Water is on the rise

Water is coming up the hill. It is covering hundreds of exposed acres. How long has it been since there has been such a site? Maybe ten years or fifteen.

Buildings built to overlook the small river are now wading into the swamp. Fish are playing close to the ninos like only the cats could before. Poop water swirls under the playground and mocks the bare ankles walking by. Beauty is one word, but disturbing is more accurate. Sandbags line the walk way and make the innocent dormortories look more like bunkers hunkering down for a civil war. Fishing poles come out to play with the piranas as the girls relax close to home.

My back aches today. Bag after bag of sand has been moved from higher ground. Rewarding is the pain that comes after accomplishing a task. Muscles have been broken down, but for the cause of service. It feels great to serve.

Peruana Vive

They were like heavy drops of rain falling out of the sky. One, two, three... Each fell towards the ground with purpose and meaning. Seven, eight, nine... My stomach quivered and the sight. Not that I had reason to feel insecure or scared, but it just wasn't normal. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen... Seconds after their initial fall they bloomed into spring leaves, drifting towards the earth. Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. Paratroopers practicing for times not so kind as these I suspect.

You know in theory they were probably just getting ready to protect the Amazon River which was rising and rising and rising, much more than normal. See when that happens the the surface are of the river increases substantially. What that could mean is that the Peruvian navy now has to protect a much larger area. So I find it very reasonable to believe the paratroopers were preparing to assist in the eminent war that would inevitably occur between Columbia and Peru. Alan Garcia, as the president of Peru, may be on to something this time.

But the question is raised, "Why protect a vast area of Peru that is unpopulated and mere jungle?" Could it be the oil? Could it be the tourism? Or could I be missing the point?

Over three days the paratroopers continued their practicing. A large military plane made repeated runs with handfulls of men who could and would protect their mother land. It was quite a spectacle. Several times the motokar I would be riding in would stop to look at the skies and observe the peculiar sight.

While walking the boulevard I passed three men in jumper suites. One had a dark pair of shades protecting his eyes, although it seemed uncessary in the evening light. I didn't try to gawk, but I think I may have. Those were the drops of rain that turned into spring leaves. Those men are the incarnation of the Incan Empire's strength.

Humble Thyself

Edalo came today. He is such a humble man. After 8 hours of traveling from the jungle he made it to Iquitos Peru. When I saw him in the office I knew he would be staying the night. He always does. I offered him some day old supper, which the rest of us had neglected eating, which he gladly accepted. I had pointed to the microwave indicating that he could use it to warm up his food. He peeped in at me a moment later and asked for assistance in operating the microwave, which I gladly did. After finishing the food he gave me a hearty handshake and thanked me for the delicous food.

"To be humble and meek like this man is something to live up to, not to look down on." -Andrew

Welcome to Peru

I'd like to welcome you to Peru. You are the 97th person who I have had the pleasure to greet, well at least I think that you are. I have actually lost count, but I know this is close. I am thrilled to let you know that after your two week stay here you will never be the same again. Try to understand, we all come here to serve others, and we do, but at the end of your stay it is almost guaranteed that you as a person will grow a tremendous amount. Patience and kindness should grow inside your heart. I hope that you enjoy your stay. -Andrew

It is such a blessing to see so many people working for the cause of Christ. I am thrilled to see so many peoples hearts turned towards God and striving to show others what it is like to live under God's rulership. Sometimes I have days where I feel that I am not succeeding in this mission, and then I see others do similar work and I realize that we all are demonstrating a little more of God's love. Today is the day to show the world that we love God. For some of us this means moving out of our traditional comfort zone. For some of us this means having a more positive attitude. For some of us this means respecting our elders. For some of us this means loving our spouses or partners with all our heart. For some of us it is meditating on God.

Keep Out

Today I purchased 56 meters of 1" x 1" wood. This delicate wood will be used on three large metal doors in Santo Tomas. Basically it will form a large frame which will house screen to keep the mosquitos out. A simple project like this takes more time than I care to admit. For example...today I went to exchange some money, so I could actually make some purchases, pick up a couple pieces of hardware and get my wood. Three hours later I had completed these tasks. Life as we know it in Iquitos, Peru.

We meet people all the time no matter what we are up to. Keep that in mind.

Bummer Man

I just sat there stunned. A young man, about twenty years old, was running away from where I was sitting on a bench. He had just snatched my backpack from beside me. My eyes watched for which direction he would head off to. My head was screaming to keep calm and stay cool. Then from just down the street a motorkar sped right in front of the theif and which quickly took off with the theif and my backpack.

I didn´t yell. It probably would have been helpful, but I was stunned. I couldn´t believe someone would make such an obvious robbery in a plaza with many observers. The motorkar headed onto the main street thirty yards away and almost carelessly sped out of site.

My eyes looked into my friends. She had been practicing her English and I had been working on my Spanish. Being absorbed in trying to understand new words and concepts we had not be paying close attention to our surroundings. I had let my guard down and didn´t put my arm through the strap of my backpack for several minutes. Others who had witnessed the event didn´t seem to react much...they just stared probably aware that there wasn´t much they could do. I started to scratch down the contents of my backpack as quickly as I good...´wallet, that´s to bad it had my credit card and driver´s license..oh ya and $40 that the bank wouldn´t exchange because of some small tears..and, OH NO! My keys.` I stuck my hands in my pockets and I took a deep sigh! My phone, keys, and coin purse were all there.

We all go through experiences, some good and some bad. Here in Peru stealing is a way of life. People steal all of the time. Paul has handfuls of stories of people coming and stealing things from the office. From druggies looking for some quick cash or an employee trying to take advantage of a situation. I think about the ten commandments and what they mean to my life. What I don´t want to do is steal from God! Everything is his...he gives me life everyday and I want to make sure that I´m doing my best to give back to him, by giving back to others.

Sick in Peru

This week has been a little different. Aaron got sick on Sunday and today he was still feeling horrible. Yesterday Casey, Aaron, and Kelley were all feeling pretty bad. To add a little more pain to the mix there is a chicken pox epidemic going on right now too. Several of the girls and little ones are covered with the red spots of wrath. I've spent the last two days out in Santo Tomas, just assisting the girls. Today we worked on completing the board for the game "Cashflow" - the Peruvian adapted version anyway. The girls also made players for the board game.

Tomorrow I'll put screens on the girls doors. It is kind of necessary since the rainy season is in full swing and the mosquitos are humming in the night air.

Life is moving along. I've been having a lot of fun teaching English and Finance.