I left Lima, Peru on a 10 hour bus ride on Cruz del Sur to the capital of Ayacucho, Huamanga. The next day our group of misfits, Arturo Tovar, Patty Arroyo, and yours truly, on Sunday, January 31, took a combie (van-like vehicle) another 4 hours deep into the mountains off a beaten path to finally arrive in Vilcas Huaman.
Vilcas Huaman is a primitive Peruvian village possessing ancient ruins dating back the Inca Empire. The village still holds a dark, imposing force against the truth of the gospel. The Inca custom is shadowed by the fierce Catholic presence as the Catholic church is fortressed over ancient temple grounds of the Inca territory. Along with the Catholic faith and Inca tradition there is also a strong Jehovah’s Witness presence. All of this has lead to a combining and confusing of religions, which has given way to a lack of trust from all who come in the name of any type of belief.
We began our month by seeking out those who have either claimed to be Christians or those who have shown interest, since like many other places, there is no real church presence. I was continually aghast with how God placed nearly every believer or seeker in our path. I find out everyday there is no such thing as coincidence in life, only where God sovereignly leads us each day. For example, the first day we were in Vilcas, we “accidentally” walked into the restaurant of a family who claimed to be believers. Nearly a day later we “ran into” a lady who also had been meeting with other groups in the past. That afternoon we went to her house and spent time with her husband studying the Scripture.
These two encounters generated weekly Bible studies. We promptly noticed their lack of understanding of the gospel. Therefore, each gathering we unambiguously taught the gospel. I have found and I firmly believe that men can not press forward in their faith unless they have a fixed and solid foundation upon the gospel. Everything that we do in our faith is derived directly from the gospel. During the month elapsed in Vilcas, we used Old Testament stories that foreshadow Christ, such as Abraham and Isaac and the Passover, as well as New Testament truth to present the gospel. Along with this we created our own allegories to reveal the spiritual truth of the gospel. In our last week, the believers in the area finally had a base of faith from which to live.
I will always remember Paul Washer’s words, “In missions we do not need race horses, but plow horses.” People need time and cannot comprehend the entirety of the gospel in one sitting. The Body of Christ must be willing to take a long term approach in teaching the gospel, rather than pressuring men or women into a decision. Instead, this allows people to think through the gospel as the Spirit of God moves upon their life. What have we done if we merely seek an instant verbal confession from a man? We ashamedly make a two fold son of hell, a man who believes himself to be saved, when in reality he is still lost. All because we lead him through a superstitious prayer, rather than permitting the Holy Spirit to give him genuine faith.
Along with meeting with the believers 3-4 times a week we also started a marketplace gathering. In our village there was a huge market that sold everything from beds and rubber boots to fruits and vegetables. One day as we walked through we met two ladies who invited us to sit with them. As was custom, we began to tell a story from the Scriptures. After telling the story, the ladies asked if we would be willing to come back the next day because they wanted to hear another story. What started as a simple evangelism initiative turned into a daily affair with these ladies. After a week, more ladies began to join in listening to the stories, having 5-6 people many days. What would be so exciting from the stories was when a lady would show up late and one of the other ladies who had been listening, would tell the story back to the lady who came late, but in Quechua. In the mountains of Peru, there are two languages, Spanish and the Indian language Quechua. Of the older people in the mountains, Quechua is the native and preferred tongue.
I will probably never forget the last day that I was there. Our group went to visit the ladies before leaving and I asked one of them if she would share the gospel with me, and in the beauty of her own words, she explained the gospel better than many pastors that I have ever heard. God had really made a change in this lady’s life and it was evident that the Spirit of God had been working in her.
People are always asking what can they be praying for specifically so here are a few things. First, for the people who we met with 3-4 days a week. As we left we gave them a simple Acts 2 model to follow so that they could continue to meet. Pray that they would continue to meet and that God would teach them as they read His word through His Spirit. Also, pray for the ladies in the market that God may call many of them unto His glorious salvation. Last, pray that God might destroy the forces of evil in this village, from the mix of Catholicism and Inca tradition to the Jehovah Witness presence. Thanks to each of you who continue to be faithful in giving and praying, for your gifts and prayers are not in vain, as God is carrying his word to every tribe, language, and nation.
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