Mission to Peru
Almost a decade has passed since we visited Rodolfo Casas, One Kingdom’s partner and radio speaker in Lima, Perú. Many years ago, a visit was necessary because we had to talk and find out if he was sharing the Gospel as the good news of Salvation or if his teachings were legalistic and lacking in grace and truth. We were happily surprised to find a humble man of God in love with the Word and a passion for expanding the Kingdom. By the end of our trip, the local church in Carabaíyo, (one of Lima’s 44 districts) had welcomed us with arms wide open.
Having decided that it was necessary to go back and check on our Peruvian forever family, we made plans to spend time with Rodolfo and encourage him to keep up the good job he is already doing. I landed first in the evening and Mike came very close to midnight on the same day. After meeting Rodolfo, we began our journey. That night we realized how massive Lima is, and how it is normal for Limeños (its inhabitants) to endure trips that go from one, to up to four hours on public transportation (one way!) without leaving the city limits.
The next day we left the hotel and headed to meet Rodolfo. That day, we went with him wherever he thought we were needed. He sent a car to pick us up using a local app, and we realized that we’d be traveling an hour and half (one way) in order to see Rodolfo. We made it to his house, had time to visit with Veny (Rodolfo’s wife), and got ready to visit this new area where they have been ministering for the last six months. We got into his car and drove 30 more minutes in a different direction.
We got the impression that we were late, and could tell that from our host’s face and the nodding of her head. Per her request, Rodolfo and Veny had been coming to her house because Alicia felt the need to share the Gospel with her friends, so she started a house church. In my opinion, what I enjoy about Mike is that he feels just as comfortable preaching to an audience of 400 people as he is with three people.
After sharing the Bible study, the group had great questions and interest about finding assurance and hope. Mike was impressed by how zealous they were in reading their Bible out loud together when examining the verse (and the whole context). Their desire for spiritual nourishment was overwhelming. They were appreciative of us visiting the house, as it was unusual for local ministers to visit their members’ houses in their communities. We were truly blessed by sharing the Word with Alicia, Kerly, and Hilda.
On Saturday we went to visit the teenagers who were at church camp after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. We got to meet Edwin and Lourdes, their camp leaders (and brought cake for Lourdes because it was her birthday). The kids were having fun! There were competitions and games, and you could get extra score (or pay a penance) by jumping into the pool with your whole clothes on.
That’s how we came across Renatito (Lil’ Renato) who was the tallest teenager of the group. After Mike shared with them about the Gospel and did the drawings and explained the meaning, Renato accepted the challenge to come to the front and recreate Mike’s drawing without a single mistake. Renato did it with no hesitation and won a bracelet from Mike.
We left camp and headed back to the church building, which is located a couple of houses down the road from Rodolfo’s. For three nights we were delighted to share with our forever family from Carabaíyo about the freedom we have in Christ and the good news. The Church was very welcoming and open to the Word. Mike talked to the Elders and Deacons and was happy to find out that their plan and emphasis on discipleship is right on target.
Sunday evening, after service, Rodolfo found a way to fit nine people into his five-passenger vehicle. We headed to Ventanilla, 45 minutes from Carabaíyo, where 12 adults and 20+ kids were waiting for us. This new area / field was established by Rodolfo & Co. a few months before the pandemic exploded. With strict curfew mandated by the government and enforced by the army, the Church never gave up on this area and made sure that the poor brothers and sisters (along with their children) had something to eat. They were stopped many times and reminded that they are breaking the law, but after a while the officers would let them go, acknowledging that Rodolfo was a pastor taking care of his flock. The same applied to the Church building, considering that the Peruvian government issued a mandate that all assemblies were forbidden in order to avoid the spreading of Covid. For two years the Church wouldn’t meet in person, and Zoom was the only way to meet and break bread. One Kingdom’s ministry had to change and adapt in order to keep the Body of Christ nourished. Since the radio stations closed, Rodolfo relied on Facebook Live, WhatsApp, and Telegram to keep spreading the Gospel of Hope. By truly choosing faith over fear, de-churching wasn’t a big issue at all.
For the final lesson Mike challenged the Carabaíyo Church how to read the Bible full of grace and truth. He spoke about the importance of context and that the Gospel is of first importance. Teaching hermeneutics and interpretation of Scripture in a short period of time on a cross-culturally setting is very challenging. Thank God our Peruvian forever family was up for Mike’s challenge. They had many good questions and openness in studying the Word of God.