Peru – 40 Days in the Promised Land
Entering Peru, we heard God say, “I’m taking you into the promised land” and within a few days of arriving and seeing God move, in the promised land we indeed were!
5 locations. 40 days. Jungle. City. Mountains. Peru was a time of adventure for Westbound, with Jesus moving in different ways around every corner and in every setting. We praised Him from the valleys, alongside rivers, in the streets, and amongst cloud-height villages. We saw Him touch lives, heal, bring salvation, fill the dark spaces, and gift us with laughter and intimacy. This was the gift of Peru, the gift of entering His promised land.
Our first stop was the Amazon for two weeks. Staying in a wooden house with ducks as our neighbours and the spluttering sound of Tuk-Tuks for music, we quickly acclimatised to the heat and new ways of living near the jungle. Our hosts were a passionate and focused local couple starting their own small church, diligently serving the Lord through prayer, kids ministry, and loving the community. It was there, in that space of dedication and zeal, where we had the honour of joining in.
Our time in the community of the Amazon was incredibly spirit-led and powerful. God moved in ways we had never experienced before and, surprisingly, it all started with us getting somewhat rejected at a school during ministry.
It happened on a casual Wednesday. Our team went to a school to lead an hour of games, songs, do a play, and bring a Biblical message. This particular school had never opened their doors to Christian influences before, in fact, our hosts had been trying to get in for over a year before they finally let us in! We essentially were part of the first sowing of seeds there and the hard condition of the children’s hearts clearly reflected this.
We led the program for an assembly, where about 500 high-school children attended. Rejection met us pretty quickly with the majority of the kids refusing to participate in the games. Even when our preach began, they talked over us and many even walked away. Perhaps 5 kids seemed to be listening amongst those 500 (but we still celebrate those 5!).
Our team had brought Bibles with to give to the students; we took them back without giving a single one away. As the pastor with us said, “Their hearts are not ready to receive the gospel”. Our team left feeling heavy. Many of us wept over seeing such a lost generation. I believe we all experienced God’s heart for his people who do not return his love.
So that night, we decided to worship and pray for them. The evening erupted with praise and petitions to God for their salvations. We brought forth prothetic songs and prayers over the community as our heart broke for them. To experience such rejection and heartache reminded us of how the disciples worshipped even more after persecution! We began to wake up before sunrise to go pray and worship in the streets. Those morning hours were some of the most powerful times we’ve as a team experienced God.
Then for a few evenings we preached in a public square. With a microphone and guitar, we sang and spoke of Jesus in a way none of us had done before. Sure, we got strange glares and avoided gazes, but some listened to our words, and the first night we did this, something radical happened! At the end of the evening, we asked the people who had lingered and listened if anyone wanted to give their life to Jesus?
6 people responded and gave their hearts to God!
Incredibly, one of the men who come to Christ said it was his first time hearing the news of the gospel. This was particularly impactful, because though we knew this community was somewhat unreached, it was entirely different to experience it right before our eyes. What a victory for Jesus.
Next up was a town called Cusco, where God divinely orchestrated for us to go to Machu Picchu! This is another incredible testimony. Let me share how it all happened:
We were in the area of Machu Picchu, and of course, it was a desire on many of our hearts to go see this famous Wonder of the World. However there were 2 obstacles. Firstly, no free tickets. Secondly, we had very little finances. Some obstacles.
So we prayed with the confidence of a King’s child, and soon, tickets opened up! But still the issue of finances remained. So we prayed again (funny how God invites us to seek Him like that. We often think that if we don’t get everything from Him the first time, hope is lost. But isn’t that just His way of keeping us in trusting Him?). Then within 10 minutes, our team was sponsored! God works in mysterious ways and through generous people. We are beyond grateful for that. It’s hard to put into words.
The next day, we were off to Machu Picchu! Heads still spinning from what had happened. What struck us is how He is a God who not only provides for our needs, but our wants too. He gives in abundance! A King does not live in lack, and as the King’s children, why should we too live with any other mentality?
The experience of Machu Picchu itself was wonderful. To see such ancient history in such extravagantly beautiful mountains is a sight to behold. But as we reflected as a team, the most beautiful part of it all was how our Father paved the way. Along the hike down from the ruins, some of the girls decided to sit in silence for a while, in God’s presence, admiring the handiwork of his creation. Those 15 minutes with Him were better than any touristy experience we’ve ever had.
There’s a song we’ve been singing often as a team, called, “Graves into Gardens” and some of the lyrics deeply resonated with us after this experience. The lines read:
“I’ve searched the world, but it didn’t fill me.
Man’s empty praise and treasures that fade are never enough.
Then you came along and you put me back together.
And every desire is now satisfied here in your arms.
And there’s nothing, better than you!”
This year has been tough in a lot of ways. Constant traveling. Wearing the same clothes over and over. Repetitious goodbyes. Missing home. But they don’t compare to the joys of following Christ. At one stage during our time in Machu Picchu, we were having a dinner (included in the ticket we bought) and one of our teammates, Sarah, said, “Our Dad bought this meal for us!” What a God we serve.
Our remaining time in Peru was spent in a town called Ferrenafe, as well as in a tribe in the nearby mountains. Both experiences were characterised by seeking God in mundane, daily moments, diving into his word, and sharing the good news. At times, we walked the streets in prayer, quietly worshipping over the passerby’s, and sometimes stopping to pray for people when prompted. Other times, we circled around the community in boldness, holding signs that speak of Christ’s love, and singing songs of his goodness. Once, we went out in small groups with a local person from the church and did evangelism. During this time, many of us experienced God loving the people through prophetic words, words of knowledge, and ordained moments of simple human connection. During this time, two young boys that we met on the street gave their hearts to the Lord after hearing the gospel, and others recommitted their lives and said they wanted to come back to the church!
Though our time in the tribe was short and somewhat isolated, we decided to do a phone-fast, set aside time to be present, and seek the Lord together. We stayed in an empty house owned by a missionary couple that had lived there for many years. They’re a spirit-filled family and staying there was inspiring to see the change they had brought to the community through a long-term commitment to serve and love the lost.
We ended off our 40 days there (a symbolic number too, when you think of Jesus’ life) with our Mid-year debrief in Peru’s capital, Lima. There, we entered a deep space of his rest as we reflected on the past few weeks. During this time, we experienced a rejuvenation to keep running our race here in the nations, to press on, and move forward in stronger unity.
Peru was a time of prayer, healing, worship, speaking boldly, listening intently, and moving with the spirit. As our team readied ourselves for the next phase of the journey – Central America – we left feeling stirred for more and wondering where the spirit would guide us next.