The End is in Sight

As we write this we are counting down the number of days we have left at the Language Institute - exactly 4 weeks. It is hard to believe that we are coming to the end of our formal language learning as in many ways we still feel very green to Peru and to the language.

We are very excited about the prospect of moving on to the next step but at the same time I am sure you can imagine that after spending 6 months of intensive language study with our teachers that we have bonded really well with them and become great friends. In many ways it is a disservice to call it a language institute as the teachers have helped us with our cultural adaptation, our emotional health and our spiritual health. We are grateful to God for having met our teachers and for the amount they have imparted to us.

Over the last week we were given a number of exams in the institute. The idea was to identify where we were and what our weaknesses are and then work on these areas over the last month. This has been really helpful to date and we look forward to polishing up a few more weaknesses in the coming weeks. We plan to keep studying when we leave the institute - perhaps a few hours a week so that we can continue to develop. Hopefully when we arrive in Ilo we will be able to find a tutor who can assist us with this.

The plan is that we will move house from Arequipa to Ilo on the 27th of September. Over the last couple of weeks and for the incoming weeks we have been and will be making preparations for our move. Things that we need to organise include transport of our stuff from Arequipa to Ilo. We are also planning on picking up some furniture here in Arequipa before moving as it is generally cheaper here, often of better quality and there is a much wider selection. This last week we were sofa shopping. At home this is a relatively straight forward task, the problem is often that there is too much choice. Here sofa shopping is a different story! It is rare to go into a shop and see the exact model you like here. Rather you must come to the shop with an idea of the style you would like and then from a selection of materials choose your covering, then choose the firmness of the sofa and then they make the sofa for you. It is important when you do this to pick an honest and well-known sofa maker as quality varies. After looking around many shops we have finally come to the point where we are about ready to make a decision. After we place our order we will be able to go and inspect the wood, material and filling for the sofa. To us this is another interesting aspect of the culture that we are being exposed to.

In the next week or ten days we will have to organise the transport of our sofa and other goods to Ilo. At present we believe we have found a suitable house in Ilo but will not hear until the end of August or the beginning of September if it will definitely be available to us. Once we know we can begin making a few more concrete plans and preparing for our impending move.

Our arrival in Ilo will just about coincide with the arrival of a gap year team from Ireland coming to work at the camp centre and in other projects for the the year. We are very excited about this team and look forward to meeting the individuals and working with them.

Once again we thank you for praying for us and know that all our forthcoming plans will be covered in prayer. We really appreciate your prayers and were touched by many people's concern and prayers after the recent earthquake, thank you. The media hype from this tragic event has subsided, however many, many people are still in desperate situations and it will take months and even years to rebuild their homes and their lives, please continue to pray for them.

Earthquake in Peru

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."

Romans 8:22

Last night the reality of the fact that the world that we live in is imperfect and is not our permanent home became much more real to us. At 6:41pm Peru time, Peru experienced one of the worst earthquakes the country has seen in recent times. The quake, now being recorded as having a magnitude of 8.0 shook buildings in Lima and other coastal areas, with the Ica region being the worst hit. At present the death toll has risen to almost 500 but with many people trapped under collapsed buildings it is expected to rise. Some regions are still without electricity, communications and running water while other regions have been cut off from the rest of the country as some major roads have virtually been split in two by the quake.

Fortunately Arequipa and the regions that Baptist Missions work in did not suffer much in terms of damage and no lives were lost in these areas however many of our friends here in Arequipa have relatives and friends in these areas and to date they have been unable to get in touch with them. It is a particularly distressing time for them.

We ask you to pray for the people who have lost family and friends and for others who have lost homes. In one city it was reported that 60% of the homes there had collapsed in the quake. As we watch the news and see bodies being lined up in the streets it is hard to understand this situation, however we would ask you to pray that Peru would realise that this earth is "groaning" and is an imperfect dwelling place for us but that God is building a mansion in heaven for those who trust in Him.

For more information on the earthquake: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6949984.stm

For pictures of some of the worst affected areas:

http://media.elcomercio.com.pe/peruenemergencia/

Holidays Come to an End

Today is our first day of not being on holiday for two weeks. We will resume classes this morning and the thought that we only have another eight weeks of language study left is a huge motivation to get stuck back in again but the same thought also terrifies us! How are we going to manage after language school?!

Our two weeks off from studies were two excellant weeks. The time off enabled us to relax quite a bit and divert from our usual daily routine. During our first week of holidays Sarah was still in nursery and so we had the freedom to do things together each morning in Arequipa, something whihc we have not had for a long time. As anticipated this involved visiting coffee shops amongst some other things.

On Friday 27th July we travelled down to Ilo by bus for a week. In the morning Sarah was required to be in nursery as the children were doing a special presentation for Fiestas Patrias - Peru Day. She had to dress up as a typical Liminian (Someone from Lima). Immediately after Sarah's presentation we got on the bus for the 4 hour journey to Ilo.

Our time in Ilo was very relaxing and very much a holiday, athough we did feel that we achieved a number of things while there as well. On the Saturday morning after arriving in Ilo there was a work day for all the churches at the Camp and conference centre, to help with the building of the centre. For almost three hours I (Dave) shovelled soil into a wheelbarrow so we could bring the foundation of the kitchen up two feet. It was really enjoyable as I was able to converse with many of the other Peruvians who I was working alongside. It proved to be a helpful experience from the perspective of giving me opportunity to converse a little in spanish as well. Unfortunately when I woke up on Sunday morning with aching muscles I did not value the experience quite so much!

We also had the opportunity to talk about some preparations for our move to Ilo at the end of September or the beginning of October. During the week we viewed two houses. One of the houses we really liked and would be very keen to take it. At this point we are unsure whether we will be able to get it but we are praying that if this is not the one then God would provide somewhere else for us. Please pray with us regarding this situation.

Since arriving back in Arequipa we have renewed enthusiam for studying and despite the break seem to have picked up where we left off. We have also began thinking through some of the practical details for our impending move. In the midst of all this we decided we did not have enough to occupy our minds and had a moment of madness and bought a dog. We had our eye on a little golden retriever pup for a number of weeks and eventually gave in as there seemed to be so many good reason why we should! Since buying it and bringing it home Sarah has named it after the Penguin in her DVD - Scamper! She adores the dog and the dog loves her - so much so that it jumps up on her and nearly knocks her over!

Once again we do appreciate your interest in what we are doing here and your prayers are very much valued. Could you please pray that we will continue well to the end of our language course and make good progress and that as we leave we would feel well equipped for the next step. Please also pray for all the plans that will need to be made in the coming 2 months.