Hi All,
Hope this email finds you doing well. We left for San Lorenzo last Tuesday by airplane to Tarrapoto. When we got there, we found a "hotel" to leave our things at while we went looking for transportation that could take us to a community where Lucy has a brother that she has not seen in 17 years. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. We went back to the hotel to sleep then continued looking the next day. We were about to give up when we went to the market, a lady selling cheese was from a nearby community and knew which truck we needed to take there. When we got to the truck, we found that Lucy's sister-in-law was in town selling bananas so we met up with her in the truck that was headed to the village. I opted to pay the extra 30 cents for Lucy and I to ride inside the cab instead of in the truckbed--probably one of the best decisions of my life. (Picture: the truck going to see Lucy's brother)
Outside of Tarrapoto are the foothills of the Andes Mountains so we were driving on dirt paths only as wide as the truck on the edges of cliffs. I would show a picture if I had one but I was too terrified to take a picture. I kept my eyes shut most of the way and was really depending on the power of prayer.
We finally arrived in a little town with mud houses. This was as far as the truck could take us. From there we had to walk up a narrow mountain trail through the coffee fields. It was beautiful but tiring. From the top you could see Tarrapoto, Llamas and Tablalosa, three towns near there. After about an hour walk we arrived in the "town" which consisted of 3 houses on the side of the mountain. We had some fish and rice for lunch and then waited for Lucy's brother to come in from the fields. There was really nothing else we could do but wait as the truck we came in on was the only transportation available and it wouldn't leave til the next day--in fact we had to plead with the driver as he was not going to go into town the next day and we would have been stuck there. (Picture: the mud house we stayed in)
Lucy and her brother had a tearful reunion and we ate some of the best chicken soup ever. We went to bed early as there is no electricity and we had to meet the truck at 3 a.m. The stars there were absolutely amazing. It was my first time sleeping in a mud house. It was extremely dark and on a slant so I kept falling off the cushion all night but slept well. Lucy said she felt like a wasp sleeping inside a mud house.
We got up to start the walk to the truck a little before 3 a.m. I was terrified that I would be bitten by a snake hiding under the coffee leaves but we arrived at the truckstop and started the trip back to Tarrapoto, picked up our stuff at the hotel and went to catch a bus to Yurimaguas. I thought the truck ride was bad but in the bus I definitely kept my eyes shut and Lucy ended up getting sick. It was all switchbacks right on the sides of the mountains. I was scared to death. When we got to Yurimaguas we went to the port to find a boat headed for San Lorenzo but there was none for that day so once again we were in a holding pattern and had to stay the night. They told us there would be a boat leaving the next day at 6 a. m. but when we got there the next day, they said the motor was broken but another boat was leaving from another port. We quickly went to the other port then had to get into a little fast boat to catch up to the larger boat that had already left us, but at least we finally were traveling again.
From there we travelled all day and all night and arrived in San Lorenzo Saturday at noon. Lucy's father is not doing well and it was difficult to see as he has always been very good to me. He no longer gets out of bed without help. We had some I.V. fluids put in and he seemed to do a bit better but it is really hard on Lucy and her family.
(Lucy with her father)
Sunday night Lucy and I went to a nearby church that we usually go to when we are here. From the pulpit, the Pastor asked if I would give the message for Tuesday night church, so of course I said yes (yes, I submit to peer pressure). It went o.k. although it had rained and we had to walk about a half a mile through mud to the church so we showed up in rubber boots and skirts. It kind of had a "Little House on the Prairie" feel to it. We brought our shoes along so I didn't have to preach in boots.
Lucy's parents have a well in their backyard that you pull up the water in a bucket but the metal barrel around it was oxodized and breaking (Picture of the well before)
so we bought a bag of cement and some bricks and made a new well. This whole year has been a year of construction for me. We also installed a light socket and outlet in the room we sleep in. That wasn't so difficult though because they only have electricity from 6 pm til midnight so you can install without worrying about getting shocked. I must admit a real feeling of accomplishment when everything worked though.
(Picture of well afterward)
It has been a very difficult time emotionally with a lot of family coming to see Lucy's father and the tears starting again but Saturday night we had a fiesta to celebrate a birthday, to pray for two babies and I had to cut the hair of one of my godsons which is a symbol of something here although I am not sure what ( perhaps hair today, gone tomorrow ). Saturday afternoon we had a huge storm that blew off part of the roof of the house and knocked out some of the power lines so we had to borrow a generator to have electricity. We had a service then ate duck with rice, turtle with spaghetti, jello, cake and soda. We then told jokes and went to bed very full of food and laughter.
(Picture: Turtle and Duck before we ate them)
Monday morning we had to go catch the boat for Iquitos . I was a little nervous as there is only a boat to Iquitos from San Lorenzo every two weeks so if we missed this boat, we were out of luck. After a very tearful good-bye we made it to the boat on time. It is also a hurry up a d wait situation as once you get on the boat, it is a three day boat ride to Iquitos as we are with the current. It is 4 days to go there against the current. You just have to sit back in your hammock and even as relaxing as that sounds, it gets old after about the first 3 hours. Also it was so packed that the hammocks were on top of each other and it was so hot you could hardly breathe. Lucy and I got off in Nauta to take a bus the rest of the way as Iquitos is only 2 hours by bus from there.
(Picture: the little boy whose hair I cut and his family)
It was very difficult to leave San Lorenzo knowing that I would probably never see Lucy’s father on earth again. He was sobbing when we left as he also knows his time is short now. It was an emotional roller coaster of a trip but I am glad I went to support Lucy and so that I could see Lucy’s father again.
It kind of feels like a culture shock being back in Iquitos and having to think of all the things I have left to do before I leave. I can’t believe it is less than a month before I head home. I am excited but have mixed emotions due to the work left undone here. We will be having the second confraternidad with all of the churches in Santa Ana October 8th through 10th and then I head back to the states on October 15th. Time passes much faster than I would like. I had always heard that saying of “Life is like a roll of toilet paper…the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes.” I can now see the truth in that. I hope all is well with you and yours. Please write me a quick note if you get a chance. God Bless.
In Christ,
Kayleen
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