Transformation in the Remote Highlands of Peru

Nelson Ponce is seven. When he grows up, he wants to be a teacher, not because he has a passion for teaching, but because teachers get to travel. Nelson wants nothing more than to leave the place where he grew up.

He lives in Pachaconas, a remote district tucked deep within the majestic Andes of Peru. Life here is hard. Many residents of this community spend their days doing informal mining in the mountains, maintaining small family farms of corn and potatoes, and spending their limited income on alcohol.

Nelson’s parents, Justo and Marcelina, are part of this struggling community. Justo works in the mines, but the job is unstable and dangerous. Alcohol often felt like an easy escape, and Justo and Marcelina frequently gave in to that temptation. Their unhappiness affected their relationships, especially how they spoke to each other and their two children.

Reaching Pachaconas is no easy task. Each time Dina Rojas Cusi visits, she endures a treacherous three-and-a-half-hour drive from Abancay, where The Assemblies of God of Peru is located. The drive winds through steep and perilous roads and climbs 3,481 feet in elevation. But she makes this trip every month to deliver Food Paks and share the hope of the gospel with the people of Pachaconas.

Marcelina went to church as a child and happily welcomed Dina into their home. However, Justo, was more hesitant to trust, avoiding all contact and even leaving the house whenever she visited. But over time, something changed. He began to stay when Dina visited. He listened to what she had to say. Eventually, he even joined in conversations about faith.

Today, Justo and Marcelina are radically different. They attend Bible studies together and have given up drinking. God’s Word has begun reshaping their lives, hearts, and home.

Dina, who visits them monthly, has witnessed their transformation, seeing a change in their behavior as well as their spirit.

“God’s grace is reflected in their transformation as a family,” Dina shared. “Despite the difficulties, God has given them life and has shown them His infinite love, compassion, and forgiveness. The change in their family dynamics is evidence of God’s work in their hearts.”

God’s grace is reflected in their transformation as a family. Despite the difficulties, God has given them life and has shown them His infinite love, compassion, and forgiveness. The change in their family dynamics is evidence of God’s work in their hearts.

Though they are young, Justo and Marcelina are working hard to study God’s Word and live according to it. They want the Bible to be a guide not only for their lives but also a spiritual foundation for their children.

Nelson and his sister are growing up in a very different home than they once knew. Instead of copying dishonesty and negative behaviors, the children are surrounded by love, prayer, and the support and encouragement of a church community. They now participate in church activities and are gaining confidence in the process.

Justo continues working in informal mining, but now begins each day with prayer, asking God for protection. The Food Paks provided by the church have made a practical difference, allowing the Ponces to stretch their finances to buy other needed products, including vegetables and warm clothes for the children.

In addition to delivering Food Paks, Dina works at AIDIA (Interdenominational Association for the Integral Development of Apurimac), training church leaders and supporting church planting efforts. With their enthusiasm for spiritual growth, she sees real potential in Justo and Marcelina to one day become leaders within their own congregation.

In partnership with AIDIA, Children’s Hunger Fund has helped equip 44 churches in Abancay to carry out gospel-centered mercy ministry. These efforts go beyond meeting physical needs; they open hearts to the gospel. A simple Food Pak becomes a pathway to deeper transformation.

“This ministry has been very supportive and a valuable tool for reaching families in need,” Dina shared. “It allows us to share God’s Word while setting the example that just as we need to feed our bodies, we must also feed our spirits by reading the Bible, gathering together, and praying.”

This ministry has been very supportive and a valuable tool for reaching families in need. It allows us to share God’s Word while setting the example that just as we need to feed our bodies, we must also feed our spirits by reading the Bible, gathering together, and praying.

It’s incredible what God can grow from a simple Food Pak.

God has a plan for every CHF Food Pak. Whether it ends up with a struggling family in Dallas, a refugee family in war-torn Ukraine, or a family like the Ponces in an isolated Andean village, every Food Pak shares these things: it was given in love, delivered in faith, and used to share the eternal hope of the gospel.

The recipients’ names have been changed to protect their privacy.

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