April 2005
La Paz, Bolivia
Since leaving El Salvador 10 months ago, we have been on the
road—eighteen states and four countries—the first
thing Julie and I purchased upon our arrival in La Paz was a bed!
Now, three weeks since our high altitude landing, we feel somewhat
acclimated, grounded, and rested. We’ve begun our new work
in one of the most fascinating places in the world.
But what an odyssey it was! Our travels took us into many of
your homes, your churches, your fascinating places in this world.
We felt so blessed to be with our son Damian at his graduation
in Boulder, to receive our daughter and her family in Oregon,
to sail with Richard Morgan off the coast of Maine, to fellowship
with committed followers of Christ’s teachings in churches
across the land, to renew friendships at our yearly reunion at
Jacob’s Hill in the Rocky Mountains, to embrace Bob's three
brothers and Julie’s mom and three brothers, and gather
with them and with their children, to embrace life fully.
After a wonderful time with our family in Atlanta, helping them
move into a new home, Damian accompanied us to the World Social
Forum in southern Brazil. We felt, during those days, with two
hundred thousand participants, that, as the theme pronounced,
yes, a new world is possible! This newly formed congress (started
in Brazil only four or five years ago) is for people, churches,
and organizations from around the world to meet yearly to discuss
important topics for humanity’s survival, such as clean
drinking water, sustainable development for persons in developing
countries, human rights, public education, and many other issues.
At this gathering people discuss strategies, coordinate efforts,
and share with others what is working in each of their countries.
Bob focused his energies at the Forum on the efforts of an international
network committed to assuring all people access to clean water
as a “common good.”
After the Forum we traveled on to visit beautiful Curitiba with
its trash-for-food program (intriguing!), then on to the city
of Belo Horizonte with its Zero Hunger program, and the ecological
wonder of the Caracol National Park, Brazil's green Grand Canyon!
In São Paulo, where Bob was born, we tearfully parted
from Damian and flew to Lima, Perú. Damian returned to
Atlanta and to work, staying with Simone, Darien, and little Taneli
Marie.
The shocking part of our adventures was in Lima. As in many countries
of Latin America, shower water is heated at the showerhead by
an electrical water flow heater (supposedly insulated). However,
in the shower, Bob’s wet forehead grazed the 240 volt ungrounded
water heater. For a nanosecond, Bob was the ground. Fortunately
the shock was so powerful that his nervous system’s involuntary
reaction threw his body against the farthest wall of the shower.
Upon recovery, on the shower stall floor, I was reciting my favorite
prayer: “Thank you, thank you, thank you….”
I was so glad to be alive. In pain, but alive.
At the hospital, Bob was informed he had cracked inter-rib cartilage,
but had not broken any ribs. That tempered the pain a bit!
This jolt impacted our orientation to the work of the Joining
Hands Against Poverty network in Peru, while Bob was laid up.
But during our three weeks there we were able to visit several
project sites, visit with network organizations and their leaders,
and learn from community leaders firsthand of their work to produce
food and natural medicines free from genetic modifications, chemicals,
and polluted irrigation water.
We flew to Cuzco and took several days there to get accustomed
to the high altitude, around 12,000 feet, knowing that this would
help prepare our bodies for the even-higher altitude of la Paz.
Before leaving Peru, we were able to visit Machu Picchu where
every terrace, trail and temple held powerful memories of our
three children, awe-filled, exploring its wonders in 1988. Aaron
Eli was close by.
We flew into La Paz on March 15 and have been able to adjust
to the altitude with only minor symptoms, such as fatigue. They
tell us it will take up to forty days for our bodies to begin
to produce sufficient red corpuscles to carry the increased oxygen
needed, and for our lungs to increase their capacity sufficiently
for this altitude.
It is good to be in a land re-affirming its traditional ways
supported by a cosmovision that recognizes God in all creation,
the Earth as a sacred, living organism worthy of careful stewardship.
It is here where the predominantly indigenous population is struggling
for survival.
After five hundred years of discrimination, slavery, racism and
exploitation, these proud people are crying, “Basta!”
Enough!
We have much to learn.
The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
60
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