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Marañón River visit and Estrecho, Peru

2011-08-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

We departed May 3rd on a commercial flight to the beautiful city of Iquitos. Upon landing we headed to Masusa port to board the public launch Gilmer I for the 24 hr. trip up the Maranon River. We finally arrived at BW David Saboya’s home base, Santa Rita de Castilla, at 6pm.

Our visit began in Leoncio Prado with two days of encouragement and further training in stewardship and other topics. The brethren are very active and enthusiastic and have already built their own chapel. Now they are putting the final touches on, such as the door, window screen and frames.

Leaving Iquitos

Our beds

My wife enjoying the trip in her hammock

Heading to Leoncio Prado

Chapel in Leoncio Prado

Next stop: back to Santa Rita to share the Sabbath with the brethren from Leoncio Prado and Santa Rita. We had a beautiful day of praising God and studying His Word. We stayed in Santa Rita through Sunday.

Sacred service in Santa Rita

We enjoyed the six hour trip to San Rogue aboard the Eduardo IV. Monday morning we awoke to the sad news that one of their teachers had committed suicide during the night. His wife had been at the home of a colleague and was devastated to learn what had happened. The whole community was a buzz. This couple’s situation was terrible: the husband was very jealous and was often abusive to his wife. We went to visit the widow, who is also a teacher. She confirmed that the day before he had disfigured her face, after which, he took his own life. We shared with her about Jesus and her need to seek solace in Him. We then rejoined the small group of brethren that we have there for a short meeting.

Brethren in San Roque

Off to San Jose de Parinari

San Jose de Parinari was our next stop. We were with them two days ministering to their spiritual needs. We challenged them to finish constructing their chapel this year.

Arriving in Parinari

Enjoying the wonderful meal


Brethren of San Jose de Parinari

Next stop: Santa Rita

We again spent time in Santa Rita before the nine hours back to Iquitos, during which I prepared for my trip to Estrecho, a community along the Colombian border.

My wife stayed in Iquitos at the house of an acquaintance until I returned. The trip by river takes 14 days but by air it is only 45 minutes.

The plane that took me to Estrecho

Arriving in Estrecho

Estrecho is the capital of Putumayo district and lies on the shores of the river of the same name. The Adventist church entered this area in 2004 and 2005 but, unfortunately, was not able to continue ministering here until now. My purpose for this visit was to see how our brethren there are faring. Of those baptized members left in 2005 there remains only two faithful families that have not let go of their faith. I met with them a lot during the few days I was with them. God willing, we hope to be able to send a Bible worker to the area and make the work grow for the glory and honor of our loving God.

Plaza

Estrecho wharf

Colombian tug

The delicious Copoazu: a Brazilian fruit

The Sánchez family sends greetings to all the brethren who will one day come here and help them, as well as for all their brethren in Christ in all places.

Brethren of Estrecho

Waiting room at the Estrecho airport

Peruvian Air Force Twin Otter

Iquitos

We thank God for all His care and love for us and for all our brethren in the world. - Pr. Aholiab Lozano

Mision Caleb - Youth evangelize Iparia

2011-07-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

This year Peru Projects received the challenge to conduct a Misión Caleb program in our territory. (Note: Misión Caleb is a special program where young lay people - Caleb’s – go conduct missionary campaign and civil service in a community where there is no Adventist presence) All the preparations were made for an April program so we could take advantage of Holy Week (Easter – when all churches have special week long programs).

We chose the community of Iparía, which is the capital of its district with the same name. Because the evangelistic work has been absent here for years we have returned to revive our message through a 10-day campaign by the Caleb’s. During these ten days the inhabitants of Iparía received messages of hope and were called to make the best decision of their lives.

Seven consecrated young people left Pucallpa Wednesday, the 13th of April, for Iparía on the public launch Cesar. Several young people also left Amaquiría for Iparía at the same time. They all arrived Thursday and immediately began fixing up the badly dilapidated chapel and going door to door to hand out invitations for the nightly meetings which were to begin the coming Sunday.

On Sabbath we held a consecration program and the chapel was filled with several visitors. Sunday we held a community outreach day where we painted parts of the plaza and cut the grass and weeds along the perimeter of the medical post. We also participated in the civic ceremony of raising the national flag in front of the municipal building.

Aner Ruiz and Pr. Aholiab on the way to Iparia

Unloading all the luggage and equipment

Finding their living quarters

Beginning the extensive repairs

Mowing the lawn

The team that mowed the Clinics lawn

Almost finished

Mission complete!

Preparing to receive the Sabbath

Sunday: civic work, painting the plaza

Decorating committee

Sunday afternoon we all headed to the airport to meet our evening evangelist, Pr. Heyssen Cordero of the MOP, via Peru Projects airplane.

With his arrival the decorating committee was able to begin preparing the chapel for our evening meetings, which had the central theme “Decisions”.

Pr. Heysen Cordero arriving

The Caleb 2.0 team

Minister of the Word: Pr. Heysen Cordero

All week we took the message of Hope, that Christ would return soon and the need to make the best decision, to many families. About 70 people attended our meetings!
The Devil worked very hard to impede our plans, making it a very difficult week. He brought many obstacles with our equipment but we could also see the hand of God opening the way to solve each of these difficulties. Every morning at 5:00 a.m. the Caleb team knelt and connected with their Creator and Savior.

