Let me tell you about my day yesterday. We were up bright and early because we had a lot of things that we wanted the group to experience.

Peru is certainly a land of contrasts. The previous morning we had all witnessed the majestic splendour of the high snow-capped mountain known as Hauscran as we flew back from Hauraz in the small plane.

Today we travelled to Peurto Belen and witnessed what must be one of the saddest places on earth. What a contrast between the beauty of natural world and the sheer ugliness of a contaminated environment. I’ve been trying to work out which is the worst: the sheer hell of living in a place like the Atacama desert where over a million people try to scratch out a living on the parched dusty dry land where there is very little water and work is scarce; or to live in Belen surrounded by contaminated water that is dangerous to drink.

For me it’s an academic question.For the people living in these places there is no choice, it is equally academic. However it impinges on their dignity as a human being. Surely in this world no one should live like this? Yet millions who live in the world’s shanty towns do.

Clean water is a major factor in bringing about a changed environment in both these places. It is important that we as a Trust don’t forget about the underlying causes of much of the poverty and disease.

We made our way to the medical centre in Belen erected by a generous donation from Lloyds TSB Foundation Scotland. Here in this clinic up to 40 or 50 people are treated daily. The centre seeks to work on close harmony with the other two governor sponsored clinics.

Belen is a shanty town built on the sewer that flows out of the city of Iquitos. It has two parts to it Upper Belen and Lower Belen. Our clinic is in the heart of lower Belen. At this time of the year the water rises in the lower part of the settlement. The people move around on little dugout canoes. It all looks very picturesque until you look closer and realise the water all around the houses is untreated sewage. About 66,000 people live in this community 26,000 of them are children. The death rate is high. You don’t see many older people, life expectancy is not very high.

It is from this shanty town built on a sewer that Union Biblica in partnership with the Vine Trust run a free health care service seeking to help over 100,000 people in this part of Amazonia.

Today as we visit there is a medical team from various parts of the UK who have arrived to help augment the work that is being pioneered by a group of dedicated Peruvian medics. This team under the leadership of Vanessa Bone (a Peruvian who is married to Martin Bone who hails from the UK) is seeking to develop realistic strategies to help improve the health of those who live in this area.

After visiting the centre it was back on the canoes again and we headed to the market to get an opportunity to see how many earn a living. Have a look at these pictures. The woman making the turtle soup was using the shell of the turtle as the pot to boil the soup. Another woman was eating a bowl of soup with the claw of the turtle on the plate to add flavour — I think!

I took this picture of the policeman who escorted us through the market. I guess he was seeking to do a bit of crime prevention. It was on to the bus for a visit to the Casa los Tigres. This is a centre which seeks to feed and educate children and thus prevent them from being put on the streets by a mother. We heard a few stories which I will relate on the blog over the next few weeks.

From the Casa Los Tigres we headed off to pick up a wooden thatched boat go make our journey to Puerto Allegria to meet up with the 30 children who have now made this jungle oasis home.

Once again take note of the contrasts. Here in this peaceful settle 30 little boys have been given a shelter a home and parents to look after them.

As I come to the end of this my sixth trip to Peru I am amazed at the work that has been accomplished. There is still much more to be done but what has been achieved acts as an incentive to us all that we can achieve even greater things if we continue to live and grow in the Vine.

Finally we arrived in Iquitos tonight. Here we are in the Jungle after an eventful day of flying. Huascran is the highest mountain in the Peruvian Andes and earlier this morning I was able to take this picture from the small twin engine air craft flying at 26,000 feet.

It is absolutely breath taking. The psalmist was right when be said, the heavens declare the glory of the Lord

Reflecting on the visit to Kusi it is such a contrast to the heat of the jungle. A number of the party felt the results of the high altitude,but on returning to sea level they all seem to be on the mend.

Today was one of those travel days. When we arrived back from Kusi it was around 11.15am we had to wait around the airport for the flight to Iquitos which was not due to leave until 4.15pm.

This was an interesting flight we encountered turbulence which was a bit scary. But hey  we’ve survived to tell the story. The  guy sitting next to me started to make the sign of the cross the woman sitting next to Paul Clark started popping pills. She told him she was on a short visit to Iquitos but she had decided to make Iquitos her home. She said she’d never go up in a plane ever again. I think it was the scarest moment of my flying experience

This evening I was nearly robbed but for my quick thinking and speedy hand. A wee lad in blue jumper banged into Willie and then into me. I knew what he was up to I grabbed him and took my wallet our of his hand. An instant slower and he’d have been away.   I think he was absolutely shocked that I got it back. It is absolutely right what they  tell you about the street. You’ve got to keep your wits about you in the jungle. Stephen I{m sure you´d have been proud of me. Not so old as you may think.  Tomorrow will be an interesting experience as we move on to the river boats.

We had an early start today. We were up at 5.00am and heading for the airport at 6.00am. Here is a picture of Paul Clark and myself boarding the 18 seater plane. Here is an interesting thing: you can take 18 up to Hoarsz in the Andes but only 14 people can come back. So Willie Gregor and Gavin are heading down the steep mountain pass on the service bus tonight.

