When God first called us to go to Peru, we knew the task ahead would be difficult. Our small Hispanic church in California was behind us, but they could not possibly be our only financial support.
As we prepared for our launch to Peru and worked on partnership development, we visited so many churches: large, small, wealthy, struggling, far away and nearby. There were people who loved missions and people who openly said, “I don’t believe in missions, and I don’t care to support missions.” It was an emotional rollercoaster ride.
However, there was one incident that caused us to feel God’s love in a profound way.
Ana Maria and Roberto are in their mid-sixties, and they own a second-hand store in Orange Cove, our hometown. They are also members of Buen Pastor, our home church where we pastored for sixteen years. While we were packing up our household to move to Peru, we made many trips to their store to drop off boxes!
On one of those trips, Ana Marie shared with us her frustration and sadness. As a couple, they wanted very much to support us on our mission assignment in Peru, but the reality was that in the last couple of years sales had been minimal and they were barely making ends meet. I was touched by her love and concern.
Sometime later, my husband, Pablo, stopped by their store to drop off yet another load from the purging of our house. Ana Maria seemed excited to see him, smiling as she pressed a baby sock into his hands. Feeling the sock, Pablo realized that there was something stuffed inside.
“I have been saving money,” she said happily, “putting it away a little at a time in this sock. I wanted so much to give you an offering. In my heart, I resolved to save at least $200, but God has been good!”
Inside the sock was $225, in small bills. So much love in a tiny sock.
When Pablo came home and told me the story, I cried. I knew their financial struggles. I knew how hard they worked to earn a living. Yet they were giving sacrificially for the sake of God’s mission in Peru. That day, the Father reminded me that he is the one who called us on this journey, and he would provide. It is not about an abundance of resources but an abundance of love coming from a willing heart.
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Maricela and her husband, Pablo, and their three sons, were recently sent to Peru as long-term missionaries from their church in Orange Cove, California, and several other supporting churches. To become a part of their support team, go to multiply.net/chavez
