A Life Built from the Ashes
December 2025
Hilaria Valderrama García was born on January 14, 1957, in Totohuyalla, a small village in the Andes. From her earliest days, Hilaria’s world was marked by sorrow. Her father was violently abusive toward both her and her mother, and she was denied the chance to attend school beyond two months of primary education. At six years old, Hilaria nearly lost her life during one of her father’s rages, and only a neighbor’s intervention spared her. When she turned eleven, her father attempted to give her away to an older man, insisting it was “time” for her to have a partner. She fled. Her courage carried her first to Yaurisque, then later to Acopia and Sangarará, where she worked on a hacienda to survive.
Her journey eventually led her to Manchaybamba. At sixteen she married, and together she and her husband had eight children. But the violence she hoped to escape followed her into adulthood. One child was lost during pregnancy because of a brutal beating. Three others died in their early years due to the abuse they suffered from their father. Hilaria herself endured constant aggression. In 2008, when her husband died, she became a widow, left to raise her children alone. Over time, all but one of them moved away seeking better opportunities.
Yet through all of this, Hilaria remained rooted in the land. She farmed the soil faithfully and worked hard with her hands to provide the best she could. Today she cares for her disabled son with the same strength she has shown throughout her life. She walks two hours each way to receive the food you help provide through this ministry, and she listens with gratitude as Tony shares the Word of God.
Hilaria’s life is not simply a record of pain. It is a testament to resilience. She is a woman who was robbed of her childhood, yet she built a life from the ashes of abandonment and loss. She has become like a deep root anchored in the soil, holding steady through storms, offering shelter to those around her. Her story deserves to be remembered with honor and dignity, and it reminds us of the countless unseen lives that God sustains through the love and compassion YOU show each time you give to the Home of Refuge. Thank you for your faithfulness and support.
A Call from the Heart of Christ
Hilaria’s life brings to mind Jesus’ words in Luke 14:12–14, where He teaches us to give not to those who can repay us, but to those who cannot. He says,
“When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
This December, we long to bless the children in the jungle and the elderly we serve with a warm Christmas meal, one that reminds them that they are seen and loved by God. When you give to the Home of Refuge Christmas dinner, you live out this very teaching recorded in Luke. You make room at the table for the poor, the forgotten, and the elderly in places like Carhuacalla and beyond. They are eagerly anticipating a Christmas feast that honors Christ’s heart and brings joy to those who cannot repay. You are extending kindness to men and women like Hilaria, whose lives have been marked by hardship but who continue pressing forward with dignity and faith.
Will you help us prepare a feast? Your gift, whatever the amount, is a way of honoring Christ and extending His love to those in need.
With Grateful Hearts
As we step into this season of giving, we thank God for you. Your prayers, kindness, and faithful support are the reason we can continue serving the elderly, the poor, and the vulnerable across these mountain regions. You make a difference that reaches farther than you may ever see.
May your Christmas be filled with joy, peace, and the nearness of God’s presence as you celebrate with loved ones. Thank you for standing with us.
With love and gratitude,
Tony and Rosa Rivera
Home of Refuge International, Inc.
