Two Miles High

C

usco, Peru, lies in a bowl of the Andes mountains, more than two miles high. I had come to visit two new Global Mission projects in this city of some 350,000 people. But I wasn’t going anywhere! Although I had been warned of the possibility of altitude sickness and done everything I could to avoid it, I experienced its effects. Nothing helped, so I was miserable for a few hours while my body adjusted to the low oxygen in the atmosphere.

When I recovered, representatives from the Southeast Peru Mission picked me up on Sabbath morning. We drove across the city, navigating chaotic traffic up and down cobblestone streets. The people, dressed in bright traditional clothing, created a tapestry of color on the road, where dogs roamed freely.

The Seventh-day Adventist work has been active around Cusco for many years, but the Adventist population in the city remains about 1 for every 350 people. That’s because it’s easier to work in the mountains, where the poor villagers respond more readily to the gospel. I was glad when I received a request from the mission for projects focused on reaching the city for Jesus.

Eventually, we arrived at a half-built apartment building. Walking through the gate, we were greeted by three children engaged in Sabbath School outside. They were covered in blankets because it was about 40°F. The children sang enthusiastically for us, as did the adult group worshiping in a small one-room apartment.

After the service, a man named Ruben spoke to me in excellent English. He seemed to be functioning as the Global Mission pioneer for the project even though he wasn’t receiving a stipend. Ruben was a civil engineer who combined his love of ministry with his work. Whenever it was time to build another church in the vicinity, he volunteered his time and expertise to design and supervise the construction.

I discovered that the apartment in which the group worshiped belonged to Ruben. He was building it for his family and using it for a church. Ruben explained that once the believers outgrow it, they will move to a school owned by an Adventist family. They will continue to grow in that facility until they can build their own church.

After the group outfitted me in a bright Peruvian poncho, we drove to another city section, 600 feet higher up the mountain. There, a whole new community was under construction. Our guide explained that they wanted to establish a new group while this area was being developed.

We sped up the mountain on steeply inclined, twisting, pot-hole-filled dirt roads. Many were only a single lane, making passing oncoming traffic a constant exercise in driving creativity.

When we arrived safely at the mountaintop, we parked beside a mud brick, tarp-covered building sporting a sign above the door, “Seventh-day Adventist Church, Loma Linda.” Loma Linda means hilltop in Spanish. Inside was a group of some 20 people. Again, the children sat outside, bundled up against the wind and dust.

After we greeted the people, they hauled out mandolins, flutes made of PVC pipe, and panpipes made of bamboo. Several adults and young children played while the rest of the group sang hymns.

Later, we were introduced to a 70-year-old man named Fortunato. He wore a beautifully designed leather hat and vest, which he promptly informed us he made. Fortunato didn’t speak English, but we were told that he was this project’s leader. We walked to his nearby house and entered through a gate into a small courtyard. Fortunato, like all the residents in this new community, had electricity but no running water. They collect rainwater in barrels, and trucks deliver large water tanks.

Fortunato showed us his leatherwork shop, which also served as his bedroom. Leatherwork and tools covered every available surface, and pictures of some of his work hung on the walls. One showed him sitting on a rearing horse on a saddle he had made.

As we talked to Fortunato about what he planned to do to grow this new church, he said he would use his trade to connect with people. People enjoy learning to work with leather, and as Fortunato developed relationships with them, he would begin Bible studies. For the same reason, the musical group that played for us also offers to teach music lessons for the community.

These Global Mission projects were only beginning when I was there, so your prayers are welcome. Indeed, the groups asked for prayer. Stories such as this one are possible because of your gifts to Adventist Mission. It’s those gifts that have started these two new groups two miles high in the Andes mountains of Peru.