Transforming a Community
Come with me as I give you a quick glimpse of the hungry believers gathered in Cusco.For a brief moment, allow my words to transport you into their amazing world, full of yearning for God’s Word and awe at His salvation. This is His Church—your new brothers and sisters in Christ—growing in the knowledge of God and bursting with gratitude. Tears of gladness stream down their faces. With their hands lifted up and hearts overflowing, they are learning to worship and their smiles cannot be contained. They eagerly gather to hear any message from the Bible that I bring them, and every word shines more light on their path, showing them how to walk in the ways of the Lord. Your giving has paved the way for this remarkable journey of faith they have begun! “Who would like to close us in prayer this evening?” I asked the house church last Sunday after we had finished worshipping and hearing the Word of God. To my delight, Julio Apasa Sr.—the patriarch of the original family we ministered to in Cusco and in whose home the believers gather for church—raised his hand. “I will,” he said, and then he prayed the most humble and beautiful prayer. “Lord Jesus, I thank you for sending Tony and Rosa to our family to bring us the Word and for giving us this chance to open up our home for services so that more people can hear Your truth.” Just a week prior, Rosa had received a text from Ruth Apasa—Julio’s oldest daughter—thanking Rosa for changing their family. Her heart-felt text read: “A million times over, Rosa, thank you for changing our family’s lives for the better.” With a deep sense of gratitude and contentment, Rosa responded: “It was the Lord Jesus who changed your lives when you accepted His 
gift of salvation. He loves you all.”
That is truly how Rosa and I feel, and how all of you who partner with us should feel: we are humbled, content, and grateful to experience this outpouring of God in Peru—this transformation of lives, entire families, and whole communities—having been granted by God to be involved in whatever way He has so enabled us to participate. YOU are a reason that they can pray these prayers and send these texts. Your giving has made room for their home to be opened and for Bibles to be placed into their hands. Their tears of joy are your tears of joy, and their songs of praise are your songs of praise. And so, Rosa and I say to you all, “Thank YOU, a million times over, for doing your part in this ministry God has granted to us all!”
We would also like to say a special thanks to the wonderful team of folks from Colorado (and our granddaughter Calysta from Miami) who joined us in Peru to further the chapel construction. Because of this team, the trusses are now all in place! They also ministered to the church in Cusco and helped us conduct an outreach in Cardompata to approximately 100 people during which time we handed out clothes, shoes, and candy, and preached the Word of God. In Cardompata, the people are very eager to hear the Bible. They have never before
in their lives read or had access to the Word of God. They approached me (Tony) on Good Friday and asked me if I would begin to regularly teach them the Bible. “We want you to start in Genesis and go all the way to the end!” Since that time, they have come hungry to hear me teach, and I believe this may be the beginning of a weekly Bible study and another outpouring of salvation. This community is so eager to be in the chapel already—a place of worship they can call their own and in which they can gather to learn the Bible—that they are planning to gather in the unfinished chapel the day that Rosa arrives back in Peru. They want her to preach to them from the Bible, and the entire house church in Cusco had decided that they will travel the hour-and-a-half journey to join their new brothers and sisters in Christ for this special time of worship. Rosa feels that the Holy Spirit would have her to teach them about the early Church, verse-by-verse from the book of Acts, with an emphasis on the message of salvation.
The church in Peru is growing fast, and Rosa and I get to witness the changes the Holy Spirit brings to people’s lives. One 9-year-old boy in Cusco stayed for the preaching long after his mother had to leave the church meeting. The mother later told Nicole Apasa that her son woke up the morning after that preaching and said, “Mother, I am going to be a good boy! I will respect you and go to church every Sunday, and I want to cook breakfast for you this morning because I want to help you.” (I am certain that all of the parents reading this can appreciate the Holy Spirit’s demonstration of power!). Hallelujah; God changes lives! Please pray that the believers will grow in the knowledge of God. We also need finances. The chapel construction is over half-way complete, and after that we plan to begin constructing an orphanage, followed by the senior citizen feeding center. Pray for provision and ask God to involve you. Perhaps you are the one that God will bless in order to provide for this work to continue. Would you like for Him to build His Church through you in Cusco and Cardompata, Peru? Would you like to provide a home for orphans and food for the elderly? All things are possible to him who believes.
With Great Joy and Anticipation,
Tony and Rosa Rivera
Home of Refuge International, Inc.
