It was when the guinea pigs started sticking their noses out their dark cornered caves in the kitchen that I got the feeling I was in a National Geographic magazine. It was one of those moments you just can’t orchestrate.
You might wonder why the guinea pigs were roaming freely in the kitchen. Let’s just say in Peru, these little pigs are not pets. Luckily for dinner that night, the menu was chicken, potatoes and rice.
We got to spend two days in a village called Huancahuanca (read Wonka Wonka) while staying in Peru. This small village nestled in the mountains was the site of a celebration for children from four communities who were being sponsored for their schooling. On a bright, crisp Sunday morning, 87 children being sponsored plus siblings, parents and friends streamed into the village. Some had walked for more than three hours to come. The party seemed worth the walk though, complete with songs and skits, lunch and the official handing out of new school uniforms for these children who had none.
The focus hasn’t always been on the kids in this community. We spoke with the church leader and his wife in this village. Sitting in their dark kitchen, one of two rooms to their home, they both talk about the betterment of the family life now that people are starting to really understand God’s Word in the community. Justina told us the children in Sunday School are changing as they learn about Christ, and they are able to give witness to not only their families but even to their school teachers.
They talk of marriages healed, where husbands and wives treat each other as they should and kids have positive role models to look up to.
They talk of rising numbers in their church, and how people are seeing Jesus in a new light. Before, villagers believed that only the weak would need a Saviour. Now, they see teams of people come into their community who do not need to be there, but choose to be because of Jesus. And residents begin to open their hearts to receptively listen to the story of a Saviour who loved us so much, He died on a cross for us.
It’s a story as powerful as time, and as it seeps into this community, life change is happening. So bring on the guinea pigs, it’s time to celebrate in Huancahuanca.
Tags: Culture
