Last week, I went to visit the village of Cafiamarka. It's a long
way from where I live in Abancay. I got up at 5 o'clock to catch the
bus (there is just one bus every day) and we travelled for 6 hours, up
and down steep and narrow mountain tracks. Some of the roads had nearly
been washed away in the rain and once we had to get out and wait while a
tractor came and cleared all the rubble out of the way.
I didn't know exactly where to get off the bus, but there were lots
of friendly people who knew the way, and they showed me the right path.
When I started walking, I had to cross a river - there are stepping
stones but they were underwater so I had to take my shoes off to get
across. It was lovely and sunny so my feet dried again very quickly. I
walked up the steep hill in the sunshine, and met a man taking his 2
horses the other way.
After about half an hour's walk, I arrived at the village and went to
the pastor's house. They were very happy to see me and gave me some
chicken soup for lunch. I went into their garden and helped to pick
peaches and prickly pears. Later on we had a church service in a new
church they have only just built - before that they used to have their
church services in the pastor's house. The church is made of mud bricks
and it doesn't have any windows yet - just square holes in the walls,
and it doesn't have any electricity yet either. The floor is mud and we
all sat round the edges on wooden planks and leaned against the wall.
Last time I visited Cafiamarca, I met an old lady called Anastasia
and her husband Sebastian. He had fallen when he was out working on the
steep hillside and had hurt his back so he couldn't walk. I prayed for
him, but after that I didn't see him again. This time I found out he
got better and was even able to walk to the river and be baptised! God
has not only healed his body but he has also saved him!
In the church, people haven't been taught very much about the Bible,
and some of them can't read. I taught them about Jesus washing the
disciples' feet, and how being saved by him is like having a power
shower and being clean for the first time in your life! But when we
walk around all day little bits of dirt stick to us again... and Jesus
wants us to keep coming back to him to be cleaned of the little things
we do wrong each day.
When I lived in Cambridge I used to do projects about water, so now I
like to speak about water in the churches as well. In Cafiamarca, most
people only have one water tap, and it's outside in the garden. And
the water is not clean enough to drink. Some poeple drink it anyway and
it makes them ill. Other people spend a lot of time fetching wood to
make a fire so they can boil the water and make it safe. So I am
thinking about how I can help them to improve the water that comes to
their taps.
When I got home to Abancay, I realised the bed I had been sleeping in
had fleas in it, and they had bitten me all over. But it was worth
it! I really enjoy visiting people to encourage them and teach them
about the living water that Jesus promises us.
