Trujillo Cultural Events

The month of January is a month full of cultural events in Trujillo, Peru ...

This past week, Trujillo hosted the XLVII CONCURSO NACIONAL DE MARINERA (National Marinera Dancing Competition) - an annual event where couples perform the national dance of Peru, called the Marinera. Based on African and indigenous dances, the Marinera also evokes Spanish flamenco dancing with its elegant, swirling motions. The couples wear elaborate costumes and delicately hold handkerchiefs while performing the flirtatous coreography - top performers are awarded colorful handkerchiefs by the judges. For interesting videos, check these out: Peru Mission intern, Annie filmed National Marinera Children's Winners; The Dance: Marinera Trujillana; and Marinera: Passion of Peru (documentary).




Trujillo also hosted the CONCURSO REGIONAL DEL CABALLO PERUANO DE PASO "VERANO 2007" this weekend. The Peruvian Caballos de Paso are a remarkable breed of fine stepping horses whose smooth, natural gait creates a “bounce-free” ride for the “Chalan”, or rider. Each of the hooves moves independently and sequentially, and even swings outward, causing the horse to prance in four/four time - which actually coincides with the rhythm of the Marinera Dance. Therefore, Peruvians proclaim that the horses dance.

We headed out to watch a bit of the competition ourselves. At first, the kids were disappointed because they assumed "dancing horses" meant circus-style horses in tutus standing on their back legs doing a jig. I guess we watch too much Disney. But, once the disappointment passed, we all enjoyed the elegant, majestic gaits of these beautiful creatures of God.

Yet another ongoing cultural event is the 3rd Annual Book Festival of Trujillo - we hope to make it to some of the happenings before it ends on February 4. Caleb Sutton, one of our Peru Mission Team members has already made it to one of the presentations - read all about it here.

January 2007 e-letter

Left click on image for larger view.

IEPP General Assembly

The denomination with whom Peru Mission works, Iglesia Evangelica Presbiteriana del Peru (IEPP), is holding its annual General Assembly and Missions Conference this week in Lima. Christian Missionary Society (CMS) Executive Director, Rev. Roland Barnes of Statesboro, GA, is there, on his 15th trip to Peru. Learn all about it in his "Reports from GA". Please be in prayer for the pastors and elders attending, as well as the Peru Mission Team members and visitors from the USA.

Deyvis & Aracely's Wedding Photos

This weekend we went to Lima for the wedding of friends in the Los Olivos Presbyterian Church, Deyvis Rosales and Aracely Lopez. Bill and Allen were godparents, a custom similar to USA Best Man/Maid of Honor, but with more of a parental role. Hannah was the beautiful ring bearer. Bill also preached and performed the ceremony. We all had a wonderful time celebrating with old friends!

Daniel & Allie are Engaged!

All of SALI and Peru Mission is abuzz with the exciting news...two of our interns, Daniel and Allie, got engaged while visiting their families over Christmas break! We have all been blessed and uplifted to witness the Lord's hand at work and their desire to honor Him in this budding union.
We join Daniel and Allie in praising the Lord - in Daniel's words: "May God bless us all of our days as we seek to honor him together. Praise his holy name who provides for his people and who answers in the day of distress. The Great Provider has provided two children with their hearts’ desires." For beautiful, contemplative, encouraging and exhuberant accounts of their engagent, visit Daniel's blog here and Allie's blog here.

St. Louis Team Working This Week

We have the privilege of hosting a team of 12 folks from Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, MO, for the week. They are focusing their efforts on helping finish out the medical clinic expansion in Wichanzao - sanding wall and ceilings to prepare them for painting, painting, pulling wire for all of the electrical fixtures and outlets, and digging a hole 1 meter x 1 meter x 1.6 meters deep to bury the main ground wire for the building (according to Peruvian code requirements).

The team is also conducting various outreach activities - including a neighborhood English class, which 40 children attended on the first day. Chris Smith, Associate Pastor of Providence Pres., preached at Wichanzao and Larco on the Lord's Day and will teach in the seminary - two sessions on the Doctrine of Vocation and one session on the Life of Charles Simeon.

For daily updates and photos, visit the blog of team member Chris Smith.

Words from CS Lewis

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of the kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously--no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinners--no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat, the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.

The Weight of Glory
C.S. Lewis

Words from Oswald Chambers

"It is Christ . . . who also makes intercession for us. . . . the Spirit . . . makes intercession for the saints . . ." — Romans 8:34, 27

Are we living in such a relationship with others that we do the work of intercession as a result of being the children of God who are taught by His Spirit? We must put a stop to distractions and get into such a living relationship with God that our relationship with others is maintained through the work of intercession, where God works His miracles. God continually introduces us to people in whom we have no interest, and unless we are worshiping God the natural tendency is to be heartless toward them. We give them a quick verse of Scripture, like jabbing them with a spear, or leave them with a hurried, uncaring word of counsel before we go. A heartless Christian must be a terrible grief to our Lord. Are our lives in the proper place so that we may participate in the intercession of our Lord and the Holy Spirit?

My Utmost for His Highest

Oswald Chambers