Four Feet in the Andes

Just one more thing...

2006-12-01T04:09:00.000-08:00

We thought that the following might serve as a fitting conclusion to our Peru blog. I was asked to write a short article about our time with Baptist Missions staff in Peru for Irish Baptist Life magazine, and it serves as a pencil sketch of our wonderful time with these folks in the summer. Now this is definitely the last post...

Trying to get a good picture can be a tricky business in Peru. Its not that the light is bad, or that there aren’t plenty of photogenic people and places. It is simply difficult to get a snapshot of the essence of the country, of what makes the culture and the people tick. There are endless options and opportunities: whether the almost lunar landscape of the sierra, the enchantment of condors circling effortlessly on early morning currents at Colca Canyon, the wildness of the mountains around Macchu Picchu yielding to man made terrace and uniformity, or the bright shock of traditional colours and costumes worn by the people themselves. All of these pictures reveal a country steeped in history and open for tourism - but they also conceal other less pleasant scenes. The picture of a man in Arequipa salvaging breakfast from bin bags before the dogs come for their share; the picture of children on the streets of Lima selling goods and performing music or juggling for money at traffic lights; the image of affluence and destitution living as uneasy neighbours in the same city and district. All of these are images we have carried away from our six week sabbatical trip in Peru, each equally vivid and moving in their own way.

Similarly it is difficult to present one picture of God’s work as it is carried on by and among Peruvian people. There are bright spiritual landscapes verdant with the blessing of God, and there are hard and barren places where faithfulness and visible fruit are in no way proportionate. So how can we sum up our time in Peru, what can we use as a snapshot of what we saw and what we learned during our time away? Three pictures will provide a small ‘album’ of our experience, and hopefully stimulate prayer among God’s people for their Peruvian brothers and sisters, and our own missionaries serving among them.

The first image is of people weeping. These are not tears of joy, nor of personal sorrow, but of a community of God’s people gripped by the reality of the faith they profess. The location is Peschay in Tacna, and it is Sunday morning. There has been a full programme in place on this particular day. The assistant Pastor Ramon has preached a stirring message on baptism, following which we have witnessed married couple Pedro and Rosanna publicly testify to their faith in Christ through baptism, in the outdoor tank. Now we stand in a circle outside the church building. We are about to break bread together, and Pedro and Rosanna are going to be welcomed into membership. But before these happy events there must be tears - it is time to reflect on the importance of remembering the Lord. John and Lourdes Brew live among these people, loving them deeply, and serving God faithfully. They explain that this time is known as the ‘general pardon’ where each believer speaks to his or her brother or sister and seeks forgiveness for any offence they may have caused to them. The process takes about forty five minutes, the believers moving around the circle systematically, some with smiles, many with tears – preparing their hearts to remember the Lord, making sure that their worship isn’t mingled with the poison of spite. This is a good image for us to hold in our minds, because it portrays for us something of the simplicity and sincerity of many Peruvians’ faith. These are weak and vulnerable believers just like you and I, subject to the same pitfalls and temptations as we are – but their earnestness and devotion is simultaneously thrilling and heartbreaking.

The second image is of a building site. Compared to the sweeping grandeur of Macchu Picchu or the sun-baked colonial buildings of ‘old’ Lima, it may not look picturesque. But this is a landscape charged with importance and potential. We are now standing on the soil of the Ite Camp and Conference Centre, as Trevor Morrow guides us around the site, showing us the features that are nearing completion, and the areas which are awaiting construction. Whether it is the hard-court games area, the fronton wall (a form of outdoor squash), the well finished accommodation blocks, or the amphitheatre with its seashell ground covering, the visitor can almost hear the clamour of children’s voices which will soon fill this place. Trevor’s excitement is palpable as he explains the vision behind the centre, the aspirations that the board of Trustees have for its use among children’s and disabled groups in coming days, as well as for church retreats. Just over the hill is the village of Ite where Baptist Missions are labouring to spread the gospel. It is not an easy area to work into, with discouragements as well as encouragements, but Trevor and Christine, along with Milagros Tipiani (one of the Peruvian national workers, much prayed for in Ireland) have won respect by the way in which they have conducted their evangelism. Milagros has moved away from family to live in the village among the people, and the residents of Ite can have no doubts that the mission staff care about them and are interested in investing time in the village. One of the evidences they can cite is the aerial picture they get of the camp and conference centre each time they travel down the mountain to the sea. It is Trevor and Christine’s prayer that God will breathe life into this site nestled in the valley, and use it for the glory of His name and extension of His kingdom.

