We arrived in Iquitos on Monday, flying in over a seemingly endless sea of trees—the Amazon Rainforest. David, the pastor, met us at the airport along with his brother Juan Carlos and a friend who drove us to our new home in his motocarro (a motorcycle taxi, called a “tuk-tuk” in other parts of the world).
The compound where we live is home to David and Cecy, Juan Carlos and Cielo, and their children. In addition to their apartments and our small studio, there are also two separate bedrooms for other service workers, one of which is currently occupied by a young man from the church. Aside from the people, we also live with a dog named Amber, two cats, and a large turtle.
Our first few days have been spent acclimating to this new place, which involves lots of napping alongside the exploring. On Tuesday morning, we were given a tour of the city by motocarro, from the poorer district of Belen with its stilted homes and floating houses to the Plaza de Armas at the center of the city, which is surrounded by shops of all kinds. And, of course, we stopped at an overlook of the Amazon River itself.
We attended a weekly prayer meeting Tuesday night, which is held in a small gathering space just outside our studio, as well as a Wednesday evening church service in the neighborhood of Monte de Cion. Also on Wednesday, Serena went with Cecy to the women’s group that meets in Rumococha, another part of the city.
Our transition here has been as smooth as could be hoped for, and we are extremely grateful to our hosts for helping us ease into our new lives slowly. It is always a challenge to adjust to a new place, especially when operating in a less familiar language. Thank you for continuing to pray for us as we settle in!