Peru

“Sister, You Are Not Alone”: Hope Arrives in the Jungle

aheckman — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 19:51:50 +0000

“Sister, You Are Not Alone”: Hope Arrives in the Jungle aheckman Thu, 07/24/2025 - 19:51

“Sister, You Are Not Alone”: Hope Arrives in the Jungle

JULY 24, 2025 ~ AMY HECKMAN

Kelly (32), a single mother of three who lives in a community in the Peruvian jungle, used to wake up at dawn to work her small banana crop—her only source of livelihood. One morning earlier this year, after torrential rains, the river swept everything away: her wooden hut, her tools, her ready-to-harvest bananas, even family photos.

"The water rose to my waist. I grabbed my children and ran to higher ground. When we returned, only mud remained ... and silence," she recalled.

For weeks, the family survived on one meal a day—boiled yuca shared by neighbors. The family wasn’t alone in their need. The floods devastated infrastructure, damaged crops, killed livestock, and destroyed homes.

“My youngest children cried from hunger,” Kelly shared. “They’d say, ‘We’ll eat tomorrow,’ but I didn’t know if that was true.”

Though she was hoping for help from the local government, it wasn’t quick to come.

“I felt abandoned by everyone... but not by God,” she confided. “Something in my heart told me He wouldn’t leave me.”

When the floods came to this part of Peru, local Nazarene churches began to respond to the emergency. The district organized volunteer teams and dispersed funds provided through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to provide food and supplies to impacted families in remote areas.

One afternoon, while looking for firewood near the remains of her home, Kelly heard motors approaching—it was the local Church of the Nazarene’s boat, loaded with rice, oil, mosquito nets, and other supplies.

“I saw church members getting off the boat and hugging the children. I couldn’t believe it,” she recalled.

“Sister, you are not alone,” said Carlos, a Nazarene pastor, as he handed her a large food kit, bug repellent, and a mosquito net.

That night, for the first time in weeks, Kelly's children went to bed with full stomachs. What moved her the most, though, was the prayer:

“They knelt in the mud and water and prayed for us. I felt like God wrapped me in something warm, like a hug.”

Kelly’s connection with the church continued after this encounter. Now, her son, age 9, attends the church’s child development center where he receives holistic care and support.

“Mom, I want to be a pastor like Carlos,” he tells his mother regularly.

Church leaders in the area are already preparing for future, similar responses to emergencies. They’re planning to broaden what they can provide, including items like flashlights, diapers, buckets, soap, and water purification tablets. Volunteer training systems are being developed, both to help volunteers navigate the challenges that come with floods and to empower them to better share their faith with those they encounter. For local residents, the district plans to offer workshops on how to purify water at home, essential hygiene practices to prevent diseases, and how to find resilience after disasters.

Through this practical help, offered one person at a time, the connection between local Nazarene churches and their surrounding communities has grown.

“The project holistically strengthened and supported the local church’s work—enhancing service capacity, Christian witness, and building bonds of fellowship with neighbors and non-believers,” reported one project leader. “It provided an opportunity to demonstrate God's love to those in need.”

South America

Peru

Emergency Relief

After The Storm: Showing Compassion in Peru

aheckman — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 18:38:56 +0000

After The Storm: Showing Compassion in Peru aheckman Thu, 11/02/2023 - 18:38

After The Storm: Showing Compassion in Peru

NOVEMBER 2, 2023 - AMY HECKMAN

In March of 2023, Cyclone Yaku caused devastation across northern Peru, with rains causing rivers to overflow and landslides adding to the loss of lives, homes, businesses, and schools. At least 71 people died, and more than 131,000 people were impacted. As the summer of 2023 continued, heavy rains continued to plague the country. By August, the Government reported 839,760 people needing humanitarian aid since the start of the rainy season in January. Of this group, 123,691 people have been rendered homeless, and 48,903 houses are reported destroyed or uninhabitable.

The Church of the Nazarene in Peru responded to help families impacted by Cyclone Yaku during the months of March, April, and May. Through distributions, these affected families received mattresses, sheets, food, cleaning kits, and personal hygiene kits. To help others with damaged homes, volunteers installed new roofs or repaired broken walls. For some people, the aid from the church was more helpful than that they received from local authorities, “leaving the name of Jesus Christ very high among the community,” reported one volunteer.

New roof in place on a damaged home.

