HeartCryMissionary Society

Redemption inTacumbu Prison

The Prison ministry of Dino Ortizin Ascunción Paraguay

July - AugustVolume 23

Our Purpose & Passion“‘For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My Name will be great among the nations, andin every place incense is going to be offered to My Name, and a grain offering that is pure; for MyName will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord of hosts.” - Malachi 1:11

The chief end of all mission work is the Glory of God. Our greatest concern is that His Name be great among thenations, from the rising to the setting of the sun (Malachi 1:11). We find our great purpose and constant motivation,not in man or his needs, but in God, His commitment to His own glory and our God-given desire to see Him glorifiedin every nation, tribe, people and language.

Although HeartCry recognizes the great importance of sending missionaries from the West to the unevangelizedpeoples throughout the world, we believe that we are led of the Lord to support native or national missionaries so thatthey may evangelize their own peoples. Therefore, we seek to work with godly men and women of integrity and visionin the unreached world to help them evangelize and plant Churches among their own peoples.

Our Principles* While we recognize that the needs of mankind are many and his sufferings are diverse, we believe that they all

spring from a common origin - the fall of man and the corruption of his own heart. Therefore, we believe that thegreatest benefit to mankind can be accomplished through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and theestablishment of churches that preach the Word of God and minister according to its commands, precepts, andwisdom.

* Every need of this ministry will be obtained through prayer. We may share our missionary vision with others andeven make known to them the specific tasks which the Lord has laid on our heart to do, but we may not raise supportthrough prodding or manipulating our brothers and sisters in Christ. If this ministry is of the Lord, then He will beour Patron. If He is with us, He will direct His people to give and we will prosper. If He is not with us, we will not andshould not succeed.

* We intend to never enlarge our field of labor by contracting debts. This is contrary to both the letter and the spiritof the New Testament. In secret prayer, God helping us, we will carry the needs of this ministry to the Lord and actaccording to the direction that He gives.

* We will not compete with other biblical mission agencies, but use the resources that God has given to us to work inpartnership with them. If the Lord directs, we will sacrifice our own goals and resources that other mission worksmay be helped and the Kingdom of God increased.

* In meeting any need, those of us who are supported financially by this ministry will be the first to sacrifice all thingsnecessary for the advancement of His Kingdom.

* We will not measure the success of this ministry by the amount of money given, Bibles distributed or nationalmissionaries supported, but by the Lord’s blessing on the work.

* Our Goal is not to enlarge ourselves, or to become a key figure in the Great Commission, but to be faithful andobedient stewards by the grace that is given to us. That men may see our weakness and glorify God for His strength;that they may see our inability and glorify God for His faithfulness.

4 From the Director: Paul Washer encouragesus to keep our eyes focused upon God and Hiskingdom of righteousness.

9 An Oasis in Tacumbu Prison: A reporter froma secular newspaper in Asunción Paraguaytestifies to the power of the Gospel in themiddle of one of the worse prisons in Para-guay.

10 Dino’s Report. HeartCry missionary DinoOrtiz testifies to the wonderful works of Godin Tacumbu prison.

12 Testimonies to the Grace of God. Thetestimonies of prisoners who have beenconverted under the preaching of the Gospel.

15 God’s Artist. One of the Christian inmates ofTacumbu prison wins a national art awardand gives the glory to God.

16 Always in Need of Prayer. Although God isworking miracles in Tacumbu prison, prayeris always a priority..

17 Winning Them One at a Time. HeartCrymissionary Florencio Churata tells us aboutthe young converts coming to Christ throughthe preaching of the Gospel.

20 Rogelio Acea. One of the “special people” inthe HeartCry ministry shares how grace isable to transform even the most humbleservant into an instrument of God.

23 A New HeartCry Missionary. GloriaMartínez has joined the HeartCry MissionarySociety as an indigenous missionary in thenorth of Peru. She will be working withwomen and children, under the direction ofAngel and Efigenia Colmenares.

Hallowed be Your Name!Your Kingdom Come!

Your Will be Done!

Young inmates in Tacumbu prison transformed bythe power of God. In the last few years, countlessyoung inmates like these have turned this lives overto Christ!

Is Your Eye Clear?“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves breakin and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures inheaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and wherethieves do not break in or steal; for where your trea-sure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is thelamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your wholebody will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, yourwhole body will be full of darkness. If then the lightthat is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!No one can serve two masters; for either he will hatethe one and love the other, or he will be devoted to oneand despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Matthew 6:19-24

The above passage is one of the most important in theBible with regard to Christian priorities and missions. Ac-cording to this Scripture, the Christian is to be on constantguard in order not to stray from eternal priorities. Two choicesare always before us. One choice, offers immediate rewardsthat are temporal and deceptive. The other is a narrow roadwhich may cost a us everything, but the rewards are eternaland beyond the ability of even Scripture to describe.

God’s TreasureIf we know that which is most treasured by God, then we

need not look very far to discover that which should be mosttreasured by us. For God’s treasure and our treasure shouldbe one and the same. This is the very thing that made the lifeof Jesus so very different from the life of every other man. Hetreasured only what His Father treasured. May God grant usthe grace to do the same.

What is it that God cares about most? With only a cur-sory reading of the Scripture it is quickly discovered thatGod’s priority is His own Glory. He desires that every aspectof His being, attributes and works be made know to creationand that all praise and honor be ascribed only to Him. Con-sider the following Scriptures:

“For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, Myname will be great among the nations.”

Malachi 1:11

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven,hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, your willbe done, on earth as it is in heaven.’”

Matthew 6:9-10

From theDirector

HeartCry director Paul Washer (center) with seminary student Brad White (left) and a Peruvian pastorduring a Bible conference in the high northern Andes.

It is God’s great desire or treasure to see His Name heldin highest esteem among not only the nations, but all crea-tures in heaven and on earth. At first sight this may appearself-center, but first sights are often very deceptive. For Godto seek His glory above all other things and for Him to desirethat His Name be highly esteemed among the nations is oneof the greatest demonstration of His lovingkindness.

