I Timothy 1:12 - I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service.
It’s Friday. We’re tired and we’re dirty! I’ve read over the last few days of blogs and even though we’ve shared with you much of our adventures this week I find so many more things we still need to share!
This is our second year to bring with us Betsy Contreras, a professional family counselor from Houston. Betsy has met with many families, individuals and groups this week. While OSA has been blessed with the work of two Peruvian counselors who are providing weekly services to the OSA families, Betsy’s work this week provides support and encouragement to their ministry. One of the women who has benefited from these social services shared with Ruth this week that her husband and children have now learned how to be a family. Others that met Betsy this week were able to share their hearts and found the love and patience of our Father in the words of a wise, and faithful counselor who gave much of herself this week.
The medical clinic this year provided two volunteers in the reading glasses area, four nurses working in triage, six nurses assisting doctors, ten physicians, two pharmacists, one intake manager supervising the whole clinic process throughout the week and a host of Peruvian translators. Imagine all those voices, plus those of the patients and the children. It was at times impossible for the doctors to hear themselves think! When a patient finally enters a room, they begin to answer questions from the doctors and nurses. ‘How are you?’ brings much more than the American auto-response of ‘fine, and you?’ Instead, lives are poured out; we strain to listen. We want to not only provide a medical opinion, but also a glimpse of Christ’s compassion. Here are a few of the encounters that were shared with me.
Irene Townsend had an unexpected opportunity to visit with one lady while the doctor she was assisting stepped out to consult with another doctor. Irene asked about the woman’s family and she told Irene she lived alone. Irene asked how long had she lived in Collique and the woman began to share that when she was seven years old her parents had left her in Collique to care for herself. She has never seen her family since then. Irene felt like she should offer to pray for the woman over the next year and when she shared this, the woman said she too would pray for Irene! They hope to find each other when the clinic returns next year. Until then, they are prayer partners from afar.
Carol Waller worked along side Luis Campos this week. Carol is the best listener I have ever seen in the clinic. She hangs on every word. Her eyes are filled with understanding and often she was so enthralled with the conversation between Luis and the patient that she didn’t notice that I was watching her listen. One time, Carol found herself listening to the patient all by herself! This woman just opened up her heart and poured out her burdens to Carol. It’s hard to listen like that! Often you’re thinking about what you’ll say next or hoping for the end of the story to come soon. Carol had the ability to make everyone that crossed her path this week feel as though they and every word they spoke were more important to her than anything else. While this is impressive, do you know what really makes Carol the best listener in the clinic? She doesn’t speak a lick of Spanish. Sometimes, God doesn’t need a translator.
The pediatricians seem to have the noisiest job! The children can enter the building trembling with fear. One particular boy was already crying before Dr. Contreras and Ofelia Canela invited him and his mother into their examination ‘room.’ Ofelia's heart seemed to be heavy as she watched the little boy leave her area still crying. She grabbed one of the stuffed toys donated by the youth department from South Main and this small gift seemed to help him a little as he left the clinic. Many other children also received a stuffed toy during our week. However, the donations of stuffed toys were so many that some will also be used in the Christmas gift packages that OSA shares with the preschool which works closely with OSA. This was an unexpected blessing because the funds for the Christmas packages are still needed and the donation of these stuffed toys leads the way.
The medical clinic also has a small room that provides simple reading glasses. If you’ve ever needed a pair of reading glasses, you know the importance of this room! I cannot begin to describe the joy that lights up a face that has not been able to see clearly in a long time. While some we find a perfect fit with the first pair, others we try over and over again to find the right strength. One particular woman that I assisted, put on the first pair I handed her and a slow-motion grin crept across her face as she realized she could read all the text on the reading card. She gave me a thumbs up and her eyes twinkled with delight. I began the speech I gave to everyone. "These glasses are not for walking. They are useful for reading and working with things up close, like sewing." And she just sat there grinning. I asked if she liked to read and she said she liked to read the Bible. She told me she had a part of an old Bible. “Well,” I said, “I’ve got something else for you.” Vince Smith and I were able to give this sweet lady a brand new Bible. She immediately burst into tears and words of thanksgiving to God and to us began spilling out of her faster than we could possibly understand. But we understood exactly what she was saying without understanding a single word.
