Lili
I am 32 years old and I have two children. Before coming to Christ, my life was very bitter. I was resentful because life seemed to be meaningless, even though I was committed to the Catholic religion of my parents and participated in all the saints festivals. As a young woman I had two children and after living some time with the father of my children, I was left alone as a single mother of two. All that was left for me was to work in order to be able to continue on with life. Three years ago my mother died in an accident with a drunk driver and my whole family was very affected by it. I was like a madwoman; I couldn’t sleep and the memorial services held for my mother didn’t bring me any hope. At that time, a Christian named Maria came along, and she brought us the Bible. Some time later, another Christian came along with pastor Juan Pablo and started to study the Bible with me. Through our Bible studies I came to understand the gospel and I called on the Lord Jesus to save my soul, and He brought peace, comfort, and meaning to my life.
Maria
My life was always characterized by sadness. From the time I was a little girl I worked in the fields sowing and harvesting the crops in order to live. I was a faithful Catholic like my parents and my siblings. When I was in my youth, I enjoyed parties. I have two children, but the younger of my sons was born sick and shortly after his birth the father of my two children abandoned us. With the help of my parents I was able to take care of my children, until the tragic death of my mother. After she died, I fell into depression.
That was when Maria visited us and encouraged us. She sowed the word of God in us, but I still did not give my life to Christ. Later, pastor Juan Pablo and another brother began to study the Bible with us in my brother’s house, who had already become a follower of Christ. We started to attend those Bible studies and the word of God reached my heart. I surrendered to Christ, and since that time He is my Lord who is with me. Even though I still have hard things in life, God is helping me to continue in His ways and he gives me peace and joy.
Zulema
When I was born my father rejected me and left our family. I never met him. When I was twelve years old, my mother died, and my sister and I became orphans. We were helpless, sad, bitter, and with a lot of questions about life and death. From that time we have lived with our grandparents and our uncles. I looked for answers in the Catholic church and among evangelicals, but I couldn’t find them. Three years ago my grandmother died in a traffic accident. My aunt and uncle had become Christians and they shared the Scriptures with me. I came to know Christ as my Lord and began attending the Bible studies in their home. Now with Christ I am growing in the knowledge of the Lord. He has filled the emptiness of my heart and I know His love and peace. I have been baptized and I want to follow His ways.
Ruzbel
I am 14 and I live with my parents and my five siblings. We all work in the fields and we also raise sheep. I also go to school, along with two of my siblings. In this village there is a Catholic chapel that is only open once a year during the town’s saint festival. Life at home is very hard. Last year, pastor Juan Pablo, along with some other brothers, started coming every Friday in the afternoon to talk to us about Jesus Christ. I have believed in the Lord and I want to serve Him. I am helping the pastor with the ministry to the children. I am happy that the word of God has come to my town.
Noe
I’m 24 years old. I’m not married and I study accounting in the university, which is why I live away from home in an apartment in the city of Huaraz. I was born in a province of Yungay, in the mountain of Huascaran. From the time I was a child I attended a church with my parents, but I only went because it was our custom. I finished school and with my parents’ help I came to the city of Huaraz to study. Three years ago some people from a local seminary spoke to me and I attended a teaching module they were having. There I met a man named Ruben and he explained the gospel to me, clearing up a lot of misunderstandings I had. From that point my life changed, but I still wrestled with some of the wrong things that I had been taught in the past. Later, I met pastor Juan Pablo and some other brothers and began attending the church they had started in Tarica. Since then, I have been meeting with the church there and growing in the grace of the Lord. With joy, I now speak to people in my university about Christ and I serve in the church.