The third picture is of a vacant space on a rooftop. It is not the kind of picture that you would enlarge and place on your wall as a central feature, but this picture is deceptive in its simplicity. If you look at the image for a long enough period you can trace the outline of where a radio transmitter will rest in the near future. You can look beyond this rooftop and make out in faint relief the many other roofs of homes across Tacna where Christ isn’t known. This vacant space will soon be of vital importance to the people of the town – even if they don’t know about it yet. We are, of course, standing on the roof of the radio station, located in Cono Sur, Tacna. Ken Scott is sharing about some of the victories and disappointments they have faced as they labour to secure a license and get Christian programming onto the airwaves. The radio station building is well furnished and, at the moment, sparsely populated, but again its influence will spread far and wide in God’s time. Christian music is being bought up, as are the rights to a varied audio ministry schedule, and Ken and Jeannie Scott along with national worker Blanca Valenzuela are waiting and working for the day when its sound spreads out across the locality.

These are simply snapshots, and only make up a tiny proportion of the images our minds have captured during our six week trip to Peru. We could show you other pictures which are bold and bright with the blessing of God, and still others which are poorly lit showing the difficulties and weaknesses of the Peruvian church. But through all of these individual pictures one overwhelming image emerges – God is at work, using His people in His way for His glory. In the month before we left for Peru the Association assembly meetings carried the theme of ‘A Work in Progress’. This is the label which we place on the front of our album of images and impressions from Peru. Only eternity will show us the full picture of what God has done through His workers in this generation, the generation which has passed, and those which may yet come before Christ returns.

Home safe...

2006-11-16T17:08:00.000-08:00

...and no, it didn't take us three months to travel back to Northern Ireland!! Sorry for the long delay in finishing off our Peru blog. We thought we had left it so late to update the site that things were beyond the point of no return - but some friends have been asking us recently 'when are you going to finish your blog?', so here goes!

Peru was an incredible experience, one which we are still trying to assimilate in many ways. Both of us think about our time in Peru everyday, and still get a quickening of the pulse when we look through our photos. We feel that we learned a great deal about ourselves, the work of mission, and also our ministry back here at home. Our last few days in Lima were occupied chiefly with travelling through the city, and absorbing something of the intriguing atmosphere of the sprawling capital. Andrew preached twice in the seminary church, and the next day we boarded our flights for home. In the providence of God all of our return flights went smoothly and on time. All the more remarkable considering that Heathrow went into a terror alert meltdown the next day. We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who prayed us through our Peru '06 experience. God answered your prayers abundantly.

Would we go back again? Absolutely, and we'd recommend the experience to anyone.

Well, that wraps things up for the blog. If you've followed our journey, and have faithfully checked this site since our return in the hope that we might make good on our promise and do a final update, then please leave a comment and let us know.

In case anyone is wondering, the food in the picture above is guinea pig.

Hasta luego, hermanos!

Everyday Peruvian Life

2006-08-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

One of the real benefits and privileges of our time in Tacna is that it has given us a tremendous insight into the everyday realities of people's lives in Peru. The touristic element of our trip was wonderful, allowing us to scale some of the heights and plumb some of the depths of the beauty of this country. There was, however, a certain feeling of detachment from the lives of those with whom we came into contact.

Spending two weeks in Tacna has allowed us to be present at important moments in the life of the Peschay church, as well as ordinary humdrum days for the believers here.

Sunday past was a day packed with privilege. The believers in Peschay were holding a baptismal service, as well as a Lord's Supper service. This was an important day for Pedro and Rosanna, a husband and wife who were both baptised. The baptism took place in an outdoor tank around which members of the church stood and sang hymns. The two men performing the baptisms were Juan (the main Pastor of the church) and Ramon (the assistant Pastor).

