Peru

Open Doors, Pastors Hungry for Theological Training in South America

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by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

God has opened doors to 6 countries, circled in white below, of 13 in South America. Timothy Two is currently working in Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Chile. And we are making plans to begin work in Argentina and Brazil in 2020. See below how God is sending the training into the jungle, to various indigenous people groups, to expatriate people, to working-class married couples, and to the (southern) ends of the earth. 

Peru: training in the city and the jungle

In July, I completed training the 1st “generation” of participants in Lima (below).

Pastor Luis is training the 2nd “generation” of participants in his church in Lima (below).

Some of the 2nd “generation” participants from Pastor Luis’ church are training 3rd “generation” participants in two villages in the Peruvian jungle (below).

Ecuador: training the indigenous Quichua people

A church planted in Guayaquil by the indigenous Quichua people from the Ecuadorian highlands hosted our first workshop in June. Quichua women performed a traditional dance and song for their Father’s Day fellowship. Quichua song and dance video.

Ecuadorian workshop participants (below). Women are in traditional dress.

Argentina: to train the indigenous Toba people

We have been invited to teach workshops among the indigenous Toba people of Rio Villa Bermejito in the Chaco province of northern Argentina. We are praying for a Spanish-English interpreter to be found who can help us begin workshops in 2020.  (Below right) Toba ladies performing a traditional dance. 

Brazil: to train expatriate Haitians 

We have been invited by Pastor Ronald Fracius (below) to teach workshops in a Haitian community in the city of Braco do Norte in southern Brazil. Many Haitians have left their homeland for better opportunities in other countries. We are praying for a French-English or Creole-French-English interpreter so that we can begin workshops there in 2020.  

Colombia: training working-class married couples

I am currently conducting the first workshop in Cartagena. These leaders (below) work full-time jobs in addition to their church responsibilities, so we are training in the evenings and on the weekend. I was delighted to learn that among the 15 participants are 6 married couples. They have asked for more people to come and train them and for our children’s ministry leader training. 

Chile: training to the ends of the earth

In May, National Missionary Partner, Helmuth Aguilar, traveled 3900 miles from his current home in El Salvador to his native country of Chile to conduct three workshops in the cities of Osorno and Llanquihue (below). Chile is the southernmost nation in South America and even claims territory in Antarctica! 

Poverty in Peru and the Contribution of Timothy Two

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by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

Lima, Peru. A testimonial from local pastor, church planter and Timothy Two workshop coordinator, Reynaldo Rubio.

It’s the first days of September 2018. Our teacher of the Timothy Two workshop, Dan Sonnenberg, is teaching the third workshop for leadership in the Republic of Peru.

Thanks for Timothy Two

Thank God for the ministry Timothy Two. We continue with the time of biblical and theological training for several pastors and leaders of Pamplona and Lima South. The theme of this third workshop is practicing the life of the kingdom: family, church, the world, government, divorce, homosexuality, abortion, work, money, votes, fear, disease, pain, suicide and death. It’s the third workshop of four seasons of training. We thank Timothy Two for its willingness to contribute to us. It will be a time of much blessing.

Main causes of poverty in Peru

With about eight million people living in some kind of poverty, Peru can be considered an impoverished country. While poverty can be found throughout the country, most people living in extreme poverty reside in rural areas. Poverty exists around the world as a result of many different reasons. Here are three broad, but influential causes of poverty in Peru:

Natural disasters

Being located in a seismic area, Peru is being constantly whipped by earthquakes. In addition to earthquakes, Peruvians also suffer from a large amount of floods, landslides and droughts. All these natural disasters have different ways of impacting the people of the country. With the environment of Peru altered by nature, agriculture can be slow as a result, therefore damaging the country’s economy and the food security of people. The damage that natural disasters leave on houses and cities also tend to damage the economy, as more money is needed for repairs.

The division between rich and poor

In Peru, there is a wall that divides the rich and poor of the country, literally. The Capital of Lima is divided into two parts: the poor and the rich. The rich are so serious about keeping their side inhabited by the rich who require them to show an id card to get in. According to Business Insider, a wealth gap between rich and poor is not beneficial to the economy. With an extreme division like there is in Lima, the poor will probably remain poor as people who could help them are practically imprisoned.

The inequality that women face

Peruvian women earn 30 percent less than men in the workplace. They are also subject to sexual violence and murder. In an attempt to achieve equality, women have participated in marches to defend their rights. If women are better treated and more opportunities are provided, they will have more to offer economically and essentially they will be able to provide for them and their families to a greater extent.

Hope for the future

Despite all these causes of poverty in Peru, some progress has been made. Overall poverty in the country decreased 1.1 percent from 2015 to 2016. Fortunately, Peru will continue to address poverty and eliminate some of the causes.

Training Children’s Ministry Leaders in Latin America

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by Beth Stokley Sonnenberg

God has blessed me with the opportunity to teach women and men how to work more effectively with their children in Latin America. Though much of this region is more advanced than some other parts of the world, they are still very much influenced by old world Catholicism in their ways and its views of Christianity. Many of the Latin American countries teach their children in a traditional manner, that is, with the teacher telling a story and the children sitting and listening.

Havana, Cuba

In our workshop for children’s ministry leaders, we introduce the concept of active learning and train participants to involve the children in the learning process using activities, puppets, play acting, music and games which involve all three learning styles. We also teach tried and true methods of lovingly disciplining children so their classes can be run more effectively. Introducing them to the concept of team-teaching also helps encourage potential new teachers and makes teaching easier by sharing the load.

Havana, Cuba

Haiti has a mix of voodoo and ancestor worship that taints their Christianity. We are pleased to bring solid theology to the churches there. The first Timothy Two workshop for pastors and ministry leaders, “Knowing God,” is used to create a curriculum for children. As teachers and children study the attributes of God they can know Him and worship Him more fully. Helping teachers learn to study God’s word, showing them what materials are available to help in their teaching, giving them information about how children can be taught more effectively at a young age and modelling new teaching styles brings excitement to a task often viewed as challenging to many adults.

Palmira, Cuba

I have had the privilege of ministering to teachers in Havana and Palmira, Cuba; Lima, Peru; and, Jacmel, Haiti so far. We also have invitations to teach in new locations in Haiti, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil. It brings me great joy to teach children’s ministry leaders who desire to learn and to see the joy in their faces as they learn that teaching children can be a positive, exciting and rewarding experience which can produce much fruit.

Lima, Peru

What a privilege to teach people who desire to learn and improve their skills. Many of the places we go have very limited resources and it is often overwhelming to see the needs there. I find comfort in knowing that you with your support and Dan and I in our service can help influence and educate God’s precious people in Latin America. Many often feel forgotten by God because of their neediness. When you send missionaries you show that God has not forgotten them and that you care about them. We may not be able to give them a lot of money but we can share what we have learned. That makes a world of difference to those we visit. You care, we care and most importantly GOD cares. Our prayer for each of the countries we visit is that they will use these teaching skills to reach out into their communities and bring in the harvest that is all around them. Thank you so much for your part in what we do. We can’t go without your prayers and support!

Jacmel, Haiti

Fall 2018 Teaching Trips to Peru, El Salvador, Haiti; New Latin American Venues in 2019

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by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

Training Pastors and Children’s Ministry Leaders in Peru

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Report on my second trip to train pastors and Beth’s first trip to train children’s ministry leaders in Peru, and my upcoming trip to Haiti.

Training Pastors and Leaders in Peru and El Salvador

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by Daniel L. Sonnenberg

Read about my first teaching trips to these countries.