The depth of one’s love is often demonstrated by thecostliness of the gift they give. If someone was to give you atwig or a small fragment of gravel, it would not be an over-whelming demonstration of love. You would not rush out toalert the media, nor would you gather your friends about youto tell them of the indescribable lovingkindness that some-one had shown you. It would not be something that youremembered very long, much less, that you held close toyour heart all the days of your life. But if someone gave theirlife that you might live, this would indeed warrant such areaction. It would be a story worth the media’s time and yourfriends would most likely want to hear all about it. You wouldtreasure the act of lovingkindness all the days of your life. Sothen, the measure of one’s love is often manifested by thegreatness of one’s gift.

What is the greatest gift that God could ever give? It isnot prosperity, health, or even heaven. He Himself is thegreatest gift. The most loving thing that God can do for Hiscreatures is to work in such a way so as to reveal or demon-strate the fullness of His glory to them - to take center stageand call all creatures to fix their eyes and hearts upon Him.For this very reason when God does what He does for Hisown glory it is the greatest of all demonstrations of Hislovingkindness.

The adverse of this is equally true. The most destituteand pitiful of all creatures, are those who do not know God,who are unaware of His glory and cut off from His truth. TheScriptures declare that God has placed eternity in the heartsof men. This infinite aspect of the heart of man can only befilled by the infinite. Man may pour into his heart all the fame,wealth, power and pleasure that this world has to offer, buthe will still be empty. Eternity cannot be filled up with thetemporal, and infinity cannot be filled by the infinite. Man’sheart was made for the full measure of God’s glory. Apartfrom this man is destitute, miserable and empty.

In summary, God’s treasure, great desire and goal is thatHis Name be great among the nations, that His Name behallowed (highly esteemed), that His Kingdom come, andthat His Will be done! Is this ours? We have been known tolay awake at night worried about so many things. We havebeen known to fret and be anxious about so many things.We have been know to desire things passionately, fanati-cally, even to the point of obsession. House and lands, jobsand promotion, fame and reputation, needs and wants andcountless other things. But when was the last time that sleepescaped us because of our concern for the nations that havenot heard? When was the last time that our hearts brokebecause there are places on this earth where God’s Name isnot hallowed, His kingdom is not advancing and His will isnot being obeyed. We fret and sweat about so many things,

but do we ever give any thought to that which is most on themind of God.

Christ’s Warning“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves breakin and steal.”

This verse, Jesus is calling for a radical decision on thepart of His disciples to repent of their earthly materialism andturn their hearts toward God and His kingdom. AlthoughScripture speaks of wealth as neither good nor bad, it doeswarn us that the love of wealth is a great evil (I Timothy 6:10),and that the seeking and hoarding of wealth will only lead toloss and shame on the day of judgement (James 5:2-3).

Regardless of the warnings that run throughout Scrip-ture, it seems that the desire for wealth is God’s greatestcompetitor for the hearts of men. It is ironic that althoughmost people spend most of their time, “treasuring treasures,”very few ever really “possess treasures.” And those rareindividuals who actually do obtain their treasures here onearth, quickly grow tired of them once they are obtained. Is itnot a very foolish thing to trade the glorious gifts of God forearthly treasures that we rarely do obtain, and if by chancewe do obtain them, we quickly grow tired of them?

Name one thing on this earth that is highly coveted bymen and we can quickly assess it’s true value with one simplequestion: “Is it eternal?” If yes, it is worthy of being obtainedeven at the expense of all other things. If not, its worth isequivalent to the dust into which it will turn. To seek for it isa pathetic waste of a human life.

Christ’s Admonition“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, whereneither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves donot break in or steal.”

The Scriptures do not speak against treasure or the pur-suit of treasure, but it does speak against foolishly wastingthe life God has given us in the vain pursuit of things thathave no eternal value and can never fill the infinite desire ofa heart made for eternity. In Isaiah 55:2, the Scripture shakesit head in bewilderment at men who seek for the temporal atthe expense of the eternal:

“Why do you spend money for what is not bread,And your wages for what does not satisfy?”

Isaiah 55:2

Nothing except the will of God can fill a man. The only trea-sure worth having is that which is eternal; that which comesfrom God, and is found by doing His will, living for His gloryand seeking after His Kingdom. Has God not promised tocare for us? Has He not promised to meet our every need?Has He not shown Himself capable and willing to fill His

children with blessing and to not withhold from them onegood thing? Why then, do we put earthly pursuits a head ofthe pursuit of God and God’s pursuits. Our one obligation isalso our only means of truly living an abundant and satisfiedlife - “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteous-ness.” Heaven and earth shall pass away, the inferior prod-ucts of this world will burn up in the fire as hay, wood andstubble. But the man who does the will of God will abideforever and his works will stand throughout eternity. Therewill be no regrets in heaven for having lived “too much” forthe kingdom of God, but we can be assured that there will beregrets for having lived “so little.”

The Undeniable Truth“For where you treasure is, there your heart will bealso.”

Every so often in Scripture, we are confronted by certainstatements that open our hearts and reveal the truth aboutour character and desires. The verse above is one of thosestatements. Regardless of how often or forcefully we declarethat God and His kingdom are our greatest desire, the truedesire of our life is revealed by such small questions: Whereis our heart? What occupies our thoughts above all otherthings? What do we long for? Can we say in truth that it isGod and His kingdom that have our heart?

What if a stranger who did not know of our Christianconfession watched our lives and read our thoughts? Wouldhe be convinced that God and His kingdom were our twogreat priorities and the treasures we longed for? Would hehear almost constant conversation about the mercies of Godand the advancement of His kingdom? Would he hear uspray with passion for the unevangelized nations? Would hesee us passing a sleepless night because God’s Name is nothighly esteemed among all peoples, because His Kingdomhas not covered the entire earth and because His will is notobeyed or even known by the great majority of men?

If most were honest, we would be forced to admit that hewould hear us speaking about houses and lands, cars andtoys, recreations and hobbies. He would see us obsessedwith worldly worries, wants and pleasures. He would hearvery little about God in our daily conversation, would seelittle activity directed toward the advancement of the king-dom, and would think it preposterous if we claimed our trea-sure to be in heaven!

Clear EyesThe eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye isclear, your whole body will be full of light. But if youreye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Ifthen the light that is in you is darkness, how great isthe darkness!