One of my favorite moments of the week did happen in the medical clinic and had nothing to do with medicine! Peter Eversly spends his week in Collique taking up close shots of individuals and families. After he takes enough, he runs back to the back corner of the clinic where he has a portable printer and he prints a 4x6 copy and hands it to the person in the picture. Everyone in Collique loves to see Peter and his camera come by! They love to get a photo from Peter. This year, we had a special request. A woman about eight months pregnant wanted us to help her enlarge a picture of her son. We had seen him at the clinic last year. Since we had been there, this young boy of three and a half had died due to heart problems. She only had three crumpled up photos. In one he sat behind a huge cake, and an oxygen tube ran across his face. In another, he stood in a snow suit with his arms sticking straight out, clearly in the middle of the giggles. This was her favorite and she wanted us to enlarge this photo. The best plan we could come up with was to photograph the photo and take it down to Lima where we could have enlargements made. We knew the picture would not be good since the face would fade when we enlarged it. What really aggravated us was that we remembered him from last year and Peter was almost certain he’d taken the boy’s picture! However, all of his pictures from previous years were at home on his computer. Later that day, as Peter shared his frustration with Anna Beth Smith, she lit up with excitement! She had brought her computer which had all of the pictures from the previous years! We could not believe it! Now, Peter just had to find this one boys picture among thousands of other pictures. And so, he began the search which was sure to take hours of clicking folder by folder, file by file. However, it was much easier than that. As Peter began to glance through the many folders of pictures each with their own individual icon, the little boy’s face grinned back at Peter. His picture served as the icon for pictures from last year! Not only did Peter find a close-up of this little one with a huge grin on his face, he also found one with his Mom holding him. This miraculous discovery reminds me that what we might think is such a small service, a simple photo, can provide the biggest expression of God’s love and care. God provides for our needs, whether they are medical needs, housing needs, or a photo of a love we hope to remember forever.
Two contruction projects were completed this week. These projects were improvements to existing homes. One is the home of a single Mom who stayed up all night to watch over the building materials during the beginning of the week for fear that they would disappear while she slept. She also grabbed Peter for a photo in front of her brand new plywood walls and her plastic roof. She didn’t need to tell us that she was grateful, we could feel thanksgiving radiating from her very core. She did find a moment to express her thanks to Ruth Campos. “Thank you,” she said, “thank you for bringing the love of Jesus to me.” Funny, isn’t it? She didn’t say thank you for the walls, the roof, the lights, the windows, or for any other thing that was added to her home that week. She was most grateful for the love of Jesus, the one thing that will never fade, rot, or weaken with age. Afterall, this is why we are here. Should we have the arrogance to think that we come to heal the sick, build for the poor, love the unloved, repair the broken, or provide sight for the blind, we would surely leave this place erupting in the overwhelming waves of guilt and failure. Our skills, training, and expertise cannot meet the most important need of these people. We know that the love of the Savior is the best thing we could have hoped to leave with our brothers and sisters this week.
As the bus pulled away from Collique for the last time this week, we waved goodbye to our friends with promises of next year. I noticed as I waved like a maniac at the children who surround the bus that my hands were still pretty filthy even after I had already washed them twice before getting onto the bus. There is dirt caked under my nails. I remember Ruth always suggesting a nail brush to help get the dirt out from under your nails. Maybe I’ll just leave it there today, the dirt reminds me of where I’ve been this week. It’s seems too easy to go and wash it away. Can I just wash away the impact of this week? Can I scrub away the reminders that all our needs are secondary to our need for Christ’s love? This year I’ve decided to go home good and dirty.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16
Mark 10:13-15 - People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
Finding Abraham - written by Jason Gunnels, first year with OSA
This is my first time to Peru as well the first time to work with OSA and all my new friends. I have the joy of working with the VBS leaders and the children of Collique. My days in Peru have been filled with a great program, hugs, smiles, and of course lots of soccer. It is amazing how quickly these children have bonded with our ministry team. Yesterday I was walking around the neighborhood with Vince and we passed by a small shack and young boy named Abraham appeared. Abraham is one of the kids that has attended the VBS program. He was happy to see us and invited us into meet his family. It was exciting to see his face light up as he introduced us to his family. Abraham's dad is a motorcycle taxi driver.
