Letters from the Church: Peru
I was able to stay with this amazing family in Peru two years ago. They are full of passion and gentleness and intentionality. Tim and Holly lead their family to know Jesus, themselves, and each other deeply to build up the Kingdom in our hearts. This year has been challenging, as Tim will share here. Please keep them in prayer!
As I stand on the rooftop listening to the rain start to pitter patter then gently roar, release comes over my whole body because help is on the way…
Our family, The Anderson Clan has served as missionaries in Peru for the last four and a half years. Over the past 25 weeks our family has been elbow deep in helping people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while you could argue that the virus itself did not cause the economic stress we see all around us in Peru, the reality is very simple; people are suffering and people are starving.
As we have bought over 12 tons of food in the last six months delivering it to over 1000 families in our area, we have encountered countless stories of teachers losing their jobs, people getting kicked out of their houses, and even people getting sick and dying. We have prayed for deliverance and healing for sick people in their homes, we have seen whole families move hours away to try and find some kind of work, and we’ve cried with people who just have no hope.
In the mornings I’ve often found myself praying and asking God to show himself to me and the people around me because there seems to be no good options. As the quarantine in Peru drags on and on, people are not allowed to work, children 14 and under are not allowed to leave their homes, and people 65 and older are not allowed to go outside or into stores or public markets.
During the past 6 months Holly and I have had our kind and generous hearts fiercely rubbed up against the reality that we can’t help everyone who is struggling during this incredibly difficult time. And there have been moments where that feels like an incredibly heavy weight to bear. It has only been about two years since Peru opened its borders and welcomed in around 2 million Venezuelans who were trying to flee their country and it’s collapse. Today, most of the Venezuelan refugees in our area of Peru are homeless and living on the streets. For months now I can’t drive through a single stoplight around Cusco without someone trying to sell water, candy, empanadas, or juggling machetes for a tip. Peru has shut down its ports, railroads, buses, and airports. Traveling from city to city has been illegal during the quarantine, and police checkpoints have been strongly enforced. We have been stopped by the police over 20 times during the quarantine while we were passing out food to the working poor. There has been no violence, but we have had to pay many bribes and once got to the point of almost having our vehicle confiscated.
This whole time of quarantine reminds me of a famous scene in the movie Braveheart where Mel Gibson is in the trenches with his fellow Scotsmen that have sharpened small trees into spears and they’re waiting while the thunderous cavalry of the English approaches. With increased determination and resolve the weathered William Wallace (Mel Gibson’s character) keeps calling out, “hold, Hold, Hold, Hold, HOLD!”
For my wife and I this time of quarantine in Peru has been a tremendous sifting process. On a daily basis the challenges and tremendous need have tested our grit and resolve. Every day we have fallen on our knees and asked God for wisdom & guidance, knowing that we cannot help everyone but desperately wanting to make a difference and make an impact on the lives of those who are disheartened and hurting.
During this pandemic, God has brought alongside our family more Peruvian ministry partners and we are so very excited to have shared this journey with them. Our ministry partners have gotten really muddy with us in the trenches and that has drawn us together in a really powerful way. We are so very excited to see how God will use these deep relationships to build the Kingdom in Peru for years to come. As Frodo said “I wish it [hard times] need not happened in my time.” to which Gandalf wisely responded, “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
God has asked us to walk faithfully through this dark valley, but we (all of God’s children) are equipped with the unique skills and past experiences to walk through the current challenges with faith…and on our good days, confidence. By staying in the pain and walking side by side with Jesus through the challenges of life we exercise our faith muscles and over time find ourselves further along in our journey of sanctification.
So as the rain’s gentle roar continues on our rooftop today, I am so very thankful for the relief that rain will bring to this agrarian culture. The rain brings life, the rain brings healing, and the rain washes away so many of the challenges we have faced over the last six months. You should see the smiles of the faces of the farmers; they are beaming with hope…God is moving, and the movement can be felt in very real ways.
It was such a privilege for us to host Philip at our home in Peru, and we are so very excited to see God work in his life. Please continue to pray for our family and work in Peru. Thank You and God Bless! -Tim A
