The Smith Family

My name is Shane Smith and my wife’s name is Vanessa. We have five children (three boys and two girls) and their names are Laura, Joshua, Matthew, Jeremiah, and Bella. I was born and raised in Columbia, MS and my wife was born in Lima, Peru. She had lived in the U.S. from October 9, 2002, three months after we got married. We lived in Foxworth, MS from 2012-2016.

In 2013, I went to an event at a friend pastor’s church in Ovett, MS where many different cultures were represented, a mission film was shown and a female missionary to Moldova gave a speech. After watching the film and listening to the missionary talk, I was very touched and began developing a strong interest in missions. Later that year, I watched a documentary about some missionaries who went to witness to the Auca Indians in Ecuador. Again, I was very touched and for the first time in my life, I began desiring to be a missionary. One Sunday morning, while I was at church, I felt particularly touched by the Holy Spirit. I went to a room to be alone and asked God to allow me to get involved in missions and show me what to do. Near the end of the year, my pastor asked me to go to Mexico on a mission trip with him which would be in March of 2014. I gladly accepted the offer and was very happy that God allowed me to participate in missions. I got a chance to serve and minister to many needy people while I was in Mexico, and it greatly impacted my life! I left Mexico with a deeper understanding about missions and knew for certain that God was beginning to open doors for me to be a future missionary. I did not know when or where at that time. It was not long until God revealed to me that the place where He wanted me to go was Peru. I returned to Mexico in March of 2016 on my second mission trip where I worked mainly in the childrens’ ministry. I was able to get a great deal of experience serving and ministering to children which greatly helped me in our present ministry.

I met my wife, Vanessa, in Peru in June of 2002 and quickly developed a strong bond with the Peruvian people. I have visited there many times since then, and each time I go, I feel God drawing me there for a great purpose. I believe that God allowed me to meet my wife and learn about Peru for a reason, because He knew then that we would serve as missionaries there in the future. He was already preparing us for what was to come.  After much prayer, my family and I decided to obey God’s “call” to be full time missionaries in Chiclayo, Peru. After attending a missions seminar about pioneer evangelism in Mandeville, LA, we believe that God wants us to start introducing the Gospel through evangelistic Bible studies, disciple new believers and possibly plant a church.  While we began our mission work in Chiclayo, we are open to the possibility that God may eventually lead us to other areas to minister and serve. We are open to wherever He may lead us.

We are currently full-time missionaries in Chiclayo, Peru and have been here since August 21, 2016.