Today has been a great day!! One of the hobbies that I have picked up over the years is the art of illusion. During the VBS game time I did a small magic show for the kids. They enjoyed every minute of it, yet they were also very skeptical at times.
I have enjoyed very much working with the rest of the VBS team. They are very prepared and equipped to reach and minister to these children.
VBS Veterans - Written by Kendra Shattuck, 3rd trip to Collique and Margaret McCoy, 4th trip to Collique
We have had the privilege of coming to Collique a handful of times, and every time we are blessed by the love of the children substantially more than we could ever bless them. Even the very first day as we exit the bus, we are greeted with shouts of “Maggi!” and “Kendra!” It always surprises us how many of the children remember our names, even after a whole year has passed. That’s the wonderful thing about this mission trip in particular: we get to develop relationships with the same children. Our VBS day begins with singing and dancing and then a wonderful storytelling by Guly (Julie), our Peruvian partner through Buckner. Our Bible stories all reflect our theme of “Love God, Love People.” She has also worked with our VBS program a handful of years, and the children are mesmerized with her every day. We have noticed over the past couple of years the amazing difference in their ability to retain the information we give them, especially during the Bible story. Then we break up into small groups: Crafts, English, and games. The craft follows and reinforces the Bible story, and the English class gives them basic vocabulary and we play Bingo and matching games to review. In games this week, we have had a magic show, played limbo, tag, and lots and lots of futbol. One of the highlights of the week was when we brought out the chalk. The children wrote messages for us, their friends, and God all over the concrete slab, walls, and benches. Even though it is nice to see our names in declarations of love, it is more impressive to see their growth even in their drawings. Where they used to draw trees, rainbows, and other generic objects, they now are expressing their feelings through their drawings.
We heard this week from the people that work at OSA that the teachers in our children’s schools are now able to pick out the kids that attend the OSA program. They are always clean, they do their homework, and they are respectful to their teachers and to each other. One of the concerns when we have come in the past is that they will love on us, but they would not then continue this love for each other. This week we have seen their friendships among each other strengthen right in front of us. When one child leaves a craft on the table, another lovingly reminds him to go get it. When someone falls down, several children run over to make sure she’s ok.
Seeing as we are both teachers, we can testify that this week is by far more emotionally and physically challenging than working with our students in the states. It opens our eyes to how fortunate we are to have the materials, support, and resources we have back home. Now if we could only teach our students at home to be as attentive and learning-hungry as the children here. They pay attention to our every word, they are so excited to learn, and can’t wait to come back to hear what we have to teach them. So even though it is exhausting, we come back reinvigorated to teach our students having seen what these children are capable of with so few resources.
Friday will be the last and most challenging day, because as we leave we cannot say, “Hasta manana.” For us, it will be another year before we are able to see their smiling faces and be greeted with such love. We feel truly blessed to be a part of this week, and even though we’ve only been here a short time, we know we’ve made a lasting impression on them, as they have on us.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15
Stardate 2564.63 - written by Kent Boozer, Second trip to Collique
Psalm 40:3 - He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
Greetings from the dental clinic! Okay, let’s get to it. Things are very different here. There is no suction, only Dixie cups—one for spitting, one for rinsing. There are no overhead lights so we do a lot of straining to see and there are no OSHA regulations or federal infection guidelines. No dental spas, spacious waiting rooms, and no extreme makeovers by handsome Hollywood dentists. (We are handsome for sure, but we do not live in Hollywood.) Essentially, it is the best dental care that your great-grandparents could have gotten. We use the term “sterile” and “clean” in a very loose sense but we have gotten a new autoclave so that should help matters immensely. Our clinic is quite comfortable, but we have to open the windows for ventilation and since Lima is a desert, we cope with a layer of dust that tends to accumulate throughout the day. As you might guess, the standards of dental care in Peru are quite different from those in America. Our patients in Collique, especially the children, most likely will never see a dentist unless they come to our clinic. Since the OSA clinic is now well established, many of these patients have been getting regular dental visits and we are beginning to notice a great improvement in their oral health. We do see the occasional caries-free patient but the vast majority of patients have dental needs ranging from the older patient that needs a thorough cleaning to the young child who has twenty teeth and twenty cavities. You come to the realization early that we can’t fix everything for everyone so the challenge is to decide what problems need to be addressed and can be addressed during their appointment. Of all the services offered by OSA during the week, the dental appointments fill the fastest because the need is so great. It is difficult to turn people away, but it is gratifying to know that our work makes an immediate and lasting impact on the lives of the people of Collique. (If you’ve ever had a toothache, you’ll know what I am talking about.)
