Andy Large teaches an extension class to Juan Pedro Pizango (front, right) and some other men in his village who were saved.
Iquitos, Peru —
Although I am not fond of visiting jails, Scripture states that we should be concerned about visiting those in jail as well as widows and orphans. For this reason I found myself visiting the inmates in Iquitos, Peru while our houseboat was under construction. A missionary colleague who was leaving for furlough asked that we continue the Source of Light correspondence courses with four men he had been helping at this jail. I agreed, and began to make the visits on a weekly basis. Soon the number of students in the course grew from four to eight.
As the houseboat construction for our river travels was nearing completion, we began to pray that God would raise up a Peruvian man with a heart for ministry to the prisoners. We visited a few of our Baptist churches in Iquitos, and a young man by the name of Suilberto Grandes (the same last name as ours, only in Spanish) wanted to accompany me on a visit and to pray about this ministry.
With Suilberto’s faithful leadership, the group gathering weekly in the jail grew in number from eight to forty within the year. Suilberto began visiting more than once a week, and became quite well known by the jail officers. He began having worship services for those who had trusted Christ as Savior. During this time, a young prisoner named Juan Pedro Pizango was saved. When Juan was released from jail he went back to his home in Santa Isabel and felt very burdened for his family members who did not yet know Christ as Lord and Savior. He went back to the jail in search of Suilberto Grandes, who then contacted me to see if we would accompany him in the first evangelistic service to be held in Santa Isabel. We joyfully accepted this privilege and were honored to preach the Word to Juan Pedro’s relatives and friends in that village. Six family members trusted Christ as Savior on that first visit. It was our joy to continue visiting Santa Isabel, taking Theological Education by Extension courses, and to see the brethren reaching out to others in the community. They later took the initiative to build their own beautiful church with materials they had carved out of the jungle.
Suilberto continued his ministry in the jail in Iquitos, and God so blessed them that he was given permission to build a church in the jail compound. He was even allowed to hold baptisms in the jail water tank, which they would later rinse out and refill.
Looking back, I realize that a place I had dreaded visiting has now become a place of great blessing where many men were saved, baptized, and trained to serve the Lord.
“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs… for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10
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