Testimonies from Grace Home: Peru

Hello everyone,

I just returned from VisionTrust’ first-ever Gala & Missions Conference. There I met the National Directors from all 7 countries where VisionTrust has projects. The directors shared countless testimonies of how God has changed the lives of the children in their projects, and many people at the event were inspired to begin or increase their involvement with our mission.

I personally had the privilege of translating all week for Mariela Clark, our National Director in Peru. Since she and I were pretty much attached at the hip (or should I say the ear) all week long, I got to hear first hand, some very detailed and intimate testimonies of what God has done in her orphanage. I would like to share just 2 with you today, that you may know and be inspired that God is working through his people in the midst of the tragedy our world faces today!

ABEL'S STORY: (Written by Abel)
I was born on March 10th, 1990 in the jungle of Peru. I have two younger siblings, Jhonatan and Tania. My parents were married when they were 19 years old and we lived in the jungle. My siblings and I studied in a small, rural and very poor school. We behaved very well and were excellent students. Other than studying, we had to work in the fields and our childhood was very hard. When classes weren’t in session, I worked with my father from 8 in the morning until 6 at night in the fields.

My parents argued a great deal and hit one another. Mama mistreated us and hit us with whatever thing she had in her hand. Sometimes we would run away from home so that our parents wouldn’t hit us. I loved my parents very much, but I didn’t understand why they took it out on us when they had problems.

My father got drunk often and mistreated us all. One day my mother abandoned us, taking with her my younger sister. That day, everything we had fell apart. I cried with my brother Jhonatan and my father was desperate. We went through a time of great hunger and sadness. We saw my father crying every night, but because we were so young, we didn’t know what to say.

My father began then to transport drugs in order to make some money, but the police caught him and took him to jail. Our situation got worse and we began to go through a time of great hunger. After 3 years, my mother returned to get my younger brother. I was left alone with an aunt who took care of me. I was very sad and depressed. I missed my parents and my siblings. During the nights I could feel someone comforting and hugging me, but I didn’t know that it was God because I did not know Him.

My aunt, upon seeing the great sadness I was going through, took me to my mother. She received me into her house, and I could see how she was abusing my siblings. My mother had also began to transport drugs due to lack of money. I went to school in the mornings to study and during the afternoons began to work shining shoes at a bus station from 3 in the afternoon until 11 at night. I only came home after it was dark and it was scary, but I didn’t care because I was bringing something to eat for my siblings. Everytime I watched a bus leave the station to go to Lima, I thought: “I know that one day I will get out of here”.

I spent months working in this way, while my mother continued in drug-trafficking. One day, when I came home I saw that there were two police patrol cars in the street. I thought that my siblings had robbed something, but when I got closer I looked through the door and saw my mother was on her knees, handcuffed by the police and that my siblings were crying. I almost fainted from the sight, but I resisted and began to cry in silence behind the door. In this instant, I also felt someone hugging me and saying “I am with you”. It was the Lord, but I didn’t know who it was because I still didn’t know God.

My siblings and I were left abandoned and an aunt brought us to Hogar Casa Luz. That is where I met Jesus and understood that he had plans for my life and a purpose for me. It is because of this that I now live happy with God, with my teachers who love me a lot. I serve the Lord in Emmanuel Church. Now I only hope in God, for my future and my siblings future are in His hands.


ADA'S STORY (as told by Mariela, director of Grace Home)
Ada grew up in the capital city of Lima, Peru. Her mother lived in a cardboard box in the streets of Lima, a city of nearly 8 million people. Beginning when Ada turned 5 years old, men would find her in the streets, take her by the hand and lead her to a hidden place where they were sexually abuse her, and then return her to her home. When she was 8 years old, one of these men tricked her into going with him to his home in Ayacucho, almost 60 miles away from Lima.

This man also sexually abused Ada regularly, and his sister who lived with him physically abused her. She would hit Ada in the head with a hammer and would burn Ada’s arms with cigarettes as well as with electrical cords. One day the police found Ada in the market, bloody from the most recent beating. They took her to a government orphanage where Ada’s trauma began to express itself through violence. She became abusive towards the other children and the teachers to the point that she bit one of the teachers in the arm and did not let go until she tore the flesh. They took her to a judge and told him “We cannot do anything for this child and we never want to see her again!”

The judge called Mariela, who runs 2 VisionTrust orphanages in Ayacucho, Peru. He told her Ada’s story. Finally the judge said “Mariela, if you don’t accept this girl into your orphanage, the only other option I have is to send her at 11 years of age to a prison for women in the city of Lima.” Mariela happily accepted Ada into her orphanage.

After 6 months of living at Grace Home, the judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation to be done on Ada. The psychologist came to one of Grace Home’s teachers with great shock and amazement. She asked “what have you done with this child?” The teacher, not sure what she was talking about answered, “I don’t know, you tell me.” The psychologist quickly replied “the advances you have made with this girl takes years of treatment, how did you do it in only 6 months?” The teacher responded “we didn’t do anything, it is the love of God living within her heart.”

You see, the children at Grace Home: Ayacucho all attend church together several times a week. The first time that Ada went to church, she was silent, observing everything around her. The second time she went to church, she learned some of the songs they taught the children and she obligated all the other children to sing the song that SHE wanted to sing and if they didn’t sing the song that SHE wanted to sing they would be in trouble with her! The third time Ada went to church, she came to Mariela afterwards. She said, “The teacher told me today that I have to accept Jesus into my heart”. Mariela responded, “Yes. He will be your best friend.” “No, I don’t think I’m going to do it”, replied Ada. “Why not?” Mariela asked her. “Because I’ve done too many bad things, God could never love me” said Ada. Mariela told her “God loved you, he loves you now, and He will always love you and there is nothing that you could ever do to make him stop loving you.” Surprisingly, Ada said, “I believe you.” And she accepted Jesus into her heart.

For months afterwards, Ada prayed that the authorities would find her mother. Humanly, it was impossible because her mother lived in a cardboard box in a city of 8 million people. But Ada didn’t give up. She prayed and prayed until one day, Mariela received a call: “We’ve found Ada’s mother, and she is dying from AIDS.” Mariela took Ada to see her mother and when they saw one another they embraced with tears of joy. They talked for a few moments and then Ada said “Mother, I want you to pray with me.” When her mother didn’t pay much attention to her request, Ada looked straight into her eyes and said firmly “Mommy, God on the outside, no. God on the inside. Now close your eyes and repeat this prayer with me.” Ada’s mother accepted Christ that day and went home to the Lord about one month later.

Ada is now almost 17 years old and still lives at Grace Home: Ayacucho. She serves in the church as a Sunday School teacher to younger children and sings in the choir. She has decided to follow a call she believes God placed on her heart to go to Bible School when she finishes high school, and then become a missionary. She wants to open an orphanage for abandoned children.