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12-C
Apartado 402, Lima 12, Peru Summer
Tel: 00511-
349 5073
E.mail:- billandjean@bjwilliamson.co.uk No. 45
‘The
lawn is SO green’, says Jean as she sits contentedly in the house to which we
have moved.
‘I
have a great office and can play my own music,’ reports Bill happily, ‘AND it is
so much quieter!’
Wed. & Fridays in Huaycan
are busy. It's 12 o’ clock and over a 100 children,
rucksacks in hands, arrive and begin reading the story books. (How different
from when they used to build castles with them)! We are busy till 5 o’clock, organising lunch, the devotional and homework. Then it's the ladies’ turn for the Wed.
Bible study. Marina, looking weary,
limps in. A widow with 4 children she
was up at 3 am to get to market. Ermalinda,
smiling as she enjoys the coffee & biscuits we provide to encourage
punctuality, says, ‘This is special time, just for me.’ Hilda reports, ‘I can only get to church on
Wednesdays.’ Many husbands object to
their wives going to church and the demands of poverty and large families don’t
make it any easier.
Saturdays 5.30 pm. Fifty adolescents arrive in
‘dribs & drabs’. They brush the floor, dust the tables and prepare water
for hand washing and supper – jobs we allocate to teach them responsibility - and
to help us to cope! Others will stay on
afterwards to check games are complete and clear up. William practices the music for the devotional; laughter and
chatting can be heard all around. ‘More
are attending the older young people’s group & church on Sundays’, says
Miriam happily.
Tuesdays & Thursdays at La
Campiña – Benedicta efficiently takes the
8p for meals, while Elsa & Yulissa supervise the toys. The cooks prepare 150
meals in huge saucepans. ‘Is it possible for me to have a toilet?’ requests one
mum, knowing that 24 are being installed.
(We provide the materials and someone to teach them, they dig the 3
metre pit and do the rest). A dry pit toilet is a vital improvement when there
is little money and no running water or sewage in the district.
Fridays at 3 pm - Another mum comes for the new study group with Jean. Jo, here for a year, prepares special
activities for the 0-6s. Time flies and
eager faces start to appear around the door.
It's 4.30 and time for the new adolescent group. Bill meanwhile is busy back at Huaycan.
María, Sarvia & Luzmilla,* young Peruvians training
to become teachers, are doing well.
Maria, in her 4th year, helps us Tues. & Thurs. at La
Campiña.
She is also learning a lot from
Jo.
*Luzmila, daughter
of a La Campiña committee member, lives with grandmother in a jungle town.
Jo Upson, 35 year old
British teacher, shows the mums educational activities for their children.
‘Please show us how to make the play dough,’ plead the mums. Cream of tarter expensive here, stops it from
being sticky - so if you want to send some, feel free! (Weight under 1 kilo
please).
Bill’s dad Jack, who recently spent a
month in hospital, rings us for a chat.
Weekly visits by friends and daily carers plus the cheap Skype internet telephone
system all help make life easier.
Don’t be
too surprised if we call you too some time.
Thank you Lord for so many blessings.
Updates on people
La Campiña:- Saturnino doing well in a free hospital
run by Roman Catholics, needs a special operation for bedsores that won’t heal.
His face lit up on seeing us. ‘Please have these scarves,’ he said. If you would like one let us know, as we
don’t need six! His wife’s face glowed
with thanks when we gave her bus fare to visit him. Three of her four children
eat in the project.
Norma says, ‘We are
returning to my family in the jungle for a while. There is no work here.’
She has become a bright Christian, regularly attending Bible study. We will miss her and she us. Her husband, like so many here, does not
like her attending church. Pray she will continue to grow spiritually and will
know how to deal with whatever difficulties come. They have 2 small daughters.
Elena Tinco, the abandoned mum with 9 children, is
working and living near where her children are interned. We have been unable to see her in spite of
requests that she contact us.
María Cruz reports worriedly, ‘I can’t find it!’ But she knows the rules - no receipt, no more
help! We think she did buy the medicines,
because one of her six children mentioned, ‘all those pills.’ However, everyone
in the shanty towns knows everyone else’s business – or thinks they do – so we
have to maintain our credibility. When possible we send someone with people to
make purchases. ‘They have terrible fights and swear,’ reports one adolescent
who lives nearby. Not surprising, with a husband in prison, 6 children, poor
health and no money.
Margot prepares chips on an open
fire, on the earthen floor kitchen. →
Huaycan:-
Flavia, seriously ill with cancer, continues
treatment. Her husband needed
encouragement not to give up, but now seems positive. They have 2 small girls.
Alonso continues as
before. Mum, Luz, however, suddenly collapsed and had an emergency operation! Bill arrived at the hospital just as her
distraught husband needed to
pay £30 to allow his wife to leave. (Patients can’t leave until the
bill is paid and each day you stay you pay more. Poor people obviously leave as
soon as possible)! We do not yet know
what the prognosis is. Pray!
So many needs,
so many hurting people! No wonder Paul
says, ‘Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the
Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in
affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need…’ Romans 12 v.11. Please pray we can do this and help others to do it too. The longer we are here the more we know and
love these people and the more we share their pain. Yet it is a joy to see the children & adolescents and people such
as Benedicta, Mirla, Elsa, Yulissa & Norma eagerly learning the memory
verses and growing in the ‘knowledge and love of Christ’.
With our love, Bill &
Jean.
Our weekly
routine for your prayers
Mon - At home - preparation & admin, SIM
prayer meeting, monthly adult meeting in Huaycan.
Tues -
La Campiña feeding/education programme, with committee + Eulalia, Maria &
Jo to help.
Wed
- Huaycan feeding/education with Miriam, Rosa, Nilda, Nélida, Elizabeth
& Bethsaida’s help.
Thur
- Day off, catch up on preparation/admin and life! Occasional visits to Jo at
La Campiña.
Fri - Bill Huaycan, Jean & Jo La Campiña
with adult Bible study then the adolescent group.
Sat - Huaycan adolescents, preparation & admin. of which there often
seems a great deal!
Sun
- Our own church, with some
visits to the churches where the projects are based.
‘You
have mail!’ We send extra bulletins out from time to time. If you would like
these or the prayer letter via e.mail please let us know. Also available for
loan, 8 minute DVD or video of our work.
Write to our Prayer Secretary, stating which is required, the date, your
phone number and a S.A.E. Please note
it should be returned immediately after use.
E.mail:- billandjean@bjwilliamson.co.uk website:
www.bjwilliamson.co.uk SIM
website: www.sim.co.uk
Prayer
Secretary: Mrs. I. Aylin, 4 Ferndown Road, SOLIHULL, W.Mids. B91 2AT
SIM-UK,
Wetheringsett Manor, Wetheringsett, STOWMARKET, Suffolk 1P14 5QX