses. Amazingly, within an hour of sending that message, all the glasses were paid for. The very happy recipients of those glasses are Elizabeth (top left), Gael (middle left), and Jose Manuel (bottom left). They are thrilled to be able to see clearly for reading and writing.

Watching the video of Gael before he got his glasses was heart wrenching; he had to hold the paper right up to his face and could only read with one eye. Now, he can read normally with both eyes. He was in tears the day the doctor put the glasses on him because he had only known what it was like to struggle to see and read before. Now, he sees everything very clearly.

In the other pictures, you can see little Melanie (middle) growing up so fast. I was blessed to be there as she left for dance in her traditional Peruvian outfit. We also have Gabby (top right) and Ruth (bottom right) getting ready to eat pancakes. Anyone who has been on a trip with me knows that we always have a morning where we cook pancakes for the families. When it came time to pray over breakfast, Ruth was ready to go. It is a blessing to listen to them pray over their meals. They are very thankful for everything that has been provided to them. Their prayers are not short either, unlike most kids who want to say something quick and then get to eating.

Amor Real on Mission:

We were blessed to have three teams at Pat’s Place this summer. Below are some pictures from our July team with The Vine Community Church. I was fortunate to have both of my daughters, Elianna (center bottom, age 12) and Gracie (top right, age 14), with me on this trip. Elianna actually spent six weeks in Peru helping Laura at Pat’s Place, which was a significant step in her life.

During this trip, we built three houses, worked with Hope House in Jicamarca, collaborated with Isaac Newton school in Paraiso, and spent a lot of time with our Pat’s Place families. The Vine organized an entire spa day for our mothers, who felt so loved by the women of The Vine as they spent hours with them. We were also blessed by our friend Yury, who came over with her staff to provide some spa services as well.

Lastly, we dedicated our missions floor to Aiden Curcio. Holly and I have been blessed to know the Curcio family for the past 15 years. Since 2018, there has been a Curcio on a trip with Amor Real. Last year, we were fortunate to have Aiden with us. When considering how to spend the last year of your life, I feel blessed that he chose to spend it with us. It was a great honor for Holly and me to dedicate the fourth floor to Aiden. He truly understood the meaning of living a life on missions. I have posted the dedication below if you would like to watch the live stream.

**Exciting News! 2024 Amor Real Youth Camp**

We are thrilled to announce the 2024 Amor Real Youth Camp! This year, we are taking our teenagers to the beautiful Sulluschocha Adventure Lodge in Cajamarca, Peru. The cost for each participant is $400, and we are aiming to raise $8,000 to support a team of 20 teenagers.

We are honored to have several pastors from North America joining us to guide and teach our students throughout this incredible journey. In addition to spiritual growth, our teenagers will enjoy a variety of activities including horseback riding, zip-lining, swimming, canoeing, and much more.

This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our youth. We invite you to consider sponsoring a teenager for this transformative trip.

Thank you for your support!

We would love your support for our day to day needs as well. If you are interested in supporting what we do, below are some great ways to help.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

4. $400 - Supports 1 Student for our Biannual Amor Real Youth Camp. We have 20 going to camp this year.

5. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

6. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

Amor Real Mothers Day

We had a great weekend celebrating Mothers Day in Peru. Thank you for making there day feel so special. Please read a special note from our Director Laura Ali.

Our families had a fabulous time celebrating a special day that is “Mother's Day”.

Reflecting on this day leads me to know more about each Mother of Pat’s Place; about their feelings and emotions on this Mother's Day where they ask themselves: am I a good mother? If they have done the right thing to keep their children away from their parents? Do they deserve to be forgiven? They may have many negative thoughts that invade their minds and lead them to frustration; their emotions are like the waves of the sea that rise and fall.

Our goal is to help them know that they are loved, they are accepted, they are valuable, and adored with the love of Jesus. This is very important because each mother carries wounds from a very young age that need a healing that only Jesus can provide. While they need this daily, Mothers Day is one day they need to know more than any other.

Thank you and thank you to all the people who help keep Pat’s Place standing.

We enjoyed a very special day out.

