Meet Esperanza

Meet Esperanza

It is with immense joy that I (Geoff) publish this week's post.  One of our greatest blessings during the years that we have been in Peru has been to work along side our "forever-family" from Peru.  We have grown to deeply love our Peruvian brothers and sisters in Christ and have enjoyed laboring beside them for the glory of our Father.

It has been remarkably humbling to see how God is using Peruvians to reach Peruvians.  The Spirit is transforming the hearts and minds of the people here (as He is all over the world), empowering our Peruvian brothers and sisters to carry the message of the Cross to every corner of this country, and beyond.  We have witnessed the wisdom of Peruvians ministering to Peruvians (not to trivialize cross-cultural ministry and its important place in God's mission).  National servants never get homesick nor falter with language.  They know their culture better than any foreigner ever will.  They know and love their people, and they speak with an understanding and perceived authority not possessed by those of us who come from the outside.   Our experience here has impressed upon us the inestimable value of Peruvian leadership in the work of God in Peru.

It would take a 100 posts to enumerate all of the lessons that we have learned from our friends here.  Our lives have been enriched and our hearts have been enlarged through these relationships, and I would love to share, however inadequately, this gift with all of you.  Towards this end, in this blog, I will introduce you to my friend, and dear sister in Christ, Esperanza.

Esperanza joined the Word Made Flesh staff around the same time that we moved to Lima.  Her love for the Lord and her passion to see our friends reconciled to Christ is exemplary.  She is tireless (apart from work meetings, where she sometimes reenergizes by taking a short catnap) and driven, giving sacrificially of herself and inspiring others to the same.

Personally, Esperanza has been an invaluable part of my experience here.  Because she is bilingual, I have been able to participate in the ministry of Word Made Flesh in more significant ways with her help.  She intuitively knows how to finish my thoughts, and when I reach the end of my tiny repertoire of Spanish expressions she is always ready to fill in the missing pieces (which is often and many, respectively).

My favorite thing about Esperanza is her heart for lost people.  More than once, I have been profoundly impressed by her passionate pleas to our friends who live on the street.  She shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with tears in her eyes, entreating our friends to consider the goodness of our Father in sending His Son to obey and suffer on our behalf.  Her's is not a cold and calculated argument for why we are "right" and others are "wrong" but a sincere, heart-felt message of grace and forgiveness to broken and sinful people like ourselves.  She has taught me much about the heart of evangelism.

The following is an interview (via email) that Raechel had with Esperanza:          

• Tell me a little about your family and where you all are from?

I come from a large family, three sisters and one brother, I am the middle one. We are all from Lima, Peru, my parents too; though my grandparents are from the mountains of Peru, Cajamarca, a place most of my extended family loves to go for vacation.  I am blessed that my parents were Christians when my brother, my sisters, and I were growing up because they taught us Christian values.  But more importantly they showed us the best thing a person can get, God's love and forgiveness.

• What does a typical day or week look like?

Well, during the weekdays is pretty mechanical, I get up early for devotional, then get ready for work in PHH, I also have a tutoring class from Monday to Thursdays. I usually get home by 8:00 and then take some time to study, because I am taking a 9-month course in the university that ends in December this year.  Friday nights, music rehearsal at church. On Saturdays mornings, I visit my aunt to practice English and then dance rehearsal. Saturday afternoons I just stay home or have other plans. Once a month I go to classes at university. Sundays, I usually spend all day at church.

• What are your hobbies or things you enjoy doing?

Easy, singing and dancing.

• What do you like/enjoy about working with PHH?

The possibility to work in the ministry full time, seeing God’s work in the life of my friends, and seeing God’s work in my life through their life.  I also enjoy being able to get into their environment and be recognized as a friend, but a friend that is looking for their good, I mean a good relationship with God.  Another thing that I enjoy is to see how God supports his work. 

• What is difficult about doing full time ministry?

One of the most difficult things is dealing with frustration. Many times I was expecting fast changes, a quick response, but I am learning that God has his perfect timing to do his work, and I just need to keep praying and trusting that I am going to see that change.

• What is your hope for your future?

Many families and individuals changed by the blood of Jesus and embraced by the church. I hope to see families and individuals, regardless of their situation, trust and honor God and also be a testimony for others.

Esperanza has done lots of translating for us and our teams

Something not mentioned above is Esperanza's gift with kids.  She is amazing with children.