Getting our Feet Wet in Ilo

These last couple of weeks in Ilo have been very busy ones and also very interesting. Part of adjusting to life in Ilo has entailed furnishing our house. We have spent alot of time running from one furniture shop to another. We have discovered that buying furniture here in Peru is very different from the same in Ballymena! As we enquired abo various things we have been told to come back the next day or in a week and they will have it, as we do this we are often disappointed as the shop is either closed for no known reason or they still don't have the furniture! At times this has proved to be frustrating as we are keen to get settled and begin to have a more active role in the work here.

Aside from settling in to Ilo we have also been getting to know many of the believers in Ilo and Ite, this has been a real encouragement to us and we trust that over time God can use us to be a huge encouragement to them. Alicia has been attending the ladies meeting in Ite on a weekly basis with Christine and has really enjoyed getting to know these ladies. I have been helping out each Saturday at the Camp Centre where there is now weekly work days for the various churches. I also go out to the Camp Centre a couple of times a week with Trevor to help with the year long evangelism team that is currently based there. While there I am able to go on to the mid week meeting or youth meeting at the Ite church depending on the day. Last week I spent two days in Tacna with Trevor as he was looking for materials and equipment for the camp centre. The opening of the centre is Saturday 3rd November. The building work is not yet complete but we will have to be content with this come 3rd November as there is too much to be done to finish off. This week the workers will continue to work on construction, painting, wiring etc and then next week their time will be devoted to cleaning up and preparing for the opening. Fortunately the Gap team have been able to lend a labouring hand at the centre.

Sarah seems to have settled well here in Ilo. We had initially planned to put her in a nursery here as she developed so well and made some good friends in here nursery in Arequipa, however after giving if some thought we decided against this idea. The school year in Peru ends at Christmas time and then restarts in March. We thought that Sarah needed time to settle and adjust to life here before being thrown into another new situation. We felt that one change in March would be sufficient as if we sent here now if would be likely that she would have to change school again in March again as the nurseries here seem to be different from Arequipa. They go up to 3 years and then there is a different school for over 3s. So far it has worked out well, we are enjoying having her around the house a little more and she does not seem to be missing out on the chance to mix with other children or to speak spanish either. God has truly been good.