On Palm Sunday Ian and I attended a mission church, Church of the Ascension, in Surco, a suburban area of Lima. Before the service we paraded around the neighborhood singing and waving palms. People greeted us with smiles and waves.
You get a sense of the worship space from the photos. The service was in Spanish, but I knew some of the words. Having a Spanish/English Bible helped, and the order of service was familiar Anglican.
The photo at the bottom is a group of clergy wives including me and our hostess, Judith Godfrey, wife of Bishop Bill Godfrey. We each shared a bit about ourselves, listened to plans for the coming six months, and then enjoyed tea in the garden behind the Biship's house. Before leaving, we gathered around and prayed for one women who was moving to Belize, and another who was soon to be married to a priest. It was a joy to be a part of a fellowship where women actively minister to women. Prayer ministry is alive and well here, and I have found myself already a recipient of helpful prayers as I struggle with learning Spanish and living in a foreign place. God is faithful and very present here in this church. My hope and prayer is to be able to communicate easily with these new friends. At this point, I am a woman of few words!
Ian and I joined a bike tour on Saturday morning and road along the top of the coast following a guide from Biketour Lima. The bikes were good city bikes that bumped easily up over curbs and across potholes. We stopped along the way for bits of local lore and history, and had lunch at an old hole in the wall place in Barranco. Looking down at the fishing boats, we focused on the pelicans enjoying a resting place. The others in our group were from Norway, Canada and Lima--a fun bunch.
On Palm Sunday Ian and I attended a mission church, Church of the Ascension, in Surco, a suburban area of Lima. Before the service we paraded around the neighborhood singing and waving palms. People greeted us with smiles and waves.
After our four hours of studying Spanish, Ian and I find a local spot for lunch. We order from "le menu," which is the plate of the day, and usually typical Peruvian food. For our first course this day, we had stuffed avocado: palta rellena. I then had a main course of a chop, cold potato and beet salad and rice. There is always rice, even with fries! The bill for both of us is $7. Not bad!
