Monday, August 14, 2023 (Steve Gibbs)
August 14, 2023. The Peruvian Mennonite Church started a long time ago, 1990. People came to Jesus and were baptized in the river in the town of Lucre, 25 km south of Cusco. On Sunday as half our group went to Lucre and half went 2.5 km further away to the church in Huacarpay,it was a day of much reflection as I was there when the first baptism occurred. As I worshiped in Huacarpay I was reminded of the first generation of believers in the Huacarpay church, especially those who have passed away. I could sense that this “cloud of witnesses” was worshiping along with us in heaven as we worshiped Jesus here on earth. As they had been faithful unto death so should we be.
Looking around the congregation as we worshiped, I looked at specific members of the congregation and thought about who these people are and how I had known them over the years. I saw hermano Miguel and recalled that he and his wife, Maria, were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and that I had performed their wedding ceremony. I also remembered that Miguel was now a grandfather as his daughter, Karen, who was married a year ago had had a baby recently. When Beth and I visited in February, we met her husband and saw that she was expecting. On Sunday we congratulated them after church and Beth held the baby. What joy filled my heart as I took their picture!
When I greeted the congregation along with the rest of the group, I asked the question, “How far does the blessing of God extend?” As I shared with the congregation that through Miguel and Maria’s family and other families in the church as well as all of their spiritual children and grandchildren, those who have come to faith through their faithful witness, there is now a third generation of believers in Huacarpay. The blessing of God and the Good News of salvation in Jesus is from generation to generation.
All of this is in stark contrast to the way of life that was in Perú before the Gospel came (and still pretty much exists in the lives of those who have not yet received Jesus as their Lord). Pastor Roberto and his wife, Valeria, who was one of the believers baptized in that first group of believers in 1990, shared their testimonies with our entire group on Sunday night. Pastor Roberto shared that his father was an alcoholic and his mother was an alcoholic so what could he be but an alcoholic? Happily God had other plans and instead of becoming an alcoholic, he came to Christ and was transformed. The generational curse was broken and his children, now adults are following Jesus as well. Their family now transmits the blessing of the Gospel rather than the curse of sin and self-righteousness. This is the miracle of God’s love that I have witnessed here in southern Perú.
God’s plan is so big that it goes beyond just individuals but it also includes families and generations of families. Ultimately the goal of the Gospel is that all families of the earth will be blessed through God’s family. May the message of the love of Jesus not stop with me but be spread to my family and to others and their families! 2 Timothy 2:2 May we be found faithful!
Monday, August 14, 2023 (Rosemary Blessing)
On Sunday our hearts were full, encouraged, and blessed from church services, afternoon lunch conversations with church folks, and evening connections with pastor Roberto and Valeria. We experienced the impact of missions from many years ago; it was a reminder of the significance of missions, both local and abroad, and that our faithfulness in following Jesus in the day to day is what allows His bigger story to be written.
Today, Monday, was a day of experiencing culture through exploring and hiking 5.8 miles of Sacred Valley’s Incan ruins (ancient stone temple ruins, plazas, temple of the Sun). The highest point of our hike was 11,500 feet; our hike ended in the town of Pisac at 9,300 feet. We climbed up and down treacherous old stone steps, walked switchbacks along the mountain, navigated narrow stone tunnels, and experienced terrain changes. It was not for the faint of heart (pastor Steve and Beth are absolutely amazing!). The photos on today’s blog give a glimpse of the Andes Mountains, the history of Peru, and the rugged terrain of rural life. Our team members each shared a description of the morning: stunning and intense, breathtaking, magnificent, ancient and slow, incredibly beautiful, priceless views, awe inspiring, magnificent and once in a lifetime, too long, very elegant, fun and exciting, stone stairs, and tiring and fun.
While hiking, I appreciated hearing Beth share that a common trait of impactful mission work (whether home or abroad) is intentional interest into understanding and experiencing the culture and history of a people. She shared that Peruvians are proud of their culture and that seeing others show interest in learning about who they are is significant in building trust and relationships. I appreciate Steve and Beth modeling this trait of curiosity to our team and for planning the trip through this lens; a beautiful modeling of Jesus’ care for people.
After a 2:30 p.m. lunch we said goodbye to pastor Roberto and Valeria. They dropped us off at the Ollantaytambo train station and we took a 1.5-hour train station to the town of Aguas Calientes (at the base of Machu Picchu, which we’ll see on Tuesday).
On Sunday night, when pastor Roberto and Valeria’s shared their testimonies, one of them commented that spending time with our intergenerational team, where all ages are represented, is blessing them; that it gives an idea of what their churches might be able do as they look to be missional in the remote regions of Cusco where there are not yet churches. A significant component of this trip is this mutual encouragement with Peruvian believers in faithfully following Jesus and sharing the Gospel with those who have not yet heard it. It’s been an encouraging, humbling, and inspiring week! Thank you for your ongoing prayers.
