Brothers and Sisters,
I send you warm greetings. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure more children and youth will have the opportunity to know the love of Jesus Christ. Your support brings hope to children, families and communities and equips them with tools to be released from poverty in the name of Jesus!
I am Cristina Zavala, Country Director for Compassion Peru. In 1984, Compassion began ministry in Peru and I have served in this role since 2005. Peru is a country with a very rich history, beautiful places, warm people, but also extreme poverty, broken families and vulnerable children.
Together we can offer the hope and eternal life Christ to those who are vulnerable. It brings me great joy to see our local churches welcome the children who participate in Compassion’s child development programs. One of our local church partners expanded their ministry to nearby villages by starting home groups (without knowing our vision to work through a church planting strategy).
Our team is very careful in the selection of mother churches and we require that they show maturity in carrying on Compassion programs. This church is now participating in the extension of God’s kingdom in other towns through the daughter churches. The mother church helps with its experience, resources to purchase the land, and by providing support and encouragement to the new pastor and congregation.
As result, we have seen a greater commitment from our church partners to work with children. “You are our strategic partner in the Great Commission,” they say. As Compassion we have understood that growth programs should be given in response to natural growth of the church. Because they fulfill their promises, the church has taken a great role in the community as a benchmark in the care of children. As Compassion Peru, it is our honor to walk with them and provide guidance, expertise and support. It is an excellent opportunity for the church to develop new skills, management and organization.
We are very thankful to the Lord because this strategy shows us that we can reach more communities with the love of Jesus. In fact, more church partners want to be part of this strategy after seeing the outcomes. Church planting empowers local churches, encourages them to invest in their communities and take responsibility in building and resource mobilization.
We are also seeing how this mobilization allows spiritual growth in our local churches, encouraging them to pray and mobilize for evangelism. By the grace of the Lord, we wish to keep growing in northern Peru and the Andes regions to benefit more children — transforming their communities with the gospel!
We believe that poverty will be defeated in our world and in Peru, if we continue working together to release children from poverty in Jesus’s name. Thank you so much for joining with us in response to the Great Commission!
In Christ,
Cristina Zavala, PE Country Director