Marino Hautangare stands in the Andes, above an unreached town targeted for evangelism by his ministry.

July 2007 marked a monumental historical event in Peru. Machu Picchu, “the Lost City of the Incas” was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Hundreds cheered and celebrated when the announcement was made worldwide from Lisbon, Portugal. Meanwhile, in remote regions of Peru and without any fanfare, indigenous missionaries are also witnessing wondrous events as they carry the gospel to unreached souls from the Andes Mountains to the jungles of the Amazon.

Witchcraft, alcoholism and idol worship are prevalent, but headhunters and cannibals have also been known to inhabit the land. Catholicism (mixed with ancient rituals and beliefs) was, and still is, an obstacle to the gospel. In the 1980s a communist movement in Peru, known as the Shining Path, turned to violence and its terrorists massacred countless citizens.

Teaching materials provided through gifts form Christian Aid donors.

Earthquakes, drought, floods, mud slides, and rough terrain also make contact difficult. By the grace of God, however, the gospel is now being spread to under-evangelized native ethnic groups and some totally unreached inhabitants of the Amazon jungle by men like Marino Huatangare.

Marino once lived in the jungle of Jaen, Cajamarca, with his parents who were farmers. He grew up in an environment of drinking and fighting. His family played tarot cards looking for oracles. In 1964 a missionary visited Jaen and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many lives were transformed.

In 1965 another evangelistic crusade came to town. This time Marino, who desperately wanted to change his life, gave his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ.