Ananías Marchena Huamán, an elder of the Payet Adventist Church, lives in the Independencia District in Central West Lima, Peru. With more than 44 years dedicated to serving God and his church, Marchena has supported numerous pastors in their work. His work has been crucial in organizing evangelistic series in tents and in founding new churches in various regions in Lima, including Payet, Tahuantinsuyo A, Tahuantinsuyo B, Víctor Raúl, José Olaya, and Cahuide, among other locations.
Marchena stands out for his perseverance in tithes and offerings. Since last year, he has also taken on the small group leader role. On one occasion, the pastor of his church asked him about rehabilitation centers to visit. Marchena responded enthusiastically: "I know several where we can serve young people! They have all the time to get to know God."
Every Friday, together with David Sanca, the district pastor and Marchena's discipleship partner, Marchena gives Bible studies to 90 young people at the Renacer Rehabilitation Center.
The impact of his work has been noticed: 22 people were baptized in 2023, and as of May 25, 2024, 18 more people have already been baptized. In addition, new possible baptismal candidates for the next evangelistic campaign have already been determined.
One of the phrases that resonates most among the center's young people and that Marchena shares with them is: "God has brought you here so that you can know Him. Through everything that happens to you, there is a plan for your lives." For these young people, Marchena has provided them a sense of encouragement and motivation. Although the results of this hard work will be seen in the future, Marchena's dedication and effort are already bearing fruit.
Marchena is not only a spiritual and administrative leader, but also a mentor and guide who, with his dedication, faith, and the power of the Holy Spirit, has impacted lives and strengthened the Adventist community in his region.
The original article was published on the South American Division Spanish website.
