News > Latin America

Peru UBF

May 7, 2013

“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”– John 12:24

Praise the Lord who became a kernel of wheat, falling to the ground to give his life to many people. Thank God for his mercy on us. By the grace of God ten years ago, we pioneered Peru from Mexico. Our God led us to walk with him in his life, falling to the ground as a kernel of wheat in many situations.

When we moved to Peru, we settled down in a town where all national college students lived near National Univ. of San Marcos. We invited students, and Daniel and César were the first fruits from among them. Facing the lack of our spirit and strength in the beginning of pioneering, we learned how only depending on God and dying to ourselves was necessary. We had many problems such as visa for stay, job, and health issues.

However, God has provided the Bible house near campus from our savings. Although we did not have anything left after the APT lease contract, we are more than grateful to God because God has used this manger place preciously for 1:1 Bible studies and Sunday worship service with lunch fellowship. We lived in one room, and our living room became a temple for everyone such as students and even guests sometimes.

For a year, I was rejected from work places quite a lot because of my old age while selling fruit jams and juice. The only thing I could do at the time in my bankruptcy was to kneel down and cry out to God, “Please, give me a job. No one wants to hire me.” God spoke to me through John 6:37, “…whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” God helped me to believe in him that he would open many jobs for me and that God would do it for me to work for him.

After being jobless for a year, God gave me the first job as a math teacher. Although I did not have any teaching experience and didn’t take any education classes, I prepared for teaching math. Meanwhile, I have been studying English for years at M. Abraham’s suggestion. Because of God’s love, when the math teaching door closed, the English teaching door opened. God made me an English teacher at a Christian school. Every year I could sign another contract at the school and it led me to solve my visa problem.

I thank God for giving us the first healthy boy after moving to Peru; M. Eugenia was pregnant while moving. For 6 days my boy was at risk with a virus and he had to be hospitalized with lines connected all over to his little body. She could not take a rest for her recovery but took care of her baby. We had to pray for her health, too. However, our baby started to grow in height and be healthier.

I confess that we could live only by your prayers and offerings from Mexico centers and all around the world. For a better recovery, M. Eugenia went to Mexico by their invitation and said, “Please forgive me if I do not come back.” She got strengthened physically and spiritually by the help of M. Sarah Hwang. We translated all the messages of Dr. Samuel Lee, M. Sarah Barry, and P. Ron Word that we could get for spiritual support and to deliver Sunday messages. The continuing work of translation of all those messages helped me to advance my English skills and also to meditate on God’s word and prepare my own message. My wife prepared 1:1 Bible study materials and studied with students.

M. Eugenia actively fished with my little son, Esteban, and later she went to campus while he was watching a children’s video.

M. Abraham suggested to us to have a group Bible study on Sunday instead of the worship service so we had a group Bible study for a year. Once M. Isaac Park joined us, we started to have Sunday worship service and fellowship afterwards. M. Eugenia cooked sincerely and sacrificially. M. Isaac gave students a ride back home.

Cesar, Victor, Ana, Caty, Fiorella, Kelly, Diana are studying Bible with us. A total number of 36 people attended our Christmas worship service with those growing disciples of Jesus.

We pray for M. Efrain’s Sunday message, 12 teams of 1:1 Bible study, establishing an Abraham and a Sarah of faith, and raising 12 disciples of Jesus. We pray for solving visa issues completely and being self-supporting missionaries.

One Word: But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

By M. Efrain