Following the baptisms we all returned to the church building for communion, at which Pedro and his wife were officially welcomed into membership, and presented with certificates.

On Monday we travelled down to Boca Del Rio, the main seaside resort associated with Tacna. Although it is wintertime in Peru and the shops and cafes were deserted, the sun shone brightly and we enjoyed lovely walks along the beach.

Today (Wednesday) we were able to spend some time with Ramon (the assistant Pastor of Peschay church). He works in a full time job as a carpenter, and serves God with his free time. His workshop is an amazing hive of activity, but he gladly took some time out to show a couple of uninitiated gringos the beautiful art of wood turning. He was very patient and forgiving of our ineptitude, and helped make our messes into recognisable pieces of work. It was brilliant to visit Ramon in his place of work, and to see his industry and endeavour to support his family in what are difficult circumstances. What is true of Ramon is true of Juan (the main Pastor) and of the other believers in the church. They work hard with their hands to facilitate their service for the Lord.

Tomorrow (Thursday) we fly to Lima in the evening. We can't believe that we are now entering the last leg of our journey - the time has simply flown in. We're looking forward to spending more time with SIM missionaries in the capital city. Andrew will be preaching on Sunday morning in a Lima church, and then we reach for the skies again on Monday, and head for home.

This may be the last blog entry on this side of the Atlantic (depending on the availability of internet access in Lima), and so we want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have so faithfully visited our site and prayed for us. Don't give up on checking back with us just yet, as we may post again in Lima, and will add more materials and reflections following our return home next week(DV).We're looking forward to seeing many of you when we get back and until then - hasta luego!

Ilo, La Pampa, and Ite

2006-07-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

This week we're in Ilo staying with Trevor and Christine Morrow. It has meant so much to see them again, along with Andrew and Rebecca, and Jenny McKay who's staying with them at the moment. It hardly seems like six years since we were here, and its great to see both Trevor and Christine in good health.

On Saturday Trevor took us down to see the Ite Camp and Conference Centre for the first time. It is difficult to describe how it feels to suddenly be physically present at a place for which you've been praying, and which you've seen so much of in photos. The camp is well under way in construction terms, is in a beautiful location, and is bursting with potential for youth and children's work in South Peru. Last weekend the site had a little bit of a trial run when a team who were visiting from Carrick hosted a weekend for some local young people. It was a real success, and has given Trevor and Christine a little foretaste of how the facility will be used in coming years, God willing. Our photo does no justice to either the scale of the complex, or the sense of latent potential that the site possesses. Managing workers and making plans is a massive workload, but God is lending grace and His name is already being glorified through the project.

Yesterday (Sunday) we worshipped in the La Pampa Church. On our last visit this was a building site, but is now a fully functional facility, with a warm hearted people worshipping within its walls. Thanks to all who prayed for Andrew preaching - the Lord undertook, and we were both made to feel tremendously welcome among God's people. The Pastor of the La Pampa Church is Mario who, along with his wife Herlinda, has been serving here for five years. He is a lovely man, of quiet disposition, who is serving faithfully and showing a challenging degree of pastoral care for God's people here.

Obviously Trevor and Christine's ministry extends beyond the construction of the Camp and Conference Centre. The greater percentage of the rest of their time is invested in the evangelism and church planting work in the village of Ite. Carolyn travelled across with Jenny and Christine to witness the children's meeting. She was so encouraged by the attention which the children displayed, their keenness to be involved and the pleasure they obviously took in the activities.

In the evening we returned to Ite for a gospel service. This was well attended, and again Andrew was encouraged to sense people's prayers as he preached. It is simply amazing to see a work which is pioneering the gospel in this village. It is not an easy area to work into, with discouragements as well as encouragements, but Trevor, Christine and Milagros (one of the Peruvian national workers, much prayed for at home) have won respect by the way in which they have conducted their evangelism. Milagros has moved away from family to live in the village among the people, and the people of Ite can have no doubts that the folks from the mission care about them and are interested in investing their time in the village.

It has been great to witness all of this within the past few days. We're looking forward to the Prayer Meeting and Bible study in Ite tomorrow night, and then will God willing return to Tacna on Wednesday or Thursday.

