Meeting the team and settling into village life.
After a good sleep we went for breakfast and met up with Yeni, Mosheh, and Fernanda (our optometrist) — the rest of the team from Arequipa. Yeni had been the dentist last year and we loved her, with her big heart and even bigger smile. We had also met Mosheh, the photographer, in March and last year. He’s very quiet, but along with his photographic duties he always jumps in wherever help is needed — carrying boxes, organizing supplies, or simply lending a hand with a smile.
After breakfast, we set off to church. Vincente planned for us to arrive a bit late, as services often last two hours, and he hoped to slip in partway through. However, Pastor Edgar had other plans — he decided to wait for us before starting!
It was a small but faithful congregation: four women, Pastor Edgar, his son, and a lady leading the singing. The service lasted about an hour and a half, full of joy and sincerity. Afterwards, we shared a traditional lunch together — simple, delicious, but a lot of food.
Next, we went back to the hotel to pack up the van. It took a while — as it usually does — and then we waited about 30 minutes for Pastor Edgar and our translator to arrive. Our taxi driver turned out to be a Christian too, which was a lovely encouragement as we began the long drive.
We finally reached Qquencca village, but things didn’t go quite as planned. The local leader was nowhere to be found, and there were no posters or signs announcing our arrival. The building they had arranged for us was still under construction — open windows, no bathroom, and nowhere to cook. After some confusion and prayerful patience, the pastor found us a place to stay in the church itself.
Our home for the next few days — simple but with everything we needed.
The church had a small kitchen area (basically a fire in a room) and — best of all — a flushing toilet! The plan was to eat and then sleep in the church, but the evening service was scheduled for 7:00. Since supper was running late, we didn’t mind the delay. However, church didn’t actually start until 8:20 and went until 9:30. There isn’t much Bible teaching in this village, so Pastor Edgar decided to begin a new Bible study for Monday evening. I offered that we could entertain the children during that time.
Eventually, we settled down to sleep in the church. It wasn’t exactly quiet — Wilma was beside me, while Pastor Edgar kept chatting late into the night. It was a humble, funny, and very human end to our first full day in the village.
Reflection
Today was a reminder that ministry rarely follows a neat schedule. Plans change, buildings aren’t ready, and yet God provides — sometimes through small things like a shared meal, a kind taxi driver, or laughter in an unexpected place. Shihua may be remote and simple, but the spirit here is open. I can already sense God at work in ways we don’t yet see.