Chapter 12: The Church: Casa de Oracion Part 2
AS TOLD BY JOHN AGERSTEN
Song and music in the church
While still in Norway I had imagined guitar playing and happy rhythmic music when I thought of South America. But I quickly realized that although this might be true elsewhere in Peru and Latin America, it was not in the Andes mountains. The music in the Andes is often played in minor keys. The traditional instruments are flutes and a special type of harp that they can carry with them and play in parades or shows on the streets. At carnivals and wedding parties, there is usually also a horn orchestra that plays. For these events, there is often a heavy alcohol consumption involved as well.
In the church we sang well-known gospel songs and hymns, which had been translated into Spanish. But after a while, local songwriters emerged who wrote choruses and songs to folk tunes from the Andes. These melodies are beautiful, but often very melancholy. As the evangelical churches grew among the indigenous people of the Andes, the believers sang songs and choruses in Quechua as well as in Spanish. In fact, later, in the 80s, some young people in the churches formed groups who would sing and play in the traditional way, and they would wear traditional dress. The best of these groups even released records and visited churches in the United States and Europe.
In the church we sang well-known gospel songs and hymns, which had been translated into Spanish. But after a while, local songwriters emerged who wrote choruses and songs to folk tunes from the Andes. These melodies are beautiful, but often very melancholy. As the evangelical churches grew among the indigenous people of the Andes, the believers sang songs and choruses in Quechua as well as in Spanish. In fact, later, in the 80s, some young people in the churches formed groups who would sing and play in the traditional way, and they would wear traditional dress. The best of these groups even released records and visited churches in the United States and Europe.
Working with the evangelical churches in Tarma
In addition to Casa de Oracion, there were two other evangelical congregations in Tarma during the time we were there. One was a Methodist church led by an American missionary couple. They were friendly and helpful, and we connected well with them. Sometimes we would even trade pulpits and preach in each other’s churches! It had started one Pentecost Sunday when the Methodist missionary visited Casa de Oracion because he wanted to observe a Pentecostal service during this holiday. After this, he invited me to preach a service in his church, and we invited him to preach in Casa de Oracion sometime after that. We had several conversations about the role and work of the Holy Spirit in the Church, and he was very interested and open to these thoughts.
We also got to participate in the Vacation Bible School for children arranged by the Methodists along with the other congregations in the city. Gro helped by teaching some of the younger children. The children were divided up in groups from the youngest at the age of 4-5 to the oldest who were 12-13 year olds. In addition to Bible instruction, the children made simple crafts, and of course there were many types of games. The Vacation Bible school lasted for three weeks.
Another congregation in town was Iglesia Evangelica Peruana - IEP (Peruvian Evangelical Church). A missionary couple from Scotland was involved in the work there. They had worked in Tarma and the surrounding area for many years. IEP was started as early as the latter part of the 19th century by English immigrants in Lima who started with house meetings in their home. Over the following years they expanded to several churches in Lima and other cities with the help of Scottish and English missionaries. In Lima they had a large Christian bookstore where we often shopped literature for our personal use and for the ministry. They also had a home in Lima where missionaries could stay, and we spent the night there occasionally. Doctrinally, they can be compared to the Baptist church.
We became good friends with one of the younger missionary couples from IEP in Tarma. One time they invited me to join them at a Bible week in Satipo east of Tarma. It was an experience to meet believers at the conference there. They came from the jungle areas around Satipo and from the mountains. Gro and I later visited some other missionaries in Satipo that we had gotten to know when they had visited Tarma. They ran a school and other social work there, in addition to the work at the church.
At that time you had to cross three mountain passes to get to Satipo from Tarma , and the trip took 12 hours if the road was fairly dry. We would have to travel almost to Huancayo before the road turned east, going up and down the Andes jungle-clad eastern slopes. Later, a new road was built that was much shorter and better.
We also got to participate in the Vacation Bible School for children arranged by the Methodists along with the other congregations in the city. Gro helped by teaching some of the younger children. The children were divided up in groups from the youngest at the age of 4-5 to the oldest who were 12-13 year olds. In addition to Bible instruction, the children made simple crafts, and of course there were many types of games. The Vacation Bible school lasted for three weeks.
Another congregation in town was Iglesia Evangelica Peruana - IEP (Peruvian Evangelical Church). A missionary couple from Scotland was involved in the work there. They had worked in Tarma and the surrounding area for many years. IEP was started as early as the latter part of the 19th century by English immigrants in Lima who started with house meetings in their home. Over the following years they expanded to several churches in Lima and other cities with the help of Scottish and English missionaries. In Lima they had a large Christian bookstore where we often shopped literature for our personal use and for the ministry. They also had a home in Lima where missionaries could stay, and we spent the night there occasionally. Doctrinally, they can be compared to the Baptist church.
We became good friends with one of the younger missionary couples from IEP in Tarma. One time they invited me to join them at a Bible week in Satipo east of Tarma. It was an experience to meet believers at the conference there. They came from the jungle areas around Satipo and from the mountains. Gro and I later visited some other missionaries in Satipo that we had gotten to know when they had visited Tarma. They ran a school and other social work there, in addition to the work at the church.
At that time you had to cross three mountain passes to get to Satipo from Tarma , and the trip took 12 hours if the road was fairly dry. We would have to travel almost to Huancayo before the road turned east, going up and down the Andes jungle-clad eastern slopes. Later, a new road was built that was much shorter and better.
Evangelical Campaigns
In Lima there was an office that served as a liaison between the evangelical denominations and the Peruvian authorities. In 1967, they organized nationwide campaigns where the vast majority of the evangelical churches in the country were involved. It’s focus was on evangelism and there were large services at sports arenas, prayer meetings and shorter bible courses in a program made especially for the campaigns. There were also visits to houses and homes where we gave out New Testaments, tracts, or small booklets with Christian literature. All the speakers and singers at these events were missionaries and preachers both from Peru and other Latin American countries. In Tarma we received an evangelist from Guatemala. He lived with us while he was there. He was a good singer and guitar player as well, and he taught me to sing Psalm 121 with a beautiful melody from Guatemala. It became one of my favorites and I have since sung it countless times in many places, even in Norway. This joint effort meant a lot to the spread of the gospel and the growth of the evangelical churches in the following years. In addition, the denominations became more connected, which led to better contacts between missionaries, national pastors, and evangelists. We definitely saw increased understanding and friendship with the other congregations in Tarma.
Baptisms in Tarma
In Casa de Oracion we had several baptisms during the years there. Those who were baptized in Tarma had to contend with very cold baptismal water! But cold water is what the mountain people are used to, that is for sure! The baptisms took place in a stream just outside the city. It was also a nice place to meet, play and eat together. The creek had to be dammed up to get it deep enough. This was done by using planks and soil so that an embankment was formed which dammed up the creek. The water was icy cold here in the mountains, but the believers who were baptized were rejoicing all the same. The baptismal gatherings were always a blessing and a joy.
Alejandro Lopez is healed
Alejandro Lopez,the assistant pastor in Casa de Oracion, was very helpful in the ministry.
He was single and lived in a small apartment next to the church with an entrance from the courtyard. For two to three months he had been coughing a little and eventually felt quite unwell. At first we did not consider it serious; there were many who coughed and had a cold
all around us. But as he got worse and the cough increased, we recommended that he see a doctor. He agreed, saying he was really not feeling well at this point. He later told us that he had been coughing up blood for a while.
After a visit to the doctor with subsequent X-ray and various tests, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis in one lung. By then he had become really ill, and couldn't even get out of bed. This was in August 1967. He received a prescription for a medicine that had to be given as injections; a type of antibiotic used against tuberculosis. After a certain number of days of the injections, he was to continue with tablets for a long time. There was no quick cure for tuberculosis. We invited him to stay with us in the attic room that had its own bathroom. This was a long time before Dora came to us and lived up there. Then I could give him the injections, something he would otherwise have had to pay for. We also would be able to help him to get out in the sun on the roof so he could sit there for a while during the day. We knew that it was good for TB patients to get sun and fresh air. Alejandro was
grateful and happy for the offer, so we brought him home. There we used separate crockery and cutlery that only he used and that was washed separately. He ate the food
up in the room or out in the sun.
