Foundation of Dignity
“Happy New Year “ to you from all of us here at Home of Refuge International! The year 2026 brings with it fresh opportunities for fruitfulness. We hope you are greeting this year with a heart full of gratitude for all that God did in 2025, and with an unbending desire to see His good, pleasing, and perfect will come to pass in your life. His plans are amazing. He can take your “yes” and do great things with it for His Kingdom.
In the month of December, your willing participation in Home of Refuge made a significant impact that continues to be a daily blessing to the people in Peru. Here is what your financial support accomplished.
Every dollar donated in December made it possible for us to lavish the unconditional love of God upon the elderly in tangible and practical ways.
As you know, we have a department of the Home of Refuge that we call the “Father’s Hand”, dedicated to feeding and administering help to roughly 49 elderly people living in 6 rural communities here in the Andes Mountains. For these 49 individuals who live in extreme poverty, your giving sustains them with “their daily bread” every two weeks. But it doesn’t stop there. When our team noticed the conditions in which these elderly were sleeping, we felt compelled to act. The decision was unanimous: we had to bring them mattresses and blankets so that, for the first time in perhaps decades, the elderly could sleep in a decent bed. I’d like to describe the scene, so you can recognize the impact of your support. Their homes have no windows, and therefore icy wind seeps in mercilessly, as does rain. Their “beds” were nothing more than desperate attempts to create warmth: animal hides, piles of dry straw, or simply the hard floor. We purchased mattresses, loaded each up onto a car for delivery, and transported it as far as the dusty, rocky roads would allow.
But in the most remote communities, the vehicle stopped. What followed was a demonstration of pure love: the members of the ministry hoisted the bulky mattresses onto their backs and set off on foot. They walked along steep paths, under the sun and wind, with the clear vision of the smiles they would find at the end.
When we showed him the new mattress, the old man froze. Then, tears welled in his weary eyes, born of such profound emotion that he could not speak. He caressed the soft fabric. It was more than a mattress; it was recognition of his worth, proof that he had not been forgotten. On another delivery, they found an elderly man whose bed consisted entirely of a pile of animal hides. As they moved the pile to place the clean, fluffy mattress, a shocking sight was revealed: a swarm of fleas leaped from the hides, a plague that had lived with him night after night.
As we discarded the old, contaminated “bed”, the grandfather gazed at the new mattress. His face lit up with a wide, toothy smile. It was a smile of liberation. With the new blanket in his hands, he hugged it with surprising strength and exclaimed in Quechua, “Now I can sleep without being bitten! God bless you; may God bless you abundantly!”
In each community, the scene was repeated: incredulous faces, trembling hands touching the softness of a real mattress for the first time, and overflowing joy expressed in hugs and blessings for all of us at the ministry. Thank you so much for making this gift possible for them all.
When the 49 elderly went to bed that night, they didn't sleep on dirt, straw, or cold hides. They rested on a foundation of dignity and under the warmth of hope and brotherly love that had been given to them. THIS is because of your generosity, and we are grateful!
A Word from Our Daughter:
This Christmas, I (Auria Perera) and my sister Rosa Pelham had the privilege of spending three days in Peru with my father Tony Rivera through the Home of Refuge ministry, celebrating with elderly men and women in need. Seniors traveled from surrounding communities to attend the service, and together we shared music, games, food, and—most importantly—the message of Jesus Christ.
Many of these precious people come from a background of worshipping Aztec gods, yet my father boldly preached that Jesus is the Only Way, the Truth, and the Life. By God’s grace, 14 individuals came forward to make Jesus their Lord and Savior. As we played games, I watched withered bodies come to life—laughing, smiling, and enjoying the moment. It was a beautiful reminder that we are all still young at heart and made to experience joy.
Each person left with a generous bag of groceries to last two weeks, a stocking filled with candy and snacks, warm fuzzy socks, and a brand-new walking cane. Some also received blankets and hats based on their needs. Before they left, we fed them a large plate of food to send them home with a full belly.
Thank you for partnering with Home of Refuge—your support is bringing practical help, true joy, and the hope of Christ to those who need it most.
In Closing:
It is a beautiful thing to witness the joy brought about by your giving. We remember that the Lord promises a great reward to all who give to the poor, and in this promise we rejoice for what YOU will reap because of your support of this ministry. As we continue to move into the upcoming months of 2026, we believe together we will continue to impact the most vulnerable and destitute with the love of Christ. We ask you to partner with us in the greatest ways you can: faithfully, wholeheartedly, joyfully, and confidently. Your labor in the Lord is never in vain!
With love and gratitude,
Tony and Rosa Rivera
Home of Refuge International, Inc.
