When we sat down as a team to reflect on what we wanted to include in this first report, the number of encouragements, blessings, and funny moments that came to mind filled fifteen minutes of conversation – more than this report has space for! God’s goodness has been evident in many ways, and continues to carry us through each day.

Getting to Moyobamba was the first hurdle – and we managed to add a few more hurdles than perhaps expected! Whilst Abigail was held up in Belfast by a flight cancellation, the seven of us flying from Heathrow decided to fill a ten hour layover in Miami with a trip to the beach. It was in attempting to chat with our Uber drivers that we first encountered the difficulties that would be posed by our collective lack of Spanish.

Somewhat bleary-eyed, we made it to Lima, where we were met by Paul Turner, who primed us with a little Spanish vocabulary and some Peruvian snacks. There we also reconvened with Nathan and Juliet, who’d flown in from Scotland. On Tuesday evening, we arrived safely in Moyobamba, and Abigail joined us the following day. The Riveros were there to welcome us into our rooms on the side of the church, as well as Pastor Luis Enrique and his family.

Throughout this week, the kindness and generosity of the congregation at Lluyllucucha Presbyterian Church has staggered us all; we could not have been more warmly welcomed. As well as a meal at the Riveros’ on Wednesday (featuring some delicious tres leches cake, which we were craving for the rest of the week), we were invited to lunch at various family homes after church, giving us the opportunity to try more local cuisine. Receiving a prayer from Pastor Enrique during the service was another touching moment. We have been so encouraged to see the whole church community joining together in hospitality.

Communication continues to be a challenge. We are thankful for all those who are on hand to translate. However, everyone had gotten stuck in with picking up bits and pieces of Spanish wherever we can – even if that has led to a few amusing miscommunications (“Te amo is for LOVERS!” corrected the Pastor on one occasion, firmly)!

Most days so far have revolved around our construction projects. We are building a fireplace and clearing space for a football pitch. Whilst we like to think that we have improved our cement-mixing technique over this week, overseeing it all has been Pedro, whose patience and good humour had been remarkable. 

On Saturday, we got involved with the church’s family fun day. It is amazing how much energy children have – whether that’s for ping-pong, Uno, karaoke, or endless volleyball. In the evening, we had the opportunity to meet the young adults of the church, sing with them, share our favourite Bible verses and teach them the game of “My Chair”, or “Mi Silla”. On this occasion, the language barrier did not get in the way of a lot of (chaotic) fun.

As a team, we are hugely thankful for the ways we have worked and bonded together. Even a disastrous baking session provided occasion for a good laugh, and our evening devotionals have proved a valuable way to close each busy day.

So, we praise the Lord for the past week! We thank Him for the people of the church, and especially for Emma and Fredi Rivero who have guided us so well into this new culture.

Going forward, please pray that:

– we would improve in our communication.

– the fun we are having as a team would continue.

– local people would be open to the gospel, and that we would be able to share it with them even simply by our actions.

– the Lord would bless our work with the children of the neighbourhood; that many of them would hear about the camp, and that they would experience Jesus’ love for them.

For the next report click here