In saying that the “eye is the lamp of the body,” Jesus isnot giving us instructions in human physiology, but rather isteaching us about the great influence our desires have onour lives. Our body goes where our eyes are focused, andour eyes focus on what our heart desires. If our heart desiresworldly things, then worldly things will be our focus, and thevery things we pursue. But if our heart truly desires the thingsof God, then our eyes will be fixed on them and we will pursuethem with a passion. The clear eye has a single vision with-out confusion or duplicity. A.T. Robertson writes, “If oureyes are healthy we see clearly and with a single focus. If theeyes are diseased (bad, evil), cross-eyed or cockeyed, wesee double and confuse our vision. We keep one eye on thehoarded treasures of earth and roll the other proudly up toheaven.”

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to singlenessof heart and purpose. We are to seek first the Kingdom ofGod and entrust all our worldly needs to the Master. He knowswhat we need before we ask Him and is disposed to do goodthings for His children.

Two MastersNo one can serve two masters; for either he willhate the one and love the other, or he will be de-voted to one and despise the other. You cannotserve God and wealth.

Jesus taught a great deal about money. The reason issimple: In this fallen world, money seems to be God’s great-est competitor for the hearts of men. If by grace, a man hasfreed himself from the love and pursuit of wealth, he hasopened himself to the possibility of undivided devotion toGod.

Fallen man is a slave to someone. The question is notwhether or not a man is a slave, but whose slave is he?. Somemen are enslaved to other men, some to themselves, othersto inanimate objects such as money, others to vain pursuit,and still others to deceitful pleasure. Christ calls us to turnaway from slavery to such evil taskmasters and turn to theOne whose compassion and tender mercies have no end.

One of the most important truths revealed in this Scrip-ture is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to serve both wealth and God atthe same time. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary concludes:“Both God and money are portrayed, not as employers, butas slave owners. A man may work for two employers; butsince ‘single ownership and full time service are the veryessence of slavery’ (Tasker), he cannot serve two slave own-ers. Either God is served with a single-eyed devotion, or he isnot served at all. Attempts at divided loyalty betray, not par-tial commitment to discipleship, but deep-seated commitmentto idolatry.”

Your brother,

Paul David Washer

Answers:

An Eye Exam

Christ calls us to make radical choices between two treasures (rewards on earth or rewards in heaven), two visions (focuson the earthly or on the heavenly), and two masters (worldly riches or God). In the following, is prepared a brief exam todetermine the focus of our lives. Answer the questions sincerely and pray for the grace to make the necessary changes:

Questions:How often are your thoughts directed towards theperson of God, His glory and His praise?

1. Does Psalm 42:1 reflect your own desire to seek afterGod? “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so mysoul pants for You, O God”.......................................................

2. Does Psalm 27:4 reflect your own passion for being inGod’s presence? “One thing have I desired of the LORD,that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of theLORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of theLORD, and to enquire in his temple”....................................

3. Does Psalm 145:5 reflect your own daily thought life?“On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Yourwonderful works, I will meditate”........................................

4. Does Psalm 63:6 reflect your own thoughts before sleep?“When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You inthe night watches”...................................................................

5. Do you set aside personal time for meeting with Godthrough Bible study, prayer and worship?.............................

6. How much of Matthew 15:8 is reflected in your life dur-ing public worship times? “This people honors me withtheir lips, but their heart is far from me”...............................

How great is your concern for the advancement of God’skingdom among the nations?

1. How often do you pray for God’s name to be hallowedamong the nations, for His kingdom to come and for Hiswill to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-10)?.................................................................................................

2. How often do you pray for the Lord to sent forth mis-sionaries to the unevangelized people groups of the world(Matthew 9:38)?.........................................................................

3. How often do you make entreaties, prayers, petitionsand thanksgivings, on behalf of all men, for kings and allwho are in authority, so that there might be peace and anopen door for the preaching of the Gospel to all men (ITimothy 2:1-4)...........................................................................

4. How much of your monthly finances are designated tomissions?....................................................................................

5. How often do you share the Gospel of Jesus Christ withanother person?.........................................................................

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Often Sometimes Never

Redemption

in

TacumbuPrison

HeartCry Missionary Dino Ortiz has been working in theprison of Tacumbu for the last three years. In that time, Godhas used him to carry the Gospel to countless inmates. Thefollowing article was written by Juan Pablo Rojo after avisit he made to the prison of Tacumbu. Rojo is a secularnewspaper reporter in Asunción, the capital city of Para-guay. The article is a testimony to the power of God and tothe faithfulness of Christians such as Dino, who give theirlives to rescue the perishing in one of the darkest of places.We hope the article will be as great a blessing to you as it isto us.

In the prison of Tacumbu, there was an infamous cellblock call “The Bottom.” It was a refuge for murders, thieves,homosexuals and drug addicts. The nights were filled withcursings, vulgarities and the screams of those being abused,tortured, or murdered. It was well known for the gambling,drugs, and alcohol that were provided by the corrupt prisonauthorities and guards who made great profit from the vicesof the prisoners.

Two years ago, when I first visited the Bottom, it was aliving hell. The prisoners lived and acted worse than ani-mals. The filth and horrid smells that filled the air were un-bearable. The place nauseated me and was so hopeless thatI would have gone mad if I had stayed there one momentlonger. When I reach the end of the main corridor of the

An Oasisin Tacumbu

Bottom and left all its sights, sounds and smells behind me, itwas like escaping from hell. I could not understand how theprisoners endured living in such a place for days, months,and even years.

Since my last visit two years ago, a group of EvangelicalChristians made an official agreement with the new directorof the Tacumbu Prison to take over the care of the inmatesliving on the Bottom. The first thing they did was to changethe name of the cell block from the Bottom to the Way ofRehabilitation and now it is known simply as The Way. In themidst of the filth, immorality and absolute chaos, a group ofmen emerged that began to seek rehabilitation and redemp-tion. They began to read their Bibles and seek to make lastingchanges in their lives. The Christian’s message of hope andredemption did what nothing else could do - it brought hopeand redemption to what must be one of the most destituteplaces on earth.

