God blessed the yes of His people in Cusco through the start of a campus ministry.

---- Ashly Estrada, From Boston, April 14th, 2025.

The opening night and first large gathering for Red Universitaria took place on March 13th, 2025.

On Sunday, March 9th, Pastor Lena Shrader, National Director of Red Universitario in Peru, explained the need for a bridge between local church and college campuses at Family by Grace (Familia por Gracia) in Cusco, Peru. God stirred the hearts of Crisostomo, Noelia, Jeremiah, Debora, Moises, Bertha, and Maria Ruth. 6 Cuzqueños responded to this need by saying yes to being on the team for Red Universitaria in Cusco. Red Universitaria Cusco (Red U Cusco) is a city-wide campus ministry whose focus is to make disciples who make disciples.

On March 11th, 4 Boston University students helped lead a cultural exchange for students at the Private Institute of Higher Pedagogical Education - Arco Iris in Cusco, Peru. Jeremiah, a local Red U team member, is shown putting two thumbs up.

I was a part of a mission trip in which 4 students from Above the Haze at Boston University gave up their spring break to help start Red U in Cusco. My friends Emmanuel, Jayla, Benie, and I were a part of leading cultural exchange outreaches on two campuses. The first campus we interacted with was the Private Institute of Higher Pedagogical Education - Arco Iris (Instituto Privado de Educación Superior Pedagógica Arco Iris).

At Arco Iris, we held two cultural exchange sessions. Each session took place with a different group of students. The first session took place on March 10th, and the second on March 11th. We would start each session with a game. I had the wonderful opportunity to lead a hot potato game in Spanish during our March 11th session.

We then had group discussions after each game to discuss the differences and similarities amongst our preferences and interests. In the groups that I led a discussion topics included favorite music and artists, favorite/ comfort food, and methods of dealing with stress. Through the topic of dealing with stress, I had the opportunity to share that I have conversations with God in which I talk to him as my friend. We concluded the two cultural exchange sessions at Arco Iris with an invitation to our opening night of Red U Cusco called Compartir Universitario (Collegiate Fellowship).

Amongst the groups I led, lots of students expressed that exercise or being outdoors helped them with stress. As a nutrition and health major, I find that interesting!

4 students from the University Andina del Cusco take a picture with 4 Boston University students.

We also had the opportunity to attend an online cultural exchange through Zoom with students from the University of Andina del Cusco. Most of the students on the Zoom said they are majoring in tourism. Tourism is a prominent industry in Cusco. This cultural exchange was directed by a professor from the university, and she asked us why we were a part of this cultural exchange session. Through that question, we got to mention Red U and invited all the students on the Zoom meeting to our main event- the Thursday night collegiate fellowship!

At Red U Cusco's first collegiate fellowship night, we had the opportunity to share Christ with students from different beliefs or levels of maturity in Christ. We played Simon Says, Bingo, sang and worshipped the Lord, and heard a sermon about the need for Christ from one of the local young adults.

Students play bingo at Compartir Universitario

Three of the people on our Boston University team had the opportunity to share how Christ changed their lives. Benedicte Melle shared how she used to think she needed to reach out to God because he was distant. She then realized that God was the one who has and continues to reach out to her. Emmanuel Segbedzi shared how Christ is the one who has paid the debt of our sins. Aaron Breitenbach (shown on the left) shared that he was transgender for a year, but the Holy Spirit helped him surrender that to Christ. Aaron is the son of my campus pastors, Gene and Lynn Breitenbach, who were also on this spring break mission trip team. There are more contexts and moments of transformation in each of my friends' stories, but I found these three aspects to be the most memorable.

I had the opportunity to translate several times throughout this mission trip, but I found that translating for Benie (Benedicte)'s Testimony on Thursday night to be the most memorable because students with different spiritual beliefs were present there. To share Christ, both in word and action, with college students is of great joy.

Thank you, Pastors Bill and Lena Shrader, for leading our spring break mission teams. Thank you, Elizabeth Dreadan, for working behind the scenes on our trip; the infographics for Red U Cusco's first collegiate fellowship night were beautiful. Thank you to our campus pastors, Gene and Lynn, for preparing a training on discipleship for our 6 Cuzqueñan brothers and sisters in Christ who responded to the need for a collegiate ministry in Cusco. Thank you to all who financially supported me so that I'd be a part of the start of a collegiate ministry in Cusco.

Please pray for Crisostomo, Noelia, Jeremiah, Devora, Moises, Bertha, and Maria Ruth, who are a part of the Red U Cusco ministry team. Pray that God would strengthen, help maintain the revival in their hearts, and provide for them. Pray to the Lord of Harvest that he would send more laborers to the mission field that is the university campuses of Cusco (Matt. 9:38). Pray that many more would be added to the number of college-aged disciples in the city of Cusco (Acts 2:41). Lastly, pray that college students who are and will become followers of Jesus, encounter God's love and worthiness so that they would have a burning desire to disciple others for Jesus. Our family in Christ in Cusco is believing for a move of God amongst college students in Cusco. Let's join them in faith and prayer!