Teacher, Baptist Seminary, Sullana, Peru

Gloria works at the Baptist Seminary in Sullana as a teacher.  She is involved with the training and discipleship of young women in Sullana.

Testimony and Calling

I was born in a small village in the north of Peru. Since my parents were divorced, I was raised by my grandmother. She was a very religious woman and raised me in the Catholic church. I participated in the activities at church, but had no spiritual convictions.

After high school, I traveled to the town of Sullana to study to be school teacher. One day, a girl in my class invited me to her church. Wanting to be polite, I agreed.

The church service was unlike any other I had attended, but after the singing I listened attentively to the preaching and an incredible thirst grew in my soul. That day, I understood the message of salvation, repented of my sins, and was converted. I was filled with joy.

To my surprise, my relatives were very angry with me and warned me that I had joined a cult. They would not listen to me, but made fun of my “quiet times” and tore up all of my evangelistic tracts. In spite of this, God gave me peace and grace to endure until they simply grew tired of bothering me. I was baptized two months later and felt God’s calling to serve Him.

In time, I was allowed to teach the children’s Sunday school class in my church and God continued to encourage me through the trials I suffered at home. At times, my uncle who was my guardian, would forbid me to attend church and I would be left alone in my room to pray and wait on the Lord. The Lord responded to my prayers and my uncle began to read my Bible when he thought I did not notice. Many years have now passed and he is very old. He cannot see well and so I read the Bible to him. He is still not converted, but I pray that God will have mercy on his soul. The Word of God alone has the power to transform him.

When I finished my studies and received my teaching diploma I was offered a teaching position in a public school. I was going to accept the offer, but then God reminded me that I had been called to serve Him in the ministry. He wanted me to use what I had learned for His service and for His glory.

When I refused the teaching position, my family became very angry with me.
They mocked me, asking me who would maintain me and how would I make a living out of reading the Bible and going to church. I kept silent before them, but in my heart, I knew that God would care for me until He had revealed to me the plans He had for my life. I prayed that God would give me peace in spite of the turmoil and that I would look to Him to meet my needs. I longed to prepare for the ministry in the seminary of Trujillo, but I did not have the funds. Once again, I waited upon the Lord and He responded. Different brothers and sisters in my church found out about my desire to serve God full time and they provided the finances for me to study in the seminary.

After graduating from seminary in 1990, I returned to Sullana to work as a teacher in the Divine Redeemer Christian School. In 1997, I realized that God was calling me to give my life to the evangelism and discipleship of women in the areas where they were most neglected..

Since then, I have been discipling and teaching women and children in different churches on the coast and in the high mountains of the Andes. I also work with the students of the Baptist Seminary in Sullana, when they make their mission trips into the rural mountains.

Thank you for the kindness you have shown to me and your support of the ministry that the Lord has given me. Please pray for me. My family no longer opposes me because they have seen God’s faithfulness to me. Also, please pray for the conversion of my family members.