This week has gone quite smoothly and it is hard to believe it is almost over. Friday we are seeing a few patients from a home for women and children with AIDS. This is a patient population that is absolutely shunned in Peru. No dentist in Peru will see a patient with AIDS. This is a time when we can do some very important and rewarding work.
Just know that our patients are extremely grateful for the care they receive and your prayers and offerings are doing wonderful things down here.
Me Gusta – written by Charis “The Lunch Lady” Smith, 4th trip to Collíque
Psalm 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Me gusta…
…that I have friends who remember me for a whole year;
…that all activities are useful in service: a doctor, a pharmacist, a translator, an organizer, a storyteller, a puppeteer, a lunch lady, a bus driver;
…that in a sometimes strained, demanding situation, servants of God carry on without complaining, only seeking to offer their best;
…that those who live and work in Peru and we who come can pull in tandem for a week;
…that word by word I can express myself and people nod and say, “Sí,” without making fun or laughing;
…that we can sing in unity, “God is our refuge and strength”;
…that those who stay home and pray protect the journey and open channels for that refuge and strength.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14
Luke 11:34 - The lamp of your body is your eye; when your eye is clear, your whole body is full of light…
A day in the optometry room -written by Vanessa Yataco, first year in Collique
In many places, the eyes are said to be the “windows to the soul”. In a place like Collique, eyes reflect on the harshness of daily life. From the pollution and dust to personal stress, these organs suffer.
I start my day by learning the basic questions: I ask about medications, allergies and other conditions. The patients respond, shyly, by reminding me that the eyes are the main concern, that they “itch” and “burn”. This became the common narrative…The patients are mostly women and children. As I ask them to read the eye chart, I start to notice a usual pattern. Many of these villagers do not differentiate letters such as “s” from “z” or “k” from “q”. Blame it on poor quality of public education…or maybe, to a “culture” of poverty. What surprised me about these small “mistakes” is that for a country with high literacy rates (86% to 95% for females and males respectively), these mistakes were too common…and were not only found in the young population but in mothers and the few fathers that I saw. Things depend on our definitions. Literacy in Peru, in this sense, may not correspond to Western ideas, that people such as ourselves hold.
It is a bit weird to see patients and knowing that obviously, more than just their eyes are perceived as problems. Nevertheless, one has to learn to focus on the only solvable issue. In some instances, no problem is found. When this happens (meaning, when the optometrist checks the individual by using the more precise technology available), we see the patient leaving somehow frustrated…I was told that in these cases, the guiding force is the need for attention, especially, the attention of “foreign” specialists. In other cases, when the problem is real, smiling faces make our day. It is surprising to see how one donated pair of glasses can make mothers, students, children and elderly people so happy…and proud of wearing these devices.
Today, we are happy to report that we could again see the blue sky and mountain peaks as the temperature rose and warmed our hearts. The boulder in the way of the construction crew was moved and the other burdens we carried with us yesterday have been laid down before our Lord and Savior. Our eyes are clear and we can see the light of Christ that shines upon the path we walk today. Thank you for your prayers for us this week.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13
Galatians 6:9-10 - And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Today was 100% Monday. Today we began our day at the OSA sports court with song and scripture. I know that each of us were anxious for the day to begin. This team includes people who have been to Collique since as far back as 2003 and many who are experiencing Collique for the first time. The weather this morning was chilly with clouds hiding the blue sky. I knew the sky was there but I never quite got a peek at it. Even the mountains lost their peaks in the cloudy, hazy morning and so our day began.
