As a child growing up in church one of my favorite hymns was, “This is my Father’s World.” I don’t know if you are familiar with the song or can recall the words, but the song writer speaks of nature, rocks and trees, music of spheres, skies and seas; His hands the wonders wrought. Along with the words of the song, the words: amazing, majestic, bluest sky ever, and only by God, came to my mind over and over again as we drove through the Andes Mountains from Lima to Huancayo, Peru. Never in my life have I seen such magnificent beauty! And, I’m quite sure our team was a sight to behold, too, as we flung our cameras out of the vehicles snapping away, just trying to capture the beauty on film! 
Our team left the U.S. and flew into Lima, Peru, to join Celia Robertson, MotherWise Coordinator for South America, her husband, Tomas, and her local team. Together our goal was to teach and equip women of Huancayo, Peru, with the application of God’s Word into their lives through the use of the MotherWise Bible study, Wisdom for Mothers, by Denise Glenn. Two years prior to this trip, a missionary, Cathie Metz, was in the U.S. and brought the Bible study back to a godly woman, Silvia Silva, in Huancayo. These ladies literally prayed our team to their country and city over a period of two years and welcomed us with open arms and hearts.
The MadreSabia (MotherWise in Spanish) conference was held in a wonderful school auditorium with 480 ladies in attendance. The local team had worked very hard with their invitations, decorations and preparation. During the conference we were blessed to have five first time decisions for Christ and many opportunities to listen and pray with the women. There were 12 different denominations represented at the conference. Fifteen new MotherWise groups will be starting as a result.
Over the weekend we heard the cries of their hearts and committed to pray with and for them. One woman spoke of her separation from her husband. After the first night when we taught about their first priority, A Woman’s Relationship with God, she went home to her husband and told him she was in love with someone else—Jesus. She shared what she had learned. He told her he wanted to come and learn, too. So the next day he came, listened and during the afternoon they both came to surrender their marriage at the cross. Each woman at the conference had an opportunity to write what they needed to surrender to God, walk down and pin it on one of the four crosses we held. This sounds so simple, yet it was a very profound step to take.
Many women spoke of being abandoned by their husbands and left with the sole responsibility of raising, supporting and caring for the children. They prayed to be able to forgive their husbands as Christ forgives all of us. Many have husbands who have lost their jobs. One woman who has three children had been cheating on her husband. During the session, A Woman’s Relationship with Her Husband, she surrendered her sin and went to her husband for forgiveness and restoration of their marriage.
While welcoming the Spanish translations with excitement, in Huancayo there also is a large group of women from Quechua people group who do not speak Spanish, but their own language. They are praying for their own translation so they can learn, too.
The U.S. team members taught the four priorities of a woman’s life, shared mothering skills, shared personal testimonies and prayed with the women.
A special treat for our US team was that during the closing of the conference the women from the local MadreSabia team gave us their personal alpaca capes that had been made for them as the first MadreSabia group in Huancayo. As they placed the capes on our shoulders, it represented their prayers for us and the MotherWise Ministry. I don’t recall a dry eye in the building!
Many women from Peru work in the fields or in the markets all day. For these women, to pay for their workbook is more than they can do. Would you pray about sponsoring these women with a scholarship through MotherWise/MadreSabia Peru so that they can have a workbook of their own? For $20 you can help scholarship 4 women.
Our team was blessed beyond our greatest imaginations by the women of Huancayo, Peru! Please join us in prayer for these ladies and the work God is doing in their lives.
US Team: Dottie Collins, Terri Cook, Claire Crigler, Kathy Dunn, Delynn Halloran, Robin Henderson, Linda Insogna & Johnson Ferry Baptist Church