"Happy Mother's Day"

We would love your support for our day to day needs as well. If you are interested in supporting what we do, below are some great ways to help.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

Amor Real / Pat's Place Updates

Hello from Amor Real. The past month and a half have been a blur between celebrations, school, small vacations on the weekends to get in the pool, playing volley ball or soccer everyday. Of course, summer time is upon us here in the united states while winter is coming to Peru. Although they have not had much of a winter in almost 2 years, I know that they are looking forward to a break in the heat. With summer coming, that means it is missions season for us. While we take teams all year long, the summer is our busiest season. We currently have 3 times from 3 different states headed to Peru in June and July. Some of the big items happening over the summer months are going to be building out the 5th floor of Pat’s Place (future apartments for our families while they are in transition), multiple homes / soup kitchens in Paraiso, Women’s Conferences, and much more. Laura is preparing for next weekend which is Mothers Day. With a home of 30+ people, most of which are women, you can imagine that Mothers day is a big day for us. We are going to make sure the day is unforgettable for them as well. We are planning another small update with a letter from Laura during that time.

Below are just a few images of our time in March celebrating Cielo’s quienceanera. Something that we love to do at Amor Real, is make sure that our families do not miss out on life. We are blessed to be able to provide celebrations like this for our mothers and their children. Thank You to all of our supporters for making this happen. The amount of love that our families see from your generosity is why our program is so successful. We would not be here without you. A big thank you to the Canouse family for being able to be part of this day. Cielo was blessed to have her 3 Dads, Jack Canouse, Tim Koenning, and Alex Compton and her second mother Carolyn Canouse in town for her big day. Uncle Charlie was in town as well which made all of the kids smile when he walked in the door. The Make A Miracle team even brought a few guests to the party. Our families love visitors, so the more the merrier.

Update on 5th floor construction. We have been blessed to have $2500 dollars committed towards the 5th floor to cover mattresses, toilets, and misc. other supplies. I also had another $1000 come in this week as well for the 5th floor. That gets us to $5,000 dollars of $8,000 dollar budget.

Any amount helps get us to the finish line. Please remember that all donations are tax deductible. Please click the Donate Link Below.

1. $75 Dollars in Electrical Wiring for the 3 different rooms

2. $500 Dollars in Sheetrock

3. $500 Tile for the Bathroom

4. Labor for the project

We would love your support for our day to day needs as well. If you are interested in supporting what we do, below are some great ways to help.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

Pat's Place 2024 Back to School

Hi Everyone,

Our kids officially started school this month. We want to say a great big thank you to The Prayer Room Church for raising the $1900 dollars this year for 17 of our kids to have brand new uniforms. This has been a tremendous blessing to our kids as everyone understands, children go through clothes very quickly. We are also grateful to Estefania, Pamela, and our friends in the U.S. for donating school supplies. Lastly, thank you to Carrie Meersman and her neighborhood for providing a ton of vitamins and school supplies that I will be bringing to Peru this Sunday. We are truly blessed to have such amazing supporters that help take care of our children. Please take a quick look at the pictures below from the first day of school.

Alex and Tim are heading to Peru this week to celebrate a big event at Pat’s Place. One of our amazing girls (Cielo) has turned 15 years old which means it is time for a huge fiesta. We will definitely have pictures and videos on social media after the Party next week, so please stay tuned for those.

Update on 5th floor construction. We have been blessed to have $2500 dollars committed towards the 5th floor to cover mattresses, toilets, and misc. other supplies. I also had another $1000 come in this week as well for the 5th floor. That gets us to $5,000 dollars of $8,000 dollar budget.

Any amount helps get us to the finish line. Please remember that all donations are tax deductible. Please click the Donate Link Below.

1. $75 Dollars in Electrical Wiring for the 3 different rooms

2. $500 Dollars in Sheetrock

3. $500 Tile for the Bathroom

4. Labor for the project

We would love your support for our day to day needs as well. If you are interested in supporting what we do, below are some great ways to help.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

Amor Real / Pat's Place Update

Hi Amor Real Supporters, Donors, and Readers of our monthly update. In trying to break things up a little, I have posted little paragraphs between each picture so that you can see the happy faces while reading. Tim and Alex will be in Peru for one of our favorite parties of all time. Cielo has turned 15 and of course that means its time for a big birthday party. We look forward to providing an update with tons of pictures while we are in Peru in 3 weeks.

