I marvel that Peru is such an ancient culture. There are many indigenous groups with histories of over 1000 years. The conquest by the Spanish was over 500 years ago. Tourists regularly climb all over ancient ruins like these at Machu Pichu and are in awe of the building done by ancestors hundreds of years ago. Machu Pichu is only one of many archaeological sites all over the country. Even in the Miraflores neighborhood, an affluent section of Lima where the tourists stay, there is a large ruin that can be visited at a 15 minute walk from the Parque Kennedy.
However, people expect that while they live in the midst of the old ways, they can also enjoy all that modern life has to offer: safe drinking water, houses for all, education for all children, enough food to sustain all Peruvians, all the same basics of life that we expect here in North America. And yet there is still a long ways to go in many rural areas. The cities reap the benefits of modern life, while the countryside struggles for the basics.
Where does the Peruvian Methodist Church take a stand? How do they promote the project of abundant life? The Peruvian Methodist Church ordains women and offers them leadership positions. Peru itself is known for a high level of violence against women. Police do not enforce the laws on the books that protect women against violent partners or friends. Impunity for crimes against women is pointed out as a critical problem. Femicide is recognized as being a social evil that has not been rooted out of Peruvian society. Does the Peruvian Methodist Church advocate for women, for compliance with the laws against domestic violence? Old ways and new understandings are struggling and innocent survivors are caught in the middle.
Paths in Peru 