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Finding Jesus in Peru
The Volunteer in Mission movement is one of the most vital channels of discipleship in the Church today. Each year thousands of United Methodists go outside the church walls to work in their own communities or travel to far-flung places in order to share Christ’s love with others.
Putting our faith into action is at the very heart of our Christian calling. The New Testament instructs those who would be followers of Jesus to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, heal the sick, care for the widows, and nurture the children.
Through volunteers in mission, every person in the church has the opportunity to serve and to live their lives more faithfully. And when we reach out and use what God has given us in the service of others, we have life-transforming experiences.
The Youngquist family--mom, Cheryl, and teens, Andy, Joe and Sarah -- traveled to Peru this summer. Did they take Jesus with them? Yes. But, it’s a mystery of faith that, when they arrived in Peru, Jesus was already there. Lives were changed, including their own. Here are their stories...
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Cheryl’s story...
“This was my third trip to Peru. This year I was allowed the privilege of leading one of the 13 teams for the group. This provided me with a front seat to hearing the passions and visions of three local pastors in the poor areas. The first pastor’s goal is to reach out to one hundred people a month. We were able to help them prepare the church grounds for grass seed and flowers. We also scrubbed down the sides of the church building, which was a heavy tarp stretched over a metal frame, in order to prepare it for a new coat of paint. We saw part of their vision for reaching out to others as we helped in a daycare setting and a soup kitchen
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that the church sponsors. They took us to areas of their community where we went door to door to invite people to a gospel drama put on by our team. The church people were there to speak to those who wanted to know more after the drama and invite them to the local church.
“Another pastor had a concern for an area that has gone from agricultural to highly populated in the past three years. With more than 60 children in this area, he is concerned that they will have adequate food and health care. The current church in the area will be demolished by a road expansion at the end of this year. The area is very poor and he had been offered a position by another pastor in a wealthier area. The pastor and his wife currently live with their in-laws and he walks daily to serve this area. The church has bought a new piece of land and started a home for him close by. He saw our visit as an encouragement from God but as I saw what he and his family were willing to sacrifice to serve, our team grew. On the bus ride back, we talked about what we had seen and heard. A collection was taken by the teens and I was privileged to share that gift with the pastor, his wife, and daughter the following evening. The foundation of the church will be constructed and our foundation of faith with God had grown.
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“As a group of approximately 600 people from the United States, Canada, and other countries, we came from both Protestant and Catholic churches. We joined translators in Peru to help reach those churches that have a vision to spread the message of the love of Jesus Christ both in word and in action to those living in the “poor areas” of Lima. In these areas, I saw a willingness of women to share a community kitchen and provide food at an affordable cost. I met a pastor who will walk on foot to the area that God has called him and walk to the top of the hill to pray over the children of the area and their needs.
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I saw elderly adults grateful for the gift of a Bible; they open it in the public square and read it out loud in excitement after receiving one. Yes, there is one body of Christ worldwide! When we are willing to look for what we do agree on and work together, God will show His love especially among those rich in faith but not in goods.”
Josiah’s story...
“The drama was a vital part of us going to Peru, so that what I’m going to tell you about. The drama starts out with The Toy Maker and his Son (God and Jesus). The Toy Maker and his Son create a perfect world with the Prince and Princess (Adam and Eve). After the Prince and Princess play for awhile, the evil magician comes in a tempts them to eat the forbidden fruit, which they do. This destroys the perfect world and puts a barrier up between the Toy Maker and the people That’s where
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my part came in as a toy soldier; we entered the drama as different people in the world. The evil magician comes back and takes control, turning us against each other and making us fight. The Toy Maker comes up with an idea to send his Son down to earth and save us. The Son heals me and some of the other toys, but some of the toys reject him. The baseball player and the Prince turn the Toy Maker’s Son over to the cats. The cats beat him and nail him to the cross. The evil magician thinks he defeated the Toy Maker, but the Son rises from the and sends the evil magician away forever. He broke the barrier between the toys and himself. I am grateful that I was able to share the gospel in Peru through drama.”
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Andrew’s story...
“Churches in Peru are a lot different than churches in America. Churches in America may have 100 pews or more. Churches in Peru may have 15 pews or less. A church can be in a room in a house, Or a church may be a wooden building with a cloth roof. If people are lucky, their community can afford bricks to build a church.”
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Sarah’s story...
“I want to share my reflections on the Land of Inca Kola and a city of almost 8 million people that I have fallen in love with. For the third summer in a row, I went on a missions trip to Peru. I spent ten days in Lima, the capital city. My team’s main ministry was an evangelistic drama that we performed in neighborhoods, marketplaces, and schools. We also went up into the poorer areas, called the Highlands, where we washed hair, played with the children, and ministered to the people. My team also spent a day at a church cleaning, scraping paint, and painting. I enjoyed serving God alongside old and new friends.“
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“Whether it was trying to show love to a girl with Down’s Syndrome, mopping a church floor, or sharing my testimony, God worked through me. I also had the awesome opportunity to be able to lead children in the salvation prayer this year, through a translator. Since I became a believer at a young age, it was especially rewarding to see these children come to Christ knowing that a local church would connect with them and help them to grow in their faith. Only God knows how these children may one day change the world for His glory. For now, I’m back in the States living as an ordinary radical and bond slave of the Messiah.”
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Note: Cheryl, Josiah and Andrew are back in Spring Lake, at home with Dad, Kevin. Sarah is a freshman at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Cheryl says, “I have enjoyed this three-year adventure of helping teens to serve.”
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The Youngquists traveled with an organization called Brio. A teen division of Focus on the Family, Brio began taking students on mission trips in 1996. They’ve taken several thousand teens to Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama and Peru. The Youngquists are making plans now for a Brio trip to Guatemala in 2009.
The United Methodist Board of Global Ministries has a Volunteer in Mission unit. UMVIM facilitates groups of volunteers working both in the United States and overseas. They also help with the placement of individual volunteers who wish to serve on a more long-term basis. Click here to learn more about the many facets of UMVIM. Global Justice Volunteers, Nomads, and PrimeTimers are just a few of the connections that are available.
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