Our Mighty God is on the Move in Peru!

April 14, 2021
4 min read

This year we celebrate the launch of two RMCC funded capital projects in Peru which include a building expansion at the Children’s Cottage just outside of Lima and at Calvary Chapel El Terminal. These projects are possible because of the relationship established between RMCC and these Peruvian ministries over the course of 17 years.

RMCC’s involvement with ministry in Peru goes back to a scouting trip in 2004. After that trip, and following much prayer and consideration, RMCC purchased a property in Chaclacayo, Peru that was developed into a home for abandoned children which we now know as the Children’s Cottage. Little did we know, God was setting the stage for bigger things to come!

Surprising Abundance

Fast forward to 2020. During a season of economic uncertainty and rising unemployment, it would have been no surprise to see tithing and donations drop. In fact, that’s exactly what the charitable sector saw last year. However, God chose to surprise RMCC with more giving than could have been reasonably imagined! By God’s grace, RMCC was blessed with an abundance of support from our church family, some of which, in turn, was used to bless our brothers and sisters in Peru.

According to Pastor Blair, who oversees the ministry that RMCC engages in with Peru, the support for Peru this year has been “even above and beyond what we normally give.” God’s faithfulness to establish a relationship with our ministry partners in Peru in 2004 continues even today in ways more abundant than we could have asked or imagined (Ephesians 3:20)!

Children’s Cottage Laundry Project, and a Dormitory!

Over the years our usual support for the Children’s Cottage has taken the form of sending regular funds as well as short-term mission teams to help Mario Davila Chocano and his wife Patti who run the cottage.

“Every once in a while, we’ll do capital projects,” says Pastor Blair. Last year, RMCC was able to finance and support the building of a sizable laundry room equipped with appliances, a wash station, and even a shower.

This year, Pastor Blair consulted with Mario and Patti to see how we could be a blessing to them with the additional funds RMCC had available. The couple expressed their vision to have a second floor built on top of the laundry facility as a dormitory so the older kids can have their own private space.

In February of 2021, construction began on this project. Several local contractors were employed, at the request of RMCC, with the goal of creating jobs and boosting the local economy.

Additionally, the kids at the cottage also put in a bit of sweat equity! When construction ends they will have two private suites, with a total of four beds and two full baths.

On every level, no pun intended, God has blessed the building projects at the Children’s Cottage which serve as a testimony to His faithfulness over the years.

Calvary Chapel El Terminal Expansion

In addition to RMCC’s relationship with the Children’s Cottage, we have been equally blessed to connect with Pastor Albert Smith of Calvary Chapel El Terminal in Iquitos. In the past RMCC has been able to send ministry, construction and leadership teams to El Terminal.

This year, because of the travel restrictions, we’ve been limited in our ability to serve on the ground. However, we have continued to support the work in Iquitos, says Pastor Blair.

In consultation with the church in Iquitos, RMCC has undertaken a building expansion project to include more Sunday school classroom space, as well as to expand the surrounding wall to improve the security of the property.

Pastor Blair noted that, again, local contractors were hired to help with the project and some of our brothers there got some part time work helping with the construction.

The building project at El Terminal continues, despite the significant restrictions on church gatherings in Peru.

In his recent monthly newsletter, Pastor Albert writes that their church is meeting virtually over Facebook. Schools are also meeting online, which Albert notes causes disparities in access to education as some children do not have the technology to watch the lessons or obtain the assignments.

Our shared prayer is that the restrictions would soon lift in Peru and that amidst the challenges the church body in Iquitos faces, they will press into the Lord and be strengthened to continue the work of growing the church.

God’s Not Restricted

Despite all the restrictions and difficulties we and our brothers and sisters have seen over the last year with COVID, we celebrate all that He is doing in the midst of the challenges. As Pastor Blair succinctly puts it, “God is not restricted!”

When considering all that God has done in our church here in Calgary and in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Peru, the motto of our very own quizzing team comes to mind: “God is faithful – we stand firm!” And by the grace of God, may we carry on.

Praise God!

Written by Julianne Daze

Article

Taste and See God’s Goodness: The Jackson Willms Story

As I glanced out the front window and watched Jackson Willms and his care aide make their way up the...

Article

Advancing the Gospel

Several years ago, Pastor Blair Butterfield was at a pastors’ conference in Lima, Peru where he bumped into a man...

An image of a women kneeling to pray with a text overlay "Walking in his Love"
Article

The Necessity of Prayer

The world tells us we can do it all. Try hard enough, work enough hours, do all the right things...