Our Week in Tacna

2006-07-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts once again, but here are a few highlights of our time in Tacna. We've had a really good week, in spite of Andrew not feeling 100%. We've enjoyed a good variety of experiences, met some lovely people, and been enriched by our fellowship with the Peschay and Cono Sur churches. The picture to the left is of the two Pastors from Peschay, Ramon and Juan - two lovely servants of God. In 2000 we came to know Ramon particularly well and have kept in contact in the intervening period - so it was wonderful to see him in person again.

On Sunday morning we worshipped in the Peschay Church. Andrew preached and many of the believers participated with 'especials' (special singing items). After the church service we shared some food which the brothers and sisters had prepared. These are exciting times for the Peschay Church with the construction of their new church building well under way. They continue to meet in their old building, the rear of which has been cut away to make room for construction work. It was a blessing to walk around inside the site, and imagine what it will be like for them to worship there in the future.

In the evening we attended the Manantial de Vida Church in Cono Sur, at which the director of the Bible Institute brought a challenging message from Matthew 7. The church are looking forward to a baptismal service on Sunday(23rd), as well as a combined youth rally with the other Cono Sur churches on Saturday 29th.

On Monday evening we went along to the Bible Hour at the Bible Institute. It was great to renew fellowship with Ken and Jeannie Scott, and to meet Graham Williamson for the first time. Another highlight was our reunion with Blanca Valenzuela, who was with us in Armagh at the beginning of the year. We were also blessed to meet Luz Maria who will be working at the Ite Camp and Conference Centre in coming days. The Bible Hour 'does exactly what it says on the tin', in that it is an hour's Bible study which draws folks from all around Tacna. It was really well attended, and it was particularly encouraging to see so many young people coming along.

On Tuesday, Carolyn and Yury had opportunity to see the work of a local school in Cono Sur. This was a welcome opportunity for Carolyn to see teaching in a different culture and environment, as well as to get some classroom ideas!!

Football Fever also hit Tacna this week! Many of you showed real kindness in donating football shirts which we have been able to give to brothers and sisters here in Tacna. The sizes ranged from adult to child, and everyone was delighted to recieve their top. We have a clutch of photos to show of the tops with their happy new owners when we return! Tomorrow we hope to travel down to Ilo to spend five days with Trevor and Christine. It will be great to renew fellowship with them as a family, to see the work in La Pampa again, and to be introduced to the work in Ite - particularly the camp and conference centre. We'd value your prayers as it will be quite a busy time with two speaking engagements on Sunday, and one on Tuesday night. Thanks again for all of your support and contact. We're upholding you all at home in prayer as well.

Good Times in Tacna Town

2006-07-15T19:42:00.000-07:00

On Thursday we travelled for 5.5 hours on a hot bus from Arequipa to Tacna. Having enjoyed a tremendous time with Steve and Rachel Peat, and some wonderful sightseeing in Colca and Cusco, we were looking forward to seeing John and Lourdes Brew again. On our last visit to Peru in the year 2000 the greater proportion of our time was spent in Tacna, especially with the church in Pecchay - the area in which John and Lourdes minister.

It was great to arrive at their home, and we were greeted with warmth, friendship and fellowship which made the past six years seem like merely a couple of days. Friday was an opportunity to prepare for a busy weekend and to find our bearings in our new location.

Today (Saturday) was a really busy day with an all day conference/event with the Pecchay church. John and Lourdes daughter Jury and her husband David are in Tacna at the moment also, and we shared with them in the teaching at the event. David opened the day with a challenging message from Philippians 1 on the need to love one aonther and support each other in prayer. Andrew preached twice on the topic of 'Bible Reading and Prayer', while Carolyn and Jury shared with another group on the subject of sharing the gospel with children.

The day was broken up by a most welcome lunch, consisting of traditional Peruvian food cooked in traditional Peruvian ovens. To say that it was delicious would be a disservice.

Tomorrow (Sunday) is another busy day, as Andrew will preach in the morning. Thanks for all of your prayers, and comments. We're glad to now be in the 'swing' of the work, and have once again been blessed and humbled to meet with brothers and sisters with whom we have maintained contact over the past six years. The Pecchay church has a wonderful family environment, and we're delighted to be back here again.