We are also preparing for some updates to Pat’s Place. It is time to update our 5th floor as it has not changed in many years. We are going to provide another phase to our program prior to the families moving out, we are building out 3 small apartments on the 5th floor along with 2 more bathrooms and showers. Since this is fully covered and we do not want to add a bunch of weight to the floor, we are able to use Sheetrock up here for the apartments. Each apartment will have Power, water, bathrooms, closets, and beds for our families to have a place to move into as the final stage before leaving Pat’s Place. We need your help for this phase of the program as it is a big project. I am going to post some of the cost below in. If you would like to help, please click on the Donate Button at the bottom of the page.

There are a lot more items than the list below. The current project will cost about $8,000 dollars. Any amount helps get us to the finish line. Please remember that all donations are tax deductible.

1. $50 Dollars for bedding for each bed

2. $75 Dollars in Electrical Wiring for the 3 different rooms

3. $150 Dollars per Mattress - Need 10 Mattresses in Total.

4. $250 Dollars per Toilet - need 2 Toilets

5. $500 Dollars in Sheetrock

What an amazing summer our families have had at Pat’s Place. We have been able to relax, have fun, sleep in and even go to the beach. There were also a couple parties along the way for our kiddos as they were promoted from one grade to the next. We are very proud of them all. Most of our kids and mothers come into Pat’s Place barely being able to read, write, and even understand the basic concepts of their own language. Holly and I are very proud of the work that Laura and Pamela do all year long to make Pat’s Place an amazing home that families want to enter. Not only are we able to provide the basic needs of a home, but they learn the importance of what LOVE is, what a FAMILY is, what PEACE is, what an EDUCATION means for their future.

Look at the wonderful smiles on the children’s faces. Thank you to all of our sponsors, donors, and families that give to Amor Real. Without your support we would not be able to support the 33 current residence at Pat’s Place. Thank you for the love that you pour out on our families with your selfless act. As you can see, our kids love to play outside. Volleyball is the official sport of Pat’s Place. They play it everyday, all day long. Even when the school year starts, they paly before school, after school, and in between. When you are visiting the house, you can hear the sound of Laughter outside as they play.

As our kids prepare to go back to school in March, they had to get their mandatory vaccinations. I saved everyone the heartache of the tears of all the other photos. As we all know kids do not like to get shots. However, after they got them, Laura made sure there was plenty of lollipops and cookies to make it worth the 1 minute of pain.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

Amor Real / Pat's Place - Family Time

Hello Everyone from around the world. We have had a few busy months at Pat’s Place in between mission teams, school, projects around the house, birthdays, school, and kids sports, we have been swamped. Now that Peru is heading into their summer, the kids are getting excited about summer vacation which falls right on Christmas. Its nice to be able to celebrate Christmas and then be on vacation for 2 months.

Amor Real would like to say a GREAT BIG THANK YOU for a great fundraiser as we were able to raise $22,000 dollars for our families. During the fundraiser, one of our amazing friends covered the full cost of our roof remodel which is about to get under way in the next week. Holly Compton and Tim Koenning will also be headed down in a couple weeks to check in on that progress along with an early Christmas Celebration with our families.

If your interested in supporting Pat’s Place or would like to be more involved in our families lives, please let us know. We are always looking for people to be involved in what we are doing. It’s not always about money and what you give. Some of our donors come to Pat’s Place and help in person, some donate clothes, backpacks, school supplies, pray over our families from afar. While Pat’s Place has a budget and needs money to run, we would like our donors to understand that the Hearo Cape you wear might be different than dollar bills and we are OK with that.

