REPRESENTING THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF 2X2 HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS ON THE INTERNET
Perry, Oklahoma Conv, 1942
PERU
Additional information welcome!
When did the workers first arrive? April, 1969
Who were the first brother workers in Peru? Norman Campbell and Willie Bowles
When did the first brother workers enter the work?
When did the first brother workers profess and through whom?
Who were the first sister workers?
Who was the first to profess, what year and where?
Who were the first native workers to go in the work and When?
First Native Brother Worker:
First Native Sister Worker:
When & Where was the first Gospel Meeting?
When & Where was the first Sunday fellowship meeting?
When & Where was the first baptism?
When & Where was the first convention?
Where have subsequent conventions been held?
Where is the convention now held?
Who have the Overseers been?
What is the Native Language? Spanish
Trevor Loechel at evening meeting in NSW, Australia:
It is special to be here today, it does my heart good. Jesus sent his disciples to all the earth with the gospel story. It is our privilege to be here because of those a hundred years ago were willing to come with the Gospel message. It is a wonderful privilege to be sent to preach the Gospel. There is no excuse for any to say they can’t do it!
I will tell you of a deaf and dumb boy in Peru who came to have an understanding of the truth, by what he saw. He wanted to go and preach the Gospel, it was impossible; or so we thought. A friend was a baker and a brother of his was a baker also in the mountains. He took him and taught him how to make bread. The oven would be heated up to bake the bread. His brother's wife heard the gospel and listened, but her husband was not interested, would not even greet the workers. The deaf and dumb boy tried to give a sermon, signing to him; I go to Heaven but you go to—[pointing to the oven]. No excuse for not being able to preach the gospel. It made his brother take notice.
We are thankful for the Gospel that came to Australia and have the privilege to live in South America and Peru. The doors first opened in 1919 into Argentina. Others to Brazil and Chile. Came to Peru in 1969. If you look on the map you will see South America is a big country, twice the size of Australia. United States has the bigger population. Peru is on the West Coast. Chile on the tip and then Peru, just taking in the Equator, so parts are very tropical. There are some high mountains so often it is very cold also. Norman Campbell and Willie Bowles were the first to go there [Peru]. Norman was still there when I went. Willie first went to Ecuador and decided to go to Peru. He was asked to choose a companion and he chose Norman, who said, "I don’t know why he chose me! But I knew, each time on his knees he would be in touch with God."
It was April 1969, and they had no contacts. Had a little room. Each carried a hip bag. There was nothing in the room so they had to find a carpenter to make some chairs. In the street they asked the carpenter to make the chairs and he told them it was a dangerous area, so they had to look for a different place. They would go to church services to make contacts. Willie always carried a little carpenters rule. The carpenter didn’t have one; he used a bit of string and would tie knots in it!!
They had left the rule in the shop and he said he would have to go back for it. It was too late and dark, so would go first thing in the morning to the carpenters shop. A couple of doors from the shop was a man sweeping the footpath and he greeted him. Coming back he felt he should speak to him again and ask about a room to rent in a quieter area. He directed him to a large house where they would sure to have rooms to let. It was a big two story house, but they thought it not suitable, belonging to a rich person.
The man took a liking to Willie and told him of a room that had four walls but no roof. He looked at it and thought it would be alright, but would need to get his companion to look at it first. Thought of two foreigners living in a place without a roof. He ran after him. They said roof doesn’t matter, we’ll get a grass mat for the roof and shade. That man and his wife professed. No doubt we prove the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the world. A work done and to see them established, it is lovely to see.
In 1970 the brothers kept on and in contact with a Catholic man, a Baptist, and one in the Pentecostal. In the first five years had 5 or 6 people. In Dec, 1975, visited a family 1,000 Kms away and asked if they would listen. Yes they would. Dec 1974 took a journey of 68 hours. First part in a truck, then on horseback to this man’s parents to have a meeting. Felt there were people there who would listen. God sending them to the utmost parts of the earth, the Lord knew how to arrange things and how to guide.
About that time two more brothers came, Derrick and David at end of 1975. They said, "It’s a goldmine here." The kept working in that area, and the first people were baptized and a church established. Now there are 20 churches there, and it’s not even a town, just a country area. God knows. They were told not to try in the neighbouring area because it was impossible to get into. There was a man a former cattle thief who was helped and he said he would stand guard for them. Now there is a Convention in that neighbouring place.
One thing very special to see; we feel there is so little we can do, but we feel it is such a privilege to see His hand at work and see the miracles He does. We were asked if we believe in miracles, yes we sure do. It is a great encouragement to us. A responsibility of local people today.
Roger Ramsden and ?? We are the only two foreign workers in that country; they have 30 native workers. They know and understand their people so well. The Gospel spread to Nema [?? Lima] to the mountains and most of the states. A number of local workers in that needy country. Sometimes not a lot of response, but others are begging for it. There are needy souls out there as well. Want to carry the Gospel far afield. It gives us encouragement. The Language in South America is all Spanish, except Brazil which is Portuguese.
See also: First Missions in South American work, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands (UK), French Guiana (France), Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
See also: Account by Maurice Hawkins
See also: Transcript of Testimony of Jack Jackson
TTT Editor's Note: In the absence of a written account, the above information has been compiled by the TTT Editor from various sources. Corrections or additions are most welcome; as well as other historical accounts for this country Email TTT
