Easter greetings from Jicamarca

Just thought I'd post the latest e-mail from Srs Jacinta and Marie in Peru...

Queridos Amigos,

¡Saludos a todos de Ustedes! Here in the Valle life continues to progress . January 23rd we began our summer activites for the children. This year we were able to offer Art/Craft, Irish Dancing, Games, English and Drawing. All the activities were well attended and we had on average 135 children weekly. Some young people came from the parish to help us and a "good time was had by all".

January too saw the arival of Sian Williams a young woman from Wales who came to spend 2 months with us helping us with the summer activites ( her mother Liz used to be in matron in Gelli Fair Porthmadog). Sian also did a lot of painting for us. The classroom has a new look and our water cyclinders are the envy of all !! Muchas gracias Sian. Sian is now doing a tour of Peru and will go on to Bolivia and Chile.

March 1st the schools re-opened for the new academic year. Once again our classroom is filled with young people coming to do their home work each day. The children who attended last year received some schools supplies to help them complete their work. Thank you to the people and organisations who sponsored this scheme which we hope to repeat next year. As the numbers who attend have increased we will extend for the last time our classroom making a seperate area for 5th grade, 6th grade and Secondary children.

The Valle has many young families and lacked the facility of a pre school play group. We now a new building, a multi-use saloon which we are using to accommodate our play group. 3 mornings a week the young Mums come with their toddlers 0-3 years for 3 hours to participate in activities just jigsaws, lego, drawing, painting dance etc. At the moment we have 14 children and no doubt the numbers will increase. Thanks to Appel de Paurve, Holy Family Parish Pensby England and friends from Australia and Wales who have sponsored this scheme. The Mums are deliighted to have a bright area in which their children can play and learn before going to proper school.

In March we had a visit from our Australian friends Tim and Fran. They come each year and Fran likes to spend some time with us taking part in the activities and geting to know the children and Mums.

We are now in Holy week and we got off to a great start on Palm Sunday with about 70 people at the Mass and Procession of the palms. Last night Holy Thursday we had a prayer service with readings on the institution of the Eucharist and the washing of hands. 2 people came to the washing bowl and washed each others hands, all done in a prayerful manner while we sang some Taize chants. We were very pleased that so many people came.

And so we continue to celebrate Holy week with the culmination on Easter Sunday, For the first time we are receiving 5 people into the Catholic church as full members. Each one of you wil be remembered at our Mass on Easter Sunday as we proclaim Cristo Resucitó!

Happy Easter to all.

Con mucho cariño a todos,
Jacinta and Marie

And fond greetings and best wishes from all of us at Pensby...