Concerns continued to grow in the country as the summer went on. Unusually hot and wet weather led to the perfect situation for an outbreak of dengue fever. Political protests have become a reality, and right now, the cost of essential goods has doubled. The El Niño weather pattern has impacted the rates of crop production in the country, leading to more food and economic insecurity. Through compassionate outreaches like this project, churches in Peru are supporting families facing multi-layered difficulties.

One family assisted by Nazarene volunteers included two adult members who live with developmental disabilities. Water from the cyclone had significantly damaged the room where these adults slept. When volunteers met the family, the adults were sleeping on the floor. When new mattresses were delivered, the family was grateful to be able to help these members have safe and comfortable sleep arrangements again. One volunteer summed up the project, saying, “We have left traces of love and compassion.”

Nazarenes in Peru Respond to Major Earthquake

aheckman — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 19:14:04 +0000

Nazarenes in Peru Respond to Major Earthquake aheckman Thu, 02/03/2022 - 19:14

Nazarenes in Peru Respond to Major Earthquake

FEBRUARY 3, 2021 · CHAD S. DICKERSON

In the early morning hours of Sunday, November 28, 2021, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake shook the Amazonas Region of northern Peru. The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) reported that the quake was felt throughout many parts of the country and in Ecuador and Colombia, as well.

Damage from the initial quake and its aftershocks left 13,200 people in need of shelter. In addition to affecting thousands of homes, the earthquake damaged or destroyed 518 schools and 71 hospitals. A total of 17 people suffered injuries, and one person died. Following the earthquake, landslides near the city of Bagua Grande damaged roads and created blockages for the Utcubamba River, which then flooded several communities. Residents in areas most impacted by the floods required evacuation by helicopter.

The Church of the Nazarene in Peru responded quickly. The Superintendent of the Utcubamba District, Rev. Paulino Campos, provided leadership for organizing initial relief efforts after the earthquake. In Bagua Grande, Nazarene volunteers prepared food for approximately 300 people for seven days; they also distributed water, diapers, and sanitary supplies. “People have lost everything in the place of the epicenter and are very vulnerable,” one church leader said. “The church takes on the role of supporting others by showing God’s love.”

Peru

Emergency Relief

Compassion

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Child Development Update: Peru

aheckman — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 18:19:38 +0000

Child Development Update: Peru aheckman Wed, 01/12/2022 - 18:19

Child Development Update: Peru

JANUARY 12, 2021 · NCM STAFF

As 2021 came to an end, the staff of child development centers in Peru provided this update for those who sponsor children in the country. Sponsorship provides a child living in poverty with educational, physical, emotional, and spiritual support, and connects them to caring adults in a local Nazarene child development center.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child from Peru, or another country, visit ncm.org/sponsor.

In Peru, families received food donations during pandemic lockdowns.

We want to thank all the sponsors for your continued support during this hard time. We know that the pandemic has affected everyone around the world, some more than others, so we are grateful that you continue to love and pray for the kids here in Peru.

This year (2021) has been another one of ups and downs. Things were starting to open back up when the next wave of COVID-19 infections hit. The hospitals filled up and the healthcare system wasn’t able to keep up. Many have lost friends and family members. Slowly things are opening back up again.

Thanks be to God, many of the parents of children enrolled in child development centers have been able to go back to work. However, with the schools still being closed, that creates its own set of challenges. Many parents are taking their younger kids to work with them if they able to do so, enabling the kids to do their online classes. Others try to find a family member who can stay with them, or if the child is old enough, they stay home to do their classes.

The government plans to open some universities and schools this month, if they meet certain regulations. Even so, many parents are still afraid to send their kids back to school for fear of getting COVID-19. Many kids want to go back due to the challenges of online learning. Not everyone has internet, a computer, or even a cell phone to be able to do the classes, so they have to share with someone else. The children also miss being with their friends and having that interaction.

This year Peru held presidential elections. After the voting, there was another surge in COVID-19 numbers. In addition to the problems of political uncertainty, inflation, and COVID-19, people in remote jungle areas have suffered from illnesses such as dengue and malaria, made worse by heavy rains.

Food packages continue to be distributed to families enrolled in child development centers. The children receive educational support with their online studies from the center workers. The support of their sponsors is helping many children to get through the challenges that they continue to face, especially when they receive letters that let them know that there is someone who cares and is praying for them. It brightens their day, and makes a time that is bleak a little less so.

We are grateful for the support of our sponsors. God bless you and keep you.

Recent artwork by a sponsored child in Peru.

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“Sister, You Are Not Alone”: Hope Arrives in the Jungle

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