Recollections of our Wednesday In Lima
by Will King on Friday, July 29, 2011 at 9:49pm
Some of you might have read some interesting things recently on Facebook about our day in Lima. This email will cover everything that happened to us during our very eventful day in Lima on Wednesday prior to returning to the USA.
Warning: This email will be very long. However it will be worth your time. We promise. People that have heard this story so far have compared it to something from a movie such as James Bond or the Bourne trilogy.
We want to make something crystal clear. As Will said after the events of Wednesday, "Satan is constantly working against God's people. However, he is never able to out-work God."
If you would prefer to listen instead of read, Will has provided a podcast version of this letter which you can listen to here:
http://soundcloud.com/definingvoice/wednesday-in-lima-peru
It all really began on Wednesday morning in Lima. We decided that we would spend the day shopping, and visiting the Miraflores section of Lima (the American section of the city). We spent the morning shopping and after doing that, we walked to the beach. All in all, we probably walked around 25-30 blocks that morning. Missing American food, and a little fatigued by the standard Peruvian fare, we decided to grab something as American as possible, and what is more American than McDonalds?
We got our food and walked upstairs (it was a double level restaurant). After we finished our food, we were greeted by a little girl that told us "I speak english too!"
We spoke to the little girl and her mother for a few minutes and after doing so we turned back around to find that Will's book bag had been stolen. It was missing and we had no idea where it was. In the bag were a lot of things including our medical forms, Will's passport, Bible, camera, etc.
There was no way to find it. We checked with the McDonalds employees and they weren't able to offer much help except finding a police officer. They were very nice, however, offering us drinks and a place to sit while we waited on the REAP North missionary, Mindy, was on her way to help with the translation with the police.
When the police officer and Mindy arrived he told us that we needed to fill out a police report. However, with it being 1:30 pm by this point, Mindy told us that we needed to go to the US embassy immediately. (Our flight left at 10:30 on Wednesday night) Mindy helped us hail a cab to go back to our hotel to get a copy of Will's passport and immigration form. Unfortunately the cab driver lied to Mindy when he told her that he knew where to go. A few blocks later he kicked us out of his car. Needless to say we did not pay him for deserting us.
Once we were back at the hotel and got a copy of the necessary document we hailed another taxi to transport us to the US embassy. 30 minutes later in a taxi, we were at the embassy. It was explained to us that when we arrived he had to tell them that he "lost" his passport. If we said that it was "stolen" then we would be forced to provide a police report. When asked multiple times by the Peruvian guards at the US embassy gate about the passport, Will repeated that it was lost. Finally we were granted access to the Embassy.
Just a side note, when you enter a US embassy you are forced to give up all electronics including cell phones. Once we made it through security we walked into the embassy and began to fill out the necessary paperwork. Will explained the urgency in leaving the country that night. The lady that was assisting us in the process called Will back to the window and asked where his picture was. She wanted the 2 x 2 picture that must accompany all applications. No one we know carries a 2 x 2 picture on them at all times, but maybe we should start doing so.
Will explained that he didn't have one, and the lady told Will that there was a place on the grounds of the embassy to have a photo taken. She said that it closed at 3:30. It was 3:20 when we discovered this. She then told Will to "run" to the other side of the embassy complex. He immediately ran out the door followed by April, then Gloria, then Leigh (who was being held back by comfortable, yet terrible running shoes known as crocs).
A Peruvian man was painting nearby in the complex and as he saw Will, April, and Gloria followed in a distance fourth by Leigh he began to yell at Leigh, "hurdy...hurdy...hurdy!"
Upon arrival at the photo area, we were informed that the photo lady had left for the day. Will and April began to make the point to Carlos, the supervisor that it was only 3:20. Not 3:30. After much discussion, Carlos agreed to take Will to the photo shop across the street to get a passport photo.
Keep in mind when you see the passport photo that it was taken after Will had been literally running around Lima for nearly 2 hours. Adrenaline was very high as well.
Once the photo was in hand, Will went back to the embassy and continued the process with a new employee named Joshua. Joshua was outstanding in this entire process and was set to complete it until he informed Will that the picture was too small. The photo given to him was a Peruvian size passport photo not a standard US 2 x 2 photo.