That cell block was once a chaotic sewer, but now it isclean and orderly. It was once the most violent area in theprison, but now it is a place of peace. It is the common prac-tice in the Tacumbu prison for all the prisoners to be locked intheir cells before nightfall. This is to protect them from beingattacked or killed. But in The Way, the cells are left open untillate at night and the lights are left on so that the 150 inmatesmay read their Bibles, pray, and sing praises to God.

The men who now live in The Way are expected to follow

the rules of order and cleanliness. Any problems among theinmates are dealt with by a committee that “mediates” be-tween them. No drugs, alcohol or profanity are allowed. If aninmate will not abide by these general rules, he is asked toleave the cell block and go to another. All the inmates thathave found hope and a new life in God, attend church in asmall Evangelical chapel that was established by the Menno-nites several years ago.

I cannot understand why the other inmates in Tacumbuwould not want to be transferred to this peaceful cell block

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is a joy for me towrite to you to let you know how God continues to workpowerfully in the lives of the prisoners of Tacumbu andPanchito Lopez.

These past months have been exhausting, but at thesame time, very rewarding. The authorities in the Tacumbuprison have seen the difference in the lives of the men in ourcell block and they have opened the doors for us to ministerin a new cell block.

On December 15th of 1999 a new director took over theTacumbu prison and many of the “corrupt” administratorsand guards have been discharged from their duties for allow-ing drugs and other vices to enter the prison. Even thoughthere is still corruption in the prison, we thank God that thereare changes being made. It is a constant battle to work withinmates when they were being supplied with drugs and othervices by the very men that are supposed to be watching overthem.

God has truly accomplished a work in Tacumbu. Therehave been such radical changes in the lives of our men thatone of the newspapers in our city sent journalists to find outwhat had happened in The Way. When the journalists touredour cell block, they were surprised to find the facility cleanand in order. They were even more surprised to find many ofthe men reading their Bibles and others praising God togetheras brothers in Christ.

Something wonderful happened a few weeks ago thathas encouraged those of us who minister and many of theChristian prisoners to keep praying and trusting God to moveon our behalf. Faustino Aranda, is an inmate in Tacumbuwho was converted and changed by the power of God. Hehad a hernia that ruptured and needed emergency surgery.The cost of the operation was more than any of us couldafford, but we prayed to God and He supplied our brother’sneed. The price of the entire operation was paid for by one ofthe prison directors who had been impressed by Faustino’stestimony. It was also a great blessing that Fautino’s sen-tence was completed a few days after the surgery and he wasable to return to his family and start a new life. We were allencouraged by God’s provision and care and His power tomove the heart of an unbeliever on behalf of His child.

Another similar blessing occurred a month ago in the lifeof a Peruvian inmate named Hector Condori. He had beenplaced in prison three years earlier for trafficking drugs and

where silence, friendship and a sense of community are highlyvalued. As I walk around this same corridor I walked downonly two years earlier, I cannot help but notice the inmateswarmly greeting the Evangelical Christians who have cometo visit them with their Bibles. This is definitely not the sameplace I knew. It is an Oasis in a hell called Tacumbu Prison.God willing, maybe one day, the rest of Tacumbu will alsofind “The Way”.

Dino’sReport

had not seen his family the entire time. He was very near tocompleting his sentence, but the paper work was being delayin the hands of the Peruvian embassy. Humanly speaking, weknew that even though Hector had completed his sentence,it would be a very long time before he would actually leave.Because of this, he was very discouraged. We prayed for himand again God intervened in a miraculous way. Hector wascontacted by the Peruvian ambassador in Asuncion whohappened to be a Christian! When the ambassador discov-ered that Hector was a Christian, he made Hector’s case apriority and he was able to return to his family in Peru onlytwo weeks later.

Our God is so good! I thank him for the way in which Heis magnifying His Name in this prison. This is the best placeto minister because the authorities allow me to come and goas I please, and there are no time limits. Please pray that thesame will one day be possible in the prison of Panchito Lopez.

Please pray for us. Even though we have won manybattles, we have a great struggle with a Metaphysical cultthat comes almost as often as we do. There are twenty womenin this cult that hold meetings in the prison and lead the menastray. The cult is nothing more than a manifestation of Satan

and his wickedness. Please pray that God will put a stop totheir deception.

In the prison of Panchito Lopez, we have great struggleswith a man who teaches very extreme doctrines about theHoly Spirit, prophecies, and gifts. He does not share thegospel with unbelievers, but seeks out those who are alreadyfollowing Christ and tries to deceive them. He often bringsfood and other things for the inmates in order to take advan-tage of their physical needs. This man has also tried manytimes to pick fights with me. I strongly believe that he doesthis in order to make me angry so that I may fall into sinbefore the young Christians who have been converted undermy ministry. Please pray that I may have patience and wis-dom. I know that the wrath of man does not work the justiceof God.

Finally, please pray for the new believers who must notonly wrestle alcohol, drugs, and the sins of the flesh, butagainst Satan himself and his hosts of wickedness that de-sire the destruction of their souls. Remember also to pray forthe guards and the authorities of this prison as we try to be awitness before them for Christ.

This is what it is all about - witnessingto others about the love and power ofGod revealed in Jesus Christ. Thisis one of our all-time favoritephotographs at HeartCry. Dino Ortizis witnessing to a young inmate afterthe chapel service.

Inmates worshipping God in “The Way” at Tacumbu Prison.In the last few years, Dino Ortiz and the other Christianworkers have seen dramatic changes in the lives of count-less prisoners. The following are testimonies from some ofthe young men whose lives have been changed by the powerof the Gospel.

Ruben FlorentinDear brothers and sisters in Christ, my name is Ruben

Florentin and I am 27 years old. I have been an inmate inTacumbu Prison for two years for a crime I did not commit.Even though I am innocent of this crime, it is still my fault thatI am in prison. Since I was a young boy, I was always rebel-ling against authority and the law. I was this way because itmade me the center of attention. In time, I became heavilyinvolved in drugs, gambling and alcohol. When I did work(which was not very often), I spent all my earnings on gam-bling and prostitutes. When I could, I borrowed money tosupport my wicked life-style. Eventually, I became a thief.

