Santa Rosa

The other story I covered in Lima was about a group of volunteers who came down from Texas to work in the Santa Rosa barrio just outside Lima. They were helped by one of our missionaries and a local pastor.

Santa Rosa is on a sandy, desert hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The community is made up primarily of mining families, and during the day most of the men are gone to work. The land was purchased from the government, so the people living there are there legally. But there is no electricity or running water. Most live in very simple homes they constructed themselves. But even amidst poverty, there is a strong sense of community.

Last year, a man in Santa Rosa had a dream that missionaries would come to his door to share the gospel with Santa Rosa. The next morning, volunteer missionaries from Texas knocked on his door. They were doing door-to-door evangelism, and his was the first house they had gone to.

Since that encounter, the volunteers’ church has decided to adopt Santa Rosa and now sends volunteer teams several times each year. These teams train believers in Santa Rosa to lead Bible studies, and hopefully, to plant churches.

It’s amazing how in-control God is.