We'll be praying for the services in Armagh tomorrow, as well as for our families and friends.

Four Thousand Words on Macchu Picchu

2006-07-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

They say that a picture paints a thousand words. So here goes...

Long Time No Blog

2006-07-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry that its been a few days since we´ve placed any entries online, but we´ve been up in Cusco and internet access has been a lot more limited than it was down at Steve and Rachel´s in Arequipa.

We´re having a brilliant time, and are looking forward to sharing our photos from yesterday´s trip to Macchu Picchu, which was indescribably brilliant.

Our hotel is a really beautiful place with a great story to tell. It was set up by a Dutch lady named Yolanda Van Den Berg, who wanted to help the street children of this great city. She initially took in twelve boys, gave them a home, an education and a loving family environment. She set up the hotels to fund her work with the children, and this has proven to be a very successful venture - with a second hotel and a couple of children´s restaurants now in operation in Cusco. To find out more about the project and see where we are staying it is worthwhile visiting www.ninoshotel.com

The hotel is a little oasis in the madness of Cusco city. The Plaza de Armas is beautiful, with its red stone construction still glowing with a measure of Spanish colonial pride, but there is a high concentration of street traders in the centre of town - who understandably hope to make some money from the passing tourists on their way to Macchu Picchu. It can be a tiring experience repeating the words ´No gracias´ in a mantra-like fashion so as not to purchase numerous paintings and alpaca goods. This is, however, a low level problem and we´re really enjoying soaking up the beauty of the city.

Today we are looking forward to resting and getting a good bit of reading done. We fly back to Arequipa tomorrow, and then take a bus to Tacna on Thursday. We´re really looking forward to seeing John and Lourdes, and the believers in Pijchay. This will mark the beginning of a busy period of ministry, but it feels like such a privilege to have the prospect of ministering to our brothers and sisters here over the next while.

Thank you for all of your comments, prayers, and best wishes. Hopefully tomorrow night we´ll be able to post some photos of our adventures over the past couple of days.

Enfoque Familiar

2006-07-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

One of the ministries in which Steve and Rachel are heavily involved is Enfoque Familiar, or Family Focus. This is a ministry which seeks to equip the local church to evangelise and disciple children, through the use of quality materials in Spanish, and through mobilising and training workers within local churches.

This morning we had an early start as we went along with Steve to a breakfast he was hosting for local Pastors, in order to highlight the work of Enfoque Familiar and its usefulness for local churches in the Arequipa area. There was a good attendance, and after a tasty breakfast of ham and cheese rolls Steve explained the work of Family Focus, using Powerpoint. There was a bookstall available afterwards, with brilliant resources ranging from Scripture Union materials translated into Spanish, to volumes by our own Sam Doherty in translation also.

Translating and publishing these resources is a titanic task, but this is a vital and God-honouring ministry, and it was lovely for us to be present and to see the dramatic effect which the work of Family Focus is having, and could potentially have on young lives in Peru.

How Great Thou Art

2006-07-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

As believers our theology is acquired through our reading of God's word, and applied through our experience of God's world. This is true of every aspect of our knowledge of God, but none more so than in our apprehension of Him as our Creator. This thought has been ringing through my mind over the past six days as we have been experiencing the beauty and glories of Peru's landscape. Time and again our minds have been drawn to the greatness of our God who formed all of these things.

But as I have considered creation, I've been challenged about how small my view of God can be, and how this can affect my witness to His glory. Whether standing at 2800ft on the peak of Slieve Donard, or at 14000ft in the Andes, I'm challenged as to whether my praise of God is truly based on how great He is.

A quote from scientist Charles Misner in John Piper's Let the Nations Be Glad regarding Einstein's rejection of Christianity has spoken volumes to me -

"The design of the universe is very magnificent and shouldn't be taken for granted. In fact, I believe that is why Einstein had so little time for organised religion, although he strikes me basically as a very religious man. He must have looked at what the preachers said about God and felt they were blaspheming. He had seen so much more majesty than they have ever imagined, and they were just not talking about the real thing. My guess is that he simply felt that religions he'd run across did not have proper respect for the author of the universe."

