DAVID
We received our first letter from David in October of 2009 (when he was 21 years old) and our final letter in August of 2012. During the 3 years that we corresponded, we received a total of 32 letters. He was a seriously good letter writer! I also had the opportunity to meet David in August of 2010.
David was studying electronic engineering at Callo National University in Lima, Peru. He and his family were very active in their church, Assemblies of God of Peru. His father, Samuel, was a teacher, his mother, Emerita, was a deacon of treasury, his older sister, Noemi, worked with the youth, and David played keyboard and drums.
"It is a great joy for me because all my family is serving God."
"These past years God has given me the opportunity to serve Him through music. I do not know if I am talented, but when I praise Him and worship Him through music, it is such a beautiful time for me that I forget about everything else and the only thing I do is to express my gratitude to Him through each rhythm, note and melody. I have the privilege to be learning how to play the drums and keyboard since I left high school (about 5 years ago) and I continue learning. And, I serve God with these instruments in my local church."
Miscellaneous info:
- Received a study Bible from Compassion
- May of 2010 - visited by Wess Stafford - "All the staff of Compassion Peru was truly blessed but I believe that this visit had a major impact on the LDP students as we could see what a humble and wonderful leader this man is. I had the opportunity to minister during the worship time by playing keyboards. I had to rehearse with the LDP students for this day. The day of Wess' visit I was nervous but then I felt good and enjoyed this visit."
- had a brother who passed away when he was only one month old - their house was made of mat and the cold weather caused his death
- June 2011 - mom finished high school! She finished a ministry formation program (pastoral theology) and started Bible seminary.
- Sister, Noemi, studied agroindustrial engineering - she was also sponsored through Compassion
- July 2011 - mom formed a group of musicians who went on a mission trip to the province of Cajamarca
- Learning English was his biggest personal challenge
- January 2012 - participated in LDP bus evangelism outreach - they presented themselves as university students, telling others that it is through God they are reading their dreams. This was well-received and caught a lot of attention as evangelism among university students is rare in Peru. (it is usually done by the less educated)
- Summer 2012 (January - March ) - summer music workshop at church. David had 5 students in his drum class.
- March 2012 - helped do home visits for prospective LDP students in Compassion. This reminded David to never forget where he and his family came from.
- June 2012 - began working for Partner of IBM and Cisco
- Used the final birthday gift we sent him to buy gifts for his family - shoes, pajamas and shampoo for his mother, pants and deodorant for his father, shoes and pajamas for his aunt and a backpack and USB for himself for work.
- signed many letters with "I send you a strong hug."
Some letter highlights following our meeting....
"My mother is so thankful to God that she could meet you. My mother and I will never forget August 25th. It has been a very special day in our lives filled with blessings and joy."
"I had the privilege to meet Jill. I will never forget these two days I spent with her. They have changed my life. I met a true servant who reflects much love. I have seen God's great love in her life. Dear Jill, thank you for your words and for taking your time to come to Peru to meet Jazmin and me. You are a very kind and cheerful woman and you are one of those few people who cause a great impact on others. Perhaps I did not tell you this because I was too excited. I know God let us meet so we can learn new things from each other. Now I feel I love you and your family more and I appreciate your support. I thank God for this beautiful experience, for this unforgettable day in my life. God has spoken to me through Jill and not only through her words but also through the things I could see and feel."
We received the following info:
- LDP country profile
- LDP university profile
- LDP annual update
- LDP new student profile
- LDP new student testimony (questions and answers below)
How did you come to accept Christ as your personal Savior?
I learned about God's Word in Sunday school when I was very little. When I was about 8 years old, I went to a children's festival called, Festninos, where we were taught about God's Word. Our teacher, Isabel, encouraged us to ask Christ into our hearts. We were invited to go to the altar to receive Christ and I did. That day was very beautiful because that was when I really started to understand God's love. I remember my teacher with love because she was a very special person to me because she was nice to us all.
I learned about God's Word in Sunday school when I was very little. When I was about 8 years old, I went to a children's festival called, Festninos, where we were taught about God's Word. Our teacher, Isabel, encouraged us to ask Christ into our hearts. We were invited to go to the altar to receive Christ and I did. That day was very beautiful because that was when I really started to understand God's love. I remember my teacher with love because she was a very special person to me because she was nice to us all.
What impact did Compassion have on your personal and spiritual development?
Compassion influenced me a lot. They helped me financially by giving me food every day that I attended the child development center. I learned more about God and what He is like. I also took Bible lessons. I learned how to behave properly and many other things that are useful to me now because what I learned still remains in my heart. I remember one day my center took us to the movies to see a film about abortion. When I saw this film, I was shocked about how abortion is done and understood why God prohibited it. Another special moment I had at the child development center was my graduation from Compassion. An LDP student told us about his experience as part of this program and how it had blessed him by preparing him to be a leader. I was overwhelmed with what I heard and since that moment, I have wanted to be part of this program. There was a special person for me at the center, sister Abelia, who is the current director. She encouraged me to study to make a difference among other people in the future.
Compassion influenced me a lot. They helped me financially by giving me food every day that I attended the child development center. I learned more about God and what He is like. I also took Bible lessons. I learned how to behave properly and many other things that are useful to me now because what I learned still remains in my heart. I remember one day my center took us to the movies to see a film about abortion. When I saw this film, I was shocked about how abortion is done and understood why God prohibited it. Another special moment I had at the child development center was my graduation from Compassion. An LDP student told us about his experience as part of this program and how it had blessed him by preparing him to be a leader. I was overwhelmed with what I heard and since that moment, I have wanted to be part of this program. There was a special person for me at the center, sister Abelia, who is the current director. She encouraged me to study to make a difference among other people in the future.
Who has had the most influence on your life and why?
My parents influenced me because every day, they have guided me and advised me not to do things that I might regret later. They gave me their love and a good education despite their limited financial resources. They avoided spending money on other things so they could pay for my education. They have always advised me to make good decisions and to progress in life.
I've written many other posts I've about David...
My parents influenced me because every day, they have guided me and advised me not to do things that I might regret later. They gave me their love and a good education despite their limited financial resources. They avoided spending money on other things so they could pay for my education. They have always advised me to make good decisions and to progress in life.
I've written many other posts I've about David...
- David's Family and Compassion
- David's LDP Graduation
- David's Shoebox from Operation Christmas Child
- Christmas Letter highlights
- Sponsor Fun Day in Peru
- David's Mother
We never received and official last letter, but I certainly don't feel slighted when it comes to receiving communication from David. Since his graduation and departure, we have communicated through email and google chats, although our correspondence has diminished greatly. Corresponding with and meeting David is definitely a highlight of my Compassion experience.
