Show Them Jesus Loves Them
June 2026
Every 14 days, many of the elderly residents from surrounding communities rise up early from their new mattresses (provided by your giving!) and make their trek towards our central location in Ccarhuacalla, where we all have worship, singing, preaching the Word, and wonderful fellowship. Gratitude spills over from their smiles and warm embraces while we enjoy this meaningful time, and often they come in carrying small tokens of their appreciation: simple gestures of their deep thankfulness for the love that we have brought to their community. There are 50 residents who now gather with us. You are present in these moments through your participation in this ministry.
As they make their way back home, some of them traveling up to four hours on foot, we give them grocery bags full of rice, potatoes, beans, sugar, and other staple foods.
One of our beloved recipients is 65-year-old Jacoba, and this month we want to unveil a bit of her story so you can see why your giving has made such a large impact on her life.
Jacoba has lived through many painful seasons. She grew up without the opportunity to receive an education. At the age of 18, she developed partial paralysis in her face, caused by an illness her family did not have the means to treat medically. She experienced the death of three of her five children, and later she became a widow after her husband died in an accident.
Today, Jacoba lives in Pacarectambo, the town where she was born, while her surviving children live in Cusco. In this season of life, she has found support through the Hand of the Father outreach ministry of Home of Refuge. This sustenance she receives and the kindness shown to her remind her she has not been forgotten. Thank you for your faithful giving.
“As the Body of Christ, the message behind our ministry is simple: “Jesus loves you.””
Jesus calls His people to make His love visible. He said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). That love is more than a feeling or a kind word. It is shown through action, sacrifice, compassion, and care for those who are hurting. Scripture says, “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
For Jacoba, every meal and every act of support speaks a message her heart needs to hear: “Jesus sees you, Jesus cares for you, and you are not alone.”
Jesus also said, “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you” (John 14:18).
Through this ministry, Jacoba is experiencing that promise in a tangible way. After years of hardship, the love of Christ is being made visible through people who are willing to show her, encourage her, remind her of her worth, and those who send finances to keep the ministry going.
Her story reflects the heart of Matthew 25:35, where Jesus said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” When Jacoba receives a meal and support from us, it is a clear expression of Christ’s love, delivered in a way she can feel and understand. When you give financial gifts to this ministry, you help provide that kind of practical care to people like Jacoba.
When you respond to the needs around you, however small or simple they may be, you show the love of Jesus and spread His fragrance to those within your reach. Perhaps your elderly neighbor needs a hand with his yard, or a single mom you know could use extra help in some area, or a person in the grocery parking lot would benefit from your assistance getting their groceries into the car. Practical ways to show the love of God are everywhere, especially when our eyes are open to see the opportunities that surround us.
This is the heart of the gospel in action, that we at Home of Refuge practice. We do not only tell people that Jesus loves them. We show them. We show them through food, presence, prayer, kindness, and faithful care. We show them by entering their suffering with compassion and reminding them that their life still matters deeply to God.
Jacoba is deeply grateful for the help she receives. After so many losses and years of difficulty, she now knows she is seen, valued, and loved.
In closing, we also want to say thank you to all who helped us make the Mother’s Day Event a time of joy and blessing for the elderly. We served them cake, drinks and candy, and each one received a gift. Your monthly support keeps this ministry going. As we approach the middle of the year, we ask that you continue to keep the Home of Refuge in your giving and in your prayers.
Grace and peace,
Tony and Rosa Rivera
Home of Refuge International, Inc.