Living in the shadow of the Andes, or amidst the lushness of Armagh, do I really show proper respect for the One who formed, fashioned and sustains all that I see around me? And more than that, do I truly grasp what it meant for Him not to spare His Son, but send Him to die to take away my sin?

Elvis, our bus driver, had a picture of Jesus sealed into the gear lever of his bus. We have the living Creator God truly sealed within our hearts through personal faith in His Son, and yet I don't think I understand a fraction of His majesty!

May God give us grace to know Him better, to worship Him more fully, and to publish His name more widely.

Of Condors and Canyons

2006-07-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

We have spent an amazing two days touring around the Colca Canyon. This was a trip which Steve and Rachel recommended to us, and we are so glad that we signed up for it. We left Arequipa at 5:00am, and were quickly met with blocked roads and protesters. We wondered for a moment if we were back in Northern Ireland, but quickly found out that it was a strike being conducted by people protesting against free trade agreements with the USA. Our bus driver and tour guide showed great initiative by taking a detour through a shanty town. Once again we were met with more protesters who had strewn the road with boulders to block access. Our bus driver, whose name was Elvis [!], and the tour guide opened negotiations with the protesters. $20 ensured our passage through the protest, and we watched as the boulders were rolled away, and put back into place after we had passed. There is a certain irony in paying $20 to break up a strike against free trade!!

Once out of Arequipa, a long and winding road began to snake its way into the high Andes. We followed serpentine tarmac, which soon gave way to bumpy, hole infested, rubble roads which shook the bones. We stopped for some refreshments consisting of a cup of Coca Mate, which helps with altitude sickness. The coca leaves floated in the cup, but the brew tasted good and certainly seemed to stave off the effects of the high elevation.

Eventually we reached the highest point of the road which was around 14,800 feet. The air was thin and our chests felt heavy, but thankfully these were the only symptoms we experienced. The views were incredible, and the clear blue sky was captivating.

Our hotel was an interesting experience. The rooms were clean and basic, although they were freezing cold. The highlight for us, however, was the ceiling. This drew our attention, not because of its architectural beauty, but because it consisted of corrugated iron, with what resembled coal sacks stretched across to serve as a makeshift suspended ceiling. Once settled for bed, we heard the patter of tiny feet, or should we say the thunder of rabid feet - as a rat scurried around above our heads for the entirety of the night. We didn't sleep much, needless to say. At times he [or she] would scratch on the coal sack materials, making us wonder would we be the recipients of a rat bomb!

Thankfully, however, today was memorable for better reasons. We travelled up the Colca Canyon, and saw condors soaring on the thermals arising out of the 4000 metre gorge. To say that this was immense would be an understatement. These are the kinds of experiences which dreams are made of.

On the way down from Condor Cross we toured through the terraced countryside which is unspeakably beautiful. As we meandered down in the bus we felt that we were entering sensory overload with the azul sky and architectured landscape. The photos really don't do it justice.

Climbing back out of the canyon we were overwhelmed by the privilege of being allowed to see this amazing part of the world. Next week marks the beginning of a busy period of ministry, and its been great to look around us and breathe in God's creation in its depth and beauty.

As we travelled home, across 14000 feet altitudes we read the Scriptures, and marvelled at what God had to say to us from the McCheyne reading plan:

'Thus says the Lord; heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord' - Isaiah 66:1

An Eventful Few Days

2006-07-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

We've been having an absolutely wonderful time in Arequipa with Steve and Rachel Peat, and their children. They've made us feel totally at home, and we're getting a good insight into Peruvian life, both through their experiences and through our own first hand exposure to the realities of the country.

It is often said that Peru is a land of contrasts. This is true geographically, with such amazing contrasts as jungle, sierra and coastal areas. It is also true socially with those living reasonably comfortable lives, and the majority living in poverty. The past few days have given us a good flavour of Peruvian contrasts, and we've enjoyed seeing a variety of aspects of life here in Arequipa.

