Stop #4

It's perfectly normal to pop down to South America for a few days, right? 

Steven left Santiago on a Wednesday; the following Saturday, 2/5, I met him in Lima, Peru, to begin the assessment process anew in the final country on his tour (for now - the plan is to tackle Guatemala at a later date).

I had a residency renewal appointment in Santo Domingo early Thursday and also flew out of Santo Domingo, so I saved myself five hours of driving and stayed Thursday and Friday nights with friends. My flight landed in Lima a little after 7:00 pm; Steven didn't get there until 10:30 or so, but I managed to stay awake to get him settled with the help of caffeine. 

Sunday morning, we joined the congregation in San Borja for worship. It didn't even exist when I was last in Peru two years ago; praise God for the expansion of His Kingdom! (Side note: we also stayed in San Borja; this is essentially the vantage point from my bedroom doorway.)

Rev. Walterson Siewert used Luther's Small Catechism to lead a short Bible class on the Sacrament of the Altar and handled things like a champ when the conversation veered off-topic into Baptism. 

Snacks and fellowship were an unexpected blessing, given a fashionably late lunch. Steven got to try chica morada, a beverage made from purple corn, for the first time. 

After morning activities in San Borja wrapped up, Steven and I hopped in with Walterson, his wife Estefania, and their daughter Isabela and headed across town to Los Olivos, home to another Peru Lutheran Mission congregation. The other pastor, Rev. Elvis Carrera, and his family joined us for a leisurely afternoon lunch at La Terraza 42, an ADORABLE rooftop café owned by member Viki & family. I'll be back with all future Peru short-term volunteers!

With Kaory, Elvis & his wife Alba's daughter. 

L to R: Kaory, Alba, me, Estefania, and Isabela. 

Viki & I. 

After lunch, we busted out el sapito ("the little toad"), a washers-like yard game. I won the first game handily, but my beginner's luck wore off in the 2nd. 

Our Sunday concluded with a sunset drive/walk through a park paralleling the coast in Miraflores, an affluent district that's one of the city's top attractions. 

Monday morning, we hit the ground running with a visit to the Cruz Roja Peruana (Peruvian Red Cross). Walterson had sent a letter requesting a visit and not heard back, so we made a cold call. That makes 4/4 countries in which Steven tapped into the Red Cross network.

From there, we walked to the biggest public hospital in Lima and (I think) in all of Peru. Steven said it was the biggest one he'd ever seen. Scoring a meeting with someone in administration seemed way too easy, but we could keep Ministry in Mission volunteers busy for years if we're able to work our way up the chain through she and her manager. 

Our final stop for the afternoon was a pharmacy in the heart of the city. Jorge, a Venezuelan immigrant, a nurse by trade, and a member of the San Borja congregation, works there. His favorite part of the job? Helping people find remedies for whatever's ailing them. I helped he & Steven go back and forth to price out a list of common pharmaceuticals.

We spent all day Tuesday in the vicinity of La Victoria, the 3rd and final Peru Lutheran Mission congregation. After visiting a sports complex at the base of three cerros (hills) with HUGE potential for a health fair that could draw thousands, we took a moto taxi up Cerro El Pino. As we walked and talked with Dr. Sixto, I reminisced about my first time there, in February 2020 with a Community Health Evangelism short-term team. 

Dr. Sixto openly shared with us from his wealth of knowledge and experience and gave us a clearly articulated explanation of the three-tiered Peruvian health system I wish we'd had from the get-go!

Back in La Victoria proper, we enjoyed lunch with the Castillo Fuerte kids and a chat with director Laura. Here, I'm introducing myself and my traveling companion, although I recognized many of the faces from previous trips to Peru. 

And faster than I could blink, it was time to rest up before a 3:30 am airport transfer. 

Now begins the difficult work of distilling three weeks' worth of people, places, and possibilities into country-specific PowerPoint presentations (Steven), and debriefing how to draw on the strengths of each of our organizations to draft an MOU that positions us for working together symbiotically (OIM LAC). I'm excited to see how the Lord will use me, Steven, and servants yet unbeknownst to either of us to advance His mission in many and various places, particularly when it comes to bringing acts of mercy alongside Word and Sacrament ministry. 

Until next time, blessings in Christ!