Monday 21 September 2009

Tarata Visit #1

Just another little post so say how yesterday’s visit to Tarata went.

Yesterday we (Chris from the past Misión Rescate Team accompanied me) left Tacna at 8am and travelled up the road to Tarata. It’s mostly tarmac except of where rivers have run across the road during the rainy season and damaged it a bit. The journey only took just over one and a half hours, a fraction of what the journey used to take when it was a dirt road. Tarata apparently is at an altitude of 3080m above sea level, but thankfully neither of us felt ill.
After a quick cup of tea we attended the service. It’s held in a small building beside the pastor’s house but was pretty full by half-way through the service. I had the privilege of preaching and I must say the children in particular were very attentive. After the service we had a brief photo session and then shortly after lunch, headed back down the road again in time to make the evening services in Tacna.
These are photos of the church congregation.

This is the pastor Orestes and his wife Berta who have served the Lord in this town and the surrounding villages for decades.
Please pray for them as they continue serving the Lord in difficult circumstances. They receive little encouragement but continue to faithfully witness in this town. Added to this there have been a few new independent evangelical groups starting works in the town and essentially destabilising their church. These groups tend to come up on Saturday and leave on Sunday and don’t offer a true pastoral support to their adherents, yet they claim to be the ‘central’ or first Baptist witness in the town.

Thanks again for your faithfulness in prayer,
Blessings,
Alistair.

6 comments:

Baptist Missions Shankill Team said...

Great to see Tarata is not forgotten Give my 'saludos' to all - including an abrazo to Gregoria in Ticaco next time you are up Derek.

Alistair said...

Thanks, I will do.

karenemccoy said...

Class to see photos of Tarata and the church there. We visited the church in May and it was the coldest I have ever been in my life! Great church though. I remember at the beginning of the services each member stood up and recited a verse they had learned from the Bible that week! Hope all is well, bendiciones

Alistair said...

Hi, Karen, they still recite their verses. Thankfully I wasn't there in the evening but they did say it has been a very cold winter. I will pass on your regards.

Joanne Greer said...

Hi Alastair, good to see you're still working hard. I take it your career break is lasting a bit longer than originally planned? i enjoy reading the blog. God bless

Alistair said...

Hi, Joanne. The career break is until probably 1st Aprill 2010, which it was always going to be, though I may end up back a bit sooner depending on how things work out. That said I need to confirm it again sometime in October because its longer than an annual year or something to that effect. Hope Africa is going well. I try to keep up to date with your blog too. I'm sure you'll have plenty of stories when you get home.
God Bless,
Alistair.