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.
Renova...
The photo above is of our local baker, where we buy bread each morning.
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.
Thank you for praying! 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.
Please keep us in your prayers….
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”.