Pat in Perú
Dear Friends February 2010
Almost coming to the end of the second month of 2010 and a letter is long overdue. As I write this our neighbour Chile has suffered an earthquake of 8.8 and there were warnings of a tsunami but thankfully for our coastline there was no significant after effects. We continue to pray for both Chile and Haiti suffering after these natural disasters.
Well Christmas seems such a long time ago and as usual it was a busy time of activities and celebrations in all the churches. Shalom had many blessings and visits and we enjoyed the games, presents, dancing and much more. In Nazareno we had the usual parties and in Señor de los Milagros we again celebrated with the children, mums, teenagers and youth and the community as a whole with a Christmas service.
I then made a complete change and arrived back into the UK on 30th December to move mum into her new flat. My sisters had already got the furniture in and all that was left was to get mum there and unpack. She was successfully installed and we had a family lunch to celebrate on 1st January. It is a lovely flat with two bedrooms and a sunny outlook very near the coast. She is doing incredibly well and it was good to see her so happy to have all her things around her again. We were a bit house bound due to the snowy weather but we had plenty to do with unpacking and sorting, it had been a year since mum was at home before her illness. I enjoyed looking after her and although we were busy it was a good rest for me and lovely to see mum so well and happy. Then it was all change again back to hot and humid Lima.
I expect most of you have heard about the purchase of a property for Shalom. It was incredible and all happened in less that a week before Christmas. Since then things have moved at a very slow pace and we are still in the planning stage. The other week we had a session of drawing and dreaming with the architects who are working with us on the adaptations to the new Shalom centre. We gathered in the current facility to identify what we have, how we use it, what we like, what we don't like and what we lack. Then we did some dreaming for the new premises.....quickly realizing that we would ideally like 2 ground floors!!! But as the architects are specialists in facilities for the disabled we are in good hands to overcome the problems and find good solutions for the building to cater for the needs and abilities of all those who come to Shalom. The day after the drawing session we went into the property with engineers and architects, and men to dig holes, to investigate the foundations and supports. There was a lot of sand around and not much else. The engineer still has to give us more details but we will need to reinforce the building which is not good news in terms of costs but good news in terms that we can change the existing walls and therefore adapt the spaces more appropriately. We have had some change in therapists, Lourdes our physical therapist left suddenly before the start of the January sessions, we have a replacement but she is only with us provisionally and we need to get a permanent replacement and so far we have not found anyone. Also our occupational therapist Teresa is leaving as she gets married next month. Thankfully last week we contacted a new therapist, Soledad, and this last week she has been coming along each day to get to know us and the children she will be working with. So it is difficult to have a new team of therapists so please pray that we can work together well and find a physical therapist soon. It is an important time as we are expecting to grow a lot during this year once the building is adapted and finished. Continue to pray for Luisa as she coordinates things and Nelly, who with Luisa and volunteer Jessica, will be working together in the morning preschool classes which begin this coming Monday 1st March. So far we have 4 children enrolled and hope more will come along. Two of the children who studied with us last year are now to be included in ‘regular’ schools’, which is good.
The church in Shalom is going very well, we have started a Sunday school and we have 6 children so far who come along with their families plus some from the community. Two women from Shalom were also confirmed last November and there are several baptism candidates who are in preparation.
We have two volunteers from the Uk here at the moment. Joanna Musker, here for 6 months through USPG, is working at the Compassion centre at San Juan Evangelista church in Pamplona Baja and Jessica Helyar, here for 4 months through CMS/SAMS , is working at the Shalom project for those with disabilities. Both young ladies are settling in well and getting to grips with the language and the different activities that they are involved in.
Parish life in both Shalom and Nazareno has been very busy. I finally found a few morning slots and have been doing some vacation bible classes with the children in Nazareno. I am grateful for the help of volunteer Jessica especially in preparing the crafts and thankfully she is becoming sympathetic and a collaborator of my recycling and very creative use of resources! The young people from Nazareno have been very busy this summer and have not had time to do much in terms of ministry in the parish. Only 2 young people are on the Diocesan camp this weekend which is very unusual for us, we are usually the biggest group. Please pray for the youth leaders and the youth group which usually meets on Saturday evenings.
In December the Bishop announced a move around of seminary students so they can get some different experiences. Lay Minister Jhonny from Nazareno went off to Villa Maria and Dimas and Manuel arrived in Pamplona. Manuel helps out on Sundays in Shalom and Nazareno and Dimas just in Nazareno as he has another placement elsewhere in the morning. Due to their seminary classes during the evenings in the week they only come on Sundays but it is a help, for instance tomorrow I do not have to preach but have to give them feedback and orientation. We have done some pastoral visits and I am hoping they can come along to the Sunday school which resumes next weekend to help out.
March proves to be a busy month, medical campaign 15th – 19th, visit of a Dr. who is considering mission service here in Peru, visit from Canadian contacts to the Diocese, Diocesan Synod and Easter and on Maundy Thursday my nephew and his girlfriend arrive in Peru which I am very excited about. They will be in Lima during the Easter weekend and then I will travel with them for a few days and see them again after their travels for some more time in Lima. During the Synod on 26th and 27th March we shall have elections for Assistant Bishops. I am on the electing committee and we have had a very busy month of interviews, deliberations and considerations. We still have to get the final list out so please pray for us as a committee this week and the elections during the Synod. This coming weekend we have the World Day of Prayer service, I am in the choir so looking forward to the service on Saturday 6th in our cathedral.
info. and more photos on: http://www.patinperulatest.blogspot.com
Prayer requests:
· Plans for the new Shalom house and the necessary funding
· Volunteers Jessica and Joanna
· New occupational therapist and finding replacement Physical therapist
· Pastoral work Señor de Los Milagros
· Seminary students Dimas and Manuel on placement
· New Sunday school in Shalom
· Start of the Shalom preschool Monday 1st March
· Selection of possible assistant Bishop candidates and elections on 26th March in the Synod
· Medical campaign and the visit of Dr. Cooper to Peru
· Baptism candidates for 3rd April
With much love and many blessings, Pat
Patricia Blanchard Artesanos 150#151, Apartado Postal #116, Lima 33, Peru
email:- pblanchard@anglicanperu.org
Dear Friends February 2010
Almost coming to the end of the second month of 2010 and a letter is long overdue. As I write this our neighbour Chile has suffered an earthquake of 8.8 and there were warnings of a tsunami but thankfully for our coastline there was no significant after effects. We continue to pray for both Chile and Haiti suffering after these natural disasters.
Well Christmas seems such a long time ago and as usual it was a busy time of activities and celebrations in all the churches. Shalom had many blessings and visits and we enjoyed the games, presents, dancing and much more. In Nazareno we had the usual parties and in Señor de los Milagros we again celebrated with the children, mums, teenagers and youth and the community as a whole with a Christmas service.
I then made a complete change and arrived back into the UK on 30th December to move mum into her new flat. My sisters had already got the furniture in and all that was left was to get mum there and unpack. She was successfully installed and we had a family lunch to celebrate on 1st January. It is a lovely flat with two bedrooms and a sunny outlook very near the coast. She is doing incredibly well and it was good to see her so happy to have all her things around her again. We were a bit house bound due to the snowy weather but we had plenty to do with unpacking and sorting, it had been a year since mum was at home before her illness. I enjoyed looking after her and although we were busy it was a good rest for me and lovely to see mum so well and happy. Then it was all change again back to hot and humid Lima.
I expect most of you have heard about the purchase of a property for Shalom. It was incredible and all happened in less that a week before Christmas. Since then things have moved at a very slow pace and we are still in the planning stage. The other week we had a session of drawing and dreaming with the architects who are working with us on the adaptations to the new Shalom centre. We gathered in the current facility to identify what we have, how we use it, what we like, what we don't like and what we lack. Then we did some dreaming for the new premises.....quickly realizing that we would ideally like 2 ground floors!!! But as the architects are specialists in facilities for the disabled we are in good hands to overcome the problems and find good solutions for the building to cater for the needs and abilities of all those who come to Shalom. The day after the drawing session we went into the property with engineers and architects, and men to dig holes, to investigate the foundations and supports. There was a lot of sand around and not much else. The engineer still has to give us more details but we will need to reinforce the building which is not good news in terms of costs but good news in terms that we can change the existing walls and therefore adapt the spaces more appropriately. We have had some change in therapists, Lourdes our physical therapist left suddenly before the start of the January sessions, we have a replacement but she is only with us provisionally and we need to get a permanent replacement and so far we have not found anyone. Also our occupational therapist Teresa is leaving as she gets married next month. Thankfully last week we contacted a new therapist, Soledad, and this last week she has been coming along each day to get to know us and the children she will be working with. So it is difficult to have a new team of therapists so please pray that we can work together well and find a physical therapist soon. It is an important time as we are expecting to grow a lot during this year once the building is adapted and finished. Continue to pray for Luisa as she coordinates things and Nelly, who with Luisa and volunteer Jessica, will be working together in the morning preschool classes which begin this coming Monday 1st March. So far we have 4 children enrolled and hope more will come along. Two of the children who studied with us last year are now to be included in ‘regular’ schools’, which is good.
The church in Shalom is going very well, we have started a Sunday school and we have 6 children so far who come along with their families plus some from the community. Two women from Shalom were also confirmed last November and there are several baptism candidates who are in preparation.
We have two volunteers from the Uk here at the moment. Joanna Musker, here for 6 months through USPG, is working at the Compassion centre at San Juan Evangelista church in Pamplona Baja and Jessica Helyar, here for 4 months through CMS/SAMS , is working at the Shalom project for those with disabilities. Both young ladies are settling in well and getting to grips with the language and the different activities that they are involved in.
Parish life in both Shalom and Nazareno has been very busy. I finally found a few morning slots and have been doing some vacation bible classes with the children in Nazareno. I am grateful for the help of volunteer Jessica especially in preparing the crafts and thankfully she is becoming sympathetic and a collaborator of my recycling and very creative use of resources! The young people from Nazareno have been very busy this summer and have not had time to do much in terms of ministry in the parish. Only 2 young people are on the Diocesan camp this weekend which is very unusual for us, we are usually the biggest group. Please pray for the youth leaders and the youth group which usually meets on Saturday evenings.
In December the Bishop announced a move around of seminary students so they can get some different experiences. Lay Minister Jhonny from Nazareno went off to Villa Maria and Dimas and Manuel arrived in Pamplona. Manuel helps out on Sundays in Shalom and Nazareno and Dimas just in Nazareno as he has another placement elsewhere in the morning. Due to their seminary classes during the evenings in the week they only come on Sundays but it is a help, for instance tomorrow I do not have to preach but have to give them feedback and orientation. We have done some pastoral visits and I am hoping they can come along to the Sunday school which resumes next weekend to help out.
March proves to be a busy month, medical campaign 15th – 19th, visit of a Dr. who is considering mission service here in Peru, visit from Canadian contacts to the Diocese, Diocesan Synod and Easter and on Maundy Thursday my nephew and his girlfriend arrive in Peru which I am very excited about. They will be in Lima during the Easter weekend and then I will travel with them for a few days and see them again after their travels for some more time in Lima. During the Synod on 26th and 27th March we shall have elections for Assistant Bishops. I am on the electing committee and we have had a very busy month of interviews, deliberations and considerations. We still have to get the final list out so please pray for us as a committee this week and the elections during the Synod. This coming weekend we have the World Day of Prayer service, I am in the choir so looking forward to the service on Saturday 6th in our cathedral.
info. and more photos on: http://www.patinperulatest.blogspot.com
Prayer requests:
· Plans for the new Shalom house and the necessary funding
· Volunteers Jessica and Joanna
· New occupational therapist and finding replacement Physical therapist
· Pastoral work Señor de Los Milagros
· Seminary students Dimas and Manuel on placement
· New Sunday school in Shalom
· Start of the Shalom preschool Monday 1st March
· Selection of possible assistant Bishop candidates and elections on 26th March in the Synod
· Medical campaign and the visit of Dr. Cooper to Peru
· Baptism candidates for 3rd April
With much love and many blessings, Pat
Patricia Blanchard Artesanos 150#151, Apartado Postal #116, Lima 33, Peru
email:- pblanchard@anglicanperu.org
posted by Arpillera @ 5:03 PM
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