Log in to your Account

For the past 13 years, Martin, his wife Tracy, and their seven children have lived and served in Trujillo, Peru. When they first arrived, Martin trained Methodist lay pastors and church leaders. From there he pastored a Peruvian church before planting four more.

His days are now filled with all of the duties overseeing the ministries four churches involves, in addition to coordinating the construction of the El Milagro Church and Christian family development center in the poorest area of the city. A typical day can range from counseling a couple considering divorce to helping deliver the baby of a parishioner.

El Milagro is an impoverished barrio in northern Trujillo in which the Reeves and their Peruvian leadership team have sought to reach. The El Milagro Church and Christian Family Development Center was designed to minister to the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of Peruvians in this region.

Women and children are often the victims of physical, mental, and emotional abuse from their husbands and fathers. “A continual shortage of well-paying jobs makes it nearly impossible for men to adequately provide for their families. Often, men feel like failures as husbands and fathers," explains Martin. "Many try to bury their pain in alcohol, emotional and physical abuse of their wife and children, and look for comfort in the arms of another person.”

“Women who grow up in poverty and a cycle of abuse and betrayal find it difficult to trust men; and yet they permit the abuse and womanizing because they are dependent upon their husband or partner to provide for the family.

“As a consequence, both men and women feel as though they are helpless victims, unworthy of genuine love. Hungering for love and value, they settle for a poor substitute. When offered Christ's love and a new identity as a child of God, many feel unworthy and are not able to fully accept God's love or live as true children of God.”

Through the ministries of the four church plants, more than 200 people each week are finding safety, experiencing community, and hearing the gospel message to refresh their weary souls. The churches offer Christian counseling, assistance for abused women and children, medical care, tutoring, and a safe place for children to play. In the near future, the churches hope to open a medical lab and offer job training, incorporating the use of industrial sewing machines and computers.

“We recently started a prayer counseling ministry," says Martin. "As people share their pain, repent of their sins, and choose to forgive those who have hurt them, God is healing wounded hearts and restoring people into a right relationship with Himself.”

Although cross-cultural ministry is demanding, the Reeves are blessed by the transformation they see in the lives of the people they serve. Martin reflects, “God has transformed my heart, giving me a love for the Peruvian people I did not know was possible.” 

“Serving God, bringing others into a relationship with Him, and discipling them in faith is rewarding beyond words,” says Tracy. “Relationships are a key ingredient to lasting transformation. We build the kingdom of God by building personal relationships. Ask the people to whom you are called to minister to share their life stories. Take an interest in their lives. Laugh and cry with them. Find out how God has been working in their lives. Pray and walk alongside them on this grand adventure as followers of Jesus.”

“As we enter our fourteenth year serving in Trujillo, we can honestly say that the support of TMS Global is one of the keys to the ministry's success," remarked Martin. "We can always count on them for prayers and assistance in any area.”

Thank you for supporting workers, like Martin and Tracy, through TMS Global. Your donation enables us to train, mobilize, and serve more people to share the love of Jesus in Peru and around the world.