Retreat & Farewell

Hi. Since I last wrote we (the team and I) have visited Tacna and then headed on to Mejia (a seaside town) for a sort of retreat. The time in Tacna went well with lots crammed in. We visited the 'Pan de Vida' church and took the Young Peoples meeting on Saturday night and the Sunday School the next morning. We also participated in the main service. It was a useful visit to encourage the members there. Also while in Tacna we visited John and Lourdes Brew's home for lunch. The team have been regular visitors (I think this was at least the fourth visit) and they had accompanied Lourdes to Puno at Christmas time to give out presents. As such the team have become very fond of Lourdes and John and we spent a lovely time together.
Whilst visiting Guido was spotted working at the light fittings. I assure you he was changing the light bulb and not appropriating any removable items to help finance next years team.
We headed to Mejia on Sunday afternoon and stayed until Thursday (yesterday). It was a great time spent together and a lot of fun. The talks were shared, some almost two hours long (sorry) and seem to have been well received. We managed to visit Mollendo and Matarani, two nearby ports that missionaries used to arrive at when they came by boat. The fun included a bonfire (with the required marshmallows) on the beach along with crab chasing by torchlight.

Others almost got stuck trying to climb in and out of an abandoned boat now turned into a type of monument in Matarani. Not to worry, if he hadn't succeeded in getting out again we could have simply launched the boat into the sea and told his parents to expect him home in 4-6 weeks.
Tonight the team have taken part at the young peoples meeting in Ite. Sadly it seems the footballers in Peru have gone on strike and the game that was due to happen tomorrow (see previous post) seems to have been called off, but we won't know for sure until tomorrow, as usual in Peru. On Sunday there is then the farewell activities and no doubt many tears. The Irish pair and I are then due to travel on to Tacna for the flight to Lima the next morning.
Please pray for the team as they split and the emotional time this will no doubt be for both the team members and all those who have got to know them over these months. Please also pray for safety in travel for all the team but especially Simon and Roberta as their travel schedule is very tight. Lately LAN Peru, the airline flying us from Tacna to Lima (and has a monopoly on the route), recently has unexpectedly been cancelling and delaying flights. This could throw the existing travel arrangements into chaos if the flight is cancelled or postponed too long.

Thank you again for your interest and faithfulness in prayer,
Alistair.

Visits & Ties

Hi, sorry its been so long since my last post but I've been both busy and away from the internet a lot.

To get you right back up to date with things, since Puno, the 'Misión Rescate' team have been visiting churches to promote next years team along with getting involved in all the usual activities. The first weekend they visited the Baptist church in La Pampa here in Ilo. Among many other things like Sunday school and youth meetings they helped the ladies with a 'Picaronada'. Picarones are like dough rings (sometimes made with sweet potato) which are fried and then served covered in a type of honey. The ladies group were doing this to raise funds so the team took a load to the market and sold them there. Apparently some of them turned out to be quite the salesmen.

The following weekend they visited the church in San Antonio in Moquegua. I was only able to visit on the Sunday which coincidently was Mothers Day here in Peru. Again a great time was had by all and old friendships continued.


In between visits to the churches some of the team members have been working at the church building site in Ite.

Last weekend was then spent in Tacna visiting both the 'Palabra de Vida' church in an area in Cono Sur called Vinani and then also the 'Luz de Vida' church. I accompanied the team on this trip and both visits were very enjoyable. Its good to make contact with the young people in all these churches.

On a more personal note I've never tended to be a shirt and tie person but due to the fact that I was intending to participate, be it briefly, during the service on Sunday morning and speak a little about the team I though I might as well wear a tie and look a bit more the part. In fact it turns out that this church only have an all age Sunday school in the morning and leave the service to the evening. However, on our account they had convened a brief 'culto' or service to give us an opportunity to promote the team. The young lady leading however, due to the fact I had a tie etc on, presumed I must be intending to preach and proceeded to invite me to share the Word. I hadn't even an old sermon on me let alone anything prepared. Thankfully having promoted the team we were able to bring things to a close without me having to submit those present to my uncoordinated ramblings. I'll have to think twice before getting too dressed up in the future.

During the visit we were also able to visit the Radio and promote next years team there, live to the whole of Tacna and beyond. Almost everyone got interviewed and I had my first experience of being interviewed on radio.

Simon Curry was even coaxed into doing the 'Pollo Chevre' live on air accompanied by some of the other team members. I don't know what its called in English but its something like the crazy chicken and involves singing a song while flapping your arms and legs. How this was going to be transmitted effectively over radio I'm not sure, but Simon encouraged those listening to use their imaginations.

Wednesday Sara, the team co-ordinator, and I spent five hours driving round Tacna handing out the promotion material to a list of Pastors we had been given. Trying to find some of these men was a difficult task and by the end I felt like a detective chasing down leads. Often Pastors live on site at the Churches but in the case of those who didn't we had to ask neighbours who then told us where someone belonging to the church lived who in turn gave us an address of where the Pastor had a shop or lived etc. Thankfully we only have three more Pastors left to contact when we visit Tacna again this weekend.

I would ask you to pray firstly as this is the teams last church visits. Pray as we then go to Mejia for a short retreat to finalise the team. They have asked me to prepare some talks which are relevant to the team ending. I've spent a lot of time over the past two/three weeks preparing five talks. Please pray that they would be what God would have me share with the team, and that they would be an encouragement to them.

The following weekend then ends the team. On the Saturday there is an inauguration of a new football stadium in Ite. We hope to attend this both for the occasion and also if possible as an evangelistic event. Invited to play are the top team in Tacna called 'Bolognesi' and perhaps the team top team from Arequipa called 'Melgar'. What's more exciting is that the council have arranged for the Bolo team to stay at the camp site for two nights. The prospect of this has caused great excitement among the team (particularly the girls). Pray that this would be an excellent opportunity to witness to these players and their entourage.

The farewells are scheduled for Sunday the 31st. That night Simon, Roberta Sherlock and I then head for Tacna for an early flight Monday morning. They then fly out to Ireland late Monday night/early Tuesday morning. Please pray for all the farewell activities and the emotional time that it will undoubtedly be. Also pray for their safe travel home to Ireland. Pray also for the Peruvian team members as they return to their families and face the anti-climax they are already dreading. Pray as I try to maintain contact with these individuals in the months ahead and as they settle back into their churches, something some of the team are worried about.

Thank you again for all your prayers.
God Bless,
Alistair.