Isaac Yoshiro, a young man from Tarapoto, Peru, grew up in a Christian family and attended church regularly. Despite his upbringing, spiritual matters often took a backseat in his life. It wasn’t until the pandemic struck and he lost his father to COVID-19 that Yoshiro found himself deeply discouraged and searching for meaning. His turning point came at an ABBA Peru youth conference, where Yoshiro experienced a divine encounter that forever changed his life. God touched his heart, revealing a profound purpose for him. This spiritual awakening ignited a newfound earnestness in Yoshiro to seek God and trust Him completely. Recognizing the depth of Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, Yoshiro realized he needed a genuine relationship with Him. Determined to transform his life, Yoshiro committed to reading the entire Bible and seeking God continually. Rediscovering the “Encounter with Abba Father” (ECAP) devotional, which had been collecting dust on a shelf, he found the guidance he needed. Embracing daily devotionals with wholehearted dedication, he embarked on a journey to deepen his communion with God. This renewed dedication to God’s Word and daily prayer transformed Yoshiro’s life. Prioritizing the kingdom of God over worldly pursuits, his spiritual growth and commitment bore fruit. He was accepted into the national university, an achievement reserved for the top one percent of elite students. Additionally, he earned a spot in the prestigious Riverside Tree scholarship program of COJ International. Yoshiro’s ultimate desire is to heal both the physically and spiritually sick. Through his studies in Human Medicine, he hopes to share the gospel with those who feel all is lost, even in their final moments. His story is a powerful testament to the transformative power of faith and the incredible plans God has for those who seek Him. Praise God for transforming Isaac Yoshiro’s life and guiding him towards a path of faith and service. Hallelujah to our awesome ABBA Father for His wondrous works and boundless grace!

On December 9th, Riverside Tree scholars gathered through Zoom to worship our God and sing Christmas songs to our Lord Jesus. They also competed against one another in Bible Trivia to test their knowledge of God’s Word. Afterwards, a sponsor had a few words to share to spur these college students on, especially the ones that were graduating college. We know that the world is a dark place with the enemy prowling around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). He is out to destroy Christianity and lead believers astray with the temptations of this world. But God’s Word says to “not conform to the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2). God also tells us: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?” (James 4: 4-8) Let’s pray for these college students and graduates, that with their craft and gifts God has given them, that they would not serve the world, but would always be convicted to serve God and be led by His Holy Spirit. Let everything they do in their lives glorify God. (1 Cor. 10:31) Here is a letter from a Riverside Tree graduate. All the Glory to God!

Ever since I was a child, I have cried for my neighborhood. Our family lives in an area of Piura that most tourists would never want to visit. While many people love to travel to Piura for the beaches and great seafood, we live in the arid desert of Piura where our only visitors are drug-traffickers and gangsters. My family and I call this area home and are often heart-broken for the children that live here. Growing up, my father’s church was often vandalized and broken into. But despite the challenges, my mom and dad founded the education program “Pepe” here. They brought in the poor and at-risk children from our region and gave them an education while teaching them about God’s love. I would often love to attend classes with the children from our neighborhood, and when I was finally old enough, I became an assistant teacher. But it was then I learned that the Pepe program was not making any money. My parents knew that the children they were helping could not afford to pay my parents, and they simply accepted whatever donations the parents could give. We were able to continue the program for many years, but recently, my dad needed to get a job as a taxi driver to help support both the Pepe school as well as the church ministry. The Pepe ministry was left to my mom, my younger sister, and myself. When I was old enough to enter college, I knew what I wanted to study, I wanted to become an elementary school teacher to help the children in my area. The program I entered was a 4-year program, and I was doing well in my studies. After I finished my classes, I would return home to help the children in the Pepe program and then work on my schoolwork at night. It was very tiring, but I knew I was doing God’s work. Then in 2020, my life was changed. My family was in a great financial struggle during and after the pandemic. We struggled to continue with the Pepe program with the rising price of school supplies, and my father’s job was unstable since tourists stopped coming to Piura. I had just finished my third year of school when my dad came home with the bad news, “I’ve lost my job.” Suddenly, completing my education was no longer possible. I left my program uncompleted and went back to help the children in the Pepe program. Now in 2023, my life is still a great challenge. My parents continue the Pepe program, but my younger sister and I want to finish our schooling so that we can help lighten our family’s financial burdens as well as serve the youth in our community. I am in my final year of school, and I want to finish it well. As a Riverside Tree student, I am praying for God to provide a generous sponsor who will support me and come alongside me as I commit my future to doing God’s work. Karla Bobbio

