A letter from Jenny Valles in Peru
may 2014
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline—2 Timothy 1:5-7.
Dear friends,
It was just over five years ago that Jed and I first met here in Lima, not long after he arrived to Peru. In many ways our relationship has grown together with the many friendships we have developed with you and our partners here in Peru. To tell our story is to tell the story of a faith we share with you—a faith that binds us together in love. For me, as I imagine for some of you, God’s gift of faith to us is something I first received through my ancestors. My husband Jed and I have so much to give thanks for here in Peru! We begin by sharing with you that I have been formally called to serve as a mission co-worker of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)! I am now officially the site coordinator for the Young Adult Volunteer program in Peru. Jed will support me in this position, just as I will continue to support him in his ministry with the Joining Hands Against Poverty program in Peru.
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Jenny introduces the YAVs to the Joining Hands Network in Peru
I was born in the high jungles of Peru, near the small town of Moyobamba. Our home had no floor, no plumbing, and no lights; but it did have many fruit trees, a river to play in, animals to care for, and love to share. My great-aunt Graciela would tell me that we lived in a paradise. She was right. I learned from her that God is our provider, and I felt fortunate.
Then the terrorists came. They killed my uncles. They stole our animals. They placed fear in our hearts. They made all the families go to the town square, and there they chose the children that they would take with them to war. My parents made me and my brothers hide underneath the beds in our home. My job was to keep my little brother calm and quiet so that the terrorists would not find us. My father, Carlos, told me to never stop praying to God. I learned from him that God is our refuge, and I felt safe.
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Jenny with her Great-Aunt Graciela, her father Carlos in wheelchair, and mother Martha next to him
Not long after the terrorists left, my father had an accident and was paralyzed and could no longer work. I was only 11 years old. I left my childhood overnight to care for my family while my mother looked for work. I had so many questions for God, and God responded to me through the steadfast love and commitment of my mother, Martha, who fought so hard to keep our family together and to put food on the table. I learned from her that God does not abandon us, and I felt hopeful.
When I was 16, after finishing high school, I moved to Lima to help secure a better future for me and for my family. Coming from the jungle to the big city of Lima, I faced discrimination for the first time. I studied so very hard, but no one would hire me because of where I came from. I prayed to God. God responded through the Joining Hands Against Poverty network organized by a Presbyterian mission co-worker. I was the very first Peruvian employee of Joining Hands! This put me in touch with North Americans for the first time in my life.
While admiring the strength and courage of the Presbyterian mission co-workers and other Presbyterians who came to visit us in Peru, I was also exposed to their vulnerabilities, their weaknesses and their challenges. Many of them shared with me not just their hopes, joys, and successes in life, but also their fears, doubts and failures. They showed me that the Presbyterian way of “doing mission in partnership” was something genuine, something rooted in trust, something shaped by love. I learned from them that God's love is big, and I felt powerful.
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Jenny and a volunteer plant seeds at a shelter for women and children in the Andes
In my life my voice has been silenced by terrorism, by poverty, and by discrimination. But because of the faith my ancestors passed on to me, never has the flame of my voice been extinguished. And now, as I live out this faith by doing mission in partnership, I know my voice is not only alive but that it grows bigger and brighter, just as your voice grows, too. May we never forget that our voices grow for a purpose—not to tell my story, or your story, rather God's story. Together we join hands and voices to tell the story of our faith—a story of grace and forgiveness, love and redemption, hope and abundant life for all.
As both Jed and I give thanks for this new calling that God has entrusted to me through the Presbyterian Mission Agency, we also give thanks for you—our friends and family in faith—for your continued prayers, your financial support for our ministry, your courageous voice that grows with ours, and above all for your sharing of the story.
With gratitude,
Jenny Valles (and Jed Koball)
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 57
Read more about Jed Koball's ministry
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Individuals: Give online to E200447 for Jenny Valles' and Jed Koball's sending and support
Congregations: Give to D507513 for Jed Koball's and Jenny Valles' sending and support
