Birthplace: My name is Erika Jazmín Carpio Mar. My parents are: Victor Carpio and Marta Mar Caviedes. I am their only daughter but have 7 half-siblings which are: Juan Carlos (40), Oscar (37) Liliana (34), Raul (32), Miguel (30), Paty (28), and Juan Carlos (an adopted brother) (13). I was born on December 30th, 1984 in the district of Callao, in the province of Callao , in the Department of Lima – Peru . 

How I came to know Christ: My family was catholic and they were all baptized although we did not assist mass very often. I lived with only two of my siblings for about 7 years because the majority of them lived with their father. My father is an alcoholic and growing up there was much fighting in my home. My father would come back home and beat my mother which made me furious. I would yell for help to our neighbors and although sometimes they would come to help most of the times no one did. I once watched as my father made my mother bleed by hitting her with a bottle. I was 6 years old at the time. My parents split up many times but would always get back together and this continued until I was 14 and then they decided to split for good. At that time we moved to the city of Quillabamba where we lived for the space of three years. When I was 17 years old and almost finished with high school I attended a Missions Campaign by Bro. Austin Gardner. Although I had already been attending church at the time, I hadn't yet made a decision in my heart concerning my salvation. However at that campaign I heard about the need of people because they were condemned by their sins and when I understood my personal need I surrendered myself to God, and received Him as my Savior. 

How Christ has changed my Life: From the moment I was saved my life has made a great turn. I started feeling bad for the ways that I dressed and especially in the area of music. I worked at a Music Channel with video clips which made it a constant battle for me. I could not do my work with total satisfaction anymore. I felt the need to share what I was feeling and thinking with someone and God then gave me someone. I began to see he was working in my life. I then decided to quit my job and at the same time decided to enroll in my church Institute. I got rid of all my indecent clothes and my life made a complete 360 degree turn. My family backed my decision to study at the Institute. My mother, my younger brother and the family of my brother Raul are actually saved now. They are meeting at the Iglesia Baptist of the city of Lima . There are many unsaved in my family still. I pray for them and especially for my Dad that God would work a miracle in your life. 

My Calling into the Ministry: After having been 6 months at the Institute in my church, and while praying for the possibility of coming to prepare at the Seminary, a group of other young people that had already finished at the Macedonia Baptist Seminary of Arequipa-Peru, I made my final decision to enroll in the lines of that Institution. The Seminary has been a useful tool in the Lord's hands to help me to learn character and discipline in my life. The Lord has put an immense desire in my heart to share the Gospel of Christ to every creature. It is something that must be shared, must be decided, must be taught and over all must be put into practice. It was here also where I met my fiancée and will be married on December 2 of this year. I believe this was one of the purposed that God had for me coming here. 

My Plans for the Future: At the moment my plans are to help with the work that is in Cerro Viejo (in the district of Arequipa) along with my future husband for a couple of years. We are praying about two other places, and one of them is where my future husband is really leaning toward for; is the department of Ancash. This place is very cold but has a tremendous need for the Gospel. One of our goals is to establish Institutes for young people in each of the 13 provinces of this department. That way they can be trained for the work of God. From there, with a firm foundation these could go on to train at the Macedonia Baptist Seminary in Arequipa , Peru .