Lastly, we are currently planning our 2024 Mission Season. If you are interested in going on a mission trip to Peru or Nairobi, Kenya, please let us know. We have dates on our events page for a couple of our upcoming trips (https://www.amorrealministries.com/events). While it is not on the events page yet, we are working on a 2nd trip to Kenya around September / October along with 2 more trips to Peru. If you would like us to customize a trip for you, please let us know and we can do that as well.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

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Amor Real Update / 2023 Annual Fundraiser

We had an amazing summer in Peru. Alex, Holly, Eden (Gracie), and Elianna had the opportunity to spend time in Peru over the course of 2 months. Alex was able to spend over 30 days at Pat’s Place with different teams while working through administrative items with our director, Laura Ali. Over the past 17 years, Pat’s Place has been able to help over 270 lives which would have been ruined if our home did not exist. Running a home for abused women and children is a huge responsibility, one that we do not take lightly and cannot do alone.

It is time for our annual fundraiser supporting Pat’s Place (Casa Pat in Spanish). Pat’s Place provides a safe haven for women and their children away from their abusers. Through your support, we are able to provide programs that help them attend school or college to gain work skills, as well as psychological/emotional programs that allow our families to move on from the defeat, anger, and hate that have kept them in bondage for most of their lives. All of families have been abused in the most unthinkable ways, and some of our kids came out of sexual slavery. We need your help in order to save as many women and children as possible in Peru. Peru is currently the number 1 country in all of South America for physical and sexual abuse to women. Will you help bring an everlasting change by partnering with Amor Real? To purchase tickets, click on the link below. If you are not able to come but would like to help, please click on the DONATE link.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that families need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3200 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy.

The Vine Community Church serving our families at Pat’s Place during their mission trip in July.

The Vine serving the community of Paraiso where Amor Real works year-round building homes and churches with Pastor Luis. In July we spent time in the community doing VBS, sports with hundreds of kids, building homes, and helping the local soup kitchens feed the community.

This is what we call Love in Action at Amor Real. One of our goals is serving others, and this team came to serve.

Amor Real & TPR (The Prayer Room) 2023

I knew God was calling me on this specific trip, so I set out to make myself available to Him to use as He saw fit. I came prepared to preach on two separate occasions. I also thought I'd be assisting with one-on-one ministry with the Pat's Place women. However, I was called to spend that time painting another mural in Pat's Place, this time in the entry courtyard with the help of Roxane Leach. I was blessed with spending time with most of the team members and getting to know them better. My favorite part of the trip was on the night that Alex and I preached together at a church that was new to us; when we invited the congregation up for prayer, I had the privilege to pray with a young girl name Anjulie with the translation assistance of Gina Quispe. Anjulie said she struggled with anxiety and depression but wanted to grow spiritually. I told her that I had been fully delivered from anxiety and depression there in Peru in 2016, so I knew it was possible for her. Gina and I prayed the enemy away from her, she collapsed in my arms in wailing, and I do truly believe that she was delivered. That is a night I will never forget.

From Laura Ali

Serving this group is a blessing in my life because I learn to support myself and depend on God. When I get home and ask God, how did I hear it? Knowing the limitations and care for my knee, but every morning I tell God "I will serve your children, help me my God, give me wisdom and strength for any mishap that may happen. In that week my grandson with a fever, my daughter Estefania with a migraine in the emergency room and they entered the building where I live they robbed all 4 apartments but in their infinite Grace the thieves did not enter my apartment. God covers and protects his people. Thank you for coming to know what Amor Real does to help people who need that love and care. Thank you Pastor Roberto and Jennifer and your Church for being in your prayers. And to everyone who helped on this team to get the coffee ready in the morning and help her serve the food. To Tim for his time in fixing the house with my demands so that it turns out perfect almost perfect...☺ for your well-being. Thanks to Alex for the great job you do.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that familes need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy

Amor Real / Pat's Place - Change Takes Work

New families of Pat’s Place only know what they know—a house of unrest, subject to the whim of their abuser, fear of what-ifs-coulds-woulds, and the unchanging storyline of generational anguish. They are accustomed to a lack of flowing affection, a lack of optimistic expectation, a lack of contented plenty, and a fullness of anxiety.

Then, a phone call.

That’s what it takes—a moment’s connection with our house Director, Laura Ali, to process a family toward a road less taken, the road rarely taken in places like Lima, Peru.

