The longer we’re here the more apparent it becomes that we don’t have the perfect answer to this question. In fact, I suspect it will be years before we have any real chance of speaking intelligently on this subject. However, we do have a start. We know more (much, much more) than we did before moving here and, with our team’s staggered arrival, we’ve got all different kinds of perspectives and experiences to pull from. Its been pretty cool to hear each other’s stories and learn from our daily interactions.
In an effort to be proactive in our learning, Wes and I recently decided to christen a new ministry effort, one we’ve lovingly called the “Cooler Ministry.” Essentially, once a week we buy about $30 worth of drinks, or two coolers worth, and then sit on a busy sidewalk somewhere in town handing them out. Pretty complex project we’ve developed, huh?
In all seriousness, we’ve just wanted to talk; to ask questions’; to know what Peruvians think and handing out drinks has certainly served us well. As we passed out drinks, we’d tell our story and ask 4 simple questions in an effort to learn more about Peruvians. While certainly not scientific, we have collected some great data that is both reliable and telling and has proven useful as we approach the ministry here. Here’s what we found out:
When asked if they believe there is a God, 100% responded yes. Most all of them responded with a shrug of the shoulders and a slight roll of their eyes as if to say, “of course, who doesn’t.”
When asked if they had ever participated in service projects or social works to help the less fortunate, 66% responded that they had in some way or another.
When asked if they believed it was important to study the Bible, 94% answered “yes, it is important.”
Our last question pertained to when they have free time. The most common response was Sunday. After that, Saturday. Evenings, after 8:00, was mentioned as well. That probably tells you a little about this culture: late nights are certainly the norm as things are barely getting started by 8 pm.
You can likely see how this info would be useful to us. For instance, if you’re going to hold Bible studies or worship services, its quite useful to know when might be a good time to do so. Its also pretty interesting that with so many people calling themselves “believers” and that its considered important to study the Bible, why is church attendance in Peru statistically rather low.
So, that being said, we are at a great place to start. We’ll see where these conversations go from here. Good things, I’m certain, are yet to come as we follow God on this adventure here in Peru.
