On a month-long rest and ministry visit to the U.S. in November 2006, Haydee and Rubén Carrasco (left) visit with Carl and Erma Horning, Lancaster Mennonite Conference bishop fraternal representative couple to Latin America. Photo: Stephanie Knudsen

Mennonite leaders reflect on dynamic Peruvian church growth

CUSCO, Peru – Rubén and Haydee Carrasco had never heard of Mennonites before they met Howard and Louise Yoder, EMM’s first workers to Peru in 1986. But friendships from those early days have led to a twenty-year partnership with the Eastern Mennonite Missions team.

The Carrascos, some of the few second-generation Quechua Christians, helped focus EMM vision in the least-reached regions of the Andes mountains of Peru.

“Reaching the unreached is at the center of our vision,” Rubén said on a month-long rest and ministry visit to the eastern U.S. in November. “We’re going to remote mountains regions that are eight or ten hours from Cusco, where people have never heard the gospel. Recently 20 independent churches around Cusco wanted to affiliate with us, but we said, no, our focus is on the unreached.”

That clear-eyed vision, coupled with an emphasis on training everyone in the church to bring others to Christ and disciple them into leadership, has led to an average growth rate of one new church per month for the last two years.

“God is really moving among us,” the Carrascos testified during their visit. “And as people’s lives are transformed, as they are set free from alcohol and other occult bondages, their neighbors get interested.”

Illustrative of what is happening all over the region, they told of a Christian worker in the remote Cotabambas region. The worker visited the home of a sick woman, to pray for her. The woman was interested in Jesus, but afraid her husband, an influential man in the town, would beat her if he knew she was talking to a Christian.

Then one day when the worker stopped by the house, he was alarmed to unexpectedly be met by the husband. But the man welcomed him warmly and was eager to hear the gospel. He committed his life to Christ and has been telling the whole town, “We need what this man is bringing us.”

The Christian worker is in the process of discipling the man to become the pastor of the new church emerging in the town. And the new believer, eager to learn and grow, walks two hours each way to attend a weekly Bible study.

Haydee told of a follow-up visit she made to a woman who had visited their church one time. “She was so pleased to know that someone cared for her,” Haydee said. “She stopped drinking, and said the Christian life brought her peace like she’d never known. She brought her five children to Christ and is sharing her newfound joy with all the clients in her clothing business. In just two months' time her household completely changed. It came into order.”

“I think we have around 21 churches,” Rubén said.

“Isn’t it 22?” Haydee asked.

Ruben shrugged. ”The number is changing every day, but there are about 1,500 people scattered in four different regions. There are churches and then a lot of house fellowships. We just encourage people to reach their neighbors. When God sets people free they go home changed – and the church just keeps growing.”

In partnership with the growing church, EMM is also helping to begin an elementary school, called PROMESA, which now includes kindergarten through second grade, and is projected to add a grade each year. The church also has a public health training program and mobile clinic that services remote areas.

The EMM team in Peru includes John and Cindy Kreider from Harrisonburg, Va., Ron and Regina Shultz from Powhatan, Va., and Dawn Weaver from Ephrata, Pa.

-Jewel Showalter

Back to news and stories