A new church- 10 for $10

Here is the church

Here is the steeple

Open the doors

And see all the people

 

But what is a church

If not just the building

What if there’s no walls

But just people chilling

 

What if there weren’t doors

Or windows with glass

No pews or pretty pictures

Just cement that lasts

 

What if while you listened

Dirt covered your face

You had to kill flies

Try to keep sweat away

 

What if instead

of many denominations

God’s people prayed

And escaped condemnation

 

What if God’s people cared

They looked out for each other

They listened and tried

They knew they were brothers

 

What if church were real

Not just a bunch of lies

Covered with smiles

Instead of genuine cries

 

God’s coming soon

His people should know

That God wants us ready

To heaven to go

 

In heaven there’ll be

Not a church like a place

But a church like a family

People of God’s grace

 

 

My name is Brooke and I participate in church at a place called K13 in the Amazon Jungle of Pucallpa, Peru. Every Sabbath morning I meet there with Peruvian believers. It’s one empty lot and we pull up a few wooden benches and a table to which the speaker can use to lay his Bible on. We wait as many children come and join in, giddy and full of energy. Our church normally has about 18 adults and 15 children on a normal Sabbath.

 

Church is not a building but a group of united believers in Christ. We meet together, pray, and study the Bible. The people that attend this church are very serious about their church and community. They come every Sabbath and every Sabbath afternoon from 4-6pm. They are willing to host evangelism meetings to help get more people. They are eager to share the good news of Jesus.

 

Yet my friends in church- my Peruvian church family- have a big prayer request. They want their church to become an official part of the Seventh Day Adventist Conference in Peru called MOP. They want a steady pastor and steady church jobs as well as a building they can call their own for bigger and better programming. Many people in my church have been praying for a long time. A few of them believe the time has come and God is answering their prayers.

 

This month is the last month my church can rent the lot they are currently using as a meeting place for believers. Rather than be discouraged, my church family believes God is using this as a challenge and call for them to take a jump in faith and purchase their own land. They have been searching for many months and found a 3 lot area available to purchase for 15000 soles which is a little over $5000.

 

They do not have money and many of the families here are lacking any sense of financial stability- struggling to simply get by and feed their own families. Yet the Peruvian community is fighting to raise $2500, which is 50% of what the lot will cost. To get the other 50% we need help from people from the States. Dr. Galilee, the amazing founder of AMOR Projects is willing to cover 25% of the need thus reducing the amount of money needed down to $12,500. We have 13 missionaries here at AMOR and I’m sure each of us have ten friends. If each missionary could find 10 friends who would give ten dollars to help build a church in Peru- we could do it!

We could buy the lot to get the people in Pucallpa, K8, their own church.

 

Thus starts the project $10 for 10 friends! Yes it’s money. Yes it’s fund raising again, and yes we’re asking the Americans. (me, my family, my friends- it gets tedious begging for money). Sometimes it frustrates me here because I feel like “my money” is always being needed. People never stop asking. Needs never stop coming. Money, money, money—but then God speaks to me. What is money for? Whose money do we have? God is the gracious giver of everything we have. Everything we can claim is not really ours but Christ’s. Thus how dare we hoard something not our own? If we give, will not God bless us more abundantly? Just like He promised to pour out the flood gates of heaven down on those with giving hearts- He even says you can test Him on this. Not only is this money God’s not our own, but every time we are asked to give we are being given an opportunity to bless.

Right now you have the opportunity to help build a new church in Pucallpa, Peru. There is a need and you have the opportunity to fulfill it. All we need is $10 the price of a dinner at On the Border or the cost of a bottle of shampoo. $10 can help build a church. I thank you for your prayers and generosity and I praise God because I know He is blessing abundantly!

 

If you would like to give $10 please message a missionary here at AMOR that you would like to support. Your $10 can be tax deductible. All you have to do is say your willing to be a friend: a friend with $10. Thanks for your consideration. God bless!