WE GOT THE “GREEN LIGHT” AGAIN!
If you have never been to Peru you will not understand this, so let me explain.
First you go through immigration. Then you pick up your luggage from the carrousel, load it on a cart and head for the exit. One last step faces you. You hand your declaration document to the attendant. He says, push the button. If you get a red light, that means you have to take your luggage and run it through the x-ray machine. There they can inspect each piece of luggage and ask questions about anything inside. It can mean they charge you tax for anything found therein.
However, if you get the green light, you zip on out to meet your party. Now the excitement is because you have packed many items for your missionary. Things like, cooking pots and pans; dishes – many – many – many; silverware; stirring utensils, cooking spoons, spatulas, etc. Well, you did not but your wife did – you know the woman who loves to go to thrift stores to see how many bargains she can get for our missionaries. Include with these items are such things as expensive cell phones purchased through E-Bay by a pastor from Peru and sent to your house for you to bring to Peru, as well as special ink for printers; an expensive bulb for an projector and other various and sundry items.
To top this off, in your carry-on is a 500 GB hard drive DVD/CD duplicator! This alone would raise eyebrows by the Peruvian Tax Police, even if it is used and for the College.
So you pray for the “GREEN LIGHT” You step forward as your turn arrives, hand your declarations document, reach forward carefully and push the button. You think - almost aloud - with the amount of luggage someone will push a secret switch and cause us to go through inspection. There is a delay .... your heart races and then that BEAUTIFUL GREEN LIGHT APPEARS! You begin to sing to yourself, “Free at last! Thank God I am free at last!” (You do it quietly because if they heard you singing you’d be in more trouble than for the items you have in your suitcases.)
There is nothing more exciting than seeing the faces of those waiting to see you enter through the security doors with a smile on your face and the first words out of your mouth are: “We got the green light again!” Their response is, “Really! Wow!” And so you traipse off into the darkness to find the van and head to your bed ...well, sort of. Why?
Because you know they want to see what awaits them in those heavy bags. Heavy you ask? Sure everyone weighed the maximum - 50 pounds. And even your carry-ons were over-weight! Mine alone was 48 pounds (24 is the limit). (It had the DVD/CD recorder and had to be protected.)
Whoops! I forgot to confess one thing! I had pulled both of our carry-ons through the Miami airport (the most of the time) — remember they were heavy! So my back was not all that good. It gave me an idea. So I approached the gate agents and asked is I could get on early because of my back. I expected that I might be allowed on with the early borders. She said sure, lets go now! So I did and it gave me time to put my heavy carry-on overhead without looking so conspicuous as I lifted it with all that weight. Wow! Another trave tip to remember.
Pastor Agustin met us with a young man from his church and with great appreciation took us to his home where we will make our headquarters on this trip. On the way he explained that the youth retreat would take place at his home – the church, Nuevas Fruerzas (New Strength) also meet there – in their yard, under a tent. It isn’t a normal tent. It has a fabric cover but with aluminum trusses, lights, fans, and a very expensive wood floor made in 12/12 tile like sections.
The girls would be sleeping in the room we normally used and the guys would be sleeping in the Church. Our home was to be the bedroom of their oldest son, Clemente. It is a great room having our own bathroom, twin beds, and twin work desks with a light for each. SUPER DUPER!
We crashed after just before 1:30 AM Wednesday morning, having put away the majority of our clothes and work supplies. Sleep came easily but did not last long enough as the door bell sounded and we knew that Marco Aroni, our Covenant Life University coordinator was arriving to take us out to David and Ceci Hodges for a few hours. So we had to stir around, get the bags ready to take to them the “collection of cooking tools, etc. for their newest project – a restaurant on the property.
I am going to permit Marilyn to explain the restaurant. So, “Marilyn, come here and tell the people about the entrepreneurial missions project. Now please, so I can finish this. Thanks!”
Restaurants in Peru aren’t and can’t be compared to a restaurant in the United States. Anyone can set up a roadside stand or have tables set up outside their house and call it a “restaurant.” The area where David and Ceci live is growing – it is hard to believe and those who have been there (like our work team) no doubt are wondering - why? But it has grown considerably since we were there last. There are also factories and businesses being established in the area.
Ultimately, they would like to obtain contracts from the businesses in the area to feed the workers. This would be a guaranteed income for them. Other ideas would be to “pre-sell” lunches for children to take to school. It is still in the planning stages and yet to be determined the details of when it will be opened and how they would pursue the clientele.
The thought is not only to generate income for David and Ceci but possibly provide a means of income for someone in their Church. For $3,000, they can build 32 x 19 wood structure on a slab and acquire all the necessary things to begin and give them start up costs. This building can also be used for Church functions so it will serve a double function.
“Thanks Marilyn!”
The schedule for this trip is to say the “least” - full! The youth retreat begins Thursday evening, Friday morning, afternoon, evening and the same for Saturday. I will be speaking three times and twice with Marilyn at this retreat. Then Sunday morning here at Nuevas Fruerzas, eat a quick meal and travel to Jicamarca to speak at Iglesia Vida for David Hodges.
We will spend Monday through Wednesday with the Hodges - no more speaking engagements and then return to the Pastor Agustin and Jessica Ciccia’s home for the remainder of this trip. Marilyn will be sharing with some ladies on Wednesday evening. Thursday and Friday evenings we will be doing a marriage seminar at different churches. Sunday I will be speaking twice and then, “That’s all Folks!”
We get to rest Monday, except for packing and heading to the airport for our flight back to the US which departs at 11:50 PM arriving in Miami on Tuesday at 5:20 AM.
So until you read the next blog—JUST KEEP ON PRAYING! We appreciate it!
Dr. D. and Marilyn
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