1. Police appreciation day: In general, the Peruvian population has low regard for our police. They are known by abuse of authority, corruption, and crime complicity. Understanding that this is a stereotype to combat, pastors trained by SamS prepared bags of refreshments with soft drinks, cookies, fruit, and wet wipe tissues, and delivered them to the police station. The officers were surprised by this positive attention and thanked God for their gesture.
2. Ice cream for street cleaners: In Peru, the summer of 2017 will be remembered as the warmest in the last thirty years. People who work in the open air, such as street cleaners, suffered under high temperatures. Usually, they are disregarded by society because of their humble work. Pastors trained by the Harvest-SamS Program wanted to acknowledge their value, they bought ice cream cones and distributed them to those hardworking people who were surprised by the love of Christians.
3. Ice cream for taxi drivers: In Peru, taxi drivers work up to fourteen hours a day for a revenue of $20. With the heat wave, they were touched by a demonstration of God’s love: ice cream and refreshing drinks donated by God’s people, helping them stand the heat. At first, some refused to receive the gifts, thinking that they were trying to sell something. However, after explaining that those were free gifts showing God’s love, taxi drivers received them with joy and gratitude.
4. Water for Vinzos and Rinconada: After the rains, the service of drinking water in rural Chimbote was interrupted. The El Vive Church organized a seed project to buy and deliver drinking water to the people of Vinzos and Rinconada. Church members used their own vehicles to provide water to the needy population.
5. Assistance to Vinzos and Rinconada: Believers from Lima donated over five hundred pounds of clothes, hygiene and cleaning supplies, medicines, and diapers for families affected by the rains and floods in Chimbote. With group work, prayer, and faith we managed to help them. This was a glimpse of God’s love for them even in the middle of misfortune, having lost everything and being in need of everything.
6. Conference “The Church in Society“: This was a three-evening Conference, when the eight graduates taught Harvest lessons. At the end of the event, they received certificates and printed copies of our training materials in Spanish, which will help them teach each subject in detail.