When I was finally put in prison, I became desperatebecause of all the terrible things that I had heard went oninside a prison. I was terrified that I would be killed and thatno one would even be there to help me.

In spite of how terrible Tacumbu really is, it is here thatI heard about the Gospel and was converted. I knew that Icould only find help and peace with God if I repented of mysins. God showed me how evil I truly was and He created adesperate hunger in me to desire His peace. I now under-

stand that this was the Holy Spirit convicting me of sin anddrawing me to God.

At this moment, I am at peace because I know that mylife rests completely in God’s hands. I am not worried aboutwhen I will leave prison because I know that God has a planfor my life and He has everything under control. I am study-ing the Bible and help in the music ministry in our prisonchurch. I praise God for His salvation!

Orlando VegaMy name is Orlando Vega and I am 21 years old. Before

I became a Christian I lived a useless life. I did drugs, drankalcohol and ran around with women. I hurt many people andit is truly a miracle that I am still alive. I was such a terribleman that it is only by God’s grace that I am not in hell. Pleasepray that I may grow in the things of God and be pleasing tothe One who saved me. Please pray as I try to learn to readand write so that I may be able to study the Bible.

Cesar OsmarDear brothers and sisters in Christ, my name is Cesar

Osmar and I am 20 years old. My life has been a terribledisaster ever since I can remember. I began stealing fromfriends and family when I was a young boy. Eventually, Ibecame even more bold and began to rob people on the street.I was put in juvenile prison four times, but nothing changedme. I continued to steal because my jail sentences were al-ways very light. I knew that the authorities could not do

Testimonies tothe Grace of God

anything to me because I was still a juvenile. It was only amatter of time until I would be out on the streets doing as Ipleased.

I always got a thrill from stealing and doing bad thingsbecause I thought that it proved that I was smarter and fasterthan everyone else. I enjoyed showing off to my friends andanyone else who would pay attention. I mocked those whoworked and tried to be moral. I believed that they lived suchlives only because they were too dumb to make it in “myworld.”

Eventually, I was convicted of armed robbery and drugtrafficking, and was sentence to the adult prison of Tacumbu.It was here that I learned that I was not “smart,” but the worstkind of fool. I have wasted so much of my life doing so manystupid things. I am an adult and have not even finished myeducation.

I thank God for saving me even when I was a pitiful andwicked sinner who deserved only hell. I am so grateful thatsomeone told me about Christ and what he has done for meon the cross. I now believe and am saved. Praise God! PraiseGod!

Pablo RedesDear brothers and sisters in Christ, my name is Pablo

Redes and I am 20 years old. I am grateful to God for savingme even though I was the most sinful man in the world. Ihave done such terrible things in my life that I would beashamed to share them with you. Last year, I was convictedof murder and robbery.

I know that I will spend most of my life behind bars inTacumbu prison, but I thank God for this place. It was herethat I received the greatest gift of my life - GOD SAVED MEFROM MY SIN.

At first I attended chapel and acted as if I was interestedin the message only because I wanted to get out of my cell. Idid not care for God or the things of the Gospel. But one day,the words of the hymns and songs they were singing beganto break my heart with God’s message of salvation. I am sograteful to God for His salvation and for changing me everyday.

Young inmates at theprison in Tacumbustudy their disciplshipcourses before class.Only through conver-sion, the Word of God,and prayer can a mantruly be transformed.

Pedro VidalMy name is Pedro Vidal and I am 22 years old. Eight

months ago, I came to know the Lord Jesus as my Savior andLord. He has changed my life and I am a new man. I came tothe Tacumbu prison because I was a brawler and a drunk.One day, I was fighting in a bar and I almost killed a man.Because of this, I was sent to prison.

Before my conversion, I lived to drink and fight. I did notwork or help my family in any way. My entire life consisted ingoing out with my friends to drink and cause trouble. Beingin prison was very difficult, because I could not drink or bewith my friends. Not even my family came to see me becausethey were tired of my ways and ashamed of me.

One day, the missionaries told me about Christ. Theyread to me the Scriptures and showed me that I was a sinnerin need of Christ and His forgiveness. At first, I did not carefor the message, but later I became desperate for salvation. Isought out the men who had spoken to me so that they couldtell me about God and how to have peace with Him. Since thatmoment, I am a new creature. I thank God for putting a stop tomy foolishness and giving me a new life. I desire to tell othersabout what He has done for me.

Gavino RuizMy name is Gavino Ruiz and I am 33 years old. I am in

prison because I murdered a man three years ago. Since myconviction and sentencing, God has saved me and changedmy life in a wonderful way. Before I became a Christian, I wasa drug addict and an alcoholic. I abused my family and hurtthem in many ways. I rejoice that God has forgiven my sinand given me a new heart to love and follow Him. Please pray

for me that I may grow through my study of the Word of Godand that I may labor to serve my brothers here in our churchin Tacumbu Prison. I thank you for your prayers.

Juan Carlos CordozaMy name is Juan Carlos Cordoza and I am 26 years old. I

have been in prison for two years for robbery. Before I cameto prison, I had a job as a delivery man for a large company.When the financial situation in our country began to de-clined I was laid off from my position. Through much struggle,I was able to begin a small business in the public market inthe city, but eventually I lost everything. I was very desper-ate because my wife and I were expecting our first child and Idid not know what to do.

A friend of mine was planning on robbing his companyand he convinced me that if we worked together we couldmake a great deal of money. He also convinced me that wewere not “really” criminals, because we would only do it onetime and because we were in great need. At first I declined hisoffer, but then I convinced myself that I needed to do it forthe “good” of my family.

I did not tell my wife what I was planning to do, nor didI call her when we were captured. When she discovered thatI had been thrown in prison it brought her great pain andsuffering. Since then, my daughter has been born, but I willnot see her until I am set free in two more years.

In spite of all these things, I thank God that He hadmercy on my miserable and sinful life. When I arrived atTacumbu, I was completely destroyed and wanted to die be-cause of the shame I had caused my family and myself. Iruined my life, but God has made things new. Now I am study-ing the Bible and praying with my brothers here in prison. Ihope and wait upon God alone!

Inmates Osmar and Christian displaying their certificates for having completed one of the many Bible courses offered atTacumbu prison.

