Peru Report #6: Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 4:44 a.m. from Tacna, Peru
Dear Family and Friends:
Mary Alice is sleeping but I woke up at 4 a.m. with many things on my mind. More sleep would not come so it is an opportunity to share some things with you as well as to talk with the Lord. I didn’t want to turn on the light to read.
Yesterday (Sabbath) began with a special treat. At breakfast we sat at the same table as Dr. David Wilkins. He has been checking eyes at the daily clinic last week and we heard about how conscientious he is with each patient, spending what time is necessary to do good work. Our conversation led to a book he had written several years ago. We had read it in the library of Ruth Esham of Portsmouth, Ohio when I had been asked to conduct her funeral and we were staying at her house. The book is about his experience after losing his son, Monte, in a terrible airline crash off Nova Scotia when on his way to study in an SDA school overseas. All on board the plane were killed.
Of course, David’s first question was “Why, God?” Monte had planned to do missionary work, like his parents and grandparents. The book details how God was able to bring many good things out of that terrible disaster and loss. What a surprise it will be in the Resurrection when Jesus comes back to this earth as He promised, to see all the people who have come to the Lord through this experience. Monte’s ministry, apparently cut short on this earth, really has had continuing and increasing results. The strong point is that we can fully trust God even when disaster strikes.
David and his friend, Harold Burden, are much involved with the fifteen evangelistic series now going on in Tacna, Peru. Both had served in Peru many years ago and this is a return trip for them with additional service. David was born in Peru about two hours from Tacna by car. Last Friday they had traveled back to that place of David’s birth and renewed the memories. They were both back here in time for their evening meeting. There is a good story from which we can learn, in everyone here. It is a joy when we can find the time to discover those stories.
The Getsemani #1 church we are serving was full for the Sabbath service. It is warmer in the day and there were more than a dozen children for the Sabbath School. Their parents think it is too cold in those children’s rooms at night and so they do not come to our meetings. Once again, I chose not to use the PowerPoint slides to illustrate the sermon, but to just preach from an open Bible instead. It was a real blessing to see the Holy Spirit at work on hearts. There were several visitors. We made an appeal at the end for any who had not yet accepted Jesus as their Savior, to come forward and indicate the beginning of a new relationship with Him. One older lady who responded, insisted on being baptized that day. She had been studying the Bible with one of the church’s volunteer Bible Workers and had sufficient background. So, the pastor baptized her after going through the baptismal vow with her in front of the congregation.
The baptistry I have described before, but this time it was fairly full of water, and
still not easy to manage. They put a plastic chair on the outside and another inside for the people being baptized to stand on as they climb over the sidewall into the water. And the water has no heat. So, there is no incentive for anyone to rush into baptism. It is an experience they will remember in many ways. There were two others who had planned to be baptized at this time but did not show up for church. (Maybe they are still thawing out). We don’t yet know just what happened to prevent it. There are five others that made their decision for Jesus so far who plan to be baptized next Sabbath in the large final baptism for all the fifteen churches involved in the current evangelism. We will be visiting this week in many homes and some will decide then to move forward.
The electricity just went out and they have no backup at the hotel other than a few lights in the hall to show where the dark stairs are. If we get showers today it may be with the help of flashlights. This is a time to review some definitions we heard recently. “Blessed are those who are adaptable for they shall not be bent out of shape.” And another beatitude is “a be happy attitude.”
Many of the people in all the groups are very tired. Some of them walk each night to the meetings and home again. It is a challenge for them to attend each night. There are six more sermons before the finish. Last night at all the sites we have heard about the attendance was down some. It was so at our place too. Some come from a distance to be there. We did have a few that came last night for the first time and plan to return. So, we “sow beside all waters” and trust the Lord to provide the increase.
At Jeff’s site the pastor planned to not have a meeting last night “because the people are so tired.” But a phone call from the Mission President changed his mind and the meeting was held with about 2/3 attending. “Onward is the watchword.”
After our Sabbath morning church service we took photos of our nightly singer, Joseph. He attends another church in the south part of Tacna but was assigned to do the music at Getsemani #1. We have been blessed with his beautiful (hermosa) voice and sincerity as the music flows from his heart to ours. After church and during our appeal, his daughter sang “I’d rather have Jesus than anything.” She is following in the footsteps of her father. Joseph’s mother, wife, son and daughter were all there and wanted photos. Joseph works in a warehouse but we don’t know what he does there. I did learn what verified my thoughts, that he had a stroke some time ago and survived with one side of his face drawn a bit. It has not hurt his voice at all. Maybe it is that experience that brings his music from the heart. He told me (in Spanish) that he thought of me not as his pastor but as his father. He always gives me a lingering hug as he leaves the meeting. I’d like to learn more of his story.
At 5 p.m our translator, Ricci, and her husband came to our room to go over the sermon before the meeting. This was a first time to do that. She recognized that the heavy topic for that night needed special understanding ahead of the presentation. We learned that she has spent time in USA doing translation work even at Camp Yorktown Bay in our Conference. She is probably one of the best translators here in spite of her soft voice and fragile health. The cold has caught up with her and she now struggles with “a cold.” My cough drops help her a lot. Sometimes I “break out” in Spanish during the sermon and that gives her a momentary relief.
Little by little we are discovering how the Lord matched us with the church where we are preaching each night. What could have been a handicap (makeshift building with few chairs etc) has been a rich blessing. The warm reception by the people shows the depth of their acceptance of us. Their smiles and hugs come from deep down in their heart. It is obvious they are not just putting on a show for the Gringos from the north.
We refused their warm rice and milk last night after the meeting, so they made a special warm herbal tea drink for us to be warmed by. The pastor was at one of his other churches last night. He has given us a DVD with the Church Hymnal in Spanish so we can learn more Spanish at home. We also bought from the Bible House near here, a Spanish Bible with a newer translation and the church hymnal included at the back. I hear that CDs in Spanish reading the Bible are available in USA. I hope to get one and be able to hear as I read in order to get the proper pronunciation. One problem with that is not all areas speak with the same dialect of Spanish.
Last night during the sermon I referred to the sun worship of the ancient world that came into the Christian church in some ways. Here in Peru the Inca Empire also had its sun worship and human sacrifice. We had hoped to see the ruins of Macchu Pichu where that took place, but decided against it because of cost. Maybe we can do that at some other time if we do return to Peru.
One thing about all these current challenges to do even more evangelism overseas is that it may help to postpone or ward off dementia. They say that keeping active mentally is helpful for that. Daily challenges do keep the brain on the stretch.
We are not sure what the hotel people will do about breakfast without the electricity. Fortunately, we have in our room some fresh fruit we brought from supper. We also have some things from home that will supplement. We try to come prepared for some of what can happen when abroad. Breakfast is usually our heaviest meal at home, but here they don’t plan that way. Most people in Peru have their big meal at night. The hotel people are struggling to change their style for us. We have sometimes eaten some fresh cut fruit at night because that is when it is most available. The pineapple and papaya are most plentiful. We don’t see many mangos. (dissappointment).
It will be interesting to see how this day develops without electricity. Maybe I’ll get to spend some time listening to the Ipod if we can’t do other things. Maybe it would be a good time to visit the interests. Most of them would be at home without their usual places to go when everything works. But, we have no way or contacting the pastor or the translator. (UPDATE: The lights came on at 11 a.m. and breakfast was fine)
I’ll save this letter in the computer and send it when we have the ability to do so.
With Love,
Glenn and Mary Alice (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma)