Samuel the Tinku Warrior

Tinku is a traditional andean folk dance from Southern Peru and Bolivia. This weekend at their school's international day Samuel and his classes danced the Tinku dance. He looked terrific and really got into the part, we were very proud of him watching him take part in the festivities with the back drop of the fabulous Andean mountains behind him. School events in the UK next year will no doubt be rather different! We are so grateful for the interesting international up bringing Jess and Sam have experienced.

All change again!

Well the Williamsons' big news is that we are leaving Peru and moving back to the UK at the end of the year. We are currently in the process of training up and handing over to local church leaders and in February 2015 Scott will be taking up position as Senior Pastor at Rayleigh Baptist Church.

Anjanette needs to do some exams and retraining before she can work as a GP in the UK again and Jess and Sam are waiting for news about school places. Please pray for us as a family and for Iglesia El Puente our church family in the next few months of transition .

We have had a really happy fulfilled time living and working for the last 6 years in Peru and saying goodbye will be difficult but we know that we are leaving the projects that we have started in excellent hands. El Puente is God's church and he is always faithful to his people. 

First service in the New Building

Well it was a rush to get the windows and doors finished in time but we made it! Iglesia El Puente celebrated our first service in our own building on Fathers' day . We had a wonderful celebration and we are so excited to be in our own building at last. We have the next 2 months to finish off the kitchen and bathrooms and move everything in properly before the official opening but we have made an excellent start and we are reminded that God is our perfect heavenly father who faithfully provides for his children. We were delighted to have some visitors, one of the construction workers came with his girlfriend, we have plenty of space for more seats and hope that more people from the new community will soon be joining us. All through the service it was hard to believe that this was really happening after many years of waiting and planning for this day!

Our Father God really does do immeasurably more than we can ever hope for or imagine.

Enjoy the photos below, the captions may seem a bit obvious but they are important because one of our supporters who follows the blog is blind.

Cleaning and setting out the chairs 

Our first service in the new sanctuary

Pastor Scott preaching

All the dads doing actions to the song "I have so much to be thankful for'

Photo of the church family, about 60 of us in the new building

Getting closer

Today was almost the last move. We moved everything from the bottom floor of the house that we hire for our church meetings in Magisterio to the church office next door to the new church building in Ttio. This week we hope that the windows and doors will be finished since the plan is to move most things next door this weekend to have our first service in the new building on Sunday. There is still much to be done at the new site and we will be moving in with it half finished but never the less we are all very excited and so grateful that El Puente Iglesia has a place to call its own.

What a difference 5 years makes !!

Sam gets the cafe church ready in 2009

Sam paints the new church building 2014

Jess scrubs the floors in the cafe church 2009

Jess prepares to paint the new church building 2014

Well 5 years on and Jess and Sam are still doing D. I. Y on the church buildings. This time we all signed our names and wrote messages on the walls of the new El Puente Church building before  painting it. Five years ago 4 Williamsons did everything by themselves, today 20 members of Iglesia El Puente came together to paint the church building and the verse Jessica wrote on the wall was  Todo yo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece. I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength.

Church planting  has been an amazing family adventure for us all, Sam says that when he grows up he thinks he will probably be part of a church but does not want to make one!

Building Church Community

There has been so much focus on the new El Puente church building recently that it has been fun to have some special church family time together. It has been great to have opportunities to invite friends and family to spend time with our church family in a relaxed setting too.

Celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of church members together

Playing sports together

Dancing together

Eating together

Relaxing together

Learning together

Iglesia El Puente celebrate Semana Santa

Santa Cena ( the Lord's supper) on Maundy Thursday

Scott serves the church members in our home

Singing for the hospital patients on Good Friday

Serving food and singing for the patients' relatives

Morning worship service on Easter Sunday

Children from Iglesia El Puente sharing.