The Monday Morning Madness always begins for the medical clinic with a line of people smiling and waving as we enter the gates to the clinic. By our arrival, they know that their long wait outside will soon be followed by a shorter wait inside and probably another wait at the pharmacy window. And yet, they don’t seem to mind the idea of a long wait. We are told that today is not the first of these long ‘waits.’ Many have waited hours in line for the privilege of an appointment card which is required to have the privilege of a little more waiting. The medical clinic and pharmacy had a bumpy day while each of the doctors and nurses worked out the first day jitters.
Our dental and eye clinic are immediately inundated with patients. Their lines of hopeful faces greet us as we pass through the OSA house doorway. Familiar faces call some of us by name as we ‘Buenos Dias’ our way past them. The dental team patient count is intimidating, and the team impresses all of us with their determination and grace. Our team working the eye clinic had a challenging day. Equipment difficulties are taxing on the spirits of these precious women who are unsatisfied with inefficiency. Tomorrow can only be better, we declare.
VBS with our children is often underestimated in its impact among the Colliquen community. There are two groups that our team will work with each day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. The children cannot wait to spend their week with this team. Their craft today was to decorate socks with yarn which some of them had never done before! This new adventure also provided them with the opportunity to share with others. Each child received two pairs. The team suggested that they might keep one pair and share the other. Some of the children could not believe they could keep two pairs! They thought one to be an amazing gift! This craft reinforced the concept of being kind to one another, which was the emphasis today as they worked their way through VBS.
Finally, the last part of our team is working on a construction project which is intended to add two rooms onto one of the homes of one of the families involved in the OSA program. As they began digging the holes for the beams and concrete to hold the walls, a huge problem became evident. A huge boulder sits in the earth right in the path of the walls. I don’t know what they are planning to do to get around this problem and it seems that this has been the common theme for today!
It has been 100% Monday. Each team faced huge boulders standing right in the path of their work! Some teams were able to work around or through their problems while others are still working on a solution. As we left Collique today, the clouds still cover the sky and the peaks of the mountains. I am reminded of those moments in life when you can’t quite see God in the midst of struggle. You know good and well that God is there—just as I know that the sky and the peaks of those mountains are there. It is so difficult sometimes to not be discouraged when you can’t see God and all you can see is the big boulder right in your way. Tomorrow, we will see…will God move the boulder or will He move us?
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12
Proverbs 4:25-27 - Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor the left; turn your feet from evil.
Peruvian coffee makes for a great start to a morning after only a few hours of sleep! Today, some of our team was able to join the congregation of Iglesia Presbiteriana de Pueblo Libre of Lima. Worship with this congregation has become a tradition for our team and many of us were delighted to recognize some of the songs in worship today! We were also blessed with the privilege of celebrating baptism and the Lord's Supper with our brothers and sisters. These sacred moments remind us of our true purpose this week.
At lunch, our discussion returned to our friend at the airport. Many calls were made, but so far no one had the authority to permit entry into Peru. Our concern was brought before a Peruvian lawyer who had joined us for lunch and she believed that she may be able to help us.
Today flew by quickly as the bus creaked up the hill to Collique. Our precious friends met us with grins and hugs reflecting the many relationships that have bloomed over these past trips. After a short program with the children and families in the Living Water program, our teams kicked into high gear and began setting up the various areas of the clinic.
While all of us were busy, I am sure that I was not the only one praying throughout the day for our friend stuck in the airport. As we got on the bus to head down the hill there was news that our friend has received approval to enter Peru. Rejoicing, we returned to the hotel worn out and filled with anticipation of the coming week. After a few more hours of waiting, we have just heard that he is in a taxi headed our way! Praise be to the God of miracles!
Of course, this is not the end of the journey for our friend. Please pray for us as we begin our work here. While our friend trapped at the airport may be more keenly aware of this truth than any of us, God has truly brought us to this place at this time to do His work. And, you too, are in the place you find yourself reading this blog because God brought you there. Will you join with us this week praising the Father for directing our steps?
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11
Psalm 125:1 - Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved, but abides forever!
