Blog: Mission in Peru

Every week in the La Victoria neighborhood of Lima, Peru, children who might otherwise spend their afternoon hours alone file into a building called Castillo Fuerte, which means Mighty Fortress. They come for food. They come for music lessons. They come for a place that feels safe when the rest of the city does not. And through the faithful work of the people who serve them there, many of them are coming to faith.

The Southeastern District has been part of supporting this work for years. The May 2026 Peru Foro brought news that should fill every partner congregation with gratitude and joy.

A Field in Full Bloom

Rev. James Sharp, the Regional Coordinator who oversees the Peru mission from Puerto Rico, did not mince words when describing the state of the field after the Foro: this is the best position the Peru mission has been in for many years.

It shows.

On Sunday, May 3, Rev. Dr. Gerald Paul was installed as the newest missionary pastor in Lima. He and his wife Heidi arrive after years of service in Grand Cayman. Born in South Africa, trained at the LCMS seminary in Fort Wayne, and experienced in Midwest congregations, Dr. Paul brings a broad background to a mission field that is ready for new momentum. He is now settled at the San Borja site and already working to build connections in the surrounding community.

Meanwhile, Rev. Rafael Milagres, an alliance pastor from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil, continues his work in the Los Olivos area in the northern part of the city. A third pastoral presence is also on the way: Rev. Tiago Schuambach Caitano, another alliance missionary from Brazil, is completing his studies and is expected to arrive in Peru before the end of 2026. And Rev. Abraham Rosario, the Peruvian pastor who faithfully held the mission together during a lean season of reduced staffing, remains a steady presence across all three sites.

The Children of Castillo Fuerte

The story of Castillo Fuerte is the story of what mercy ministry can grow into when it is planted in the gospel.

In 2024, an average of 20 children attended the program each week. By the end of 2025 that number had risen to 46, and it has held there into 2026. For the first time in the ministry’s history, every staff member is now a member of the Lutheran Church. A music program brings lessons twice a week. And during the May Foro, 8 young people were confirmed in the faith at La Victoria, every one of them brought to confirmation through the Castillo Fuerte ministry.

Now consider Yulenka. She was a child in this program. She grew up within it, stayed to serve in it, and is now preparing to lead it. The woman who has led the ministry for years, Señora Yepci de Muñoz, is transitioning out following her recent marriage, but at Yulenka’s request she has stayed on through the current school year to walk alongside her successor. Yepci makes that journey nearly two hours each way by bus from her home near Los Olivos, and she keeps showing up. Because the work is worth it. Because the children are worth it.

That is the Castillo Fuerte story. And the Southeastern District is part of it.

Looking North

The vision for mercy ministry in Lima is not standing still. Rev. Milagres and the Foro are exploring the possibility of a new Castillo Fuerte location in a neighborhood called Comas, near Los Olivos. A nearby congregation that lost its founding leader is looking for someone to continue a food ministry already serving 25 to 30 children Monday through Friday. A community survey is planned to assess readiness and need. Capital funds donated by Jordan Lutheran in Apex and Bethany Lutheran in Virginia are designated to help make this possible.

During the Foro, word came that an LWML Carolinas District grant had also been approved, through a partnership between Rev. Mike Merker and Margaret White of St. Paul’s Lutheran in Norlina, specifically to support this northern expansion. Good news on top of good news.

For anyone who wants to give toward the long-term facility and church planting needs of the Peru mission, a dedicated fund is in place through the LCMS: PE0003: 65612, Peru Capital Support. Checks may be sent to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Mission Advancement, P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO 63166-6861