On Saturday 17 Feb this was sung quite impressively in two parts by children who had been at the six week summer Holiday Club in Jesús el Nazareno Church in a poorer area of southern Lima, Peru, where Penny is Rector. The Club included English lessons (Penny and the English volunteer Edward, who has now completed his year with us), games and singing, as well as “In Paul´s footsteps” during which they heard 12 stories from Paul´s life and learnt (in Spanish, and to a popular nursery rhyme tune) “Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20 “It is no longer I that live, but Christ who lives in me”. Our prayer is that all these children will one day come to know the reality of Christ in their own lives; of over 30 children who attended at least SOME of the time, only about a quarter have any Christian influence at home. The group included one nine year old whose 15-year old brother died in a “self-provoked accident” (he fell from a fourth floor window) part of the way through the Club, so please pray for him and his family. As for the verse, each month in the Church for the last two years people have been encouraged to learn memory verses which now decorate part of the wall, and there is now a competition to see whether the adults or the children learn the verse better.

The children’s group in Jesús el Nazareno is not the only aspect of ministry with children that Penny has. She continues to write the lectionary-based materials which are nearing completion. These are not only used in Peru but also in other parts of South America, especially since SAMS Ireland organised a workshop last October for Sunday School teachers, resulting in a wider data base of people who receive them. The workshop was (as is so normal now!) on Zoom – a reminder that covid led to the acquisition of some VERY useful tools.

Sadly, in the El Nazareno area as in so many other areas, the communal kitchens are still needed, and we still support some families through the communal kitchens. One of the kitchens decided to organise a Nativity Play outside the kitchen – possibly slightly more authentic than many in the UK when it came to the rustic look. Ten year old “Mary” was certainly very confident as she moved around with 4 month old baby “Jesus” – conveniently her brother, but we did wonder a couple of times if she would drop him.

Meanwhile, the English language is also significant in developments in ministry in Arequipa (700 miles south of Lima), where Juan Carlos spends one week a month. On discovering that there is no longer any English-speaking Christian service in Arequipa, and that the British consul there would be prepared to help coordinate one, there will now be a service on 28 April, with other “occasional” services to be arranged.

For the weeks Juan Carlos will be in Lima, his current ministry as a “floating minister” means that as from March he will be interim Rector of San Juan Evangelista in S. Lima for a period of at least six months whilst the current Rector is away.

Last but not least, the Diocese of Peru is celebrating a Jubilee year this year – it will be 50 years since the Diocese was officially founded. It is also the 25th anniversary of the MU-affiliated women´s group AMA, and the 75th anniversary of the current Cathedral. All in all, a special year, and towards the end of the year there will be celebrations, including the presentation of a book of the history of the Anglican Church here. Juan Carlos is overseeing the production of this book, including the fundraising in order to get it printed.

Thank you all for your support of us over these almost 40 years.

God bless

Juan Carlos and Penny

“Allelu, Allelu, Allelu, Alleluya, Praise the Lord!” - Juan Carlos and Penny