Our trip began at the end of June on a spiritual high with the three day Don't Give Up convention, so how better to finish it of than with a three day stay at Peru Bethel.
To be honest we were excited to be going to Bethel but also a little apprehensive. It's a little over a year since we left our former life at the Australasia Branch. For us as for many others, it was a major mental adjustment. We are loving our new life as regular pioneers but there is a lot of things we still miss about Bethel life, especially the comradery of being part of such a special family, hence the slight apprehension. Would we feel homesick or would we feel out of place? The short answer is; no. The three days at Bethel proved to be the perfect way to finish our month in Peru. We had an amazing time meeting lots of new friends. The Peru Bethel family made us feel so wecome.
Look at this little green oasis in the midst of Lima's dry surrounds.
Hacienda like entrance to the reception.
Morning worship.
Here are just some of the new friends we made.
Alex and Dianna.
We spent some time talking with Chris from the US in the Service Department.
This is Markus from Germany and his wife Abigail.
One of the office and residence buildings.
How do they keep everything so clean and green in this desert city?
This is Kota from Japan, now in Peru Bethel, who took us on an excellent tour.
A courtyard.
The kitchen.
The dishwasher.
The Laundry.
Laundry sisters.
Sister Ruth, 95 years old and sewing without glasses.
The maintanence department including some commuters.
One of the couples just about to attend the latest School for Kingdom Evangelisers.
Anne
Melinda and Todd, missionaries from the USA now serving in Bethel.
Cecillia and Richard; Diana and Alex
Pizza with Alex and Diana.
Next day we discovered how Peru Bethel manages to keep everything so spotlessly clean given that the family, like all Bethels was dramatically reduced last year. Since the reduction, every other weekend a different Lima congregation volunteers to spend a whole Saturday scrubbing and polishing, sweeping and dusting.
Many hands.
On Saturday morning on the way to the field service group we were very surprised to run into Lucia and Santiago doing public witnessing, a couple that we met at the convention.
Lloyd and Kota.
Alexandra using her Spanish presentation at an intercom with Madeline.
This lady accepted a Bible study.
More intercoms and more opportunities to practice Spanish presentations. It's all good until the householder responds...
Just a few of the group that were out in the morning.
And after service with Madeleine and Kota, what could be better for lunch...
...than a good Japanese noodle restaurant meal.
We finished the day with a Spanish meeting at the Bethel Kingdom Hall.
This is Anne and Dominic from England now serving in Bethel.
And Luigi, another of our new friends who made us feel so at home.
Thank you to all of our new friends in Peru, from the convention, in Lima, to Cusco, Arequipa and at the Branch for making our month in Peru so enjoyable. It was everything we hoped and more. We have truly had a fabulous time here.
Was there somthing we forgot to do? I feel like we might have forgotten somthing. Oh yeah, that's it. Machu Picchu. Everybody who comes to Peru goes to Machu Picchu. I knew there was somthing that we didn't do even though we saw all those other inca ruins.
Ok, I guess we will just have to return in 2018!
To be continued...
Lloydnalex
Ps
There is more blog coming. Our day in Santiago Chile.
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