Luis Adrian Lopez Siquihua

Birthday: March 8, 2002
Birthplace:  Santa Clotilde de Rio Napo
Current Location: Iquitos, Peru
Date of Baptism: August 10, 2019
Desired Career: Philosophy & Psychopedagogy

Hello, I am Luis. I was born on March 8, 2002; I am twenty years old. I am the 6th of 6 siblings. My father is currently dedicated to fishing, and my family's livelihood depends on it. That, in turn, depends on the state of the rivers. If the river is high, nothing is caught, but if it is depleted, he manages to do some fishing. My father has some education, but my mother does not know how to read or write. Second grade was the last grade of school she completed. She is dedicated to the house.

My goal since I was a child has been to study for a university degree to be able to serve my people. I battled a lot when I started high school, working to be able to buy my school supplies. That enabled me to be able to graduate high school in my beloved hometown. I thank my parents for supporting me and making it possible.

As soon as I finished high school, I did not want to lose a year of studying. A mentor supported me, and I took the general admission exam for college. I managed to pass it that year in 2021. This meant I left my home and traveled three days by boat to attend a university here in Iquitos. There was a long stretch of time, because of the pandemic, that we didn’t have classes. During those times, I supported myself  working in a chicken shop as a potato peeler. As soon as classes started back, I couldn’t work anymore. It became harder and harder to support myself and my education. I like to make children smile, so in 2022, I began working as a clown. It was a job I had also done back home in my past. 

It was still impossible to support myself while in college full time. I could no longer afford my rent and had no place to live. I met a friend at the university, Carlos. He told me about Casa de Reyes and that he lived there. He said it was an organization that supported young men like me, who want to build a future for themselves. I immediately went with him to present myself to the employees and ask if they would allow me to live in Casa de Reyes and be a part of their program. I am grateful to have been accepted! 

I am currently studying philosophy and psychopedagogy at the National University of the Peruvian Amazon. I like music, and I love being in this ministry. I will finish with this, I am a Christian! I was baptized on August 10, 2019. I am very happy to be able to see the hands of God, on occasions where the hands of man cannot, open paths where it is otherwise impossible! 

Disclaimer: Please be aware that the vulnerable testimony is shared with the full permission of Luis, who wrote it himself.