Recently, one of the Tacumbu inmates, Santiago Genes won anational painting and drawing contest in Asuncion, Paraguay. Hewas awarded a cash prize equivalent to $500.

Missionary Jonathan Beachy, who ministers with Dino Ortizin Tacumbu Prison, spoke several times with the prison authoritiesregarding Santiago’s achievement so that they might grant him thenecessary permission to leave the prison and attend the award cer-emony. He was reassured by the authorities that the permit would beissued on the day of the award ceremony, but everyone knew that itwas simply a ploy to force the missionaries to pay a bribe forSantiago’s release (something the missionaries could not do).

The day of the ceremony arrived and the missionary went to themain office to pick up the permit. He was told by the guards that theirhad been certain delays and that the permit would not be ready.Again, this was a ploy to force the payment of a bribe. The mission-aries prayed for God’s intervention, and immediately another guardarrived and quickly filled out the permit and took it to be signed byhis superiors. On receiving the permit, the missionaries knew theyhad no time to loose. The ceremony began at 8:30pm and they leftthe prison at 8:10pm with two guards and Santiago sitting in theback of the patrol car in handcuffs.

Jonathan Beachy shares that Santiago’s smile could have melted

an ice block! One of the guards askedhim if his handcuffs were too tight, buthe did not complain about anything.When they finally arrived at the celebra-tion hall, there was a mob of people wait-ing outside. All the important works ofart that had entered the contest were linedup under the bright lights and there wasSantiago’s painting in First Place!

The guards took Santiago’s hand-cuffs off in the car, but told him to keephis hands inside his pockets at all times.When they stepped out of the car to-gether, all the people came running overto Santiago and greeted him warmly andjoyfully. The armed guards who stoodon each side of Santiago, were dumb-founded at the kindness of the crowd to-ward their ragged prisoner. The flash ofthe cameras was constantly on theirfaces and Santiago could not stop smil-ing. When all the picture taking was over,someone called out that it was time forSantiago’s interview for the television.

Santiago carried himself like agentleman during the entire interview andwhen he received his prize. When he ad-dressed the crowd, he thanked God forwhat He had done for him and he thankedthe missionaries who worked with him inprison. Once he looked at the crowd andsaid humbly, “This is amazing that some-thing like this can happen to a personlike me who nothing more than a pris-oner.” The people erupted in applause.

The guards stood to one side and did not know whatto do.

On the return to Tacumbu, the guards did nothandcuff Santiago and Santiago could not stop smil-ing. A few days later, the television channel that hadinterviewed him came to Tacumbu prison in order tomake a video clip of his life. That day, Santiago toldthem his entire testimony about how God had changedhis life. He gave God glory for everything He haddone for him. At the end of the filming, it was clearthat the reporter had been deeply impressed by whathe had seen and heard that day.

Since the awards banquet, two more newspapershave interviewed Santiago and he has told them thesame story about how God changed his life in TacumbuPrison.

Santiago has asked the missionaries to save hismoney until he is out of prison. He split his money inthree parts: one third for his offering for the church inTacumbu, one third to buy art materials for his artclass in the prison, and one third for his savings. MayGod be praised!

God’sArtist

Always in need

of PrayerPlease be in much prayer for the missionaries and

other Christians who minister in “The Way” cell block.It is said that the authorities and guards in the Tacumbuprison, who still traffic drugs and alcohol, do not for-give those who stand in their way.

Pray for the new prison director. A week ago,there was a revolt and a guard died of stab woundsand nine inmates received gunshot wounds. It is onlyGod’s grace that is holding this place together againstSatan’s fury. Any day, Tacumbu prison could becomea place of widespread massacre. During the last shoot-

ing spree, a brother in Christ was badly wounded inthe arm and another on the foot.

There are rumors among the prisoners, that manyof the gangs inside the prison, will one day take hos-tages from among the missionaries that come to theprison to minister. Raids have been conducted in searchof weapons, but nothing is ever found in “The Way.”Nevertheless, the morning prayer meetings have beenclosed down and the Christians are only allowed topray together in their cells.

The restlessness and the tension affects everyone,and often there is discouragement and frustration amongthe Christians. Please pray that in the midst of thesetrials, God’s power and grace will abound even moreto save those who are lost.

HeartCry missionary Dino Otriz is seen here discipling a few of the young Christian inmates at Tacumbuprison. Missionaries such as Dino and Jonathan Beachy put their lives on the line every time they stepbehind the bars of Tacumbu. Please pray for their safety and for the continued open door. The fields arewhite unto harvest!

I greet you dear brothers and sisters in the name of our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ. This has been a wonderful month because our God hasbrought forth much fruit to His glory. Last week, we baptized seven newbelievers. I ask you to join with us in prayer as we seek to disciple them andlead them in the way of Christ.

Two months ago, I began discipling a young man named Julio who hadbeen a drug addict for several years. He has now given his life to Christ, butis in great need of instruction and pastoral care. Although Julio has beenmarried for several years, he had abandoned his wife to pursue his drugaddiction. At first, it seemed that it would be impossible to restore theirmarriage, but I rejoice to tell you that this month he was reconciled with hiswife and is now bringing her to church. He is looking for work, fightingbattles against his addiction and winning one day at a time by the grace ofGod.

I am also discipling three other young men who have also been in-volved in drugs. Their names are Martin, Jorge, and Fabian. Martin is full ofzeal and desires to follow God, but he is having difficulties in his home. Hiswife is still unconverted and constantly opposes Martin’s new faith be-

cause he will no longer take herdrinking and dancing as before.Several times, she has threatenedto leave him if he continues to at-tend church. In spite of her threats,Martin continues to persevere inthe Lord and to do what he knowsto be right. Please pray that he willbe a witness to his wife and thathe will not become discouragedregardless of her response.

The second young man Imentioned is Jorge. I met him oneday when I was working on theconstruction of our new building.He was shaking terribly and had alook of terrifying desperation onhis face. He ask if he could speakwith me and so I took him asideand he told me that his life wasout of control. His family was be-ing destroyed because of his ad-diction and he did not know whatto do.

As I sat there, I put my headbetween my hands and thoughtto myself, “Not another drug ad-dict!” I knew how hard it had beento help Julio and Martin and howstrong the temptation is for themto go back to the drugs. For amoment, I felt overwhelmed andvery confused, but God was mer-ciful and gave me the right wordsto speak. I ask Jorge if he reallywanted to change and if he waswilling to submit to what I wasgoing to tell him to do. He told me

that he was desperate and willing to do almostanything to be free from the drugs.

The first thing I told him to do was to gohome and take a shower because his smell wasunbearable. When he returned from his shower,I shared Christ with him. I spoke with him onseveral occasions afterwards and he began tounderstand the Gospel and was converted.Since his conversion, Jorge has been comingto work with me almost every day. Please praythat his conversion will be confirmed by thefruit that he bears.

The third young man I mentioned isFabian. I met him through a sports outreachthat was organized by our youth to evangelizethe lost. Fabian had been a member of a gangand was heavily involved in drugs. He wasabandoned by his family for all the obvious

Winning ThemOne at a Time

Florencio andCristina areHeartCryMissionariesin Sullana,Peru.

Florencio, Cristina and Sarai Churata in front of the parsonage that was recentlyconstructed. The parsonage, as well as the auditorium, is a result of your giving toHeartCry.

The Street Preacher. One of Florencio’s main gifts is evangelism. His great passion is street preaching and one on oneevangelism. The most notable characteristic in Florencio’s evangelism is the love of Christ that is reflected in his wordsand countenance.

reasons and was alone in the world.One of the first things that Fabian shared with me was

that he needed to change or in his own words, he needed tobecome a “new person.” Through this open door, I was ableto share with him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and prove to himthrough the Scriptures that only “in Christ” can one becomea new. That day, Fabian repented of his sins and made aprofession of faith in Christ. Please pray for him and theothers that they may grow in the grace of God and become atestimony to the power of God to change even the hardestand most destitute sinner.

The last testimony I would like to share with you is abouta man named Miguel. I met Miguel when the men of thechurch and I were doing door to door witnessing. He had justreturned from a long day of driving a taxi in the city of Limaand was not in the mood to talk to anyone. When I attemptedto share Christ with him, he told me that he did not care about

Christ or going to church, because neither Christ or thechurch would feed his family. He boasted that he had to lookout for himself and use his time to work to support his wifeand children. I reminded him that his work was the directresult of God’s mercy and that the same merciful God hadsent me to tell him about His salvation. Miguel responded byassuring me that he was happy as he was and that he did notneed God’s salvation. I asked him where he would go if hislife was taken tomorrow and what he would tell God about hislife here on earth. He told me that it was none of my businessand that I should leave him alone. I thanked Miguel for histime and left.

The next day, a member of our church came to my houseand told me that Miguel had had a terrible accident. He hadbeen hit by a truck, his taxi was destroyed and his leg wasseverely injured. When I arrive at the hospital, I found Migueland his wife crying desperately. Miguel was conscious, and

Florencio has formed a music group that sings Christian songs to the rhythm of Peruvian folklore music. The sounddraws a crowd and the words draws the crowd to Christ. Florencio often uses music to draw a crowd when he is streetpreaching.

so I asked him one more time if his life was still under hisown control. He shook his head in shame and I began to tellhim about what Christ had done for him. At that moment, thedoctors came in and told me to leave the room. Outside ofMiguel’s room, I comforted his wife and told her I would beback the next day to visit him.

Very early the next day, Miguel sent a man to my housebecause he wanted to speak with me. I hurried to the hospi-tal. The moment Miguel saw me, he began to cry out loud andask God to forgive him for his life of sin and for having treatedme the way he did. He told me that he needed to repent and togive his life to Christ at that very moment.

Miguel and his family have lost almost every materialpossession because of the accident and the hospital bills,but that is a small price to pay for eternal life. Later that day,the doctors told Miguel that he would not lose his leg and weall praised God for this. Miguel is now at home resting and he

comes to church when the pain allows him to move. I thankGod for this demonstration of His saving power. Please prayfor Miguel as he recuperates and for the rest of his family thatthey may repent and be saved. At this moment, they are veryopen to the Gospel.

We thank you for your prayers for us here on the mis-sion field. We praise our Lord for your financial support thatallows us to preach the Gospel of Christ to our people and tominister in His Name. We thank you for your financial giftthat has enabled us to continue the construction of our churchbuilding and parsonage. May God bless each and every oneof you!

Our Lord tells us that the harvest is great and the labor-ers are few. Because of your prayers and generous support,my wife and I are two more laborers working in the greatharvest of souls that the Lord is bringing about in our time.Please pray that we be faithful to the task!

I greet you in the Name of our Lord and Savior JesusChrist. I pray that God our Father may bless your lives richly.My family and I are doing well. Our God is caring beyondmeasure as we labor in His Name here in the district of LaVictoria.

So many things have happened since I became a fulltime pastor here in the Baptist Church of La Victoria thatsometimes it is hard to know where to begin! The most spe-cial thing that I can share with you is the testimony of God’sgoodness and His faithfulness in equipping me to carry outthe work of a pastor.

As I have shared before in my personal testimony, I wasnothing more than a drug addict saved out of the gutter bythe grace of God. Since my conversion, I have grown spiritu-ally, but when I sensed God’s call upon my life, I felt like themost unworthy and inadequate servant in the kingdom. Iknew how to read and write, but I did not have much school-ing. I was embarrassed to even share with anyone that Godhad called someone like me to be a pastor. Never in a millionyears would I have believed that God would call someonelike me to care for His people. I never thought that I could dosuch a work, but I WAS WRONG. I have learned that whenGod calls a man, the only proper response is to say, “Here Iam Lord.” The Lord will take care of the rest.

When I was asked to be the pastor of this church, I wasoverwhelmed with a great fear. I spoke with different godlymen who had discipled me to see what they would thinkabout the matter. I was positive that they would all agree thatpastoring would not be an appropriate ministry for me, but to

my surprise they rejoiced in the Lord and declared that it wasthe will of God. I was overwhelmed, but after much prayer itwas confirmed to me and my wife Ruth that the pastorate wasGod’s will for my life.

