Mennonite Weekly Review

CUSCO, Peru — Fires of revival are flaming up among the Que­chua people of the Peruvian Andes. Reporting on a monthlong training for leaders, held Jan. 15-Feb. 15, John Kreider, a worker with Eastern Mennonite Missions, said the training bore much fruit.

Destiny Kreider, right, with members of her small group at the Peruvian Mennonite Church Youth Encounter. From left are Alejandra, Wendy, Sjony and Cleofe. — Photo by John Kreider/EMM

“The supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit were operating in ways we hadn’t seen before,” Kreider said. “After typical worship and ministry times, people repented, surrendered to God, were set free and filled with the Holy Spirit. A two-hour service stretched into four.”

This outpouring continued as the leaders completed their two-week outreach and prepared to return home.

“God seemed to be doing a deep healing in the lives of many of the leaders and filling them with the Holy Spirit,” Kreider said. “In particular, God used five young women to minister powerfully to others. There was prophecy, tongues, words of knowledge and discernment. One girl was unusually filled with the joy of the Lord.”

Two of the young women from the leadership training came from Lucre Mennonite Church, where Kreider gives pastoral leadership.

Upon their return, when Kreider and the two participants joined a prayer vigil in Lucre, they decided the group probably wasn’t ready for a full report of what had happened.

So after a time of worship, the two young women just testified briefly about what God had been doing in their lives during the training. It was obvious they were quite changed, and everyone listened attentively, Kreider said.

After their sharing, the Lucre church met in small groups for prayer. Again, people fell to the floor, weeping and begging for forgiveness.

“We clearly don’t understand everything that happens at these times,” Kreider said. “Is the Holy Spirit bringing conviction, or is there something else going on? Usually there is tremendous freedom, joy, the presence and filling of the Holy Spirit and a release of spiritual gifts. It’s been amazing to see this happening to people who are new in faith and don’t even know what the Bible says about spiritual gifts — yet God is using them powerfully to minister to others.”

At a cell leaders’ meeting the next week, the group shared some fears and uncertainties about what was happening. There was an atmosphere of repentance and a healing of family relationships, he said.

John Kreider’s wife, Cindy, said a recent youth encounter for 70 young people also was effective.

The Kreiders’ oldest son, Carlin, said: “I went to the encounter because my parents made me. I guess you could say it was part of my punishment for playing hooky a time or 10 too many times. At the encounter I realized I was tired of deceiving my parents. I surrendered my rebelliousness to God and have been free ever since.”