Since our family’s arrival to Arequipa just over a month ago we have been overwhelmed by the ways in which the missionaries who have preceded us, as well as the Peruvians, have gone out of their way to serve us and make our transition here as smooth as possible.
One of the ways the church here has served us is by aiding us in our involvement in God’s kingdom here in Arequipa. The Christian Urban Development Association (CUDA) is doing a lot of good things here in the name of Christ. Service is given in the form of teaching only children to read and comprehend better and also aiding teachers to better teach reading skills. Small, no interest loans are given to help small businesses and medical clinics are being helped in accomplishing their goals of improving Arequipeños health.
As nurses my wife (Sarah) and I, along with the Australian couple, Andrew and Bethany Gray have been asked to help with the Health Initiative at a medical center in a part of the city called Hunter. We will be focusing on screening patients for Diabetes and later screening for vision problems such as cataracts. This not only gives us the opportunity to serve in the name of Christ, but inevitably God, in His greatness, will find opportunities for His kingdom to break into the lives of the people here. This is my prayer and hope as we serve in this capacity. In this way I believe Jesus teaching of people being held accountable in the final judgment in Matt. 25:31-46 comes to fruition and to the extent that we serve these people, even the least of them here in Arequipa, we do it for Jesus Himself. I am confident that as we find people who suffer from physical ailments, we will inevitably find people who suffer spiritually and seek to know the ONE who makes us spiritually well and gives true life and health.