It was very sad to see Alejandro so weak and sick. We prayed for him in the church, and many prayed daily, but we could not see any improvement. Since he was so sick, the doctor wanted him to be admitted to the hospital a few days later. By that time he had been with us a couple of weeks. The morning he was to be admitted, he had a radiant smile on his face when I came with his breakfast. I was wondering why he was so happy. So he told
what he had had a dream that night: “I was lying in my bed as usual when a man entered the room. At the same time, the room is filled with light. He came over to the bed and undressed my upper body. Then he turned me on my stomach, and I saw that he took out a knife and stuck it in my back. It did not hurt, but I still felt a sting or a radiant heat in the sore lung. The man went out again without saying a word. When I woke up I was exhausted, but the ache in the lung was gone. I know it was Jesus who healed me! ”
Of course I was both surprised and happy to hear what he said. A little later we drove to the hospital where he had an appointment with the doctor. Alejandro told him what had happened that night and wanted the doctor to take an X-ray and examine him. The doctor did not want to, but insisted he needed to be admitted and continue treatment until he recovered. After that, he’d have to continue with the tablets at home and could count on improving little by little. Alejandro did not give in, but kept saying he did not need to be hospitalized. He was healthy now! I do not know exactly what tests the doctor performed, but according to Alejandro he had examined him and at least acknowledged that yes, he was much better than the last time he had seen him.
At least he did not have to be hospitalized, and he stayed with us a couple of weeks after this. He stopped coughing and began to put on weight and gain strength. We wanted him to take it easy for some time after he moved back home, but it didn’t take long before he was going at full speed again.
We and the congregation thanked God for his healing. We knew that there was no other explanation for Alejandro's rapid recovery of health. After a couple months he went back to the doctor for an appointment and he was declared well.
He was single and lived in a small apartment next to the church with an entrance from the courtyard. For two to three months he had been coughing a little and eventually felt quite unwell. At first we did not consider it serious; there were many who coughed and had a cold
all around us. But as he got worse and the cough increased, we recommended that he see a doctor. He agreed, saying he was really not feeling well at this point. He later told us that he had been coughing up blood for a while.
After a visit to the doctor with subsequent X-ray and various tests, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis in one lung. By then he had become really ill, and couldn't even get out of bed. This was in August 1967. He received a prescription for a medicine that had to be given as injections; a type of antibiotic used against tuberculosis. After a certain number of days of the injections, he was to continue with tablets for a long time. There was no quick cure for tuberculosis. We invited him to stay with us in the attic room that had its own bathroom. This was a long time before Dora came to us and lived up there. Then I could give him the injections, something he would otherwise have had to pay for. We also would be able to help him to get out in the sun on the roof so he could sit there for a while during the day. We knew that it was good for TB patients to get sun and fresh air. Alejandro was
grateful and happy for the offer, so we brought him home. There we used separate crockery and cutlery that only he used and that was washed separately. He ate the food
up in the room or out in the sun.
It was very sad to see Alejandro so weak and sick. We prayed for him in the church, and many prayed daily, but we could not see any improvement. Since he was so sick, the doctor wanted him to be admitted to the hospital a few days later. By that time he had been with us a couple of weeks. The morning he was to be admitted, he had a radiant smile on his face when I came with his breakfast. I was wondering why he was so happy. So he told
what he had had a dream that night: “I was lying in my bed as usual when a man entered the room. At the same time, the room is filled with light. He came over to the bed and undressed my upper body. Then he turned me on my stomach, and I saw that he took out a knife and stuck it in my back. It did not hurt, but I still felt a sting or a radiant heat in the sore lung. The man went out again without saying a word. When I woke up I was exhausted, but the ache in the lung was gone. I know it was Jesus who healed me! ”
Of course I was both surprised and happy to hear what he said. A little later we drove to the hospital where he had an appointment with the doctor. Alejandro told him what had happened that night and wanted the doctor to take an X-ray and examine him. The doctor did not want to, but insisted he needed to be admitted and continue treatment until he recovered. After that, he’d have to continue with the tablets at home and could count on improving little by little. Alejandro did not give in, but kept saying he did not need to be hospitalized. He was healthy now! I do not know exactly what tests the doctor performed, but according to Alejandro he had examined him and at least acknowledged that yes, he was much better than the last time he had seen him.
At least he did not have to be hospitalized, and he stayed with us a couple of weeks after this. He stopped coughing and began to put on weight and gain strength. We wanted him to take it easy for some time after he moved back home, but it didn’t take long before he was going at full speed again.
We and the congregation thanked God for his healing. We knew that there was no other explanation for Alejandro's rapid recovery of health. After a couple months he went back to the doctor for an appointment and he was declared well.