Suddenly, Hope

When new families arrive at Pat’s Place, like Estrella and her 6 children did, they come full stop into compassionate overflow of the resources we offer at our home in San Juan de Lurigancho, which rescues victims of domestic violence from anywhere in the country of Peru. We are a specialized home, willing to take in mothers with male and female children (unlike most shelters), including children with special needs. For the most part, the children outnumber the adults, which is why we have our highly qualified staff provide counselling and education for them, as well as the mothers.

And when Hope arrives, the real work begins.

Mothers enter into a two-year program of restoration, a five-phase system that not only focuses on rescue, but also on the repairing of mind, body and spirit, the rebuilding of a family foundation of faith in Christ, and a renewing of joyful anticipation of a sweeter future they can count on.

It’s slow, but steady.

Trust in the God of rescue is the first step for each family—trusting in the physical protection that He provides through Pat’s Place, through the dedicated staff, and through our ministry, which is abundantly supplied through people like you! You are giving each family the gift of security, both physically and spiritually, as we continue to point them to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Through your partnership, families find “P” (“paz”=peace), “A” (“amor”=love) and “T” (“transformacion”=transformation) at P.A.T.’s Place.

We invite you to partner with us in the following ways…

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that familes need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy

Amor Real on The Move - From Peru to Kenya

It has been a very busy month between March and April. From March 23 to April 15, I (Alex) had the opportunity to travel over 30,000 miles and touch 5 different continents. We started the first 10 days in Lima, Peru, with our friends from Briarwood Ballet. The ballet team never disappoints, that is for sure. The team was made up of 11 adults and 15 teenage ladies that know Jesus. They would seek out young people in the community and speak to them about Jesus. All of the concerts are used to tell the gospel through dance which these young ladies are professionals at. During their 10 days in Peru, we put on 4 concerts, worked at Pat’s Place, worked at Isaac Newton School for two days, and had a lot of fun along the way. To say that they touched my heart and blessed me is an understatement. I have worked with teenagers for many years, but it has been over 10 years since I have worked inside the church as a youth pastor or associate youth pastor. This trip reminded me of many years when I was in my twenties and what I miss about doing that work. The goal of this trip for them was to go out into local area of San Juan de Lurigancho and minister the gospel. They did just that, and many people received Jesus along the way. Every young person that got to see them dance wanted to be a ballerina. Thank you, Briarwood Ballet, for partnering with Amor Real as world changers.

Before the ballet team even left Peru, I had to head straight off to Kenya, Africa, for 15 days. This was a different assignment. Last year, I had been tasked with coming to Kenya and speaking at a leadership conference. One of my pastors, mentors, father figures, and long-time friend, Toy Leach, joined me on the trip. About two weeks out we picked up Matt Stacy from Dallas, Texas, on the heels of his graduation from seminary. Our job was to teach over 350 leaders for seven straight days in three different locations across Kenya so that they could go out and impact their local churches. Toy and I led the teachings while Matt helped with praying, videography, street ministry, and everything in between. Some of our topics were relationships, character, communication, vision, responsibility, passion (since it was Passion week after all), and many more. God moved every single day in the leaders' hearts. At the end of each session, we would pray for the leaders in the local area, but for the very last day, we wanted to do something extra special. The Lord put it on my heart to wash their feet. So, at the closing of the week, we spent the remaining hours washing the leaders' feet and praying over them individually. If I had to say what was the best part about the trip, that was it. Just being able to bless someone else by washing their feet and praying over them was an honor. I have over 1,500 pictures from this trip; below are just a few.

I know that the above is not the normal Pat’s Place update, but I assure you that everything is going very well at our home. We currently have 2 new families that we will be introducing soon. I am looking for 100 people who are willing to commit to $30 dollars a month for a year or longer to continue to help our families at Pat’s Place. They would not have a chance at a new life if it were not for people like yourselves. If this is something you would like to do, please reach out to me via email Alex@AmorRealMinistries.com or phone 678-861-9283.

We would love for you to partner with us. Amor Real and Pat’s Place would not be possible without our donors and sponsors. Please consider supporting us Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly. No amount is too small.

