“Can we be part of missions too?” asked a pastor in a small town in the Andes mountains. The church had invited SIM Peru to train them about God’s mission and how their churches could participate. They had heard other churches were already involved and wanted to learn more.
Before the training began, God had already been working in the heart of a young woman from one of their churches. Sandra was preparing to serve in Africa. She longed to help women and children in rural areas, especially among people who had not yet heard the gospel. Sandra is the first mission worker sent by her church denomination in Peru. The leaders and members were excited to take part in sending her, even in small ways.
At another meeting in a rural town, church leaders showed the Handful of Rice video from India – a simple giving practice where families set aside the value of a bag of rice each month to support mission work. Pastor Helmer then challenged each family to give a monthly gift equal to the price of a bag of rice—about $1.60. It may not seem like much, but that night the families pledged about $35. And this was only one of many gatherings where SIM Peru helped with conferences, and small pledges added up.
In each region, churches started WhatsApp groups to help people stay in touch with Sandra and encourage one another to keep praying and giving.
Pastor Helmer Ochante, IEP Church of Paucarbamba, Peru
Pastor Helmer Ochante, the denomination’s national leader, explained:
“SIM has been used by God to wake up the church to its calling: to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. For many years we focused on planting more churches in Peru, thinking we first had to reach our Jerusalem before going farther. But now we understand that mission is not step by step, but all at once. SIM has truly been an instrument of God so that we too might become a church committed to global mission.”
SIM Peru sending off Sandra to West Africa
When an SIM representative visited Sandra and her church, they shared about the Faithful Witness team she could join and explained the financial help this programme provides. Right away, the talk moved from “maybe we can send her” to “this is real”. The church treasurer, an older woman, cried as she explained that they had kept an account for Sandra’s support for years. The church had saved about $3,200 to help send her, but giving had slowed down. She said she had wondered if she would live to see Sandra leave for the mission field. Through tears, she said, “Now this dream is a reality for Sandra! I’m touched that someone else would want to invest in her going.”
Sandra arrived in West Africa in April of 2025 and is sharing the gospel with an unreached people group. She said, “even when I feel tired, I’m here because there is such a great need for others to have the hope I have in Christ.”
God is awakening the global church to His mission, from the Andes to Africa, and Sandra’s story shows how small acts of faith make an impact. Pray for her, share her story, and partner with Faithful Witness so more churches like this one in Peru can send their first mission workers.
