Eduardo Rivera
Eduardo Rivera
Eduardo Rivera
A team of 31 volunteers from Spring Meadows Church in Sanford, Fla., served in Peru during the summer with Maranatha Volunteers International, a supporting ministry of the Adventist Church. Spring Meadows Church is dedicated to missions, serving on numerous trips over the years including four Maranatha projects since 2014. “I believe a church that’s not involved in missions in some way or form is a church that’s eventually just going to die off,” said Eduardo Rivera, Spring Meadows assistant trip coordinator.
The team’s construction and outreach work included the following:
- Constructing a church building for Los Jardines congregation in Cusco to replace an unstable structure.
- Operating medical and vision clinics treating more than 300 patients.
- Running a Vacation Bible School program for approximately 30 neighborhood children who were hearing about Jesus for the first time. Their curiosity to learn more brought many children to church, and some requested Bibles.
Cusco is a mountain town that sits 11,000 feet above sea level. This altitude contributed to no small amount of illness among the team of Florida natives. “We had a number of our team that one day or another would get sick and need to rest for the day,” said Rivera.
Rivera believes the group’s ability to endure illness and finish the project is a beautiful testament to God’s power. “God is still working with His people,” he remarked. “Even if things don’t work out or even if you’re going through many trials or great difficulties, we can know that God is still working.”
Maranatha Volunteers International mobilizes volunteers to build churches, schools, water wells, and other urgently needed structures around the world. Since 1969, Maranatha has constructed more than 14,000 structures and more than 3,000 water wells in nearly 90 countries.
Florida | January 2025
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