CHURCH PLANTING IN LIMA, PERU

Hope Lima, Peru was started in 2003 by a team of 5 tentmakers from Hope Singapore. The church is into its 4th year and has 25 regular attendees (mainly families and youth). The team is now pioneering the working professional group.

Hi everybody, my name is Ai Lay. I am a the team member at Hope Lima, Peru, in South America. I served as a Care Leader in Hope Singapore. I would like to share God’s faithfulness to Hope Lima, since the very beginning.

Hope Lima, Peru (Video interview)

Pioneering Hope Lima, Peru

When we just landed in Lima for church planting early 2003, we could not speak the language. The only friends we had were Herman and his family whom we first knew in Singapore. For the girls, our initial jobs as teachers paid us less than USD$350 per person, while the 2 guys spent a year unemployed.

However, we continued to be optimistic and believed that God will be faithful. As Hudson Taylor said, "God's work done God's way will never lack God's supply."

Every year, God blessed us with better incomes and bigger houses which enabled us to do more things to extend the kingdom of God in Lima. We have increased needs in our ministries, but God has never failed to provide abundantly.

The first church service

At the end of our first year, we started our first church service. The first two years were difficult, and we saw many people visit and leave us with high regularity. However, we continued to pray and to persevere despite sometimes feeling very disappointed.

In the 3rd and 4th year, we started seeing breakthroughs and answered prayers. God started to bring in youths and professionals who showed a greater level of commitment than our initial visitors.

Reaching out to the locals

One of them is Oscar. He is a professional who received Christ early last year. He lost his job in June last year but this made him draw closer to God. His life has changed 180 degrees when he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit 3 months ago. Oscar was the first fruits of our prayer last year and he started a young professional group with at least 6 people. And we have 5 now who join us regularly.

God's faithfulness never ends. He has also answered our prayers to start a vibrant youth group. We have 3 youth leaders and one of them is Laura. Laura is 16 years old from a family of 6.

Because of her commitment to our youth group, we employed her as part time administrator last year. Her salary of S$150 per month allowed her to support her whole family and save up for her preparation course to university. We have seen her grow in the past year in faith, vision and knowledge in the word of God. She works less now due to her studies, but she would still come to our place more than necessary, not just to work but to plan and discuss about ministry work. She is now in our close leadership team.

Prayer for leadership team

We pray that this year, God will continue to strengthen our current leaders that they may do greater things for Him in Peru. As for me, as I think back to all the years of field work in Peru. I do not regret what God has brought me through and I am glad that He has used me to do His work in Peru.

As you listen, you are the witnesses of God's faithfulness to us. I want to challenge you guys out there to take a risk in your life for God. Take a leap of faith in God by stepping out for Church Planting. Do something different in your lifetime and be there to tell the younger generations that you have made a difference in your life.

The Lord is still saying "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." If God can use a simple girl like me, don't you think God will and can do greater things through you? *

Source: http://www.hopesingapore.org.sg/mission.html