On the Field in Peru: Restoring Hope for Abuse Victims

In Peru, no one talks about abuse. It’s so common for young girls and women—even boys—to be victimized that it’s no longer shocking . . . it simply becomes a part of life.

That is one of the reasons we’re working in Peru . . . to bring awareness, healing, and restoration to generations of young women who are suffering in silence.

Peru currently ranks number one in Latin America for sexual abuse with 78 percent of the victims being minors and an astounding 22 percent are between the ages of 6 and 11. Fifty-five percent of the perpetrators of this abuse are usually family members of the victims. And 72 percent of the victims are female.

But no one is helping them. No one is reaching out to the 80 percent of abuse victims that struggle with addictions later in life. No one has been bold enough to stand up for the victims of Lima’s most underestimated human rights infringements . . . until now.

World Help partner, Camino de Vida Church, is passionately invested in reclaiming this lost generation of young girls and women through Grace House. Operating the only faith-based recovery facility of its kind in all of Peru, they are determined to make an eternal impact by offering abuse victims and those struggling with addictions a place of safety and healing.

With the help of World Help supporters, Grace House has already taken in six girls into the six-month recovery program. Several have come to know Christ as a result, finding true and lasting hope that can only come from Him. Our goal is to fully support 20 girls at a time at Grace House. It was a privilege to meet with the passionate staff and discuss future plans for expansion and pray for the incredible work happening here every day.

God is already moving in miraculous ways, redeeming what years of heartache and loss threatened to steal away. Many of these young ladies shared their tragic stories with me, and I was overwhelmed by what God has been able to do in their lives because of this ministry. Although each girl was at a different stage of her journey, there was one unmistakable similarity—they had hope . . . and hope changes everything.

This story Andrea shared with me is an extraordinary testimony of the impact Grace House is having in the lives of these young abuse victims:

Andrea is living proof of the difference Grace House is making in the lives of these young women. It was absolutely remarkable to see firsthand how the love of God can transform someone’s entire life . . . lifting them from the ashes of tragedy to the triumph of hope.

Here’s a short video clip of our team with the staff and students of Grace House:

Watch “Grace House: Restoring Victims of Abuse” on Vimeo.

But the day wasn’t over . . . we had much more work to do!

Senior Vice President Tom Thompson and I had the honor of encouraging over 1,000 people who had gathered at Camino de Vida Church, one of our many strategic outreach partners in Peru. Over 50 people in attendance made decisions for Christ!

We worshipped together, prayed together, and planned for another full year of impact in the surrounding community. This church body is an open door to dozens of opportunities to bring help and hope to those suffering from the effects of extreme poverty. I can’t wait to see how far we’ll be able to reach through this incredible partnership.

And finally, our team continued to scout out new territory for future church-planting initiatives along the Amazon River. We met with dedicated Christian leaders who are tirelessly working in these unreached villages.

What an amazing day . . . and what an amazing God!  I can’t wait to share more with you tomorrow.

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Ways To Get Involved in Peru