We have had a most eventful day. Coping with the altitude affects people in different ways. People can feel dizzy or even drowsy breathless and headachey. These are the symptoms that some have been feeling today. Fortunately todate I’m holding together. It was great to hear that the school at Kusi now has 100 children in attendance. Now is their summer holidays but parents and children all turned out to welcome us. Here are some of the pictures.

However this is a stunning place it is just a couple of miles from Yunguy the town that was devastated by an earthquake in 1973 and I believe over 70,000 people lost their lives. It is so moving to meet Carmen one of these survivors now helping to plan and co-ordinate the building of the little village. Just I believe means happiness and it sure was a happy place today. Have a look at the progress.

Got me thinking Jesus took his disciples up to a mountainous place to help them reflective about their lives. Today we had 18 people challenged to reflect on the contribution their lives can make in our world. The scenery is literally breathtaking. The children such a blessing. As usual everone has gone to bed. I’ll sign off with the sound of the pan pipes in my ears and pray that Willie and the boys are safe as they travel the 10 hour trip back to Lima. We’re up bright and early heading out for the airport at 8.00pm.

I’ve been introducing the group to the 15th Century mystic Thomas à Kempis.

We’ve been looking at his work entitled, “The Imitation of Christ”. The idea is that I use some phrases from his meditations to focus our thoughts for the day. Thomas was always trying to encourage Christians to develop simple and less cluttered lifestyles. At the same time each day I’ve been trying to keep the reflection centred on Jesus and the places where he was to be found. It has been a remarkable study to find ourselves in the same sort of places. Jesus in the desert, Jesus out with the outcasts mixing with the wrong people.

Today the thought from à Kempis was as follows. He invites us all to weigh carefully the words of others and not to be easily persuaded to do things. He suggests that we do well if we keep focused on what we know to be personally true.

Now I know that some people will see this as a kind of shooting ourselves in the foot especially as we are trying to persuade others to become involved with supporting the work However it seems to me that we all need to do what we do because we know it to be right rather than because we are trying to please another. Anyway today as a time to relax and chill out a little. The group was able to experience a sail from the hotel Paracas, unfortunately this beautiful hotel was reduced to rubble during the earthquake. The boat sails still continue taking tourist to see the famous wild life sanctuary on the Pacific Ocean. So it was Jesus on the boat and thankfully no one tried water walking!

Today was a very special day in the life of Cupar Old Parish Church. Left, is their minister Ken Jeffrey opening up the latest Girasoles home in Ica Peru.

People say to me "why do you go to Peru, would you not be better just giving the money?". My reply to that question is that it is important that people go in order to encounter the injustice and the poverty. It is often only from such encounters that people are moved to do something. As you know the main reason for this blog is to encourage all who read to make a difference in the world. Just take a look at the grinding poverty that we encountered yesterday. Whether caused by natural disaster or not there are places in this country of Peru where sadness pervades the atmophere. The settlement we visited to hand out water was one such place. You get the feeling that the people here are trapped. You can’t help thinking, what is their future? As we continued to give out water in this desert place we passed a cemetery. Here was a stark reminder to us that people live and die in this desert without perhaps moving a few miles from where they were born.

Today at the opening of the home it was fantastic it proved beyond a doubt that individuals can make a difference. Ken Jeffery and the people in his church could have legitimately said they had too much on their plate, as they prepared to build a new extention. Instead they gifted one hundred thousand pounds to build a home for abandoned boys. Today saw the fruition of the vision begin to impact on street children. Some of these of had been orphaned by the August 2008 earthquake and the tsunami that followed.

However what really touched me was the performance of the Girasoles. Have a look at the picture below. The Girasoles for those who don’t know means Sunflowers. To be called a sunflower is an open compliment. The boys are delighted to have such a name.

Of course the exciting thing is that these children some of whom had no bed to go to now not only have a bed but also a loving family of which to be part.

Glad that you are keeping up with me. I’ve been leading the group in our morning devotions for the past three days and I’ve been reflecting on the idea of going on a journey with Jesus. In many ways that is exactly what we are doing. The places we have visited have all been reflective of the life of Jesus. Jesus is found in the night shelter in the desert where we were yesterday.

Just to give you a glimse of the need, we travelled to Ica (the area that was hit with an earthquake last August). This is an area that the Vine Trust has been working in alongside SU Peru. For the last four months of last year the Trust paid for 250,000 meals setting up soup kitchens in 7 places to feed the children. Yesterday we were out on the streets giving water to people who have nothing. I think this is the part of the trip the team really enjoy.

Here are some of the pictures I took from this devastated area.When you talk about a church without walls have a look at the church with its walls blown away yet worshipping in a nearby tent made out of makeshift sheets of plastic. Once again in this situation you are faced with the hard realities of life. The one thing that will keep these communities together is a knowledge of God’s love for them. I think many of those who received water yesterday we blessed and felt a sense of relief. Just bear in mind that in areas like this people will spend at lease one third of their daily income on water. The income in an area like this could be between one or two pounds. The next time you go to the tap appreciate what you have!

