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The 18-19 million Quechua Indians in Peru, and many millions more beyond Peruvian border, are the descendents of the largest
pre-Hispanic American civilization: the Incas. Begining in Cusco, Peru, this once great civilization conquered vast protions
of the West Coast of what we now know as South America. Their empire spanned from southwest Columbia, through Ecuador, Peru,
Bolivia, parts of Brazil, northern Chile and Northwest Argentina.
Why the Quechua?
Throughout the history of the world, God has revealed Himself by various means to various people groups,
prior to the coming of Christian missionaries. By so doing, He set the stage for evangelistic efforts.
Shortly after rebuilding the Temple of the Sun in Cusco, Pachacuteq, their greatest king
began to question the deity of the sun. He postulated:
- If the sun is all-powerful, why does he follow the same route day after day?
- If the sun is all-powerful, why can he not share his glory with all the people of the world at the same time?
- If the sun is all-powerful, why is it that his glory can be blocked out by a simple created thing like a cloud?
Remembering a dream in which the Most High God revealed Himself to his father as Wiracocha, Pachacuteq called
a meeting of all the nobility and priests. Although most agreed with his assessment, they reasoned that if they revealed this
to the conquered masses that had been enslaved and made to worship the sun and pay taxes the king as descendant of the sun,
there would be rebellion. In the end, worship of the true God was reserved for the elite while the subjected peoples were
forced to continue serving the sun.
The Spaniards completed the first part of the prophecy over 500 years ago…
Today, God is completing the second part: The Quechua are turning to the true God with a passion to take the
good news to the lost!
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