Maximiliana Quispe has been attending church in her Quechua community of Ch’ari, Peru, for a long time. But, she says she only attended because it was the custom in her community.
“I thought I could be doing better things instead of going to church,” she says, “since I didn’t understand much.”
That changed when ATEK, Wycliffe’s partner organization in southern Peru, launched a comprehensive Bible reading program in the town of Pitumarca. After learning to read and write in Quechua and learning some basic teachings from God’s Word, Maximiliana began to grow in her faith.
“Before, my life had no meaning,” says Maximiliana, “and I lived life as it happened. I had no hope.”
The turning point came when Maximiliana understood that sin had separated her from God, and that forgiveness could be found in Christ.
“I realized I was far from God,” she says, “and needed to return to him.
“I woke up–as if from a dream–and decided to return to Him. Now I feel like a different person; I want to live for God and please Him every day.”
Read more stories about ATEK’s ministries in Word Alive magazine