Life in Arequipa is much more pleasant than it was in last year’s lockdown. Sadly, it has opened up more because of economic necessity and less because of improvement in health. Hospitals across the country are full, deaths because of COVID-19 are higher than any other point in the pandemic, and vaccines are only trickling in, so we’re not seeing much of the “light at the end of the tunnel.” Thankfully a big part of Peru’s health and policing personnel have been able to get vaccinated, and they’re currently working on the 80+ years population, but it is slow going. Slow. At one point they were just focusing on those 100 years old or older, so there’s progress I guess. But we constantly have friends and neighbors who know of family members and friends who are suffering. Peru has one of the highest excess death rates in the world and we feel it.
Please join us in prayer for them and as we minister to people in our direct circles. Come, God of Healing. Come, God, reconcile and restore.
Thankfully Peru has opened up to moving around, crossing the borders, driving our own car, going on hikes—all things we are thankful for. Anytime we leave the house it’s with masks, and now if we want to go into any sort of store or shop it’s with a face shield as well. We are still waiting for school to start again in person. Adileen did 3 days in person last year in March, and hasn’t since, and boy does she miss it (and us!! 😳😬). Of course we have the resources and time and ability to help her with her development and learning, but other families don’t. I’m prayerful that by the middle of the school year (August) things might be in a position for schools to open.
We thank God for the outdoor spaces we have to get together safely with some of the neighbors we are closest to. Even just having friends we’re geographically close to—what a blessing. Our friends the Wilkes are still here and we’ve gotten with them a couple times over the last month. We thank God for this friendship, our girls who love playing together, and pray for their mission as a bridge between children’s homes and the government and children’s homes and Christian families. May God work mightily through their ministry, open doors, and prove once again that our God is the defender of the vulnerable, orphaned, and oppressed.
July 28th of this year marks 200 years of Peruvian independence. Peru has a rich, deep, beautiful, dark and fraught history, and its 200th year is no different. There is so much potential and yet so much brokenness. A couple weeks ago they had the first round of election of a new president. I say “first round” because the 18 (EIGHTEEN!) political parties each put forth a candidate. And now the nation is divided because the two candidates who advanced to round two combine for only about 30% of the total vote. So most of the Peruvians we know are as torn as ever on the upcoming second vote, slated for June 6. We pray for peace, patience, hope, and once again that followers of Jesus and citizens of God’s kingdom would do the hard work of loving our neighbors (and enemies!), caring for the marginalized, and building for God’s reign of peace, love, justice, wellbeing, and joy.
We have some exciting news on the HULA: we’re getting a group in July! Most of you know that this is part of our work and ministry here. Katie and I love to teach, love to share our lives and our city with Harding students who come asking questions about God and the world. Our 2020 HULA group’s stay was cut short abruptly, and we cancelled our 2021 spring group. But we’ve designed a shorter, almost 4-week program for late July into mid-August that will be our HULA opportunity for 2021, and then we’ll shift our sights to preparing for a full-length 3-month HULA starting February of 2022. We believe that God created this world with a beautiful diversity, and studying abroad is an avenue through which God prepares students to live and interact meaningfully with people who are different than us. It is intercultural spiritual formation and we’re excited to be part of that again soon. If you know anyone looking for an opportunity to study abroad, we’ve got room for Spring of 2022!
