It was our first day in Pacasmayo, Peru. It was a beautiful day, the kind of day where you just want to spend every minute you can outside. The sun was shining, the sky was a bright blue, and there was a nice breeze in the air. Yet myself and two of my teammates found ourselves in the back of a Peruvian police truck.
Why, you might ask? Well, we had arrived in Pacasmayo early that morning after an overnight bus trip from Lima. When we went to collect our luggage, we discovered that mine and one of my teammates big packs were not on the bus. Originally, we were under the impression that our packs had simply been put on another bus by mistake. A couple of hours later, after our ministry host was able to communicate with the bus company, we realized that they were most likely stolen. Needless to say, we spent several hours with the local police following them around town as they gathered information and filed the police report.
Throughout this whole situation the Lord has been so kind to us. The majority of our belongings were stolen. This included our clothes, tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad (our beds if none are provided), among other things. Yet our reactions were not at all what would be considered typical in this type of situation. We were both very calm and filled with so much peace and that can only be a gift from the Lord.
Honestly, it’s been really cool to see how God has provided for us. We now have new packs and some amazing former racers have offered to donate some of their old gear. Also, one of my squadmates is going back to the States for a week in December for a wedding so I am able to get a few things from home.
Overall, I am doing great. I really enjoy our location and ministry for the month. Keep an eye out for my next blog to find out more about what ministry looks like this month!
