by Matt Alexander, V3 staff

More than eight years ago, Ben Lewis packed up his life in the US and moved with his family to Peru. He had just completed his medical residency, but something deeper had been stirring within him for years—a call to serve Latin Americans not just with medicine, but with the love and way of Jesus.

In Cusco and Lima, Ben threw himself into both healthcare and ministry, building relationships, supporting churches, and living out his faith in tangible ways. Along the way, he discovered V3 and joined the nine-month cohort in September 2024—a space that deepened his understanding of his unique wiring and sparked fresh vision.

“I am passionate about Latin Americans forming a Jesus-centered ecclesiology,” Ben said. “The cohort gave me clarity about who I am and how to help others follow Jesus into the world.”

That vision took a personal turn when Ben met a Venezuelan pastor and his immigrant congregation in Lima. The connection felt providential—Ben’s mother is Venezuelan, and something about this community felt like home. The pastor welcomed him in, becoming a person of peace and opening doors to deeper friendships with other Venezuelan families.

Now, Ben and his family are walking with this community at the very beginning of a journey—planting seeds of discipleship, dreaming of what could grow.

“The church can’t just be a sheep pen that keeps people in,” Ben says. “It needs to be a flock, listening to the Shepherd’s voice as it moves through the world. That’s what we’re trying to embody.”

They’re starting small. Quietly. But the grace is unmistakable.

Learn more about V3 Church Planting Movement.