Pastor Artemio is 68 years old, and he has been pastoring at Vida Eterna Church in Callao, Lima since 2005. He is compassionate and caring, and his desire is for the children to grow to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He’s also a prayer warrior, and he has been a guest speaker for many ABBA youth rallies. But his passion and fire for the youth does not end there. He’s training a group of young people to become missionaries and evangelize to the neighboring communities in 2022. He frequently visits church families, prays with them, and stregnthens their faith in God. But time to time, adversity may overwhelm us. Towards the end of last year, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In February he started taking medications, but he shared that he hasn’t seen any improvement. However, Pastor Artemio rests in the assurance of the living hope and fixes his eyes on the cross. Though doctors say that there’s no cure for Parkinson’s disease, his hope is not in the words of man but in the Word of the Lord Almighty. We ask you to support him with your prayers as he’s battling this disease. Let’s lift up Pastor Artemio and call upon the name of Jesus, the name above all names!

The past two years have been filled with more uncertainty and fear. It has made us reflect and test our faith. Some have stayed steadfast and others have fallen away from God’s heart. Yet He is the good shepherd who leaves the ninety nine to bring the one lost back. God has shown us His heart for all of our ministries in 2022 through the parables in Luke 15, which mentions the three lost things that were all found eventually with great rejoicing. Would you continually join us in this year’s endeavor to do just that, working together to recover the lost and helping them to return to the Father’s arms? God knows our exact situations and needs even before we realize it ourselves. Even in the shadow of the valley of death, He is with us. Pastor David Baquerizo from Puente Piedra is 67 years old and shared how grateful he is for the offering he receives through the Raven of Love ministry. It is by his sponsor’s joyous giving that he was able to prepare a food basket and visit a struggling family before Christmas last year. The family was going through a difficult time, their children were being rebellious and the couple was on the verge of divorce. This is Pastor David’s testimony: “I shared the gospel and upon listening to the message of salvation the Holy Spirit the hearts of the parents and children. Everyone forgave each other, and while they were hugging each other with renewed love, they received Jesus as their Savior. We were also able to bless them with a Christmas gift bag using the offering we received from our sponsor. If it wasn’t for the continual and loving support of our sponsor, who knows what might have happened to this family. But our God didn’t forget this one lost family. Our God is truly a giver of life. Praise the Lord!

Pastor Efrain made the decision to surrender his life to the Lord’s service at the early age of 14 and has never turned back. He went on to serve in Sunday school and then later as a Youth Group leader. In 1998, the Lord called him to serve as pastor in the mountain town of San Jose de Quiero. Since that day, Pastor Efrain daily repeats his vows to serve God by helping those in need and without hope. It has been 24 years since he began pastoring but his love for the Lord and zeal to service His kingdom has not diminished at all. He considers it a great blessing to serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords by reaching his community with the gospel of Jesus Christ in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. As the whole world is facing very challenging times, he held worship services outdoors for past 7 months, taking necessary precautions, with the single desire to see the body of Christ to continually mature into true disciples of Jesus for His glory. Though now he is at the ripe age of 61, his greatest desire is to continue to be an instrument of God to preach the gospel wherever and whenever he can. In recent years Pastor Efrain has dealt with chronic health conditions and is unable to afford the long term medication costs. But his utmost confidence in God as his provider is never fading even during this difficult times. As co-laborers in God’s kingdom, we are praying for Pastor Efrain’s health and also for a sponsor who feels led to support and encourage him as he faithfully stewards the calling God has placed on his life. As always, we humbly ask for you to join us in prayer to a Father in heaven who hears us.

How Can We Give Thanks Due to the third wave of Covid-19 and political issues, countless thoughts and doubts are filling the minds and hearts of many Peruvian pastors. Our COJ and ROL pastors are no exception. Restrictions have limited many churches from opening their doors. When we started monthly pastors meetings through

Despite limitations from the pandemic, pastors in Peru are not staying still. They are doing the best they can to continue raising mighty, faithful children and youth of God and are constantly looking for ways to keep the body of Christ functioning. Of these pastors, we have four in Raven of Love in need of sponsors who will support and encourage them. We know God is the one who will bring the people to partner with them and support them in their ministry, so we pray for His provision. If you feel led by Holy Spirit to step in as a sponsor, please reach out to us.