There are times in our walk when we feel the Lord is taking us on a new path, but in a loving way, He is revealing new aspects of Himself by moving us in a different direction or even making us stay put. That is exactly what happened in the lives of the students in the Riverside Tree ministry through circumstances and their walk with the Lord. It was clear that He wanted to give them a clearer picture of who He was as a Father and to clear up any confusion they had about who God was. In January, three members of the Riverside Tree staff team gathered with four students in Lima for a long waited reunion, filled with delicious meal, fun games, and a time of fellowship with God and each other. During the time of sharing our own testimonies, we realized the heart of our Father. For some of us, God was the beacon of light in our times of lostness. For others, He was the doctor, the healer of our souls and bodies. For some, we were overwhelmed with God’s love and joyfully shed our tears. The common theme through each shared testimony was that God had reminded us of His love by changing life plans we set ourselves. You may remember that the theme verse for Riverside Tree is from Ezekiel 17:8. This theme is still the focus of this ministry, but through this gathering, God made it even more personal and clear to us. God had guided us individually to where we are now and through Him, had blessed us to bless many others. This great revelation is to be shared with others and to show others that they too can be joined together with God. As each student is about to start their new classes in March, God reminded us that their respective fields of study are not for a good job or paycheck and a comfortable life, but to be used to bear fruits for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please join us to pray for these young people that one day they will become ambassadors for Christ in each of their future careers, their families, friends, and communities. That is the heart of our awesome Father!

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ezekiel 37:5 When Abel was young, he had severe asthma. During the day, he could not participate in many activities with other children and there were even nights where he could not sleep. He recalls his parents praying fervently for him all the time. His mom especially would be praying for hours on her knees with tears running down her face for Abel’s health. Abel does not remember exactly when it happened, but in a sudden moment God had healed him of his asthma; it was then that he recognized the power of God and accepted Him. At age 9, Abel experienced God as he started playing drums and guitar. He would later play for the church praise team, which brought him closer to God. Since then, Abel has been serving in his church faithfully. And he now serves as a part of the AV team, Sunday school teacher, and a special event coordinator for his church. These areas of service led Abel to pursue a degree in audio/visual communications, a rare degree in Peru. His dream is to be able to produce visual and audio productions to help present the gospel to non-believers so they can come to know God and to further help out in his church. He owes his very life to the wonder-working power of God and His goodness. Now, Abel has graduated from high school and is about to start his college journey. And he has been accepted into the Riverside Tree program. He is one step closer to where he knows God is leading him to be. Will you pray about and consider giving Abel words of encouragement and love as a sponsor and support him with $100/month for his tuition as he starts college in March?

Have you ever wondered what happens to Riverside Tree students after they graduate from college? One would expect that they find a job, start their careers, find love, get married, buy a home, have children, and live purpose driven lives. But the reality is that a journey into adulthood during college is not easy and students can get lost, not realizing the moment they had started to take their eyes off their Guide. This was true for Jorge. He had decided to drop out of college and started working at a secular job; slowly, he found himself becoming distant from God. While he still attended church, he stopped serving and even stopped keeping in touch with friends he made through Riverside Tree. But he remained in the group chatroom on WhatsApp, where he would receive an invitation every two weeks to the Saturday Zoom Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. Days, then months, passed by. And then, one day, he responded. He had just gotten off work and on the bus ride home, he joined the Zoom. The students and Riverside Tree staff were elated to see his face. It was like the returning of a prodigal son. After the meeting came to an end, Jorge realized why he had gotten lost – disconnection with Jesus and his family in Christ. After that day, Jorge has not missed another gathering. The Riverside Tree ministry was founded on Jeremiah 17:8, which says “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.” While the ministry, with the help of sponsors, provides financial support and scholarships for students to attend college, the ultimate purpose is to help students develop and hold onto a Kingdom mentality and perspective as they complete their degrees and enter their future workplaces. But even after school, Riverside Tree continues to follow up. Graduates are invited back to participate and join in the meetings for prayer and fellowship. Riverside Tree desires and aims to be a family and a source of encouragement to all present and former students that they will live God centered life to glorify Him who loves them unconditionally. And we want to express our gratitude for your faithful partnership in this endeavor.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. -Psalm 34:17 In 2016, Ana Cristina Paitanmala graduated from high school and was determined to attend college for an education degree, but she had a difficult decision to make. As an active Sunday School teacher and youth leader, she loved seeing the children of the Cristo Vive church grow in their walk with Christ, but if she wanted to achieve the degree, it would mean she would need to step down from serving. The state university she would be attending was a prestigious one. And though it was the closest college to her town, it was over an hour away. Her father worked at a small shop and her mom received a small fee from helping others in their community; Ana would need to find a job to cover the university expenses. She did not have any other options. Lost and without answers, she prayed fervently for God to intervene and perform a miracle. God answered her prayers through Riverside Tree where she was matched with loving sponsors who supported her financially to attend school. They also provided spiritual guidance, which encouraged her to continue to serve the youth in her church. God delivered her from her troubles and now, in 2021, Ana has graduated with her degree and found a job in a school near her. This would allow her to not only work professionally but also better serve her church family. Her future seemed so bright! But once again, Ana feels lost and without answers. Her parents both got infected with COVID-19 and her mother passed away a few days later. Her heart was devastated. While still grieving, her father was hospitalized. Ana Cristina and her father are in desperate need of our prayers. Please pray for a complete healing in her father, heavenly consolation of her heart, and reassurance that God will once again perform a miracle through this time of struggles.