Joshua said that he could attempt to place a white background on it and stretch it. (Which he did...and which you can see in the attached photo) The results were...interesting.
Instead of having to wait an hour for the passport Joshua was able to expedite it to 30 minutes. Another employee of the embassy, Claudia returned with the new passport and made it clear that we would now have to go to the police station to file a police report on the missing immigration form and other items in order to leave the country. She asked if we had a taxi, which we did not. Will told her that we would hail one outside. She said that she would book one for us.
Reason being...the US State Department has one warning issued for Peru. Do not take taxis that you have not contracted with previously in the city of Lima. Apparently they have had numerous problems with Lima taxi drivers picking up US citizens, taking them to remote areas and beating them up for their money.
So with a new and safe taxi driver we headed back 30 more minutes to the American section of Lima to the police station. Will had been warned by Joshua at the embassy that local police try to get money from Americans for simply doing their job. We were about to experience this first hand.
When we arrived at the police station we were supposed to be met by Javier, a translator for REAP North Peru. Javier was not there though. We called Mindy to find out where he was and she said she would return our call. At that time an older Peruvian man named Fernando walked up. Noticing four gringos standing outside the police station he aptly asked us, "What is wrong with you?"
We told him our story which he relayed to the police officer who assured us that he would get us in immediately once our translator arrived. Unfortunately, Javier would not be joining us. He was dumped by his taxi driver, like we were, after his driver didn't know where to go either. Javier had no more money for a taxi and was at least 25 minutes away. We were able to make our way into the police department with the help of Mindy on the phone and the police understood what we needed. However, we did not have a translator to help with the process of filling out the police report.
The police found a guy named "Henry" that we believe hangs out around the police station. He came in to help. During the process he tells Will, "I do this for a living." Obviously for providing a service we were happy to pay him. Then the other shoe drops. He tells Will regarding the police officer, "You need to tip him well." The two of them proceed to start talking about "banco" which as I am sure you can guess means "bank." He wants us to go to the bank and get money for them.
Will gets the police report signed and stamped. At this time, the police officer begins to try to take the money that we paid the translator out of the pocket of the translator. The two begin to fight. Will gives the "tip" to the police officer and immediately walks to where the rest of the team is sitting and says, "We need to go, now!"
We all briskly walked out of the police station until we reached the door, then we moved to a full sprint. "Henry" the translator follows us out of the building calling for Will. April then asked Will if he had everything important, such as passport, police report, wallet, etc. Once he confirmed that, we continued our escape. Henry was still following us for four blocks until we lost him on the other side of a green light. We quickly agreed to a cab fare with a driver and were off to a hotel. As we pulled away we saw Henry in the rearview mirror looking for us.
Will told everyone that once we arrived back at the hotel we needed to get our stuff and get on the transport to the airport. We did so, and were off to the airport. Fortunately everything else worked out with security and we were able to get back to the US unscathed. We cannot tell you how happy we were to set foot in New Jersey. Yes...New Jersey.
Now that we are on the other side of it, we are amused by everything that we went through. It was definitely an experience we will never forget.
We debated on sending this out to everyone. We didn't want this to be the overriding story that comes from this trip. We met many wonderful people in Peru that have a hunger for God that we simply do not see here in the US. We were able to minister to people of all ages and worship with them as well. However, there is something about this story that needs to be shared...and that is why we write this to you today. If you take anything out of this story we hope you understand this...God's protection is always around us. His plans cannot be thwarted by anyone or anything. He will see His people called according to His purpose through to the end. We believe that Joshua, Claudia, and Fernando were sent to us by God to encourage us and help us in our difficulties in Peru. Joshua expedited the passport process, Claudia kept us safe by calling a taxi for us and not letting us go on our own, and Fernando encouraged us that there were still people who cared for total strangers in a foreign land.
We thank you for your support and prayers while we were in Peru. We thank you for your support and prayers as we adjust to being back in the US and as we regain our strength.
We mentioned to the people we were ministering to, numerous times, that you were praying for them each and everyday. It meant a lot to them and it meant a lot to us. You do not realize how big of a part of this trip that you truly were and still are.
God Bless,
April, Gloria, Leigh and Will
