A tanker truck rumbles through a village outside Lima, Peru’s capital city. The truck reaches the center of the town and comes to a halt on the sand-covered street. A worker emerges from the cab, walks to the back of the truck and unravels a hose. He proceeds to funnel water into a series of plastic barrels that line the street.

A 17-year-old girl named Gabriela* lives in this village with her mother and younger brother. Built in the middle of a desert, their home lacks running water, forcing the family to wait for a truck to fill their barrel before they drink, cook or bathe. Because Gabriela’s father abandoned her family several years ago, Gabriela’s mother carries the financial load. Her job as a housemaid barely fulfills the family’s basic needs.

Recently, while trying to rise above her circumstances, Gabriela brought her brother to “Bread of Life,” a Bible program hosted by the Bible Society of Peru. Every morning, volunteers serve a healthy breakfast—often comprised of quinoa, jam, milk and bread—and reflect on a Bible story. The 15-year-old program shares Scripture with 500 Peruvian youth on a regular basis.

“It was thanks to the Bread of Life that I received my first Bible. I read it every day with my family.”

When Gabriela arrived for Bread of Life, a volunteer handed her a Bible—the first she ever owned, a provision from American Bible Society’s financial partners. As she shared a nutritious breakfast with her brother, Gabriela opened her Bible and uncovered stories of hope, perseverance and joy.

“It was thanks to the Bread of Life that I received my first Bible. I read it every day with my family,” Gabriela says.

Even while living in the middle of a desert, they have embraced Jesus’ life-giving water: eternal Life through the father who will never abandon them.

To build on her experience, Gabriela brought her brother and mother to a local church. The family now attends on a weekly basis. Even while living in the middle of a desert, they have embraced Jesus’ life-giving water: eternal Life through the father who will never abandon them.

“But those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life.” – John 4:14 (GNTD)

*Name has been changed