News & stories Transformed lives in Cusco, Peru CUSCO, PERU – When John and Cindy Kreider and their family returned from Cusco to spend last summer in the U.S., they were full of stories. They said, “In Peru we are continuing to experience a spiritual harvest. Ever since we started to hold Encounter Retreats, lives are being transformed and churches are experiencing revival and new growth. At one such retreat, a woman was healed of a cancerous tumor after confessing and repenting of hidden sin. Her unbelieving husband was so impressed that he became a Christian and went to the next Encounter – where he was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit! This couple is now being discipled and is giving leadership in their small church. “A young single mother from Lucre made a decision to follow Christ a number of months ago, but was struggling with breaking free from her sinful lifestyle. She went to an Encounter and was freed from bondage brought on from her promiscuous lifestyle and from having had four abortions. Once she confessed and repented of her sin, she was set free! “She began reaching out to her friends in the community, and one night showed the Passion of Christ in her home. A friend who came had occasionally attended Sunday School as a child, but now was heavily involved in idolatry and was one of the principal dancers at a pagan ritual to the spirit of Mount Ausangate, the only snow cap visible from Cusco. “This woman had been insulting her Christian neighbors, but now was touched by the love of Christ. After seeing the film she left the house deeply troubled and was wandering the deserted street at 10:30 p.m., not wanting to go home until she got right with Jesus. Our church leaders' meeting went late that evening, so three of our leaders found her weeping on their way home and led her to the Lord right there in the street. “They invited her to the next Encounter weekend, where she experienced deliverance and freedom. She was filled with the Spirit of God and baptized. When the group got back from the Encounter, she was among the first to get up and share her testimony. “One of the Lucre families forced their rebellious son to attend an Encounter – wanting him to experience God as they had. He was pretty ‘hard’ throughout the retreat, until he asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then he fell over under the power of God and wasn’t the same person when he got up. He couldn’t wait to get home to talk to his parents and ask them to forgive him for how he had been relating to them.” Over 300 people from the Mennonite churches in Peru have gone through an Encounter weekend, including about 50 from Lucre, where the Kreiders are giving leadership. Cindy said, “We have been finding the Encounters to be very effective in getting people to deal with hidden sin in their lives and allow God to touch, free, and transform lives in dramatic ways. God is really moving here and we feel privileged to be a part of it.” -Jewel Showalter Back to news and stories