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that familes need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy

Pat's Place Updates \ Amor Real Mission Season

While summer was in full swing in Peru, Pat’s Place had an amazing team from Charlotte, North Carolina, led by Brian and Dawn Moyer (long time friends of Pat’s Place). During the team's five days at the house, they helped us by painting the garage door, front door, and inside wall, and they also paid a local artist to come paint a huge soccer goal inside the garage area for the kids to use for practice. For those that have never been to the house, our kids use this wall as their practice area to score goals. They now have an amazing goal to help make this more real to them.

The kids have now transitioned back to school in Peru. We are blessed to be able to offer some of our families home school type options. While Peru doesn’t have that type of offering normally, we have a couple 18 year old’s that didn’t have the ability to attend school (please read last months news letter for the full story http://www.amorrealministries.com/news/2023/2/4/amor-real-pats-place-2023-kick-off). This will be a remarkable year for Pat’s Place as we are able to bring in new families that are in need of a safe haven. Work never stops for a home of 30 and we can always use your help. If your reading this and would like to help, please see details below on ways to give.

We are most of the way through March, which means that our missions trips are about to be on the ground in Peru. We currently have Briarwood Ballet headed down from Alabama next week. This will be a unique trip as we are doing evangelism through ballet. This amazing team will be working all week long in the communities as well as holding four concerts to present the gospel through the elegant beauty of their dance. Briarwood has some amazing teams that come to Peru, and this one is no different. These girls work all day long demonstrating that God is love to the world. Watching them interact with the families in the community is a beautiful sight. These families would normally never see a ballerina or even a ballet concert in their normal life. Thanks to these lovely ladies for sharing the gospel and their heart for the world. Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks for updates as this team hits the ground running.

We would love for you to partner with us. Amor Real would not be able to do any of this work without donors and sponsors. The story above about Luz Maria and Luz Marina would not be possible without your support. Please consider supporting us Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly. No amount is to small.

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that familes need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy

Amor Real \ Pat's Place 2023 Kick Off

Hello from Peru Everyone,

Tim and Alex spent a couple weeks working hard on the house and spending a lot of time with the kiddos. I would say the kids are spoiled just a little when they are in town. During the trip, the kids went out for shaved flavored ice a couple different times, nice dinner’s, and even celebrated the January Birthdays in those 2 weeks. Our January birthdays were Hanan, Flor, Cielo, and Aysha. Over the course of the trip Alex spent a lot of time in meetings and touring concert sites for our upcoming ballet team from Birmingham Alabama. Now, it is also that time of year when we start a lot of projects at the house. We decided that it would be good to get the older boys to help with all of the work that way we could complete it faster. We completely painted the first floor, the fourth floor, and three bedrooms on the second and third floor. Tim went through and replaced all of the light and power switches on the first and fourth floor while Alex went through and replaced bathroom sinks and shower heads in the house. Once all of those were done, we replaced 12 mattresses, a new bed frame, and 40 new pillows. Laura’s car was filled from floor to ceiling with pillows.

Luz Maria / Luz Marina (Twin Sisters) Spotlight

We had a great time playing with the kids and studying with them. Every time we had a break in our schedule or work, the kids were right there and ready to play. As you can see from the pictures, Luz Maria and Luz Marina are taking their reading skills to the next level by studying the bible. As a little back story on the twins. When they came to us 1.5 years ago, they could only read at a kindergarten level. Their mother did not let them attend school because she wanted someone to cook and clean for her. They were not loved or treated as children that are loved by their parents. They were treated like slaves and forced to do whatever their mother and her current boyfriend at that time needed them to do. At 16, they had never been to school and did not understand the basics to their own language. When we found out about this situation, Laura jumped into action. I (Alex Compton) still remember the phone call like it was yesterday. She called Alex immediately and was upset and crying because she didn’t know what to do. During that call, they both said, what will it take to get them into Pat’s Place. See, we are not an orphanage. We cannot just take minors into the house without the mothers. However, Laura and Alex asked, will the mother give us custody of them until they are 18 years old and then they will be adults. Not only was the mother ok with this, she asked if we would take Flor and Alondra as well. Luz Maria and Luz Marina turned 18 on December 29th and are now adults that no longer need their mothers consent. These lovely ladies are thriving at Pat’s Place. We have them in a home school program where they are now reading at a 4th grade level, doing math and science on a weekly basis. Their life went from one of our worst case scenarios where they didn’t want to live, to one where they not only love living, but they are thriving. Their story is far from over.