A foundational part of the Riverside Tree ministry is the continual spiritual growth of students as they work to complete their degrees. The students, who study in different regions throughout Peru, meet virtually for a time of praise, prayer, fellowship, and discipleship throughout the year. There is a common saying that goes “big things come in small packages”. From last August to January, we went through a book called I Am a Church Member together; many were transformed by the mighty truths shared in this tiny book, written by Thom Rainer. It is an excellent prescription for a condition spreading rapidly throughout local churches in the past 30 years - a self-centered mindset. Believers throughout the world struggle with understanding church membership in its Biblical context; the unfortunate outcome of this is the lack of a most necessary appreciation for the family of God and the joy and satisfaction that comes from being a part of the body. This study has greatly helped the Riverside Tree students gain a Biblical understanding and correct perspective on church membership. They are better equipped to help other members at their own local churches to cherish membership as God intended. While students are working towards their professional careers, the development of a strong, grounded relationship with Father God is essential. We’d like to ask for your ongoing encouragement and prayers for the Riverside Tree students to be firmly planted in the faith as a tree in well-watered ground.

2020 has been quite a year of twists and turns for us at the HHK WMC. At the beginning of each year, we usually ask for the Lord to lay upon our hearts a word or theme that would summarize what He had in store for us for the year. For me, it was the word UNITY. At the time, I thought it was speaking to establishing stronger connections with my peers and family. But as weeks passed by, there was a sense that the Lord was going to work within the Riverside Tree (RT) ministry to build stronger relationships. By late September, the RT students had been away from their studies for several months. We thought it would be a great time for them to take time to help in their homes and churches. But after a few meetings with the students, we felt in our spirits that this time apart from school had not been encouraging, but rather quite devastating for their spiritual walks. I have to confess that I was not very understanding at first. But the Scripture the Lord led me to was Hebrews 10:25: “Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” The RT ministry started in 2009 with a three-fold ministry focus to help high school graduates: 1. With scholarships so they may pursue the passion God has placed in their hearts 2. Who inspired to become pastors 3. To become leaders and deliverers of the Good News in their spheres of influence Looking back over the years, all three of those areas are still a foundational part of this ministry. We have helped over 22 men and women graduate and enter professional careers. We are being used to raise up and encourage several men and women to become mighty spiritual leaders in their churches. And we are seeing graduates bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to their coworkers and neighbors. We are completing what the Lord has tasked us with. During the past year, the shift to Zoom meetings have provided a platform where RT students can become united and build relationships as they meet together for a time of praise, fellowship, study, and prayer. In between these meetings they can also meet with their sponsors and the staff here in Denver, Colorado. 2020 has been such a blessed adventure with new changes and even though we let go of so much because of the circumstances, the new experiences and deepened fellowships that have enriched the ministry 100-fold. For this we are truly grateful. At the start of 2021, two new students have been added to the RT ministry and they are in need of caring sponsors who can help support and encourage them as they start their college journey. If you are moved to help one of these two upcoming students, please call our office or email us at sponsor@coj.org!