It certainly wasn’t how we would have planned the start of our trip to Peru. March 31st we were leaving for Dublin and on to Atlanta, Lima, Tacna and finally arriving in Ilo, South Peru on April 2nd.
Before we left I called with my dad in hospital and with my aunt in another hospital. Both had been poorly for a number of weeks. Dad had a pacemaker fitted but a prolonged period of serious infection had left him weak and with little appetite. It seemed the wrong time to be going but we felt our responsibility toward David, Alicia and Sarah and believed we should go ahead with the journey.
Before we left I called with my dad in hospital and with my aunt in another hospital. Both had been poorly for a number of weeks. Dad had a pacemaker fitted but a prolonged period of serious infection had left him weak and with little appetite. It seemed the wrong time to be going but we felt our responsibility toward David, Alicia and Sarah and believed we should go ahead with the journey.
Another strange aspect of this ‘mission’ trip was the absence of a team of 15 or 16 people to look after, just Bobby and I going to visit David and family and their fellow missionaries, and to see the work they are doing there.
Our flights went well and we arrived as scheduled in Tacna where David met us. Almost immediately we went down with infections. The hectic weeks of January, February and particularly March had caught up with us and we were bound for an enforced rest. For more than a week we did very little but found ourselves sleeping quite a lot – it must have been really exciting for David and Alicia to see us again!
Our flights went well and we arrived as scheduled in Tacna where David met us. Almost immediately we went down with infections. The hectic weeks of January, February and particularly March had caught up with us and we were bound for an enforced rest. For more than a week we did very little but found ourselves sleeping quite a lot – it must have been really exciting for David and Alicia to see us again!
The Port of Ilo
Of course we did recover and were able to see first hand some of the work Irish Baptist missionaries are doing in Peru. In Tacna there is a theological seminary and a radio ministry to the local area. The Valley Azul Camp Centre is located at Ite. This centre has been under development for a number of years and they now have a well equipped facility for youth, family and church camps and for ministering to various groups, including pastors and church workers.
Based at the camp centre is the first short term evangelism team, ‘Mision Rescate’. Comprising of four young people from Ireland and nine from Peru, they have been helping run camps at the centre and have assisted local churches with special outreach and evangelism events. Another addition to the camp centre is the ‘Amazing Journey’, this will be used to reach school age children both at the centre and in churches and schools.
So there is a lot going on for David and Alicia now they have teamed up with Trevor and Christine Morrow, together they coordinate and run these ministries at the centre. They also work with a small group of believers in Ite town, trying to teach, encourage and support them.
The Morrow Family
We have often encouraged the parents of young missionaries to visit them and so to better understand their lives and ministries abroad. This trip was our opportunity to do that, to encourage and show our support for David & Alicia as they serve the Lord in Peru.
A Few Days in Arequipa
