How difficult is it to get water.

Richar and his family in La Roca

For the last couple of weeks I (Mark) have been helping Richar en La Roca to try and get running water installed in their house and community. We then can start things like mums and tots groups after we can get water, with your help of course!

However, to get water in a shanty town here in Peru is a lot more difficult than you think. Richar and Marianella's community was formed in 1986, and normally 2-3 years later a community is formalised and legally recognised. To be legally recognised means to be

The view from La Roca. (On the right is Richar's community and the other side is a formalised community with legal water and electricity)

able to have legally implemented running water, and electricity, and to have all the rights other citizens have. Richar and Mari now have what is referred to as 'informal electricity' and have to get buckets of water and pay for it from friends from the other side of the road who are part of a legal community. Anna and I want to help start various social action projects in La Roca, but we cannot do anything legally, without water, and we cannot get water until we have this title, and the community is legally recognised. A view of the local community shop with some of the girls who come to La Roca's kids club.

Therefore last Thursday (21st) Richar and i went into the centre of Lima to the offices where shanty towns are legalised and made into formal settlements. When we arrived Richar had all the paperwork he needed, but as has happened many time before the Peruvian bureacratic system was blocking him advancing. I went along with Richar partly to support him, but also help because unfortunately, sometimes Westerners are listened to more readily. After the adminstrator had said this and that, and not been very helpful I explained who I was and he said 'ah yes sir can you sit down there please'. We sat down and 5 minutes later he returned with a phone number which was in another area of Lima and he said 'you need to phone this person, but not till next Wednesday when he returns from training outside of Lima'. I was told there was nothing we could therefore do until Wednesday. I left feeling a bit despondent. Richar and Mari's house in 2005 before the church building was built.

In the church building now

When we left Richar was very upbeat and said how great it was that we had this number. I said 'why don't you ring it then'? He said 'better you, as I'll appear important having a Westerner helping me'. Where they store their water now.

I rang the secretary of this man and she said come in, after I'd explained who I was. We then got a short taxi ride there, and managed to get through security without any problems and went to the 6th floor. We were allowed into the offices and we spoke to the head of 'Cono Norte' or the shanty towns in the North of Lima. He was very helpful and showed Richard exactly what he needed to do, and explained the next steps and what hapened. We left contented. We returned last Wednesday to speak to Julio, the head of 'Cono Sur' the shanty towns of the South of Lima, and after being a little cold, he warmed to us and took some photocopies, of the mountain of paperwork needed, and said he would be waiting for our paperwork. He said on average it takes a month for him to be allowed to go and see the specific community, and then another 30 days for his paperwork to be formalised. Hopefully in 60 or so days we can start the process of getting water in La Roca.

View from the roof

I have found this process really rewarding, yet at the same time a real eye opener. Firstly the authority and influence I have because I'm a foreigner (how different from the treatment of foreigners in the UK) and also the way that people from the provinces (outside of Lima) and from the shanty towns are treated, politely yet not very helpfully.

Watch this space...we will update you as we move towards getting running water in La Roca!

Cheeky Little Monkey

Well whilst Mark has been out doing lots of teaching, visiting administration offices to get legal processes sorted and taking Daniel out to the park, I have been mainly at home, resting and sorting out things for the new baby who is due in October. Daniel was born 2 months early (in fact, tomorrow will be the exact day he was born in my last pregnancy) and so I have been resting lots to try and avoid going into labour early again. Thursday I dug out Daniel's old clothes and the car seat and found that the car seat was all mouldy on top because of the humidity, so yesterday it got a good wash and dry and is like new again. Liliana helped me by ironing the piles of tiny baby and newborn baby clothes today!

Anyway, after putting the car seat back together again I left it on the sofa. After tea, Daniel was very quiet, and when we looked round, he was happily sitting in the carseat beaming!! I think we are going to have to watch him very carefully when the little one is born!!

