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Peru (MNN) — The land of Apurimac, in Central Peru, is rugged because of its location in the Andes between valleys and sierras. But the name of the region is poetic. It comes from the quechua words "Apu" = God, and "Rimac" = Speak; that means "The Speaking God."
The region's origins remain fairly mysterious, although tribes settling in the area got a reputation in history as rebels and fearless warriors of ancient Peru.
Through one of Apurimac's highest security prisons, an SIM missionary, Allen George, and his Peruvian coworker are seeing God at work through a chess club and Bible study. There are five new believers, and others are growing in their faith.
Each week, the pair go through prison security before setting up the chess boards. After about an hour of play, they go into a study for the prisoners from a book called New Life in Christ. About fifteen prisoners attend each week.
Once a prisoner attends 3 Bible studies, he gets a small New Testament, and after 10 times, he gets a Spanish Bible. The ministry has been well -received; even more people come to the Bible study than to the chess club. Please pray that the outreach continues to grow.