We would love for you to partner with us. Amor Real would not be able to do any of this work without donors and sponsors. The story above about Luz Maria and Luz Marina would not be possible without your support. Please consider supporting us Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly. No amount is to small.

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that familes need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy

Celebrating Your Impact at Pat's Place

Thanks to our amazing family of friends and donors, we were able to give our families an amazing Christmas. Laura and Alex spent an early part of November planning dinners and gifts for the families at Pat’s Place. Our mothers were able to take a couple of days off from having to cook and clean up from all of the meals we normally prepare. When there are 30 people in a house, cooking can be a challenge and a big mess. During this time of year, we like to not only provide gifts for each mother and child, but we also like to provide meals so that they can have a break and spend Christmas and New Years relaxing. Below are just a few pictures from our celebration this week.

It's not too late for you to end 2022 on a good note. There is still time to make a difference in the lives of our families. Please consider a tax-deductible year end gift to help us continue bringing hope to those who need it most.

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that women need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy

Pat's Place Graduation Time

As we head into December, it is a month of graduation for a lot of our children. This month we have the opportunity to celebrate Cielo, Hanan, Samin, Josefat (Isai), Aysha, Zahira, and Yovana. Below are some pictures of our kiddos. Some have not had their graduation ceremonies, so we will add those photos as we get them. We are so proud of them and all their efforts. None of our kids would have this opportunity if it wasn’t for our amazing friends, family, and donors. We cannot thank you all enough. Please know that you are making an impact on their lives when no one else would.

If you are reading this email and would like to help, we would love your support. Below are some general items that can give towards.

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that women need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy

Amor Real Youth Retreat / October 2022

What an amazing month we had at Amor Real. Alex and Laura led a team of Pastors, Board members, and our Pat’s Place Youth to the town of Ollantaytambo in the middle of the Andes Mountains. This was an incredible journey for everyone involved. Everything they did with the exception of a game of volleyball was a first for the kids. Each day started with devotions, morning Bible study sessions, free time, afternoon Bible study sessions, and of course, all around fun. This was a great mix of serious relationship building time between Jesus and the kids along with free time. Alex and Tim kicked off the week with a session on the True Love of God. Pastor Jen had sessions on Healing, Pastor Rob had the sessions on Discipleship/Sonship, and Pastor Keith had the sessions on Relationships. The kids did an amazing job in every session. At the end of the week, we had the opportunity to witness 9 kids being saved. We built a bond with these kids that cannot be broken. They not only got to experience a trip of a lifetime, but they also got to experience the love of God in their lives like they had never seen before. Our goal for the week was to teach them about the power of God’s love in their lives. When you have been hurt like they have, their past torments them because they have no idea who they are. However, during this trip we succeeded in breaking the chains of abuse in their past. While they all have a lifetime to go, God is doing an amazing work inside of them. This trip was made possible because God put it on the hearts of our friends, families, and donors of Amor Real. Even if you were not on the trip, but you prayed, thought, helped in some way or gave to make this trip happen, you made an impact that will last the rest of their lives. A great big thank you to everyone involved for this amazing trip for our teenagers.

Thank you all for reading. We would love your help and support. If you would like to help make a difference in the lives of our families, please consider giving to Amor Real. Below are some general items that can give towards.

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (Sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that women need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling, and therapy

Sitting in the Lima Airport waiting on our flight to Cusco. First plane ride for all of the kids.

Each Pastor joined in for 2 sessions a day to bring messages and guidance to our youth. During some of the sessions we had break outs so that they could have time to write out what they were learning. One of the sessions we gave them the opportunity to ask any question about what they were learning during the week. They took that challenge and created a list of over 30 amazing questions that we had the opportunity to answer for them.

