September 2002 - Sharing A Letter Sent To Friends Of Project Nehemiah

September 2002

Dear Friends of Project Nehemiah,

Sometimes we experience disappointments, such as when Lucila went off to the jungle after graduation from Bible Institute to work with some other group rather than returning to work with us in the evangelization of her own village here in the mountains.

But in contrast, there is joy in observing the attitudes of Eliseo and Wilber Torres, who were so happy to take their vacation time to go with the Gospel back above the timberline to the village where their mother was so cruelly hacked down by terrorists on a mountain trail - right before their eyes. After fleeing from the approaching band of terrorists, their Dad was never seen again, and their baby brother, who had been tossed into the cactuses, was dead; but Eliseo and Wilber were anxious to share Jesus with their surviving relatives in that community of "Cunya" and to encourage and teach any believers there.

At 2 o'clock in the morning, the Torres brothers, along with Freddy Figueroa, set out on the back of a pick-up truck after prayer with German and Hector (staff of Project Nehemiah), who had risen early to see them off. For five hours the boys travelled higher and higher into the mountains on a narrow, perilous road till they reached Cunya, a community spread out over the side of a mountain. It was freezing cold and they needed a place to stay. The first house they visited was that of Felipe, who turned out to be a relative and... the governor of that area. He welcomed them into his humble adobe hut, where his 6 children slept on sheepskins on the hard, cold, dirt floor in one corner of the room and shared 2 blankets among them; and he and his wife slept in another corner. All of their earthly belongings were in another corner. In their graciousness, they let the 3 boys use their new foam mattress that arrived just that day; and Eliseo and Wilber were kind enough to let Freddy have the warmest spot in between them on that twin-size mattress, but they all had a hard time sleeping because of the cold. For supper they enjoyed hot potato soup, and for the next few days they ate basically potatoes at every meal and also for snacks. Obviously, potatoes are the main product of that area, and the people climb sometimes for 2 hours up beyond their homes to work their lands until sunset.

The boys visited many homes, talking and witnessing of Christ and inviting relatives and new friends to meetings, where Freddy played with and taught the children, while Eliseo led the adult services and Wilber preached. The people were so receptive and grateful for their visit. One lady confessed that she had grown cold in her faith and said that they should make sure she got to the meetings even if they had to tie a rope around her neck and drag her. Others admitted that at one time they had met to worship the Lord but that the little church building was now empty because there was dissension among the believers and there was no one to teach them.

Before the boys left Cunya, Felipe had agreed to meet with several others for prayer and Bible reading until the boys could return to them. And that is what Eliseo and Wilber intend to do. They are looking forward anxiously to their summer vacation (Dec.-March) to be up on the freezing heights of those mountains eating potatoes and offering the Bread of Life to the people of Cunya.

All of the other Project Nehemiah kids here, except Enriqueta, also went out on mission trips during their mid-year vacation with the young people of the discipleship-mentoring group to cities and villages throughout the surrounding mountains, as far as one day's walk away. Their stories are fascinating and wonderful, and all of them loved the opportunities they had to help advance the kingdom of God here in this area of the Andes Mts.

As we look at the 15,000-plus people in the greater Huanta area, including the more than 50 villages and towns, we see no end to the corruption, violence, drunkenness, orgies, drugs, sexual perversions and laziness - except the Gospel get hold of the hearts of individuals, of the authorities, etc. The only hope for Huanta, in my view, is the mentoring program with our young people and orphans.

Should you ask yourself what difference a group of orphans could make in a sophisticated town, remember that Jesus made a revolution with a group as insignificant as this. It is not what we do or with whom we work... but Whom we follow - Jesus Christ, the Lord!

Representing you in His Service;

Gerry and Ruthie Gutierrez

Posted - September 6, 2002