I caught a combi to Izcuchaca Thursday morning to talk with the folks at the police department about documents for traveling to Huaral. Rafael planned to go with me to help smooth the explanation. Percy had borrowed the truck for the day to get his potatoes hauled off the mountain.
That went pretty well. The first official didn’t have an answer for us, but an older man came out and explained that everything should be in order with what I have. He admitted that due to corruption in the police force, we may still run into trouble. He said if they to take me to jail to tell them I’m calling my lawyer or better yet the consular at the US Embassy. He said they’ll always let me go after that. Very comforting.
I’d been calling Abel the cabinet maker every day for weeks, but he was not answering me anymore. He had kept saying he’d come install the cabinets the next day. Rafael said we should go talk to him.
We actually found him this time and convinced him to give us the cabinets as they are. They lack a few things, including another coat or two of lacquer, but at least here we can get them done. We took the cabinets to keep in Rafael’s store until I could get the truck into town.
Rafael said he was going to run into Cusco to get his truck, and I asked if I could hop along so that I could pick up the mattresses for the boys. He said he simply needed to pick up the truck at the garage and then grab a few things for the store, so we should be back before dark. Famous last words.
We were delayed from the start. I went to pay the light bill while I waited for Rafael to get ready to go. Then it was time for lunch, so we ate. Then Elisabet’s oldest brother showed up and wanted to talk with them. I ended up falling asleep on the floor in the back of the store while I waited for them.
Maybe I should have given up then, but I knew Rafael was supposed to simply go pick up his truck from the mechanic. He dropped me off at the row of mattress stores and told me he’d be back to get me in half an hour. I bought my mattresses in ten minutes and then went to look for an Interbank agent.
I needed to make a deposit into the attorney’s account for the carnet process. I knew Rafael would not be back on time, so I walked a few kilometers away and made my deposit, then walked back to the mattress store.
I found a park bench in the median and sat there for two hours. Rafael finally returned. We got the mattresses and took off, but then he told me that if I would not be angry, he needed to deliver the stuff that he’d bought over the past two hours.
In Urubamba! Turns out his brother-in-law convinced him to make a delivery for him since Rafael happened to be in Cusco. We set off for Urubamba. We’d be getting home late, but before bedtime.
But then Edy called and asked us to pick up a man in a town along the route. We stopped and waited for that fellow. And waited. And waited. We bought some chips at a tienda nearby. I got jalapeño flavored ones that were incredible.
The fellow showed up, and we took off again. But he told us that he had a friend who needed to be picked up, too. We drove a bit farther and sat and waited some more. All four of us squeezed into the cab of Rafael’s truck. Rafael said it was good I was so flaquito (skinny) because the others were bien gordo (very fat)!
We arrived in Urubamba just before 9:00. That is when the curfew hits. Thankfully for us, large trucks are exempt. We unloaded the truck in about an hour and headed the hour home, picking up Elisabet in Izcuchaca.
We passed numerous police stops, but they waved us on through. We arrived at home just before 11:00. Steph had gotten up and warmed up pizza for us because we hadn’t had supper. Bless her heart.
We then had coffee and brownies and sent them home. Steph had made a cake for Elisabet for Mother’s Day, so she was able to give that to her, which worked out well.
I was very tired by the time I got to bed Friday morning. But I had my mattresses!
I was tempted to be frustrated about the series of events, but then we were given many opportunities to talk about the things of God. Rafael seems hungry for truth, but he’s not yet pursuing it greatly for himself. He’s very entrenched in the world.
Prayer:
- Thank God for progress with the carnet.
- Thank God we have the cabinets.
- Pray about a trip to Huaral.
- Pray that our interactions when handing out tracts and the content of the material would lead people to Jesus.
- Pray that Rafael and Elisabet would answer God’s call.
- Pray that other families could come to live here.
- Pray that Rafael Roca’s foot can be healed.
Juan David 