We really enjoyed going along to the Fiesta Familiar at Amy and Gareth's (Steve and Rachel's two eldest children's) school. This is an open day with various Peruvian dances, competitions and plenty of good Peruvian food. Both Gareth and Amy were involved in dances, and the picture of the three amigos in today's post shows just how vivid the colours and fashions are in traditional Peruvian dress. We also got to sample some Peruvian food with chicharron [deep fried pork and picante sauce], antecucho [heart on a stick], and salchi papas [chopped sausage and chips]all on the menu. See Andrew's happy expression in the picture to the left [he's definitely wasting away isn't he!].

Yesterday we worshipped in Steve and Rachel's church. The church is largely middle class, and we felt surprisingly at home with such features as a Powerpoint projector and a praise team!

This provided a sharp contrast to the childrens work in Ciudad de Dios [City of God], a shanty town about 20kms outside of Arequipa. We travelled up to the area in the afternoon along with Steve, Amy, Gareth, and a young person from the church named Nicholas. Here there was abundant evidence of poverty, and we enjoyed playing games with the children, before Steve led the 'Good News Club' style meeting. The children gave good attention, and it was a challenge to see this other side of Arequipa life.

Today, we went to the SIM Missions Team meeting along with Steve and Rachel. We met all of the other missionaries working in and around Arequipa, and spent a couple of hours in prayer and Bible study. This was followed by some shopping with Rachel in the centre of Arequipa, and a beautiful lunch in Steve and Rachel's home. The dish [pictured with a more than happy Carolyn on the left] is called Atomotada, and is quite simply delicious.

Tomorrow we head up to the Colca Canyon [the second deepest in the world] and look forward to sharing more pictures following our trip, God willing. Please pray for continued safety in travel, good health, and God's blessing.

Finding Our Feet in the Andes

2006-07-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just thought that we would drop a wee line to let you know how we're getting on. We arrived in Lima last night [Friday] at around midnight home time, and 1735 Peru time. We had a brilliant night's sleep, from about 8:20pm to 7:00am, so that has seen off a good bit of our jet lag.

We caught our flight at Lima this morning, which left on perfect time at 11:25am, and we landed in Arequipa just before lunch time. Steve Peat came to collect us at the airport, and we have spent the afternoon relaxing - with a lovely walk to the Mira Dore which is a look out tower right across the city of Arequipa. The mountains are amazing, with Misti the volcano dominating the skyline. Tomorrow promises to be a busy day with church services etc. We'll keep you posted with more details soon.
Thanks for everyone's prayers.

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

2006-06-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

We've now managed to put together a (fairly) finalised itinerary for our time in Peru. If you'd like a copy then please send us an email (our address is given on the side bar to the right of this page), and we will mail one back to you. We would value as much prayer as possible.

"A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps"
Proverbs 16:9

Bookworm Without Portfolio

2006-06-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I enjoy most in life is reading, and one of the things I love about reading is the library of books which God has graciously given to us at home. There's a sense of real freedom in going along the shelves and picking a book to read a section or chapter from at will.

This works very well until it comes time to travel...

Every year I have an internal debate when going on holiday as to which books to bring and which to leave. Its usually a difficult decision when we're going away for a week, but now that we're looking ahead to almost 6 weeks leave in Peru, I'm completely stuck!!

So I've narrowed it down to a few, the logic operative behind the choices is that some of them will double up as books which Carolyn will enjoy as well - with a few exceptions. The shortlist (if it can be called that) looks a little like this:

Biblical Theology - Geerhardus Vos

Let the Nations Be Glad - John Piper

In the Shadow of the Almighty - Elizabeth Elliott

Total Abandon - Gary Witherall

Elijah - A.W. Pink

Summary of Christian Doctrine - Louis Berkhof

A Troubled Journey - Faith Cook

I Dared to Call Him Father - Bilquis Sheikh and Richard H. Schneider

That's what it looks like so far...no doubt it may get a little longer as I sneak a few other volumes into the suitcases. Just don't tell Carolyn!!!

Finalising Details

2006-06-07T05:10:00.000-07:00

Its amazing how time flies! We've been planning our trip to Peru for around two years, and suddenly our departure is three weeks away. There are so many fiddly details to get in place, and we've been using the little bits of free time we have to get as much sorted at this stage as we can.

