Warren Pruett, Jonathan Smith, Melanie Pruett, Roger and Rebecca McNiel, Holly Smith, Jamie and Beverly Rutherford, Noelia Alverado
My wife Rebecca and I were able to be part of an outstanding team, and go on our church’s latest mission trip to Lima, Peru. And what a blessing it was to both of us. Swift Creek is partnering with a church in Lima (Cristo El Salvador) to establish a church in an area just outside the city, called Jicamarca (pronounced He- ca- mark-a ).
To get an overview of that ministry take a moment to watch this video.
We were very warmly welcomed by the members of Cristo El Salvador on Sunday morning, and had a wonderful experience with them as they led us in worship. First of all by singing songs familiar to us in their native Spanish, and then for our benefit, singing them in English. It was a little taste of Heaven to be united with brothers and sisters in Christ, even though we don’t speak the same language, we were worshiping our Savior together with one heart.
One of our team’s assignments for the week was to lead the church in a marriage conference. We conducted several sessions teaching scriptural principles on the roles of husbands and wives, and parents and children.
On several occasions we broke into smaller teams, and along with interpreters and members of the church, we went into the local neighborhood to share the Good News of Jesus. We did this both in the area of Cristo El Salvador, and in Jicamarca.
On one of those outings we met a young man named Angel, from Venezuela. He had been a school teacher there, and was forced to leave his country because he had lost his job and his home, and had no prospects of finding either. As we talked through our translator, Noelia, we found him to be knowledgeable of some Bible verses because of his religious background, but with little understanding of their real meaning. When I asked him if I could pray for him, he quickly found an excuse to get away.
I believe Angel is quite typical of the people of Jicamarca who have so many needs, but have little trust in strangers coming into their neighborhood from the outside to visit them. It is going to take time, and someone willing to go and build relationships with them, to lead them to faith in Christ, and to grow them as His disciples.
That is our commission – go, and make disciples of all nations. And that is why we are going to Peru; why we are partnering with Christo El Salvador. And it is precisely why Jonathan and Holly Smith are moving their family to Lima. So that they can be the ones who will consistently be in that community, getting to know the people who live there. Building relationships, building trust… and as God blesses, building disciples.
And that is why we at Swift Creek will help them by supporting their work financially, and by going on short term trips to help them as the Lord leads us. And by praying for them faithfully…. So, what is your part?