Bus after bus pulled into the Zamacola Church of the Nazarene parking lot Sunday morning, Aug. 16. Adults and kids streamed from the vehicles, filling the church that normally sees 40 attendants in its pews.
Eventually, 500 people packed into the church in Arequipa, Peru. As seats ran out, some sat on window ledges; many more listened from outside on the street. This number is astonishing considering that there are only around 350 Nazarene members in all of southern Peru, and Arequipa, where Zamacola church ministers, is only one part of the district.
Close to 500 people rode on eight buses from all over the city of Arequipa, in southern
Peru, to celebrate the dedication of the Larry and Addie Garman Missionary Training
Center on the campus of Zamacola Church of the Nazarene. Photo courtesy Extreme
Nazarene Ministries.
It was a day of building dedications at Zamacola Church of the Nazarene, marking the culmination of many years of hard work, as well as a light for the future of the Church of the Nazarene in southern Peru. This property not only serves as a church, but also now holds The Larry and Addie Garman Missionary Training Center and the Southern Peru District Center, built in memory of Daniel Max Walker.
All hands were on deck and everyone waited anxiously to see who and how many people were going to come. During the previous week, the Extreme Peru Impact Teams had conducted outreach activities called Impact Events, which included handing out fliers inviting the local community, as well as the communities from all of the church plants in Arequipa, to come for this grand event. In total, eight different buses went out to eight different communities and provided free transportation to all who wanted to come.
The Larry and Addie Garman Missionary Training Center and the Southern Peru
District Center were unveiled Aug. 16 in a special dedication ceremony open to
the community. Photo courtesy Extreme Nazarene Ministries.
The service included special music, dance presentations and many special guests. Segundo Rimarachin, a district superintendent and the field strategy coordinator for Peru, came from Lima to preach and be a part of this great day. Regional Missionary Jose David also came from Lima and, of course, Larry and Addie Garman were in attendance--the training center was being named in their honor. The former district superintendent provided a glimpse of the struggling history of the Church of the Nazarene in southern Peru.
The Walker family attended as well, as they were a part of Extreme Peru: Arequipa 1. The Walkers came over two years ago and were the driving force behind the construction of the district center in Arequipa. Daniel Max Walker had come in that first group. He shared in the dream and helped lay the foundation of the church. Daniel Walker passed away on July 23, 2008 at 22 years of age. He died unexpectedly in his sleep of a ruptured aortic aneurysm. Even in the loss, the Walker family stayed committed and saw this project through to completion. Because of Daniel's hard work, the Walkers and the Church of Loveland, Colorado, U.S.A., the district center will be named in honor of Daniel Max Walker.
The Southern Peru District Center was dedicated to
Daniel Max Walker. Photo courtesy Extreme
Nazarene Ministries.
The Garmans, who have served as missionaries in Peru for 45 years, were also honored. Because of their work in Peru and their shining example as missionaries, the training center was named in their honor. This will be an excellent resource for the growth of the Church.
Located just five minutes from the local airport, the center will allow future missionaries to train and immediately go out to reach others. The Larry and Addie Garman Missionary Training Center will be used by Extreme Nazarene Ministries to train 40/40 pairs -- evangelism teams made up of a Peruvian and a non-Peruvian church planter. The 40/40 teams will go out and plant 72 churches in the next three years. After this, it will become the central training location for all future missionaries in southern Peru.
The celebration continued after the service with a “pollada” (chicken meal with salad and potatoes) served to all who attended. The kids headed to the park next to the church for games and puppet shows. The excitement among the people was evident, even in the children. This was a big step for the Church of the Nazarene in southern Peru. This marks the beginning of a location for training and discipleship of future pastors and missionaries.