Everyday Peruvian Life

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!