Last Friday Steph and I went to Cusco to work on our migration process some more. We dragged Beulah along with us, poor dear. She greatly dislikes wasting time sitting around, and that’s practically the definition of migration work.
We had a 10:00 appointment for which we showed up plenty early, but we had the opportunity to wait three hours before we were called. In that time, around forty walk-ins came, received a number to wait, and were called. That was hard on our patience, but we endured. We are rejoicing that migration work should be finished for all the adults here on the farm! After we receive our carnets, we will begin the children’s migration work.
While we thought we were having a bad day in Cusco, Lamar was truly having a rough day at home. We had paid for several loads of “football-sized” stone to arrive. I did not know there were giants in the land! Many of these stones are far to big for one or even two men to lift. The backhoe was also here to level the stones into a semblance of a driveway, but boulders were never intended to be used as gravel.
The icing on the cake was that the backhoe operator managed to dig exactly into the places Lamar had forbidden him to dig; thus breaking our buried water supply line in four places. I’m not sure I’ve seen Lamar so discouraged as when we returned at dusk to find him fixing water pipe–again! But we praised the Lord that Lamar and Joel did find all four breaks and were able to repair them before the moon came up. I was sorry I could not help them from Cusco.
Saturday was a balm to our wearied minds and hearts. We started out the day by visiting the market. There is a great fiesta ongoing at the market. There is loud, loud, LOUD music going all the time, but they somehow manage to crank it up even louder at night. During the day, the fiesta is at a low boil, so we were able to pick up a few purchases from the vendors who travel in from many hours away. One man claimed to have come from nearly thirty hours away, but that seems a bit incredulous.
The market was not the balm, though. What we most enjoyed was our friends’ visit. Rafael and Elisabet came around 3:00 in the afternoon to learn how to make pizza. It was quite a lot of fun to work together: They learning pizza, and we learning Spanish. Our friends who knew Spanish very carefully deserted Steph and me until the cooking was well underway. They know how to make us learn!
Rafael and Elisabet stayed until about 8:00. They may have stayed even later, but Elisabet’s brother’s birthday party was going on at the same time, and they felt they should go to that, too. We felt special they wanted to spend time with us that much. Before leaving, Rafael gave something of a speech, telling us how much they appreciate our two families and how they want to be good friends we can trust.
Sunday we had Alicia, her daughter Joanna and granddaughter Alexia, and Esmeralda and Maria Gracia as attendants with us. I preached again. I felt it came a fair bit more easily this month. There is a ray of hope that I may someday know Spanish! I preached on “Looking to Jesus” who was the Promised One from the foundation of the earth. When He returns again, He will not be coming as the Savior, but as the King and Judge. Are you ready to meet Him?
After church, several took combis, and the rest of us piled into Lamar’s car to head to Fernando’s. They had made stuffed peppers for us. The peppers were fairly hot, even after they had been bathed seven times! The meal was very good and, as always, way too much food for us. I do not cease to be amazed at how such small people put away such tremendous amounts of food!
We played volleyball for a short while after lunch. It is a joy to have our families playing together. We aren’t very professional (Sorry, Joel!), but we have a lot of fun. I am blessed to have Lamar’s young people with us. They don’t realize what an encouragement it is to have their youthfulness contributing to our lives.
Everyone was tired after a long lunch, so naps happened. We didn’t have the ganas to make soft pretzels, but the biscuits with honey and jam were delightful. I don’t think Kristina drinks an inordinate amount of coffee, but somehow since her arrival, it seems our coffee consumption has about doubled! I hope she is a good influence on us in other ways, as well.
After our snupper (snack + supper), we decided to have a light conversation on Eschatology. Our conversation went to the four corners of the earth–and nearly fell off the edge!–yet surprisingly, no one developed indigestion. That’s likely because we all agreed with each other. How comfortable.
Yesterday Lamar, Joel, and I worked on laying stones up in the ditch under the area where the bridge will be laid into Lamar’s yard. I do not enjoying swinging a sledge hammer against boulders. I don’t think Lamar does either, but he manages it far better than I.
Not all is sunshine and roses, though. The group here has been in earnest prayer for a neighbor nearby. He is a wicked, violent man, and it is being said that he has intentions against our two families. He says he will be visiting us tomorrow “to talk.” Please join us in prayer. We need wisdom to know how to handle all the details of the situation. This man needs Jesus, and we want to show him the way. Perhaps we will suffer along the way, but that will be worth it all if God is glorified and souls are saved from hell.
Much love.
Juan David 