On November 19 three new deacons entered God’s service in Peru. Zoila Navarro from Arequipa who will serve at Cristo Redentor Church, Dimas Guzman who will serve with the Ica team of Bishop Chapman and Marco Gomez who will assist at Jesus el Nazareno in Lima. This was Bishop Mike Chapman’s first “solo” ordination and he handled it like a champ.
The Diocese has decided to set up two ordination dates per year – Christ the King in late November and Petertide at the end of June. This will make it much easier to plan as well as give dates certain for people. Below is a slide show from the ordinations.
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River Baptisms. Did John the Baptist do it this way?
With Spring getting warmer and Summer beginning this month I headed up north to Trapiche along with about twenty folk from Jesus, Fuente de Vida Mission in Collique. They make an annual event of river baptism and a Sunday picnic in the country. I was at the terminus of the Metropolitano by 8:00 am and then was picked up by one of the two combis taking our group.
We went to Trapiche, which is about 40 kilometers north of Lima. where there is a park, picnic area and the river Chillón. The distance is misleading as it is a many potholed dirt road and it took an hour and a half plus – after leaving Lima! Thanks be to God for a careful driver.
As soon as we arrived the group went straight to the river and cleared rocks. They made a small dam so that the depth was sufficient to immerse a person. We tested it out on one of our teenaged boys. It worked.
The four candidates were teenage girls. They white robes over their shorts and T shirts. Jerry and I donned our albs. I did the first part of the service, the questions and exorcism, on the riverbank. Jerry preached on the baptism of Jesus and then, into the water we went. Each girl pinched her nose, we tipped her back. She was fully immersed and I said “Yo te bautizo en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo and del Espiritu Santo.” They came up radiant and smiling. The group on the riverbank enthusiastically welcomed them with applause and hugs into the family of God.
Then to lunch on the grass. My robe and shoes dried in the wind and sun while I napped. The teens went swimming and had the best time while we few adults chatted. We headed home about five in the afternoon. I arrived home both exhausted and energized. It is not often that I get to do this and it felt very primitive, apostolic and real. Somehow not using a font, but standing there in the river made baptism so much more relevant. I was reminded of St. Paul’s words.
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Romans 6:3-6 (ESV)
What a privilege it is to be here. To you who read this – THANKS for your prayers and support. God is so busy here in Peru and using the Anglican Church here in the spread of the Gospel. We are a young, robust and enthusiastic community. Praise God for all his goodness.
Fr. Ian Montgomery, Lima, Peru.
If the format looks a tad odd then it is because I have converted a .pdf file through scanning into a series of photos of the pages so as to get them online on the Amigos del Peru site – keep praying.