Tragic news came in the beginning of 2021 to Pastor Patricio Granada in Ancahuasi – Cusco. His daughter Ester, son-in-law Fredy, their two children David and Isaac, and two nephews Abraham and Abdiel had been on their way to Puerto Maldonado for a family trip. No one could have ever predicted that a car accident, in a single moment, would take three lives - Ester, Fredy and Abraham - and leave two of the three surviving severely injured; David fractured his skull and Abdiel broke his leg. Although Pastor Patricio and his wife Beatriz felt like they were in a nightmare they could not wake up from, they placed their faith in God and quickly gathered courage and strength to care for their grandchildren. Friends and community members encouraged Pastor Patricio and his family to raise funds through a food bazaar. Their goal was to sell 2,000 plates for 10.00 soles each (equivalent to about 2.70 USD) to cover for his grandchildren’s medical expenses. Upon hearing the news, pastors from all over Peru in ABBA, COJ, and ROL ministries and sponsors here in the States rallied together as one family. We collectively gathered a love offering to cover double their goal - 4,000 plates. Despite financial challenges from the pandemic, our family in Christ could not hold back from showing God’s love to a fellow brother who was in greater need. Pastor Patricio’s faith has not been wavering. He has a steadfast belief in God’s goodness. And our God responded to him with His amazing faithfulness. We ask for your continual prayers for Pastor Patricio’s family’s situation, as they seek wisdom on handling legal matters in the aftermath and for full recovery of Abdiel and David’s injuries.

These are excepts from letters from pastors in Peru Every trial is an opportunity for God to manifest himself and I believe He always does. My agenda for this year is to work with families of the children in Sunday school, COJ, and church families. As I prayed and meditated about the agenda for 2021 I fell asleep, and God spoke to me in my dream that I should also distribute brochures at the airport and hospitals. This is something that God has strongly placed in my heart. God speaks to us in funny ways. The challenge for 2021 is to dedicate ourselves to pray, fast, and evangelize more. So I ask for prayers for strength, dear sponsor. -Pastor Artemio Rivera, LIMA We have the opportunity to prepare our hearts for the day we will encounter our beloved Jesus Christ, through prayer and fasting. He is the eternal life for his children. The task of preaching the gospel of salvation is urgent. As a church, our prayer for this year is to restore the different ministries within our church, which have been affected by the state of emergency from the pandemic. We have only been able to gather with the adults. I thank God that our family is doing well. I am grateful to God and also grateful for your help and prayers. Thank you so much for everything. -Pastor Reyes Perez, SATIPO First, I give thanks to the Lord. I also thank you for your prayers for me and for the monthly offerings throughout past year. May the Lord repay you abundantly. All I can do for you is to pray for you. In 2021, I will keep on working in accordance to the Lord’s calling, despite this pandemic, by trusting in Him and His help. This year’s challenge is to keep on working with the children and young people by teaching them the Word of God. -Pastor Patricio Granada, CUSCO

God’s grace is overflowing even during this pandemic. We had not been able to see the Raven of Love pastors face-to-face in a long time, but this year, through Zoom, we were able to gather to celebrate Christ’s birth! We sang songs of joy and shared our thanksgiving unto the Lord for all He had done in 2020. We remembered that God never stops working. He is always with us, no matter the circumstance or situation we are in, and holds us closely in His arms. For most of the pastors, they were able to see the faces of their sponsors for the first time through a video Christmas greeting recording, and were very encouraged. It is by God’s grace and your continuous support these pastors have held steadfast to the Lord as they continue in ministry. You are the ravens that God has called to provide for his anointed servants, so they may continue to work more diligently for His sheep and to reach a lost world. We cannot thank you enough for what you are doing in the lives of these pastors as they continue to expand His kingdom here on earth. May our Lord abundantly bless you in the new year with His peace and joy!

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the world we are living in. Many people in the impoverished regions of Peru are struggling to survive each day. And many lives are at great risk due to the lack of medical facilities and support. Our COJ pastors are not an exception. One pastor passed away from COVID-19 and many other pastors and their families suffered as the infection ran its course. They were without work to provide the food for their families and had to endure the pain of witnessing many of their church members struggle greatly. All they could do was to pray to our God. Then, our wonderful God answered their prayers through the sacrificial giving of the sponsors. Praise the Lord! Their obedience helped one pastor repair his collapsing house and another pastor to finally provide food for his own family; from the abundance given to him, he shared it to provide basic necessities for struggling families in his church. We are singing “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee” as we witness the amazing grace of our Lord shown through sponsors with the mind and heart of the Christ during these difficult times. Hallelujah!