Woven by Words: Peru: A Place To Do A Lot Of Waiting

Our 4th morning had up and running. We headed back out to the storage unit because we had to pack a truck with the 150 wheelchairs we needed to build by the distribution site. We got there...and waited...again. lol Peruvians are on their own schedule.

While we waited, Paige (I think), came up with the idea to do test put-together of one of the wheelchairs. I was thrilled to find out they were now giving out three sizes of their Generation 2 wheelchairs. When we had been down two years before, they only had the small size and the lawn chair (Gen 1) options! It was a good refresher course. As I watched Pastor Chuck and Denny tying the seat back/bottom on, I remembered how tricky it was the first time we did it!

Did I mention we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting?

It was decided that the men would stay waiting for the truck to show up, and the ladies would go back to La Victoria to help with the food we were going to pass out that night at the hospital. Here is a sample of what our ride there and back looked like.

We got back to the outreach center where Tammy & I chopped peppers, and Denise and Molly chopped green onions. Caillie and Frieda worked with the eggs.

After we finished chopping, Tammy & I filled small to-go containers with a Peruvian version of steak and fried rice. We were supposed to fill 125 of the containers. I thought we were going to be there all afternoon. On top of that, I was watching the amount of food disappearing, but the stack of containers was still high. Needless to say, I was praying "fishes and loaves, fishes and loaves" over the food and containers. As in literally praying that over them.

Tammy, Rosa, Denise, and Molly working on the food.

Tammy and I with our chopped peppers!

I totally cracked Denise up. Juanita kept coming over to the containers showing me with each new bowl, how high I should be filling the containers. It was either too much or not enough. So, one of the last times she was coming over to "guide" me, I turned and blocked her with my butt so she couldn't see what I was doing. She sort of whacked my behind to move me out of the way while chuckling.

The guys finally came back and we found out they had to carry all of the boxes up to a second floor warehouse. Poor guys. Poor Fred and his back.

We packed the food containers into Toby's bus, and headed off to the hospital. Let me explain what I learned about the hospitals and medical care in Peru. You won't be seen or helped until you have the money to pay them up front for their services. Pastor Trent was saying how when his wife went into labor, she had to have a c-section, and she was writhing in pain on the floor, and they had to come up with about $2000 before they'd see her.

Rosa's son, Rosa, Paige, and Rosa's daughter (a family serving together)

The people who we were bringing food to were people waiting for patients inside the hotel. Many had traveled from many towns away. The patients inside were all cancer patients. The first man we brought food to had been waiting for his wife, who'd been there for 10 months! We prayed for him, and it was a very special time with him. We spent so much time with him, by the time we finished, all of the food had been distributed. Not even kidding.

Next we spoked to a man and his boy, but it was a very fleeting conversation because his son just wanted to run around. Fred and I were with Pastor Chuck and Pastor Trent, and then Pastor Chuck went to speak to some other people. Pastor Trent was so funny. He just said, "ok, pick the next person you want to talk to." We just walked around, and I knew we'd find someone the Lord wanted us to speak to. Can I tell you just how frustrating it is not being able to speak Spanish?

The next person we came to was a man sitting on a wall. Pastor Trent started speaking to him. He was a young man, probably in his early 20s. His 18 mos old son was in the hospital dealing with Leukemia. I can't remember how long he'd been there. When we asked where his wife was, he told us she was admitted to the hospital because she'd gotten sick while they were there waiting for their little boy. Can you even imagine what that's like?

While we were talking to him, there were two young ladies who hovered around us. Because of the area we were in, I was keeping an eye on them. They seemed harmless, but you never know. We prayed for the young man, and then Pastor Trent turned his attention to these young ladies. He seems to know how to talk to each person differently, right where they're at. These girls he was silly and joking with. They were young moms who were arm in arm, and hadn't known each other for very long, but each of their children were in the hospital with some form of cancer. As we were leaving, I asked Pastor Trent if the girls would be offended if I gave one of them my jacket. The girl was 17 I think, in a spaghetti strap tank top, and it was pretty darn chilly. He said I should absolutely go for it, so I did. I mean, hello, it was just a jacket. My only wish was that I would've had more to give. Next time!

After we finished at the hospital, we headed to a restaurant that had a buffet to start off with, and then dancers for the rest of the night. Everything started off just fine. I actually went and enjoyed dessert first...because I could. Actually, there was a long line for dinner, and no one at the dessert section.

The dessert bar! It was so good!

The brownie bites (with the white coating) were amazing, as was the carrot cake.

Can I say that us eating all of this food after delivering doggy boxes of food to people in need isn't lost on me. After I ate my dessert, most everyone had come back from the main buffet table. I figured it was time for me to go take a look at what was up there.

Of course, Octopus Salad at a Peruvian buffet. I passed!

Yea, not a big fan of fish either.

I may have never mentioned this, but I LOVE tamales!

I had eaten a small plate of treats and had a small plate of food. All of a sudden I was absolutely sick. I felt like I'd been hit with a ton of bricks in my stomach. Thankfully, Caillie had brought some anti-nauseau medicine, and gave me a couple. For real, about a half an hour later I could tell I was turning a corner. I felt like she had just been my angel! She took away the food that I had just gotten so I didn't have to look at it or smell it. That sweet girl!

As soon as we were just about finished with our food, the show started. I took a gazillion photo and videos on my poor phone & still need to download them so they don't clog it up. The premise of the dances was like a luau, they told stories of the Peruvian people. Fred had been there before, and assured me he wouldn't dance with them. I didn't realize he meant later in the show they'd pull people up on the stage. With how I was feeling, I knew I wouldn't be going up.

Caillie and her dad were actually called up at different times. It was pretty cute, but I was glad Fred didn't go up because I would've died from mortification. Fred. On a stage. Dancing. In public. That just would've been bad.

The dances were fun and very colorful. There were about 8 dancers who changed around with each other for the various dances. One of the dances was so funny. It was about a man and woman who were flirting with each other, but the gal came into the audience and found a man to joke around with to make her dance partner jealous.

As each dance was announced on the wall by the doors they would enter in from, the restaurant would shine the name of the dance onto the wall. They moved so much and so fast I couldn't get very good pictures of their costumes.

There was also a guy who looked EXACTLY like Wayne Brady. He had the same smile, and he seriously seemed to be enjoying his performance.

You know how you were told growing up to never run with scissors? Well, this group of guys not only ran with them, they danced and flipped and rolled with them! It was crazy! Watching them was pretty spectacular.