Sometimes we go to more developed locations to serve our Lord.
This year, during Spring Break, we sent a team to minister to people in the city of Piura, Peru, and the nearby villages of Paita and Tambo Grande. All three are north of Lima on the Pacific coast.
Piura was founded in 1532 by Francisco Pizarro and is the oldest Spanish city in Peru. With a population of about 400,000, it is situated on the edge of one of the driest deserts on earth. It is also a tourist destination featuring some of the finest deep sea fishing on our planet.
In this picture, our team is assembled at one of the excellent restaurants on the beach. They are about to set out on a mission to help the people of the area.
In Piura, we preached several services – always to a full house.
The people responded. Hundreds came forward. First, those who wanted to become Christians – then the ones who wanted to rededicate their lives to Christ.
45 people made first time professions of faith in our worship services; hundreds more rededicated their lives to Christ.
Tambo Grande is about 10 miles north east of Piura. The scenery changed considerably as we approached the village.
This is the scene as we arrived at Tambo Grande. Obviously, the town was far less prosperous than its nearby city.
We always teach the children on our mission trips.
Our last stop was Paita on the coast of Peru about 10 miles northwest of Piura. There was sand everywhere because the village was literally built on a beach on the edge of a desert. It was even poorer than Tambo Grande.
Like everywhere else, the children came in droves.
Like everywhere else, we ministered to them.
Our Pastor Guillermo Lopez taught the children about Jesus.
Afterwards, we gave the children some candy. This is a rare treat in this area.
We conducted eye clinics in all three places. More than 300 people received restored eyesight. You can learn more about our vision ministry here.
We also conducted a pastor leadership seminar attended by 65 pastors and a marriage conference attended by 40 couples. You can learn more about our pastor training program here.
And, as always, we handed out thousands of Bibles, tracts and other Christian reading materials.
Somehow, they packed more than 80 people into this small church. Somehow, we managed to minister to every one.
Making a difference by caring and sharing.
How you can help
Trips like this to more developed locations always bring great benefits for our Lord. These places are more suitable to small church missions teams, including more mature youth. The cost varies but is usually in the range of $1,000-2,000 per person depending on destination and the cost of jet fuel. We are always looking for both active participants and sponsors. If you are interested or know someone who is, you can contact us here.
