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Group
helps to establish learning center in Peru;
Cape church’s youth take
trip, lend aid
By DREW WINCHESTER,
dwinchester@breezenewspapers.com
A group from Cape Coral Community Church returned from mission work in Peru last week, capping a two-year journey for the mission founders.
Scott Branan, a teacher at Cape Coral Christian School, took the group to Iquitos, Peru, located in the northeastern region of the country, along the Amazon River, to help missionary and former Cape resident Robert Perez establish a mission.
The idea for the mission started, ironically, almost by accident. Two years ago Perez’s car broke down in front of the Branan’s home, where he had just been shopping at a garage sale.
Branan and Perez struck up a conversation, and it turned out Perez was looking for clothes to ship over to Peru to help those in need. It had been Perez’s dream to move to Peru full-time and set up a mission.
“We had the ministries for nine years collecting food and clothes and things like that,” Perez said on the phone from Peru. “But now we’re taking it to the next level by building a learning center.”
Establishing the learning center was the focus of the group’s mission, doing everything they could to set up Perez and his family, who just moved to Peru, to utilize the learning center as a full-time tool for local Peruvians.
While in Iquitos, the missionaries purchased a refrigerator for the learning center, as well as sound equipment for church service.
Branan and the teens even used the sound equipment, taking to the streets to deliver what Branan called “street ministry.” They sang, danced and performed small dramas to spread the word of the gospel.
Even though they drew fairly large crowds for their street performances, Branan said there is still a lot of work to do.
“I’m not telling you the trip was perfect,” he said. “It wasn’t, but we got a lot done.
“Every single kid that went had something they contributed to the trip,” Branan added. “We accomplished a lot, and I’m really proud of my team.”
Branan and Perez hope the Peru mission will become a regular occurrence, possibly doing two trips a year, one through the school and one through Cape Coral Community Church, who sponsored some of the teens.
Each teen had to raise $1,350 to be able to go.
“A lot of the church members really helped to support these kids,” said Branan’s wife, Kathy. “But each child was responsible for raising the money. One even went door to door.”
Perez, working diligently in Iquitos to secure the future of his fledgling learning center, said the center is a lifelong dream.
“All God wants is a willing heart from us, to serve, to help, anyway we can,” he said. “It doesn’t make a difference how or what you do, as long as you try. Everything helps.”
http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=19398 |