Thankfully, many of our arrangements are now in place. We've been so blessed by the help of folks on this side of the Atlantic, and on the opposite side, who have made our plans a reality. Internal flights are now booked, a firm itinerary is in place (email me if you'd like a copy sent to you), and we're both good to go. Now all we have to wait for are the final few weeks to fly by!

Steve and Rachel Peat

2006-05-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

We're really excited about spending the first week of our trip with Steve and Rachel Peat in Arequipa. We stayed in the city on our last trip in 2000, but didn't have opportunity to see God's work there. Steve and Rachel have a very full ministry with a wide remit of responsibilities including bookeeping, children's ministry training, camps, English Bible studies, and work with Family Focus, to name but a few.

We've included Steve and Rachel's website address in the link panel on the right. Their site is really worth a visit as it not only contains great information about their ministry, but also some stunning pictures of Arequipa - a sample of what we'll be seeing in around a month's time.

We're really grateful to them in allowing us to see their work, and the work of others in Arequipa City.

Some Fast Facts from the Lonely Planet

2006-05-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we got our copy of the Lonely Planet guide to Peru. Here are some fast and fascinating facts about the country:

Population: 28 million

Adult literacy: 90%

Peruvian potato varieties: almost 4000.

About 50% of Peruvians live in poverty.

Coca is cultivated on 46,700 hectares - enough for 150,000kg of cocaine (although much of it is actually used for legal chewing and tea-making).

Coca leaves are about five times more valuable, by weight, than coffee beans.

In Lima, one vehicle in seven is a taxi.

Football Fever!

2006-05-27T03:01:00.000-07:00

Its hard to avoid the topic of football at the moment. Whether its the boy wonder Walcott or Wayne Rooney's dodgy foot, World Cup stories have taken the headlines by force.

Anyone who is at all familiar with South America will know that it is a continent which is passionate about football. The picture above is of Peru's national home kit, and while the country is not in the World Cup finals it will be an interesting experience to be in South America during the big games.

But this post is not really about football. Anyone who knows us will know that we're not massive fans! Instead we have a plan for our trip which ties in nicely with the World Cup. During our time in Peru we are hoping to be involved in a variety of activities, but a predominant theme will be children's work. Tomorrow morning I will be launching an appeal in church for any of the children who attend to donate their old football tops for us to take with us on our trip. We're hoping to be able to give these to a number of the children with whom we will be working, and feel that it will forge a nice link between our home church and the churches in Peru. We hope to take pictures of the children who receive shirts so that the children in Northern Ireland who donate can see their old top on a new friend in Peru.

And so...if you have any old football tops (international, national, local or training tops) all contributions would be gratefully received from children who attend our church. Just bring them along on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night, and we'll see that they find a new and loving home!

In Praise of Plodding

2006-05-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Gary's comment on our first post (below) is so fitting. It coincided with me beginning to read S. Pearce Carey's biography of William Carey. Since childhood Carey has been a hero to me, and its so refreshing to reread the life of 'the father of the modern missions movement' - particularly in the light of our forthcoming trip.

A quote from Carey just yesterday morning really touched me. It shows the humility which lay behind the greatness of this man of God, and touches on a theme which God is challenging me with at the moment - perseverance and finishing well in the Christian life.

'I can plod and persevere. That is my only genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything'

As we consider going to see the work of mission first hand in Peru, we're looking forward to witnessing the dynamic effect of those who are persevering and plodding in the service of their Master. Carey's 'only genius' reaped rich rewards, and is most definitely worthy of imitation!

Andrew

A Geography Lesson

2006-05-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

This is a broad-brush map of Peru. Over the next few weeks we'll share some information about the country, as well as some of our plans. The main areas we will be working in are the captial city Lima; Arequipa (approx 8000 feet above sea level); as well as Tacna and Ilo on the coast. The 'Rough Guide' website listed on the links side bar can be searched (under South America) for more detailed info.

Peru Plans

2006-05-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

We're now on the final countdown to our sabbatical break in Peru, and thought it was high time we put info online for anyone who may be interested in following our progress. This will be a journal of our last five and a half weeks of planning and preparation, and subsequently of the five and a half weeks we hope to spend in Peru. Please keep calling back, leave a message in the comments section, and pray for us during our time away.
We can't wait...and are looking forward to sharing our experiences with you!!