Mission Peru

by Jessica Guichelaar

First I would like to thank you for your prayers and support for our team and the people we have had the blessing of serving in Peru. God has certainly heard and has been answering... He is doing powerful things here in Trujillo. So please continue to pray and lift up the families and children here that they may come to know the love of Christ through the ministry of Inca Link and their partnerships with the local churches.  

Yesterday, we had the privilege of coming together with a church in Alto Trujillo and participate in their small group ministry.  The pastor met us at their church and we took the bus to a small building (really just a room) that a group of them use to gather together for fellowship and prayer every Wednesday night. 

We were greeted warmly and the pastor began in prayer and thanksgiving for bringing two groups of people together who are separated by geography, but unified in their faith in Christ. Abby, one of the Inca Link interns provided the translation and really helped make the experience more meaningful.

The pastor preached on Philipians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". While our struggles may be different from theirs...I'm pretty sure we don't tend to worry about where our next meal will come from or whether or not our children will be able to get basic medical care...we must all look to God as our source of strength to make it through any hardships that come our way. He asked specifically for prayer for the most pressing needs in their community -- to change the cycle of violence, gangs, corrupt police, and poverty.

To be honest, being here and witnessing the immense poverty, it seems like an insurmountable task to accomplish this goal. However, this dedicated church family has made it their mission to create a community of believers who place their hope in Jesus' saving grace.  They have a vision of planting more and more churches where they can share the love of Christ with and serve the lost of Alto Trujillo. 

We also had the opportunity to worship God together through singing. They taught us a number of hymns in Spanish and we sang a few to them in English as well. What was incredibly powerful for me was when we sang the same song together but in different languages. It was a beautiful display of the fact that although we may not understand each other in conversation, the unity we have in Chirst transcends any language barriers.

It is amazing and incredible to know that in heaven, we will all have complete understanding and communication with each other and that our praises to God will be in perfect union. That there will be no distinctions between rich and poor, but that all believers will experience the richness of being in the presence of the Lord, magnifying His name as one body. What an awesome God we have! It is evident that He is actively working in Trujillo in ways we cannot even imagine.  

Please pray specifically for Alto Trujillo -- that God will lift up the local church to persevere in their striving for a community that is overcome by the love and hope only Christ can provide. That they will continue to find strength in their Maker who is powerful and faithful to make all things possible.

Please know, too, that the work being done here is making an eternal difference...it is truly a blessing and privilege to play even a very small part in the grand story God is writing in this place. Thank you again for your thoughts, prayers and support. Be blessed!