Retreat

Welcome Coffee

Last Thursday we had the priviledge to have a retreat for the people who work in Ventanilla in our house. We had an amazing time, with food, fun, teaching, worship,

Daniel leading worship?!

and times of just hanging out together. It was a real blessing to be able to serve them, and to be able to pray and share with them. Everyone enjoyed the food, beautifully prepared by Joey (who was staying with us) and Anna. In addition everyone felt they benefitted from my teaching on 'Leadership, who I am in Christ, and the Holy Spirit'.

Teaching times and praying for the teachers.

Joey, Tassanda and her daughter, and Alfredo.

We also this week went to Ventanilla to show it to Joey. As the kids were on holiday we visited the school, before visiting 3 families, and taking them a love offering of food. The woman in the picture above can hardly walk, and has a crooked hand. She was nearly dying a few years ago but she asked God to heal her for the sake of her daughter. When she got the illness several years ago her husband abandoned her, and left her with nothing, but her 2 daughters. She tries to make ends meat by making Picarones (like Peruvian doughnuts, well sort of), but her oven has died. This is another of the people we would love to help with our social action projects. She was so blessed by having foreigners in her 'humble' as she calls it house. They have 1 bed for them both, a toilet next to the bed, and a kitchen. The thirteen year old daughter wishes to work, but we are persuading her to stay until she at least finishes school. This is unfortuantely just one example of many similar situations for the poor in Peru.

UK Team

Last week a team from our church St Thomas' Philadelphia came out. We didn't know most of the team, and they had come out to work with a great charity out here, Agape. Agape, from what I learned, mainly work with families and the kids of abused families. (This is far too common unfortunately) I went with them to the zoo on Independence Day (28th July here), with Daniel. This was madness as everyone from Lima seemed to be there. It was good to hang out with the guys and answer their questions, and talk about Peru. They came round for Paneton (a Peruvian, sorry Italian speciality) and to have a chat with Anna and to see our house. This was also a great time, being able to share about our work and also our adopted country.

Daniel in the ball pool when we ate a traditional Peruvian (french) lunch of Pollo a la braza or rotissiere chicken)

On Tuesday (2nd day of independence) we went into the main centre. In the morning this was completely the opposite to the zoo, as nearly everywhere was shut. We surmised that everyone was at the zoo! I left early from the centre and took 3 of the guys with me, Ben (one of the leaders, who we knew the best before the team came out), Mark and Amy. They came for dinner with us and then came with me to La Roca. This was for me a real kairos time,(signifiant moment of time)as Marianela shared the testimony of the area they lived in, and the social action project they plan to start with our and your help.

Richar, Mari, Richar's mum, Ben, Amy and Mark.

Sorry Ben, but at least Richar and his mum had their eyes open!

Mari would love to start something for Mum's and young children in the area, perhaps developing with time an early stimulation centre. (Like a mums and tots group led from the front with different activities.) However to be able to do this, they need a carpet, toys and training.

However before all this they need to have running water. They now have a bathroom (built when we were here in 2005), which has never been used, as they don't have water or waste pipes in and out. They cannot legally get water, until they have a title deed. This is a real problem obviously, and one that is at the top of the list of proirities for the community. Despite Alan Garcia (the President) promising clean water for all, slow and awkward burecracy has made this impossible for this area. Richar and I are going to go to the offices when they are open later in August to finally try and resolve the problem, which apparently potentially involves sitting in an endless queue to get the paperwork to make this area legal. This is a real key for the area, so those who do, please pray for justice to be done in this area and for the community to get connected up to the mains water supply.

Back to the visit, after Mari had shared, and Richar had chipped in, Ben shared a word about God as our father, they prayed for the guys, and their potential work. It was great for my spanish to translate, both ways!

Richar and Mari's project is one of many that we are looking into getting involved with, hopefully helping to provide capital to start the project which should then be self funding, empowering the Peruvians running it, and benefiting the local community.