Buckner Peru 20th Anniversary: Legacy of Hope

At the end of September, I was fortunate to have travelled to Lima, Peru, to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Buckner Peru, an affiliated NGO, serving vulnerable children and families.

The visit featured a celebration with Buckner Peru NGO staff led by Patricia Nieto.

There was also the acknowledgement of the leadership of Claudia Leon, founding Executive Director. 

The celebration featured community business leaders, Mrs. Milagros Gonzalez, Women’s Missionary Union (WMU), Mrs. Irene de Castillo, representatives from the Baptist Evangelical Convention of Peru, affiliated with the Baptist Union of Latin America (UBLA), a fellowship of the Baptist World Alliance.

The trip provided for an opportunity for me to speak to Buckner Peru NGO staff and share a copy of Never Alone: The Power of Family to Inspire Hope, in Spanish.

Josue Lara, Zach Gomez, and Chris Ruth gathered content from the event and our ministry and nonprofit programs there. David Martinez and Rocio Lopez, Fabricio Medoza, Patty Nieto, and Josh Reyes got to explore the local culture on Saturday.

We visited the MACI Lima (Contemporary Museum of Art in Lima) and came across interesting pieces of art. One of the displays was an ariel photo of Pamplona, a section of Lima. The photo clearly marks a wall separating wealthy homes on the right and economically challenged homes on the left. Buckner Peru NGO serves children and families at a Family Hope Center at Pamplona, the section on the left of the fence. It was a stark reminder of the difference in financial viability of children and families that live in abundance and those living in scarcity.

I am reminded of the verse that propelled our founder, Dr. R.C. Buckner to begin this ministry in 1879 after the U.S. Civil War in response to the impact on children and families: “Pure religion that God accepts as faultless is to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unblemished from the world.” - James 1:27. Serving vulnerable children and families in Pamplona is one way we put our faith to work. That is, by sharing the good news of the gospel in tangible ways, in addition to sharing the saving message of the gospel.

We are grateful for Buckner International donors and friends who have faithfully supported the ministry through Buckner Peru NGO for the past two decades. Click this link to find ways you can share your time, treasure, and talents with children and families that need help. Hope shines here.