Right now, American Airlines is having a 15% off sale to Perú, as long as one books their flight by 27 October. My wife and I were looking at it and reminiscing over our years there. A flight from Miami to Lima would cost less than $1000. We would still have to make it to Arequipa, but there are multiple ways to do that. And so, we reminisced. We know that we cannot really afford to do it. We would still have to have some spending money if we were to go. But, the memories of our years of ministry there, the desire to see the orphanage and school whose founding we oversaw, are certainly strong and sharp. We have friends we have not seen for years, whom we would like to see. Someday, maybe someday . . .
For those of you who do not know me, our family spent 3 years in Bolivia and 7 years in Perú as Anglican missionaries. It was there that I was made a deacon and ordained a priest. In Perú, I was the Archdeacon (regional director) of the region. Both my wife and I worked hard and left a growing region headed by a Peruvian indigenous person. In many ways it continues to be the high point of our marriage, as far as service to others is concerned. There are, of course, other high points: our daughters, our grandchildren, our marriage, etc. But, in service to others outside the family, there is nothing like Bolivia and Perú.
May our Lord grant us the opportunity to return while people we know are still there and before we are too old to cope with Andean altitudes.
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