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.

Cristo Salvador Church

Another note to let you know how the rest of the Puno trip went.

The rest of our time with the 'Alianza Cristiana y Misionera' Church went well. We attended the Sunday morning service and then took the last campaign night that evening. I spoke on the Resurrection, the topic the pastor had selected beforehand for that night. There was a good attendance at the meeting with some staying after to speak with the pastor.

On Monday morning we packed and moved to the Baptist Church 'Cristo Salvador', the next church we were due to work with. During the course of the week we took the midweek meeting, the young peoples meeting/service, Sunday school and the Sunday morning service were again I had the privilege to speak on the Church from 1 Peter. We also visited a local school three times to speak to both the entire of primary and one class of secondary.

The church has two ministries in which it is involved as a means of evangelism. The first is a kinder garden. During the week Roberta and Guido taught English to the 3-4 year old's at the teachers request. This was a bit funny as two of the girls didn't speak to them at all let alone in English. After that Liz and Chris taught them Bible stories each morning. On Friday there was a parents meeting to arrange some activities later in the year. We were invited to deliver an evangelistic talk at this meeting.
The other ministry is a children's home. Sadly there have been some difficulties lately in terms of finance and support. As a result some children have been returned to their relatives. On a positive note other children have been returned after their parents have been reconciled. In the end there are only two boys still at the home and their father is due to take them back in May.
On Friday we took the two boys to a play park near the church but the youngest, Michael, fell and hurt his arm. We took him to the local hospital and after the x-ray was taken the first doctors said it was fine. I wasn't convinced so we waited for the specialist who diagnosed that there actually was a fracture. The boy had a type of plaster cast put on and was due to be reviewed on Monday past, but I haven't yet heard how that went. Please pray that it heals well with no problems. The Pastor and his wife are a bit worried about how the relatives will react to this when they finally manage to get in touch with them.
I would also ask you to pray for the Pastor of the church Ramon Chavez as he is quite discouraged at present about the work of the children's home and other issues in the church. Its a lonely task and very demanding.

On Monday we travelled down to Ilo/ Ite. The journey took about 9 ½ hours, though we stopped for a bite of lunch and some photos along the way. The team and I had a meeting on Tuesday to plan the rest of May and their departure. This weekend they are in Ilo, the following in Moquegua and the following two in Tacna. Each visit is primarily to promote next years team but they are also involved in other activities. Please pray for all the activities planned and for the farewell activities. Pray especially for a retreat we've planned at the end of the month where they have asked me to speak on topics relevant to the team breaking up and returning to their home churches. Pray that the Lord would guide me as to what to speak on and that the time spent together would be beneficial. Pray also that during the visits to the churches God would raise up young adults for next years Mision Rescate team.

God Bless,
Alistair.

Photos of team visit to the old peoples homes

Photos of the team visit to the old peoples home.



The lady who sung the national anthem for us.

We even played some games with them.

Everyone enjoyed the cake and fanta.
Sara with Manuel who made a profession of faith.

Photos of team visit to Boys Home San Juan de Dios

These are photos of the teams visit to the boys home.
Some fun and games.

Learning memory verses

Singing some songs with actions.

Photos of Visit to Girls home Virgin de Fatima

These are photos of the team's visit to the girls home Virgin de Fatima.

We visited twice. In the morning to speak to the primary and adolescents. In the afternoon to speak to the primary girls who were an the school in the morning and to speak again to the adolescents who don't have school or work to go to. We had some meaningful conversations with the girls after the program was over.

Photos of Alianza Church

These are photos of the week spent at the Alianza Cristiana y Misionera church in Puno.

The team and church members on Sunday morning.

Time spent in prayer at the beginning of each service. This is me speaking at the Sunday evening service.

The team presenting their special item or 'especial'.

The team with Pastor Jair at the front after breakfast on the last morning. As you can see breakfast was a tight squeeze!

Arequipa & Puno

Hi, I’m just writing to let you know what we’ve been up to in the last week or more since the last post. On Sunday the 12th the team and I left Ilo and Ite in the morning to travel to Arequipa. We arrived just after 2pm and got settled into a cheap but comfortable hostel. The aim of our stopover in Arequipa was primarily to allow the team to get gradually adapted to the altitude. When they last traveled to Puno all but the driver and Dave Murphy succumbed is some way to altitude sickness.

