Peru Report #9 Wednesday, June 27 at 4:12 p.m. from Tacna, Peru
Dear Friends and Relatives:
We just returned from a walk uptown with Jeff who is looking for something special for Mary and family. Mary Alice is the right size to check on a fit for Mary. The walk helps to work off the lunch that is the heaviest meal of the day for us. There are a few memories to capture before they go south.
The red/green lights here are memorable. They show you how much time pedestrians have to cross before the cars roar on again. The lights are animated and show a person walking when there is plenty of time, but running when time is short. Red shows him stationary. I don’t remember seeing that anywhere else in our travels including USA. But then, we don’t do much walking in traffic in USA.
Mary Alice photographed me getting a shoe shine in the mall from an older gentleman for 2 soles. He did a good job and we had good fellowship even though I could not get all that was said. Mary Alice got some good flower photos to pass the waiting time. My shoes got a better shine than when I am doing it and I was happy for him to have two more soles in his pocket.
Last night after the meeting a couple wanted to talk with me. They are the parents of an unwed daughter (Sebastiana) we visited earlier who is working toward getting married and baptized. These parents from the highlands are typical Indian in dress and looks. Their burden was for another daughter who at age 17 began living with a rough man. They have one child and another on the way but he is brutal to her in his abuse. The parents tried to get their daughter back but he defies them and will not release her. They took a policeman with them to accomplish it, but the man bought off the corrupt policeman and retains the daughter. When the parents try to come now he hides her. So they are distraught and wanted special prayer which we did. Our old world is so full of sadness from so many sources. But we also see joy on faces some might think should be sad because of all they lack of this world’s goods.
Today someone sent me an email with the quip: “Money does not buy happiness, but it is more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle.”
With Jeff we looked at some stores with interesting sale items, but bought only a few postcards to take home of places we had hoped to see on this trip but can not (Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca). We would like to see what they have in the Indian Market before getting anything else—no matter how warm the alpaca blankets or sweaters would be on a cold winter night in USA. When you bring back mostly memories and photos, the airlines don’t charge extra for the baggage.
Yesterday I went into the kitchen to photograph some of the small and unique potatoes they had the other day when we didn’t have our camera handy. But what they brought for the photo was their best ones which are not too different from ours at home. The first rule of photography is “Be there at the right time WITH your camera.”
********
THURSDAY: June 28, 2012 at 6:45 a.m. before breakfast.
Last night (Wed) we had 76 out to our meeting for the sermon “Why I Am A Seventh-day Adventist.” There were seven new interests there among the 22 visitors. When I made the call for baptism, three of those attending that night for the first time responded affirmatively. Of course, they will need preparation time to be sure they understand all that is involved. But we did cover many of the heavy subjects briefly in the sermon. Preaching was more of a challenge because of the tickle in my throat. I haven’t had a cold in years but felt the start of one now. The irregular schedule with short nights of sleep and meals with more sugar than we want (even without eating candy) and being around others with a cold including our translator, add up to lower resistance and an opportunity for the “bugs” to move in and multiply. This morning I am feeling better but will not conclude yet that I won the victory.
We do use a lot of water. So far we have bought 80 liters and expect to have used it all before flying home on Sunday. Our little heating element we bought in Russia and used in Siberia came in handy. In Russia we had to boil the water 20 minutes using that type of heat. The small ones we have here we use only for bringing our drinking water (a quart each morning before breakfast) to drinkable warmth (without the lemon juice we usually have at home). The water for our entire stay here cost only about $32. And we use it to brush teeth and gargle when necessary with salt water. Even when showering we must avoid getting any of that water into our mouth where it could cause problems.
Last night before meeting I visited with an older woman at her request. She wondered what to do about her situation. Four years ago her husband ran off with another woman but they are still not divorced. So she wondered if she was eligible for baptism though not divorced. I was happy to refer her to Jesus’ words in Matthew 19 that put her mind at ease. She plans to be baptized this Sabbath.
Every place has problems with some less than desirable music. Just now we are hearing through our open window some canned music that is a bit wild. We can’t change it so just try to focus on something better and let it do what it will in the background.
We had an email from Messiah’s Mansion inviting us to be tour guides at San Antonio, Texas beginning July 21. It is an extra exhibit thrown in at the last minute. We would be glad to help but remember that our twin grandchildren, Jonathan and Katie, are to be baptized on July 21 in Tennessee and we would not want to miss that. Then the twins are to come home with us for a getaway trip.
This will be the last email I send before we reach home when #10 will fill out what happens the rest of our time here. So you can rest up from all the reading of our “open diary” in the meantime.
With love,
Glenn and Mary Alice (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma)