Greetings, Mission Hills Church! Thank you for your gift to construct a church building for Evangelical Church of Pilgrims of Peru located in Cajamarca, Peru. As you will see in this report from the field, the church is working diligently to advance the construction project. We are delighted to update you with the most recent construction details, testimonies from the community, and praises and prayer requests from the church.
Construction Progress
Peru’s COVID-19 strict group gathering restrictions remain in place, however the church reports that they have been able to move forward with construction. They are approximately 70% finished with construction. Since the last report, they have continued work on the building walls, and starting installing support beams into the ground for structural support.
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- A view of the construction site.
Challenges and Learning Opportunities
The church pastor shares about a recent challenge the church is facing:
“One of the biggest challenges regarding the mission of our church is not being able to have face-to-face services with the members. We cannot hold virtual services either since many community members do not have the necessary technological tools. But now with the lifting of some restrictions, we are conducting small worship services in homes. Likewise, there have been certain difficulties in construction, but we are grateful to God that everything is improving and moving forward.”
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- Inside the new sanctuary.
Church Activities
Currently, 17 adults and 12 children participate in church activities. The church praises God that two individuals have made first time decisions to follow Jesus in the past 60 days! The pastor is regularly calling families to check in on their health and safety. Additionally, church staff are providing food packs and hygiene kits to help alleviate the impacts of the virus.
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- Children in the community wear masks to protect themselves and others from the virus.
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- Church leaders distribute food packages to community members.
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- A church staff member prays with a family in their home.
Next Steps
In the next 6o days, the church expects to make a lot of progress. They will complete the following tasks:
- Build a roof on the building.
- Pour concrete for the floors.
- Place windows and doors in frames.
- Install plumbing and electricity.
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- Construction workers take a break at the site.
Testimony From Ramón, a Community Member
Ramón is grandfather to a child registered with the child development center. He recently gave his life to the Lord:
“I was going through very complicated problems and I felt an immense emptiness in my life and in my home. Pastor Willy came to visit my grandson at our home, and when I heard his preaching I felt the call of God in that moment. When he got ready to pray, I told him that I wanted to give my life to the Lord because I wanted Him to ease my burden. When the pastor prayed, I felt all my burdens go away and I stopped feeling like I had an empty life. Since that moment, I have felt much happier together with my family. I thank God and the church.”
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- A view of the community from the church.
Praises and Prayer Requests
The church pastor shares current praises and prayer requests:
“Our church is deeply grateful to God and to you for your kind gift. Without your support, this important project would not have been possible. We hope our good God will reward you according to His purpose. We also ask that you support us in prayer. Please pray that children may be reached and transformed by the wonderful power of the Gospel. Please also pray that God will provide whatever we need to complete this project, and that he will intervene during this time of global crisis.”
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- Workers install support beams.
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- The metal beams create a strong frame for the building roof.
