We are thankful for another busy, exciting week (and a half) in Moyobamba!

The major part of our work this week has been a kids club in the afternoons, with sports, crafts and board games. The aim was to get more local children in Lluyllucucha involved in church activities, and it’s been the most wonderful blessing to see it come together. Not only have numbers been consistently high, but there are familiar faces returning each day, and most do indeed come from nearby. A few even asked how they can visit the church! Please pray that they would come, and be ready to receive the gospel.

At kids club, we have also enjoyed making paper chains and friendship bracelets. We have enjoyed playing Uno for four hours’ straight slightly less, although the kids have endless stamina for it!

Annie Soper School welcomed us on two occasions this week – firstly, to lead the younger children in songs during their assembly, and secondly to join the older students in PE. We loved that they start the day praising the Lord with so much excitement.

There have been plenty of opportunities to get stuck into church life. As well as contributing to the service with worship and an Exodus re-enactment, we have joined the youth, young adults, and ladies’ groups. At the ladies’ meeting, it was lovely to hear Beth share her testimony (en Español!), and to introduce them to apple crumble. The ladies made maduros for us – a grilled plantain, filled with peanut butter and cheese. Plantains continue to divide group opinion, but even their most avid fans were less keen on the cheese combo!

We have been treated to plenty of delicious food recently! Again, families hosted us for lunch after church, which meant we leaned how to cook rice Peruvian style – crispy around the edges, and seasoned with salt and garlic. Fredi took us to sample a much-anticipated local delicacy: guinea pig. It was delicious, a lot like roast duck. This led to Nathan, Jacob, Matthew and Amelia sampling some of the hottest chilli peppers in Peru, much to the hilarity of the rest of group, and also Fredi (who was very unbothered by the chillis).

During out mornings off, we have enjoyed seeing a little more of Moyobamba. The young adults have been incredibly welcoming, taking us to the thermal baths on Saturday morning and to the city fair on Sunday afternoon. Although it was afterwards re-christened the “Ring of Death”, we are pleased to report that everyone survived the “Ring of Fire” ride in one piece. A trip to the nature reserve, Waqanki, to see orchids and hummingbirds proved a much more relaxing activity for Tuesday morning.

As a team, we have continued to enjoy our time together – even if that simply means crashing out in the same place! There is a spare mattress left in the communal space that has become something like a sofa for reading, tea-drinking, and group devotional times. Great conversations have come out of devotions led by Jacob, Matthew, Nathan and Juliet, as well as passages picked at random, on the spur of the moment. It is such an encouragement to talk and pray together at the end of the day.

It’s hardly believable that now we have less than a week left in Moyobamba! As we come to the end of our time here, please pray for us:

– that the Lord would move in the children we have been crafting and playing with, and continue to bless the church’s work in Lluyllucucha.
– for health and energy, after a little illness and a lot of tiredness in the team.
– for the upcoming day with a community in the jungle.
– thanks for the continued kindness of the people who have received us here, and for the development of those relationships in the remaining time we have.

For the team’s previous report click here