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Transcript of July2014
Therefore Go…
July 2014
Hi there
Greetings from Andahuaylillas! The Ruiz-Caro family has arrived safe
and sound and with each day we are feeling more and more settled
in our new home.
Thank you so much for all your prayers, for our safe travels, for the
arrival of all our belongings, for us settling in—it really has been
incredible to see how smoothly everything has gone and we are so
grateful for all those who have been praying for us during this time.
Although upon first arriving both Jaime and I wondered what we had gotten ourselves into, we are
growing increasingly fond of this small town and really sense that we are right where God would
have us be.
Andahuaylillas really is very beautiful. Nestled in a valley along the Vilcamayo river, it has a total
population of about 5000 people most of whom dedicate their time to working in the surrounding
farmlands. At present maize seems to be the most common crop, although apparently people are
increasingly starting to farm quinoa.
The town is most famous for the church of San Pedro which stands on the main plaza. Built in the
16th Century, it is known as the Sixtine Chapel of the Andes and is perhaps one of the most ornate
and beautiful churches I have ever seen. Almost every centimetre of the church is covered either
in beautiful paintings or gold leaf decorations. The paintings give graphic descriptions of
Biblical scenes and were used by the Jesuit priests who ministered
here to evangelise the local inhabitants. Because it is so beautiful,
literally bus loads of tourists come into town every morning and
afternoon to visit the Church. In a town that is on the whole very
traditional, it is quite strange to see so many foreigners.
As part of the parish there is also a Ludoteca (a space where
children can come and play educational games, read and do
crafts) where the children from local schools can spend their
afternoons. It Is very similar in concept to the libraries in which I
used to serve in Villa Maria and so I am hoping to start
volunteering there 3 times a week next month. Kai has come with
me a few times and has enjoyed socialising with the other kids.
The daily reality of these children is obviously very different from
Kai’s background and so I am glad that he is going to have the
opportunity to built strong cross-cultural relationships from a
young age.
On Saturday Jaime had a meeting with Ronal, the man who has
been overseeing the growth of our blueberries for us. It would seem
that there is still quite a lot of experimenting that we need to do to
ensure that our blueberries are going to thrive at altitude. We might
try growing a few here in Andahuaylillas to see if they do better.
Jaime also has to travel to the
community that has promised us
the land in Yanaoca to see
whether they are still willing to let
us use it. There is a lot of work to
be done on the Renova front, but
we know that it is a long term
plan that we are working towards
and so we keep pushing on.
Renova... The photo above is of our local baker, where we buy
bread each morning.
Thank you so much for praying for Kai! Jaime and I have been
absolutely amazed at how easily Kai has taken to his new
surroundings, It seems that neither the altitude nor the cold
bother him and he happily spends his days exploring in the
garden or smiling at passers by as we walk about town. It never
ceases to amaze me how a child can open doors and gain favour for the parents. Kai really is such
a source of joy and blessing to our family.
Tomorrow my parents will be arriving to spend three weeks with us here in Andahuaylillas. Please
pray that it will be a special time for us as a family and that God will give them the grace and
gumption to adjust to these new surroundings too.
Please continue to pray for our blueberry project with Renova. May God guide and give us
wisdom to know how to proceed with the acquisition of land and the farming of the blueberries.
Please pray for my involvement in the Ludoteca. The general Catholic sentiment here is quite
against evangelical Christians. I am going to have to be very wise about how I share my faith with
the kids, but am trusting for God for open doors and an opportunity to be a witness for Him from
the “inside”.
Thank you for praying!
Please keep us in your prayers….