Arequipa proved to be a good time for the team to relax for two days. There was a lot of fun and we managed to visit the Roycrofts which gave both Andrew and Carolyn and the team a chance to get to know each other a bit better. Whilst in Arequipa I was able to see the doctor who has been treating me so far and she gave me the green light to travel to Puno (which is where I’m writing this from).

On Wednesday morning we departed for Puno. It’s a good road and the journey went well with a few pit stops for the toilet and also to take photos of the scenery and especially a few Vicuñas which were grazing close to the road. They are an endangered species but there is a reserve for them on the road between Arequipa and Puno.

Thankfully no one suffered any major problems with the altitude, just a little nausea which was quickly resolved. So thank you for your prayers in regard to this. We arrived in Puno around 15:30 and after meeting Pastor Jair Ventura, with whom we are presently working, we settled into our accommodation. It’s a little cramped but cozy. Our team consists of the 7 Misión Rescate team members, Freddie the minibus driver who was a member of last years M.R. team and myself. We are also accompanied by Luz Maria the Ite camp centre administrator who has been very helpful. In total that makes 10 of us and thankfully everyone has gelled and are working well together.

Jair is pastoring the Missionary Alliance Evangelical Church here in Puno. Its a difficult task for him so we are more than glad to be able to help in any way possible. He has had plenty of activities lined up for us. On Thursday we visited a children’s home for boys and undertook a “program” to transliterate the Spanish, which means a selection of games, memory verses, a Bible story or lesson and then a quiz based on the story. We had programs both morning and afternoon because in Peru most children go to school either in the morning or the afternoon. So this way we were able to share with all the boys in the home.

On Friday we then visited a girls home which had a bout 70+ girls in total but of very different age ranges. This time we carried out a program for the younger girls and then a separate program for the teenagers. Again we revisited the home to speak to the girls who had been at school in the morning. In the morning Lizbeth spoke to the teenage girls about self esteem and our value in Gods eyes. Some of the teenage girls dont attend school or work for various reasons so in the afternoon Sara spoke to them about Gods love and relationships. After both the morning and afternoon sessions with the teenagers, the girls surrounded some of our team members and initiated very meaningful conversations. These girls have very difficult backgrounds and it was a great opportunity to minister to them in even a very small way.

Today, Saturday, we visited an old peoples home and spent time with them. We sang songs, played not very strenuous games (at least not for the old people) and shared the gospel. We also spent time just speaking to them. Ricardo was invaluable as he was able to speak to the old people in Quechua and translate the gospel message to them as some of the old people spoke very little Spanish.
It was a lovely time and my heart went out to these old people who seem so content despite their basic living conditions. This was the first time I have visited an old peoples home here and to see them content spending their days sitting in the sun to keep warm and doing what they can around the home like working in the gardens or peeling potatoes in the kitchen. While I felt for both the boys and girls in the other homes I felt particularly touched by the old folk who were just so happy to have fun with us strangers. One lady was so impressed with our singing she insisted on singing to us. She stood up and promptly began to intone the Peruvian national anthem. She could only remember the first verse or so and soon began to invent something of her own creation; I couldn’t make out exactly what. We gave out cake and Fanta (hope there weren’t any serious diabetics) and spent almost an hour after finishing our program just sharing with the old folk. After the meeting Sara told me she had led a man called Manuel in the believer’s prayer. Pray for Pastor Jair and the church here as they seek to continue their visits to all these homes, and especially the contact made with a number of the girls who would like to come to the church and also Manuel and the other old people who we witnessed to.

In the evenings from Thursday to Sunday the team are taking the meetings. Thursday night was a Bible study, and then Friday to Sunday are evangelistic meetings. Simon Curry spoke last night (Fri), Guido is speaking tonight and then I’m speaking on the resurrection on Sunday night. Please pray that these meetings would be well attended and pray for all those taking part and especially the preachers as they share the gospel.

I’ll try to get a good number of photos posted of all these visits. On Monday we start working with a Baptist church here in Puno so please pray as we continue planning and preparing for this.

God Bless,
Alistair.