Thank you for your prayers for a safe flight for our mission team. While our flight was uneventful, we did face some difficulties in immigration. One of our team members unknowingly left his passport on the airplane. Once he realized that his passport was missing, he quickly asked the airport officials for assistance. Unfortunately, his passport was not found by the airline. Due to no passport, he could not be officially admitted into Peru. Despite airline protocol to immediately place a citizen without a passport back on the next flight to their country of origin, the airline allowed us some time to make calls for help to the US embassy and we began a fury of phone calls to US officials and Peruvian officials even at this late hour. However, at midnight on Saturday it was impossible to find anyone with the authority to provide us with immediate assistance! Somehow, he missed the only return flight to Houston on Saturday night while we tried to find help. So, we left the airport around 1:30 am without our friend and little hope of him leaving the airport. We have until Sunday at midnight, the next flight to Houston, to find a way to have a provisional passport commissioned.
Missions Blog - Peru (October 2008)
Finding Abraham - written by Jason Gunnels, first year with OSA
VBS Veterans - Written by Kendra Shattuck, 3rd trip to Collique and Margaret McCoy, 4th trip to Collique
We heard this week from the people that work at OSA that the teachers in our children’s schools are now able to pick out the kids that attend the OSA program. They are always clean, they do their homework, and they are respectful to their teachers and to each other. One of the concerns when we have come in the past is that they will love on us, but they would not then continue this love for each other. This week we have seen their friendships among each other strengthen right in front of us. When one child leaves a craft on the table, another lovingly reminds him to go get it. When someone falls down, several children run over to make sure she’s ok. 
Greetings from the dental clinic! Okay, let’s get to it. Things are very different here. There is no suction, only Dixie cups—one for spitting, one for rinsing. There are no overhead lights so we do a lot of straining to see and there are no OSHA regulations or federal infection guidelines. No dental spas, spacious waiting rooms, and no extreme makeovers by handsome Hollywood dentists. (We are handsome for sure, but we do not live in Hollywood.) Essentially, it is the best dental care that your great-grandparents could have gotten. We use the term “sterile” and “clean” in a very loose sense but we have gotten a new autoclave so that should help matters immensely. Our clinic is quite comfortable, but we have to open the windows for ventilation and since Lima is a desert, we cope with a layer of dust that tends to accumulate throughout the day. As you might guess, the standards of dental care in Peru are quite different from those in America. Our patients in Collique, especially the children, most likely will never see a dentist unless they come to our clinic. 
Since the OSA clinic is now well established, many of these patients have been getting regular dental visits and we are beginning to notice a great improvement in their oral health. We do see the occasional caries-free patient but the vast majority of patients have dental needs ranging from the older patient that needs a thorough cleaning to the young child who has twenty teeth and twenty cavities. You come to the realization early that we can’t fix everything for everyone so the challenge is to decide what problems need to be addressed and can be addressed during their appointment. Of all the services offered by OSA during the week, the dental appointments fill the fastest because the need is so great. It is difficult to turn people away, but it is gratifying to know that our work makes an immediate and lasting impact on the lives of the people of Collique. (If you’ve ever had a toothache, you’ll know what I am talking about.) 
This week has gone quite smoothly and it is hard to believe it is almost over. Friday we are seeing a few patients from a home for women and children with AIDS. This is a patient population that is absolutely shunned in Peru. No dentist in Peru will see a patient with AIDS. This is a time when we can do some very important and rewarding work. 
In many places, the eyes are said to be the “windows to the soul”. In a place like Collique, eyes reflect on the harshness of daily life. From the pollution and dust to personal stress, these organs suffer. 
I start my day by learning the basic questions: I ask about medications, allergies and other conditions. The patients respond, shyly, by reminding me that the eyes are the main concern, that they “itch” and “burn”. This became the common narrative…The patients are mostly women and children. As I ask them to read the eye chart, I start to notice a usual pattern. Many of these villagers do not differentiate letters such as “s” from “z” or “k” from “q”. Blame it on poor quality of public education…or maybe, to a “culture” of poverty. What surprised me about these small “mistakes” is that for a country with high literacy rates (86% to 95% for females and males respectively), these mistakes were too common…and were not only found in the young population but in mothers and the few fathers that I saw. Things depend on our definitions. Literacy in Peru, in this sense, may not correspond to Western ideas, that people such as ourselves hold. 
