When I first arrived in Peru in 2003, only a small group of members attended worship services. But currently more than 500 members come to Church to give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father and Mother. It is true that the infinite power of God makes everything possible.


The Blessing of Obedience to God

Although I was appointed by God to carry out overseas mission work in Peru, the only word I knew in Spanish was “Dios lo bendiga mucho” [God bless you]. At that time, the only thing I had in my mind was that ‘I must do my best in preaching the good news in the foreign country to please heavenly Father and Mother.’

However, everything did not turn out as I had expected. Different from my strong commitment to deliver the gospel, everything seemed so hard. Since I could not speak Spanish well, I had a problem communicating with the Church members. I found myself hiding behind the members who could speak Spanish when I went out to preach. After a month in Peru, I realized I became timid and passive. I thought I had to change myself. Before long, I remembered the reason why heavenly Mother sent me here. What Mother wanted me to do was to preach the words of life to the people in a foreign country, rather than remain passive because of a language barrier.

At that moment, Mother’s words flashed through my mind: “Laugh lots, be active and speak aloud when you go abroad.” This was what Mother told me before I left Korea. She told me everything would be fine when I practiced these teachings. Yes, the answer was in the words of God.

The next day, I greeted the members in a loud voice with a bright smile. “Dios lo bendiga mucho!” They also welcomed me with bright smiles on their faces. After that, I asked brothers and sisters to help me learn Spanish and they wholeheartedly taught me the language when they had time.

As I tried to follow the words of Mother, God immediately gave me the ability to speak a foreign language. After two months in Peru, I was able to give sermons and prayers in Spanish and boldly preached the word of God. People asked whether I had lived in Peru for many years. But the interesting thing was that I turned into a fluent Spanish speaker only when I preached the good news and still had difficulties in having casual conversations with people. Thus, I realized everything was being carried out by the authority of God.


Light of Truth Breaks the Power of Darkness

Sometimes we hesitate to go abroad to preach the gospel because of our inability to speak a foreign language. But when we go abroad, we come to know that language is not that big of a problem. Speaking a foreign language is not as hard as we think. If we work hard and try to get close to foreign brothers and sisters, God surely opens our ears and mouths to overcome the language barrier. Problems come from unexpected areas.

ⓒ 2006 WATV

Because Peru was once ruled by Spain, over 90 percent of Peruvians belong to the Roman Catholic Church. Some Catholics combine indigenous worship with Catholic traditions, so that you can easily find idols for gods on the streets or in the houses. Many of the Peruvian customs are based on their own traditions. Religious rituals remain an important and enduring aspect of Peruvian’s daily life. They do not seem to feel guilty when they do wrong, because they believe they can be purified and forgiven by the Sacrament of Confession. I was somewhat disappointed to see them not having any sting of conscience although they sinned; but at the same time, I was able to understand the heart of heavenly Father.

I could feel the pain and anxiety that heavenly Father had when He came to this earth and saw His children tainted with sin in this world, without knowing what is a sin before God. I felt I was unworthy to receive God’s blessing, and gave thanks to God from the bottom of my heart for giving me such understanding. Their stubborn traditions and superstitious belief are nothing before God. As the light of truth shined into the world and the people walking in darkness saw the glory of God at Jesus’ first coming, so our brothers and sisters here were born again through the word of God.


Learning and Teaching the Passover

Like a newborn baby grows up and becomes a toddler and recognizes his father and mother, the Church members have also grown up to be the children of God, resembling the characteristics of heavenly Father and Mother.

Another fragrance of Zion is that the members of the Church in Peru teach other people right after they learn the truth. If they study the Passover, they immediately go and preach the Passover; and when they learn the Sabbath, they go to other people right away and tell them to keep the Sabbath. As the members preach the words of God with a great confidence, God gives them a lot of blessing.

In Peru, generally 10-15 family members live together in one household. By the blessing of God, when one of the family members receives the truth, the rest of the family comes into the truth.
Moreover, all the members of the 2nd Lima Church work together with great zeal. It is not one or two members who bear lots of fruit; all the members are united into one so that they all may bear fruit. Because the members led all their physical families into the truth, groups of about 15-20 family members come to Zion on every worship day. This is somewhat unusual for me. For them I am so thankful to God.

I would like to share some stories about our Church members. When Brother Fortunato, well advanced in years, received God, he immediately preached the gospel to his grandson, a high school student, and he delivered the truth to his parents. However, his parents did not like him having another religion besides Catholicism. He asked his parents to come to the Church of God and study the Bible first and then decide what to do, instead of just forcing him not to go to Church. His parents accepted his proposal and came to our Church to study the truth. God blessed them to become the children of God right after they listened to the new covenant.

Sister Veronica, who works as an assistant teacher at a kindergarten, preached the gospel to her co-worker Patricia. After studying the Bible, Sister Patricia received God and told the truth to her husband. But her husband refused to accept the truth. Sister Patricia prayed to God with tears for a month, asking God to move her husband’s heart so that he could receive God. God opened his heart and blessed him to be born as a child of God. He now helps the Church faithfully as a leader of the male adult members.


“Here am I, send me”

As the number of the members in Peru has increased, they are very willing to engage in overseas gospel work. Brothers and sisters are leaving the country to participate in the ‘Self-Supporting Overseas Mission’ movement and recently we are expecting to have a new Zion in Paraguay.

ⓒ 2006 WATV

Zion is being constructed in a country or in a city. Spiritually it is a miraculous work of God. However, when I look back carefully at the path that we took to get where we are right now, I can tell you that the beginning of the work was rather humble and small.

Young adult and student members’ fervent zeal and willingness to preach the gospel helped us have a new Church in Arequipa. Thanks to the newly constructed Zion, the children of God are receiving His blessing through the water of life. The young adult members are filled with enthusiasm to preach the word of God. Some of them were given an opportunity to preach to a person who was just coming out from a shopping mall. She understood very well the teachings of God and received God immediately. She also wanted to share this good news with her younger brother.

Her brother lived in Arequipa (it takes 20 hours of driving time to reach there from Lima). Sister asked God to show her the way to tell the truth to her brother, and she was able to deliver the words of eternal life to him during his vacation. Because it was the period of God’s feast, her brother received the Holy Spirit from God by attending morning and evening services and grew as a faithful gospel worker. He returned to Arequipa after his vacation and has led many souls to God by faithfully carrying out the mission of a messenger, entrusted by God. This is how the new Zion was established in Arequipa.

Moreover, a new Zion was built in Uruguay last month. The members of a deacon’s family, who love Father and Mother so much, applied for the ‘Self-Supporting Overseas Mission’ with a strong commitment to spread the gospel overseas. God was pleased with their strenuous endeavor, and eventually allowed us to establish the Church of God in Uruguay as well.

The deacon worked as a watch repair man during the day, and preached the words of God during the afternoon and evening. Of course, he faced a lot of difficulties because he worked on the streets, but nothing could block his strong resolution from preaching the new covenant. As a result, God blessed him with more than 20 souls and allowed us to have a new Zion in Uruguay.

We preached, relying only on the words of God: “Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen” (Ezekiel 3:11). Then God gave us enormous blessing that we had never imagined before.

It is God who carries out the work of the gospel, and we are an instrument which He uses to fulfill His plan. We will obey God’s teachings, and faithfully do the task God has entrusted to us.
Heavenly Father and Mother, we give thanks to You and we love You!