Besides the always exciting Halloween weekend with the kids, our church had missions conference this past week. At our 2009 missions conference, I met an incredible man, Robert Barriger. This year, I had the blessing of taking Robert to lunch Saturday.
Missionary to Lima, Peru Robert left the United States as a missionary to Lima, Peru 30 years ago. Today he pastors Camino de Vida, a large church in Lima, Peru. I was inspired by hearing Robert share the work going on in Peru. He shared a little about his early days in Peru when they went into the mountains to start churches. Later, those young churches suffered persecution as terrorism swept into the country. Bombs were set off. Sometimes they were close enough to see, and at other times, the explosions were close enough to hear. Several of the mountain pastors lost their lives to the terrorists during the early days of the ministry.
Today, in addition to Robert’s thriving ministry, they are working with the first lady of Peru as she reaches out to help Peru’s orphans. It was heartbreaking to hear the stories of the children who rely on the city’s dump for their food. I’d heard about this in Mexico, but I guess for the first time, I’m facing the fact that it’s not just something that happens in Mexico.
Robert left me with a challenge. Get out of the United States and visit a foreign country. You’ll never be the same. Sadly, I’ve never been on a missions trip. This weekend, I was humbled to be invited to Peru by an amazing and Godly man.
Robert and Karyn Barriger