Last night we took a city bus tour trip. I was a bit bored with it. Sitting on top of an open bus breathing in the fumes of Lima is not all that wonderful an experience. Anyway it lasted for over three hours. Part of the trip was to stop at a park where there was numerous water fountains all back lit with coloured lights. It made you think about this contrast between a section of society nearly four million who don’t have running water and a small part of society that can use the water so freely to make water fountains. Look I’m not saying its bad it just highlights again the gap totween the people who have and the people who don’t. Here is a picture of the water fountains.  

People were having great fun running in and out of the water streams. Today we’re off to Kawai which means ‘Ah I got it now’ Paul explained the meaning of this word to us like this: you know how sometimes you look up into a cloudy sky and someone says I can see the shape of a cow in the sky, you look and look but you can’t see it.Then suddenly you exclaim ‘Kawai’ I got it. You know what that is how it is with faith isn’t it we look and look and can’t seem to find what others seem to have - then one day we exclaim ‘I see it!’ And I guess that is what the Kawau camp is all about.

Today was an early start. We were on the road at 8.00pm. The purpose of the early start was that we were going to drop into the night shelter at Remac before the boys who use it had left. This is a very dangerous part of Lima and the shelter is situated in this area in order to make contact with some of the most estranged within Peruvian society. The centre acts as a halfway house - a kind of bridge from the street to the beginning of rehabilitation. The shelter is run by three ex-street boys who are now employed on the staff of SU. Here’s a picture of the shelter.

After the shelter visit I took the group to a shanty town on the outskirts of the city. This was an opportunity to explain where many of the street boys originally come from. It is from the many shanty towns that surround the city that children come to the city in search of a better life only to face the hard reality of grinding poverty.

Peru is a country of many contrasts. I guess I wanted to let the small group of people with me to experience these contrasts. Have a look at some of these pictures. The differences are startling

Yesterday was the first full day of travel. We took some time and visited Chosica. This is a retreat centre that SU use to do local training for those who live in the Lima Area. I was especially pleased to attend what was the first of what we hope will be many training opportunities for the directors of the various Children’s homes. As you can see from the pictures the centre is placed in wonderful surroundings.

From here we ventured on to the SU Deaf Centre where we met some amazing children. They were explaining to us that they are in conflict with the authorities over the methods used to train the children. It appears that in Peru the perceived wisdom is that sign language should not be taught to the deaf. All deaf children have been integrated into the normal schooling system no real provision has been made in the schools for the deaf children. They are expected to read the lips of the teacher. Of course this is very difficult as you can imagine many of these deaf children are simply lost in such a school.

The centre we visited uses sign language to help the children comminicate and are determined to change the way people think about this in government. I hope when I get back I can do something for this programme if nothing more than try to link them up with Donaldson’s School in Linlithgow.

Here are some pictures of my visit:

I was given the opportunity to lead the Scottish Parliament in a time of reflection his afternoon.

Presiding Officer,

Thank you for the privilege given to me today to lead the Parliament in a time of reflection.

Perhaps I’m here because at one level I’m simply a parish minister, or perhaps because I head up the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland’s Committee on Church Without Walls, or maybe it is because of my work with the Vine Trust among Street Children in Peru. For whatever reason, I’d like us to focus on the child as an image for our reflection today.

If the truth were told, we are all just children at heart. We may have important job titles and we may have complicated and challenging decisions to make. We may have expensive clothes, and have an air of authority.We may have grown older and tougher and even become hardened by the knocks of political life, but deep down inside us all, there is a child still waiting to reach its full potential.

A child that was never allowed to be:
Just a child.
A child with a name, A name perhaps, Never spoken out loud anymore.
A child lost.
A child disappointed.
A child full of dreams
A child put down.
A child that was once loved.
A child longing to be recognised.
A child angry.
A child always alone.
A child afraid
A child as stubborn as we are today
A child that could once play and laugh and even, dare I say, trust.
A child that could fuss and fight and then make up and be a friend.

Somewhere along the way we lose ourselves, we take upon ourselves other people’s personas; we play to the gallery of life. We discover the tricks that make people want us on their team. But we have all lost something; there is a part within us that is empty. We are in search of the child we could never be.

So we seek to live, even project our childhood experience onto the lives of today’s children. Sometimes for better and sometimes for ourselves. Searching to be a grown up has become a struggle to survive. And what has grown up is not always what makes grown-ups. We never meant to become the schemer, the bully, and the doctor of spin.

Perhaps we need to reconnect with that child again, take care of the unfinished business that we’ve buried deep inside ourselves. Jesus once said, “Unless you become a little child you will never enter the Kingdom of God.’ Lord!Your Kingdom? It sounds a bit upside down.

People before process; Wisdom before knowledge; Integrity before politics; A child before an adult.

Lord,
A Kingdom like that
Could inspire a nation like Scotland.
Lord,Help me make a start again.
Perhaps be born again?
Just like a little child.
In a new year
With a new beginning
As new person.