We had amazing activities everyday. During the trip we went to the Salt Mines, Hiking the Ruins in Ollantaytambo, Playing Volleyball with the local school, Horseback Riding, and Smores by the Campfire. Outside of Volleyball, the rest were a first for all 12 kids.

On our very last night Pastor Rob spoke about being a Son / Daughter of God. I asked him to speak on this topic as the group needs healing and understanding of what it means to have a relationship with God. After a very amazing week, 9 of the kids gave their lives to God.

Amor Real Gala / September 2022 Update

What an amazing night we had at our Roaring 20s Gala supporting Pat’s Place! Enormous thanks to everyone that attended, gave, and helped to make this night a huge success! Thanks to your generosity, we raised $27,859 dollars! Then God topped it off at our next event at The Prayer Room Church the following weekend in Texas, during which we raised another $3,636. That brought our total for the week to $31,495 dollars. Praise God for His amazing, abundant provision!

After her relaxing week with our family in Texas, Laura headed back home to Peru earlier this week. While Laura was in the U.S., two new families arrived at Pat’s Place. We have a new 22-year-old mother with two children under the age of three and another mother with two children under the age of 12. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they begin their journey of healing.

Lastly, we have a trip in October where we are taking the Pat's Place youth on a week-long retreat. This is a milestone event for them, as most of them will be on a plane for the first time in their lives. We are proud to do this thanks to several very special financial partners who have made it possible. We are excited and grateful to our Pastors making the trip with the us (Pastor Keith Torbert, Pastors Robert and Jennifer Walker), and to our board member, Tim Koenning, and to my sister, Amanda Compton. We are looking forward to developing the ministry we do with the Pat's Place youth so that the cycle of violence ends with them. Please pray for this trip, that God would draw their hearts to His, that He would speak to each of the youth, and make His personal, relentless love known to each of their precious souls.

God continues to open new doors to ministry partners that are interested in investing in the ministry of Pat's Place. We ask your prayers that we follow where He leads in that regard. We absolutely covet your prayer and financial support as Amor Real enters its seventh year of ministry with your help. We pray too that God's favor and blessing be on each of you.

If you would like to be involved in what we are doing, we would love your support. Below are ways that you can support Amor Real and Pat’s Place. Whether it is a one-time gift or monthly support, we would be so appreciative for your partnership. Please click on the link below to Give to Pat’s Place.

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that women need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling and therapy

August Pat's Place Visit

We had amazing time with our families last week. The best part about being with them is the time is always well spent. Right before be rolled into the month of August we had a new family of 4 join us. Veronica, Matthew, Justin, and Alys. Normally when families come in, they are beat down due to their situations, but Veronica and the kids jumped right into the house like they had been there for a long time. I was able to spend one on one time playing games with the kids and just hanging out with them. They easily became like the other kids that when they saw me walk through the door, they shout Alex. There is nothing like having 20+ kids shout your name. There is a warmth that feels your heart. Below are some great pictures from last week.

Our Gala to support Pat’s Place is just 10 days away, and we would love to see you all there. Come alone or bring a whole table of friends as we kick up our heels for a great evening. Come as a gangster or silent screen star! Dress in your favorite 20's-style garb! Its going to be fun, no matter the dress! Just bring yourself, and we'll do the rest!

For More information or to buy tickets, please click on the Amor Real Roaring 20’s Gala image. If you are unable to attend and you would like to support Pat’s Place, click on the Give Link and make a donation or become a monthly partner.

1. $10 - Feeds 5 kids for a day.

2. $50 - Feeds all 30 women and kids for a day.

3. $100 - Supports a person for a month or all 30 women and kids for food for 2 days. (sponsorship covers housing, food, medical needs, counseling/therapy, and everyday supplies that women need).

4. $500 - Supports 5 people which could be 2 families or 1 family of 5 for a month.

5. $3000 - Supports the entire house for a month which covers food, medical supplies, housing, schooling, counseling and therapy

We are a little over a week away from our 2022 Amor Real Gala Supporting Pat’s Place. We would love to have you come out and join us for this fabulous evening. All of the money raised will go toward supporting our amazing families that are pictured above.