Update-January 24, 2023

Dear Parents and Leaders (Misión Perú Arequipa):

As I wrote in the letter last week, the political unrest in Peru--and, more specifically, the impact on our mission--is subject to change day to day.

For example, yesterday, we welcomed to Arequipa the 20 missionaries from La Costa Zone (serving our three Districts).  We had interviews and they attended a multi-zone conference today.  After the conference, 16 of them returned to their areas in the Districts.  But four had to stay because of road blocks between Arequipa and their areas in the Districts.  The road could open tomorrow morning.  The road may remain closed until Friday (based on some reports we are receiving). In the meantime, all four missionaries have a place to stay, and food to eat, and plenty of work to do here in Arequipa.

Inside Arequipa, there are some protests (not riots).  The protests are loud but peaceful. We stay away from them and continue preaching the Gospel.  When a protest (even a peaceful protest) gets too close to a companionship, they stay inside. There are blockades.  We counsel our missionaries not to cross them.   

We are planning another zone conference tomorrow with two Arequipa zones.  We were planning to leave for Tacna on Thursday for a zone conference with Tacna, Ilo, and Moquegua on Friday.  If the blockades prevent us from traveling to Tacna, we will hold the zone conference virtually.  

You may have heard from missionaries and others about "burning tires."  In our part of Peru, it is common to burn tires at blockades as part of a protest.  Old tires are plentiful and burning them is a convenient way to express displeasure at a roadblock.  We do not worry about burning tires. It is just a common way to express protest.  

We had a great zone conference today.  We love being with each missionary.  We will be sad if we have to see the Tacna, Ilo, Moquegua missionaries only virtually.  But that is a relatively minor inconvenience.  All missionaries are safe and sound and progressing as disciples and servants of Jesus Christ.  

We will continue to monitor the situation daily and update you.

Sincerely, 

Presidente y Hermana Chipman