I’m in Venezuela! Being able to say this brings me a lot of joy because it has been a long time since I had this desire in my heart. I remember when Ruth Cordero, who is currently the national coordinator of PEPE in Venezuela, jokingly said “My sister Carmen, stop by Venezuela and help us! “, and that has become my goal in recent years.
I also remember that in 2014, as a missionary in Colombia, I met a family of Venezuelans who, upon hearing me talk about PEPE, asked me in amazement: “Why has PEPE not yet arrived in Venezuela? “. Two years later, the dream came true.
In 2016 we arrived in this country reaching the first 20 children. Soon, PEPE grew and today we already have more than 1500 children who each year receive love and care from the 146 missionary educators and 12 area coordinators. They are men and women of fiber, who fulfill the words that God gave to Joshua to be strong and courageous, tearing down walls without fear, without fainting, trusting in the God of missions, in the God of PEPE.
In this visit, we held an update meeting aiming at the fulfillment of our action plan. We remembered the important points and we highlighted those that needed to be improved. We also talked about the importance of the daily routine of PEPE, the evangelization of children through the biblical stories, the setting, the protection of children, and the preparation and sending of news, among other topics that emerged during the two days we were together.
The training time was very good, but I have to emphasize the joy of being able to hug each coordinator I only knew by name, photo, and the virtual services we held monthly. Some traveled more than 24 hours by bus, crossed rivers, and walked a lot to arrive at Araure, where we held the meeting. One of the coordinators told me: “It was hard to get there, but it was worth all the effort!”. Another coordinator, who is also a pastor, told me: “I’m leaving here loving PEPE much more!”.
May God be praised for all the love and courage of our Venezuelan brothers. They need our help with offerings and prayers so that many other children will be reached for Christ through PEPE. Today I can say: it was worth stopping by Venezuela!
Carmen Ligia – Continental Coordinator PEPE Americas
Translated by Letícia Pedrosa Rodrigues
