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.

Tucked into the hills above Chile’s rugged coastline, a small Nazarene church is quietly making a big difference in their community.

“Sometimes all you need is one person to change the world,” says Pastor Lorena Noé.

“After losing my home to the wildfire, I found myself in a very distressing situation."

Carolina, 43, was devastated by the fires that raged through Chile during the first week of February, 2024, following days of extreme heat.

“I felt like I had lost everything and didn't know how to move on," she shared.

More than 160 fires burned at once, and the disaster left Carolina and at least 1,600 other people homeless in and near the city of Viña del Mar. A total of 130 people lost their lives in the blazes that have now been linked to arson.

“Today, I believe that this work is very important because, in moments of sadness or hopelessness in the hospital, a word of encouragement arrives.”