Peru Report #4, Wednesday, June 20 from Tacna
Dear Family and Friends:
The new format is the result of an “upgrade” in the Word document on my computer. Someone here installed it in order to get an update for PowerPoint in the hopes that it will accept the prepared sermons the group is using. My Mac computer is different and so we must make adjustments.
We have been quite busy lately and so have not kept up with these reports. Little by little the attendance is increasing at our meetings. They say it does not rain here much, but we have had some in the night—enough to make it wet first thing in the morning and to make it a bit colder for the people who come. There have not been children’s meetings for a few days, probably because of the cold. Also it is too easy for the meetings to end close to 9 p.m. when they get started later than the announced 7. So tonight they are trying again to get started early and get out earlier. They have a warm drink each night after the meeting and a bit of fellowship which also adds to the release time.
On the night of Father’s Day they served a special treat that was more like a pudding than a drink. It was colored like concord grape juice but was really made from figs which grow here in abundance. In it were bits of fresh pineapple and apple. The purple color came from purple corn starch. The taste was superb.
Yesterday I visited a family with the pastor in the afternoon. They operate a small store with food items and live in the same building in a side room. Pastor gave them a Bible study and had me add comments. We did not have an interpreter but the Lord helped us to communicate with what English the pastor knows and what little Spanish I know. Three of the family are preparing for baptism soon. The father, Jorje (George) is still making his decision and needs much prayer. The whole family came to the meeting that night including the two week old baby of the daughter, Alexandria. One of the problems here is that many do not marry since the paperwork is mixed up or lacking. So, before the baptism there will be a special wedding service for those who lack the official papers to be legal in their marriage. The Conference is helping them to get the necessary documentation.
Our visiting continued this morning at 6:20. It was with a family where the husband had to leave for work early and that is the only time we could see him. Both he and his wife were SDA at one time but fell back. When I asked them what they would like for me to pray for, the husband said, “Peace in our home.” The wife has stomach problems not related to eating hot spices. We had prayer for them and their 4 month old baby and recommended the wife go to our clinic where Dr. Neil Mullins will see her and try to discover her problem.
The pastor was to meet us again at 3 p.m. for more visits but did not get to come. Instead, he sent another member of the Getsemani #1 church and with a translator, Gloria (not our regular one) we visited another young mother taking Bible studies from a church member. She is not married and has two children. Her “husband” drinks a lot and works in Chili. He is only at home one day each week. She wants to marry but he is not certain. So we are trying to counsel them into a better lifestyle. I encouraged her to attend the Getsemani #1 church and be surrounded by caring friends. Perhaps her “husband” can also come and find the fellowship he needs.
So goes the difficult work here. The people seem very open to the SDA message but have many problems to deal with in getting their lives straightened out. They want the peace that only God can bring and it is a joy to help them find it.
On Friday we do not have clinic and so part of our group will go to visit an orphanage. Many have brought gift items to share and bring a bright spot into their lives.
The food here continues to be very special and tasty. They ran out of peanut butter made at our college in Lima, so we missed that for several meals. I told them that if this were a youth camp they would probably have to shut it down without the peanut butter. Today at noon it was back on the table. So life continues normal.
Sharing time with our groups are also special. We hear their experiences during worship at the breakfast room before the clinic people have to leave.
Leon Hill, one of the team members, still does not have some of his luggage in spite of several calls to the airline and one trip to the airport. Steve Wood is also without his. That is one reason why I wear my suit when we fly. At least I will have that to preach in if we lose our luggage. And we try to bring the vital equipment in our carry-on luggage. You don’t dare risk putting the things you need most in jeopardy of being lost.
We are so blessed to be staying in this clean hotel with hot water for showers and available bottled water to drink safely. The beds are comfortable also. And Internet access saves a lot of time trying to find an Internet Café. So we are grateful.
It is soon time to leave for tonight’s meeting. I’ll close this and get it on its way.
With Love,
Glenn and Mary Alice (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma)