Jose Bustamante may have been the sector of Arequipa that we had done the least in before the holidays. It'a much more developed and urbanized than our other sectors: Paucarpata & Hunter. Just before the holidays we were able to officially start a cell group at the jungle restaurant. We have 3 teenagers. When we returned after the holidays we showed up and Juanita had forgotten about our meeting, so we left an invitation for the installation service of our new pastor with her father. The new pastor is an answer to prayer and a huge blessing. I'll probably write about that in my personal blog: http://www.journeywithvanessa.blogspot.org/. Anyway, the whole family came to church the Sunday and went to the altar to pray. Since then they've returned and we will continue meeting with them this Friday at the restaurant.
At the end of the installation service we met with Nepthali, a middle-aged dentist that went to a spiritual retreat held by the district and for a while was attending the church in Zamacola...where we live. He had been traveling a bit and hadn't been to Zamacola for awhile and our friend's Gladys & Ruben are no longer meeting with him to disciple him. Zamacola is about an hour away by combi from where he lives in JByR. Our church in Umacolla is much closer and he lives only blocks away from the restaurant. We met with him for the first time last week, learned more about him and the area. He will have 3-4 people with him the next week and is very excited. We won't unite the two cell groups just yet because of the age difference, but it looks as though it's a great start to a small church. Nepthali also lives near a park that will be perfect for a community impact.
We're thinking about teaching English as a way to connect with the community. There are many students that have to learn English in their primary and secondary schools, as well as many students attending institutes. Because the area is upper middle class (for Peru) the tactics that typically work in poorer areas may not be as effective. Join us in praying for the groups that are beginning to grow in Jose Bustamante y Rivero and for future relationships to be built in the surrounding area, as well as our impact event that will be in April.