It is a bit weird to see patients and knowing that obviously, more than just their eyes are perceived as problems. Nevertheless, one has to learn to focus on the only solvable issue. In some instances, no problem is found. When this happens (meaning, when the optometrist checks the individual by using the more precise technology available), we see the patient leaving somehow frustrated…I was told that in these cases, the guiding force is the need for attention, especially, the attention of “foreign” specialists. In other cases, when the problem is real, smiling faces make our day. It is surprising to see how one donated pair of glasses can make mothers, students, children and elderly people so happy…and proud of wearing these devices. 
Today was 100% Monday. Today we began our day at the OSA sports court with song and scripture. I know that each of us were anxious for the day to begin. This team includes people who have been to Collique since as far back as 2003 and many who are experiencing Collique for the first time. The weather this morning was chilly with clouds hiding the blue sky. I knew the sky was there but I never quite got a peek at it. Even the mountains lost their peaks in the cloudy, hazy morning and so our day began. 
The Monday Morning Madness always begins for the medical clinic with a line of people smiling and waving as we enter the gates to the clinic. By our arrival, they know that their long wait outside will soon be followed by a shorter wait inside and probably another wait at the pharmacy window. And yet, they don’t seem to mind the idea of a long wait. We are told that today is not the first of these long ‘waits.’ Many have waited hours in line for the privilege of an appointment card which is required to have the privilege of a little more waiting. The medical clinic and pharmacy had a bumpy day while each of the doctors and nurses worked out the first day jitters. 
VBS with our children is often underestimated in its impact among the Colliquen community. There are two groups that our team will work with each day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. The children cannot wait to spend their week with this team. Their craft today was to decorate socks with yarn which some of them had never done before! This new adventure also provided them with the opportunity to share with others. Each child received two pairs. The team suggested that they might keep one pair and share the other. Some of the children could not believe they could keep two pairs! They thought one to be an amazing gift! This craft reinforced the concept of being kind to one another, which was the emphasis today as they worked their way through VBS.
Finally, the last part of our team is working on a construction project which is intended to add two rooms onto one of the homes of one of the families involved in the OSA program. As they began digging the holes for the beams and concrete to hold the walls, a huge problem became evident. A huge boulder sits in the earth right in the path of the walls. I don’t know what they are planning to do to get around this problem and it seems that this has been the common theme for today! 
Peruvian coffee makes for a great start to a morning after only a few hours of sleep! Today, some of our team was able to join the congregation of Iglesia Presbiteriana de Pueblo Libre of Lima. Worship with this congregation has become a tradition for our team and many of us were delighted to recognize some of the songs in worship today! We were also blessed with the privilege of celebrating baptism and the Lord's Supper with our brothers and sisters. These sacred moments remind us of our true purpose this week.
At lunch, our discussion returned to our friend at the airport. Many calls were made, but so far no one had the authority to permit entry into Peru. Our concern was brought before a Peruvian lawyer who had joined us for lunch and she believed that she may be able to help us. 
While all of us were busy, I am sure that I was not the only one praying throughout the day for our friend stuck in the airport. As we got on the bus to head down the hill there was news that our friend has received approval to enter Peru. Rejoicing, we returned to the hotel worn out and filled with anticipation of the coming week. After a few more hours of waiting, we have just heard that he is in a taxi headed our way! Praise be to the God of miracles!
Thank you for your prayers for a safe flight for our mission team. While our flight was uneventful, we did face some difficulties in immigration. One of our team members unknowingly left his passport on the airplane. Once he realized that his passport was missing, he quickly asked the airport officials for assistance. Unfortunately, his passport was not found by the airline. Due to no passport, he could not be officially admitted into Peru. Despite airline protocol to immediately place a citizen without a passport back on the next flight to their country of origin, the airline allowed us some time to make calls for help to the US embassy and we began a fury of phone calls to US officials and Peruvian officials even at this late hour. 
However, at midnight on Saturday it was impossible to find anyone with the authority to provide us with immediate assistance! Somehow, he missed the only return flight to Houston on Saturday night while we tried to find help. So, we left the airport around 1:30 am without our friend and little hope of him leaving the airport. We have until Sunday at midnight, the next flight to Houston, to find a way to have a provisional passport commissioned.