High in the Andes Mountains

By John Stiles

In 1985, Steve and Debi Douglas, with the help of Donald and Vivian Bond, started Iglesia Biblica Bautista in Arequipa, Peru. After three years, the Lord led Steve to approach Daniel Araujo to ask if he would partner with the Douglases in church planting.

Steve mentored Daniel-a faithful church member with a career in managing construction projects-for more than five years until the two men were sharing the responsibility. Eventually Daniel took over the work while the Douglases started another church in a different part of the city.

From the beginning, Iglesia Biblica Bautista was taught to reach out to the lost. They began a mission work high in the Andes Mountains, five hours from Arequipa. Daniel continued pastoring the mother church, but his heart was really to reach out as a missionary to towns with no gospel witness.

Daniel started a Bible institute in his church to train men for the ministry and to give them opportunities for outreach. He shared with them his desire to preach in unreached towns in the Andes. His zeal was contagious. In the past five years, Daniel and the men in his church and seminary have started 14 groups which now are in various stages of church planting.

Daniel Araujo is only five feet tall. Praise God for a small man with big heart for God, and a commitment to reach people in areas forgotten by others.