We have made it to Peru safely and with quite an adventure so far. It all started by showing up at the airport two and a half hours before our 6:00am flight out of Detroit to find complications with the airlines who did not open the registration desk until 4:00am and had all their self check machines break down and needed to check everyone in individually. We were the first to the counter but were told we needed return tickets purchased in order to confirm our flight and needed to do this on our own. After purchasing the refundable tickets and approaching the counter, they had difficulty processing them and all of our luggage even though I called the manager and showed up at the airport a week prior to explain our situation to avoid such complications. Needless to say, time was escaping and it began to look as if we would miss our flight out of Detroit. We found ourselves at the counter still at 5:30am needing to get our tickets, go through security check, and walk across the airport to our gate to catch our plane which had already begun boarding. Not long after we got through security and began making our way to our gate, we heard our name over the intercom for "last call for the Harris group leaving for Miami" with still a ways to go. I wish I could have captured the moment on camera of us running to our gate being overloaded with carry-on bags with Matthew beating us there as they were shutting the door. Matthew told them that he was part of the Harris group and that we got held up at the counter. They allowed us to board as we all caught our breath on the plane. We than realized that this should be quite an adventure. We arrived at the Miami airport with an eight hour lay-over before our flight to Lima, Peru. We had a pastor in Florida who was gracious enough to pick us up at the airport and take us out to eat, provide us hotel rooms to catch some rest, and drive us back to the airport with plenty of time (and less adventurous) to catch our flight to Peru.
Upon arriving in Peru at 10:30pm, we came to the point where we have asked many of you to pray for a green light. Once you get off the plane you must check in with your passport and than pick up your luggage and approach the security checkpoint. After checking your paperwork they have you push a button which randomly turns red or green. "Green" means you can take your bags straight through without any check and no hassle, "red" light means that you would have to go off to the side and have every bag thoroughly searched and if you have not claimed any item that was suppose to be taxed over a certain amount they would confiscate that item with serious financial penalties. We loaded our 24 blue footlocker totes along with our carry-on luggage onto carts with airline workers helping us transport them to the checkpoint. They had Jon show the paper work and told him to push the button (who was hoping to pass that opportunity to his dad or someone else to blame). The light turned "RED" to everyone's disappointment. They escorted all of our luggage to the tables for the search that would take hours and be charged a huge tax. We had been warned by Gary Greenwood about his bags being searched upon his arrival into Peru with a huge fee. The airlines sent out a man who opened up the first three containers and searched them and asked if we had a list describing what was in each bag. We gave him our list which was written in English and explained that we were missionaries who were moving to Peru and therefore the reason for the extra baggage. He took our list into the office and came out about two minutes later opened up two other containers just to glance at the top items and than waived us through without any charges or further search. Praise the Lord!
God is good all the time! We were greeted out in the lobby of the airport by Missionary Joe Kotvas, his wife, and about six of his staff team who assisted us with our luggage and gave us a ride to their compound where we arrived just before midnight.
Our first day in Peru consisted of introductions, tours of the compound where we will be receiving our language training, and shopping for food supplies. Nisha is adjusting nicely as Jon and Ray each day breaks out items from their stored luggage to encourage her (Day 1 was her own pillow; Day 2 was the peanut butter M&M's; Day 3 was chocolate covered pretzels; etc...). Our children instantly made friends with the other staff children on the compound and enjoy the fact that there is a playground set, basketball/Soccer cemented area, and animals (chickens, dogs, cats, a lamb, a horse, birds, and butterflies). The hospitality and kindness of the staff here has been such a blessing to us. We are currently staying in a two bedroom dorm facility while our apartment is being completed and furnished for the next two weeks. Please pray for this to be completed before January 25 which will be the beginning of a Pastors conference held at the ministry here at EFATA Baptist Church. We praise the Lord for bringing us to Peru safely and find us all with good health and adjusting nicely. Our good friends from the jungle of Peru, Buddy and Loren Fitzgerald, have just came back from a medical leave in the states and have been able to visit the compound for a couple of days to get some work done before leaving back into Puerto Maldonado, Peru. Gary Greenwood also came down from the Mountains to do some paperwork and met us at the compound from Monday until he left early this Wednesday morning. The main missionary, Joe Kotvas, took the Fitzgerald Family, Gary, Nisha, and I out to Lima for shopping for furnishings for our apartment and a blessed time of fellowship. The coast-line of Peru has many modern conveniences to enjoy that the mountains and jungle doesn't provide but yet is so different in many ways from North America. It doesn't take long for you to realize that you are in a third world country with the landscape and the lifestyle. The driving is notoriously different with people cutting each other off and four lane roads being used as six lanes, horns honking, and bad road conditions which my dad will be returning with many stories I'm sure.
EFATA ministries is specifically directed towards the deaf of Peru. They provide a deaf church, orphanage, school, and institute along with having a hearing church as well. We are running into situations in which communication with the deaf staff members as well as Spanish speaking members becomes a challenging task especially when you are working together. We are in the process this week of filing out our paper-work, getting supplies, building our apartment, and getting involved with ministry being done here at the compound. Our hearts were encouraged on Sunday with the sound doctrinal preaching along with the conservative music and God honoring worship at the church services which were translated for us. I believe that it is God's Will for us to be here and that He has directed us to a place where we can grow spiritually as well educationally with language and culture training.
Thank you for all your prayers and support,
The Harris Family
Jon, Nisha, Matthew, Nathan, Becca, and Katie
Your missionaries to Peru
No comments:
Post a Comment