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When Billy and Laurie Drum first moved to Peru to serve as cross-cultural workers, they had no idea how difficult their first few years would be.

Billy and Laurie, both former teachers, had a vision to start a children’s ministry that would reach local children with the gospel and offer educational opportunities. Where the Drums served, many of the village children could not afford the uniform and school supplies required to attend school. Billy and Laurie started a Kids Club and provided the children in their program with a hot lunch and a free education. The Drums’ goal was to prepare the children to enter the local school system and to share the love of Jesus with the kids and their families.

The Drums met Rosio, Tania, and Milagros, three Peruvian teachers with a passion to disciple children. Together they started ministries in different towns and began to share the gospel with the children who attended.

In one particular town, San Juan de Iscos, the team was not welcomed. In fact, they were persecuted for trying to reach out to children with the Good News of Jesus.

Billy and Laurie were accused of poisoning children, human trafficking, and harvesting human organs. "Some people in Iscos were deeply into witchcraft," said Laurie. "They believed in forms of animism and tribal gods and operated largely out of fear. They had superstitions about what would happen if they associated with us, such as believing that their crops would fail."

Local witches cast curses on the team and read tarot cards prophesying against them. Rosio, Tania, and Milagros took the brunt of the conflict, as did the children who were associated with the program.

One particular day, Kids Club was meeting when a local school teacher entered the facility and began swinging a leather belt. She screamed at the children to go home, and all but 10 children ran away in fear. Other Iscos residents would also hit children with leather belts as the kids were on their way to Kids Club. The number of children attending Kids Club dwindled rapidly.

“We were upset and frustrated,” remembers Laurie. “We wanted to quit.” Rosio, Tania, and Milagros encouraged Billy and Laurie to persevere. The teachers told the Drums, “You are in Jonah’s shoes. This is your Nineveh. You can’t back down. You have to tell them about Christ’s love.” The team decided to persevere and continue to minister in Iscos.

Years later, the team had developed three children’s educational programs, a women’s discipleship group, and community health and development programs in Iscos and the surrounding villages.

Billy and Laurie moved from Peru to Spain six years ago, but the ministries they had begun in Peru continued to flourish. Rosio, Tania, and Milagros are all still involved in education and ministry. The Drums’ investment in the young teachers who were hungry to share the gospel with local children continues to produce fruit even now. Tania started an educational program and outreach to families in Lima. Milagros is serving as a teacher in an area of the Peruvian jungle where there is active terrorism and narcotrafficking, therefore most teachers will not work in the area.

And the gospel continues to be spread in Iscos. Rosio married a local man, and the couple recently welcomed their first child. She has continued to minister to children and mothers and coordinates a Vacation Bible School for children during the summers. Together, Rosio and her husband planted a church among the people who once persecuted her.

“This is the reason that we pour into local believers who can carry on the ministries in our absence,” said Laurie. “These women are reaching their own people in their own language and culture.

“Sometimes it takes a long time to see fruit and we have to have long-term vision, but God is faithful. He will bless our faithfulness and obedience to loving our neighbors well.”

Next steps:

• Pray for Rosio, her family, and the church in Iscos.
• Pray for Tania and Milagros as they continue to spread the gospel in Peru.
• If you are interested in serving cross culturally, click the button below and fill out a short form. A mobilization coach will be in touch with you.