We're a mission team living and working in Arequipa, Peru: The Smiths (Kyle, Larissa, Shaye and Cora), The McKinzies (Greg, Megan, Ana Grace, and Maggie Kate), and Rachel Steele. Our purpose is to participate in the establishment of a house church movement, which we describe in anticipation as God's family celebrating and serving in Arequipa. The mission is God's, and we are merely servants in this field and partners with many other Christians in the U.S. who make our lives here possible.

Read more about our families and supporting churches by clicking on these links: Smiths | McKinzies | Rachel Steele | Cedar Lane | Shiloh Road

ICDU is the developmental ministry arm of our mission work. Taking Jesus' ministry as our model, we seek to serve the whole person. With an emphasis on sustainability, ICDU's projects aim for empowerment and transformation in the lives of the poor. You can partner with us through ICDU's website. ICDU it.

Click here to read more: icduperu.org

Arequipa (pronounced ah-deh-kee-pah), at just around 1 million inhabitants, is the second city of Peru. Nestled among a chain of volcanoes on the western edge of southern Peru's desert Andes, Arequipa is high and dry. Here we live among the urban poor and rub shoulders with the impoverished every day. Many of the migrants from the countryside are native Quechua speakers and use Spanish only as a trade language, so the city is a mixture of traditional native culture, majority Peruvian culture, and the westernizing forces of globalization. This is where God has sent us to serve, and we're happy to call AQP home.

Artistic Map | Google Map | Google Satellite

A strong internship program is important to our team. We have all had internship experiences that shaped us and helped lead us to the field. As the work develops here in Arequipa we hope to offer a unique intern experience each year. Participating in bible studies, helping lead house churches, experiencing Peruvian culture through home stays and helping advance development projects are a few things the interns will be doing.

This year we are thrilled to have three interns coming for almost 8 full weeks. From ACU we have Robert (Bobby) Kessler and David Mcmichael. From Harding we have Whitney Lawson. They will live, eat, worship, struggle with the culture, and learn with us. In short they will be part of our team. Go ahead and start praying for our summer together and check back here for more info!

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