Inviting Iparia house by house

Visiting those showing interest

Early morning Word of power

Pr. Cordero giving the message of Hope

Giving Bible studies

Inviting the community over the public PA system

High school teachers with book "There is Still Hope"

City workers with book "There is Still Hope"

The Clinic personnel also received the book

Sabbath was a real spiritual feast! We met in the chapel for our services and even though we experienced very intense heat that day the chapel was full of people. During the Call all the people who had made their decision to surrender their lives to Jesus came forward: that day 25 people were reborn for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Misión Caleb was a real blessing for Iparía. One could see how the Holy Spirit worked on the hearts of those people who today are part of the Adventist family and are preparing to receive Jesus in the clouds of heaven.

Pr. Aholiab Lozano

Week of Prayer: The Dream the God has for Everyone"

2011-07-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

We have had a very successful Week of Prayer with our personnel that work at our Peru Projects airbase OFASA.

Pr. José Lozano (father of our Pr. Aholiab) presented a beautiful message from the Word about God’s plan for this world and the dream He has for each of our lives using scripture from the books of Daniel and Revelation. We also worshiped the Lord through song to prepare our spirits for receiving the spiritual nourishment He had for us each day. We prayed together, lifting up the Lord with our gratitude and petitions. We enjoyed a lot of Bible study.

We ended our week with a Lord’s Supper on Friday in which we came before the Lord with foot-washing and the partaking of the emblems of the Passover Supper of the upper room.

We praise God for all that He is doing through Peru Projects, for the lives of the people that live in the jungle, and also for all those who labor within the Program. Praise God that He has given Peru Projects the necessary tools (like airplanes) with which to continue taking hope to the very remote villages in Peru. We also thank God for this week of prayer that has revitalized us to continue with our labors in the spiritual battle field.

Atte: Aholiab Lozano

Pr. PeruPojects

Boat of Hope!

2011-04-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night, March 23^rd, a team of valiant missionary minded men boarded the “Boat of Hope”, where we spent the night. We left Thursday morning at 4 a.m. from Pucallpa with almost 10 tons of supplies that were to be given out to our brethren who were victims of this winter’s fierce flooding.

This assistance comes from our kind-hearted brethren from the South Peru Union and ADRA. One hundred and ten food/water ration packages were destined for church members in Peru Projects’ zone along the upper and lower Ucayali River.

We spent three days traveling the fierce waters of the Ucayali to deliver these provisions. It was really gratifying to see the faces of our brethren who received this small help. All of them are in uncertainty as to how they will survive these subsequent months after their fields have been devastated by the flooding.

Wednesday night aboard the Boat of Hope

Pr. Aholiab

Beginning distribution

The came in their canoes to receive their rations

Unloading in Nva. Samaria

Fernando Stahl

9 de Octubre

Nvo. Paraiso

Caco Macaya

Colonia de Caco

Amaqueria

Flooded fields

Killed banana plantation


Our team: Sergio, Pr. Aholiab, Albin, Miqueas, Carlos (taking photo)

The following church groups were benefited by this help:

1. Miraflores

2. Alba Castro

3. Libertad

4. Nueva Palestina

5. Dos Unidos de Pachitea

6. Nueva Alianza de Pachitea

7. Nueva Samaria

8. Puerto Belén

9. Utucuro

10. Amaquiría

11. Colonia de Caco

12. Caco Macaya

13. Nueva Vida de Sheshea

14. Nazareth de Shahuaya

15. Nueve de Octubre

16. Fernando Stahl

17. Nuevo Paraíso

18. Alfonso Ugarte

19. Porvenir

20. Puerto Islandia

21. Tierra Blanca

We want to thank everyone who helped make this work possible. The team of missionaries that accompanied me was spiritually revitalized with a renewed desire to serve.

The Boat of Hope finished its journey of hope Sunday night, March 27th.

- Pr. Aholiab

Catastrophic flooding!

2011-04-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

Dear friends, as many of you may know, the Ucayali region of Peru is in a state of emergency as the abundant rainy season this year is causing many losses. Many fields have been devastated by the force of the flooded rivers and people are evacuating to higher ground in these areas.

Pucallpa

Flooded farms

OFASA, our airbase, is also suffering the results of the flood. People from this area say that the water has never risen to the level it is currently at. Senamhi (the Peruvian weather forecasting station) predicts that the rains will continue to fall with more force throughout the month of March which means that the water will continue to rise.

I want to show you some pictures of our base right now. The water has flooded all the buildings on the shore of Lake Yarinacocha. One building has already collapsed because its concrete base has been eroded and now you can only see the roof that has fallen down to the water level.

I want to ask you to join us in prayer as the flood is affecting many people in this region. I also found out today that some of the people of San Jose (the village that borders our airbase) are trying to invade our land with the pretext that the flood has left them without homes, but it’s not true. They are already invading two other large sites that are not flooded and are trying to take advantage of the situation to take other properties and sell them for profit. Please pray for this mission base as the enemy of souls is looking for a way to take away this land.

- Pr. Aholiab