PERU MISSIONS 2004 - TESTIMONIES
Eugene Park

I consider it a great privilege to share with you today about my summer missions experience. As I look back on the past six weeks I spent in Peru, I have in my mind a myriad of scrambled thoughts and memories. As I try to sort thorough it all there is one thought that remains constant, God has placed in every one of us an innate desire to know Him.

This became clear from the very start of our ministry. We did our first outreach in a town plaza in Cusco. The plaza was located right in the heart of the city and so it was a high traffic area. We found an open space to set up our music equipment, and we started immediately by introducing ourselves and giving an open invitation for everyone to come watch our presentation.

I was really excited to see that as we started our first skit a crowd was forming. By the end of our second skit, a large multitude had gathered and made a circle around us. Pastor Dave then began to share the meaning of the skits, tying it in with a presentation of the gospel. As he was speaking a man that was drunk came out of the crowd and became a distraction, to Pastor Dave, to the translator, and even more to the audience.

That was the clearest signal of spiritual battle I had ever seen before. I never realized how desperately Satan would fight to prevent people from hearing the gospel message that we came to share. The crowd started to become restless and some people started to leave, and so at that moment I knew that I had to pray. I prayed that the drunken man would not be a distraction. I prayed that people would be attentive. I prayed that we would be able to do what we came to do, to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Eventually the man did exit and return to the audience. After Pastor Dave finished the presentation of the gospel, he made an altar call, inviting anyone who heard this gospel message to receive Jesus Christ as their personal savior. All they had to do was raise their hands and come forward. I looked around at the crowd and not a single hand went up.

Time seemed to freeze, as that moment of silence felt like an eternity. I then began to cry out desperately in prayer, “God please grab someone’s heart right now. They must have at least some sort of curiosity about you. If there is any conviction in any of these people, please raise up their hands!”

I opened up my eyes to see that more than half the crowd stood with hands held high. Each and every of them then stepped forward to accept Jesus Christ into their lives. As we closed our eyes and repeated the sinner’s prayer together, I was overjoyed. I don’t know what my expression looked like at that moment, but I imagine that I was wearing a smile that went from ear to ear.

I was so encouraged to see that many of our outreaches throughout the trip had the same power; many were coming to believe. All it took was about a half hour presentation and an explanation of the gospel for the people to make that step of faith. I’ve come to realize that people have a natural hunger and desire to know God. People are curious about the faith that we have, and often times they are willing to listen.

If we can simply find the confidence in our identity in Christ to share this faith, then people around us can be changed. I was always scared to share the gospel because I assumed that people didn’t want to listen, but I’ve come to learn that people do want to learn about God, and the gospel has the power to change them. That’s the only reason why I have my own testimony to share, because of the way the gospel has changed me.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:16

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