At the beginning, I was very frightened because I didnot know what to do. I only knew that God wanted me topastor the church and this gave me strength to persevere.The church in La Victoria is one of the oldest in Lima, but ithas had many internal problems in the past. When I arrived,there were only fourteen adults and some children that at-tended occasionally. The problems in the church and myfeelings of inadequacy led me to pray day and night that Godwould show me how to lead His people. The Lord answeredmy prayers and gave me peace. As I devoured Scripture, Heshowed me what to do.

Since the beginning, nothing has been easy, but Godhas given me so many demonstrations of His love for thechurch, for me and for my family that I cannot doubt or beafraid any longer. God has given me boldness, not because Iam “better” now than I was before, but because it is He whodoes all good things through me.

At the beginning, I had some problems because therewas a man in the congregation who had been leading thechurch for many years and he did not want to give up hisposition. The man is very intelligent and very knowledgeableof the Scriptures. Many times he would correct me in front ofthe congregation and try to make me look foolish. I did notdefend myself, but simply pressed on. I thought that maybeGod had put him in my life to humble me and motivate me tostudy harder. In time, the other members noticed the man’sattitude and rebuked him for not submitting to my leadership.He was humbled before the entire congregation and Godchanged his heart. He no longer causes problems for me, butis a faithful member and a good brother.

Our church attendance has now grown from fourteen toover sixty. The members of our church go out every Satur-day morning to minister to the poor children in the neighbor-hood. We feed them when we can and teach them the Gospelthrough Bible studies, theater and puppet shows. Many ofthe parents of these children have come to us seeking coun-sel and we are able to share the Gospel with them.

The Lord has not only helped us to grow, but He hasalso been very generous to us. Through your giving toHeartCry, God has provided for the construction of a newroof for our auditorium, Sunday school rooms, a pastoraloffice, and bathrooms. We have tried to do most of the workourselves so that we might be good stewards of God’s re-sources.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support. With-out your help, the Church in La Victoria might already beclosed down and abandoned. But because of you, it is grow-ing and reaching out to one of the worst and most dangerousneighborhoods in the inner city of Lima.

Your brother,

Rogelio “Cuba” Acea

Rogelio

Acea

Ruth Aceas’Sunday schoolclass for children.

HeartCry provided thefunds for the Sunday Schoolclassrooms to the left. Theneighborhood of La Victoriais one of the mostdeteriorated in Lima.

Rogelio andRuth. Two of ourmost favoritepeople.

I was born in a small village in the north of Peru. Sincemy parents were divorced, I was raised by my grandmother.She was a very religious woman and raised me in the Catholicchurch. I participated in the activities at church, but had nospiritual convictions.

After high school, I traveled to the town of Sullana tostudy to be school teacher. One day, a girl in my class invitedme to her church. Wanting to be polite, I agreed.

The church service was unlike any other I had attended,but after the singing I listened attentively to the preachingand an incredible thirst grew in my soul. That day, I under-stood the message of salvation, repented of my sins, andwas converted. I was filled with joy.

To my surprise, my relatives were very angry with meand warned me that I had joined a cult. They would not listento me, but made fun of my “quite times” and tore up all of myevangelistic tracts. In spite of this, God gave me peace andgrace to endure until they simply grew tired of bothering me.I was baptized two months later and felt God’s calling toserve Him.

In time, I was allowed to teach the children’s Sundayschool class in my church and God continued to encourage

me through the trials I suffered at home.At times, my uncle who was my guard-ian, would forbid me to attend church andI would be left alone in my room to prayand wait on the Lord. The Lord respondedto my prayers and my uncle began to readmy Bible when he thought I did not no-tice. Many years have now passed andhe is very old. He cannot see well and soI read the Bible to him. He is still not con-verted, but I pray that God will have mercyon his soul. The Word of God alone hasthe power to transform him.

When I finished my studies and re-ceived my teaching diploma I was offereda teaching position in a public school. Iwas going to accept the offer, but thenGod reminded me that I had been calledto serve Him in the ministry. He wantedme to use what I had learned for His ser-vice and for His glory.

When I refused the teaching posi-tion, my family became very angry withme. They mocked me, asking me whowould maintain me and how would I makea living out of reading the Bible and go-ing to church. I kept silent before them,but in my heart, I knew that God wouldcare for me until He had revealed to methe plans He had for my life. I prayed thatGod would give me peace in spite of theturmoil and that I would look to Him tomeet my needs. I longed to prepare forthe ministry in the seminary of Trujillo,but I did not have the funds. Once again,

I waited upon the Lord and He responded. Different brothersand sisters in my church found out about my desire to serveGod full time and they provided the finances for me to studyin the seminary.

After graduating from seminary in 1990, I returned toSullana to work with Angel and Efigenia Colmenares as ateacher in the Divine Redeemer Christian School. In 1997, Irealized that God was calling me to give my life to the evange-lism and discipleship of women in the areas where they weremost neglected..

Since then, I have been discipling and teaching womenand children in different churches on the coast and in thehigh mountains of the Andes. I also work with the studentsof the Theological School of Sullana, when they make theirmission trips into the rural mountains.

Thank you for the kindness you have shown to me andyour support of the ministry that the Lord has given me.Please pray for me. My family no longer opposes becausethey have seen God’s faithfulness to me. My grandmother is96 years old and is very ill. It is my prayer that she will repentand know the Lord before she passes away. Also, pleasepray for the rest of my family members.

GloriaMartinez

NewHeartCryMissionary

The Womenin Gloria’s WorldWomen are often neglected inthe rural mission fields aroundthe world. It is Gloria’s callingand passion to reach the ruralwomen of Peru with the Gospelof Jesus Christ and to disciple

them in the commands andwisdom of Scripture.

Pastors and preachers of the Gospel in the northern mountains of Piura,

HeartCry Missionary Society

c/o Waldo Baptist Church6970 Waldo Church RoadMetropolis, IL. 62960

Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDBrookport, IL.Permit No. 10

What part of “GO” do you not understand?Matthew 28:18-20

HeartCry missionary,Rogelio Acea serves theLord in the rescue missionof La Victoria. One of themost dangerous and druginfested neighborhoods inLima, Peru.