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My View, From PeruGod, politics, daily life...discussed from a modern Biblically ethical and moral basis, pertinent to the world in which we live. |
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7/26/2009 Unexplained tragedyThe Lord cares deeply when His loved ones die. Psalms 116:15 July 18th, 2009 We suffered an extreme loss in our church this week in the passing of one of our members, Sharon Valdivia. Death is always unwelcome to those left behind, even more so when it is as untimely as that of Sharon’s. Death often arrives without warning, without explanation, and takes with it not only the life of the victim but part of the lives of family and friends left behind. Even with this knowledge no one could have imagined the toll Death would take in claiming Sharon’s life. Invited to have lunch with her aunt, uncle, and cousin, Sharon went to their apartment last Monday afternoon. She was never seen again. Sharon’s aunt said after dinner she had walked Sharon to the corner where she left her to catch a bus or taxi. Later that evening Sharon’s brother began receiving text messages from Sharon’s phone but not from Sharon. The messages indicated that Sharon had been kidnapped and that a ransom was being demanded in exchange for Sharon’s life. The messages continued through Tuesday, now including a deadline of 11 p.m. If the ransom wasn’t paid by then Sharon would lose her life. Wednesday morning we got the news. Sharon’s body had been dumped in the yard of her aunt and uncle, just blocks from where she disappeared. Officials determined Sharon had been dead since Monday, about 36 hours, indicating she had been killed not long after arriving for lunch. By who was still a mystery, but further on-site investigation led the police to detain Sharon’s aunt, uncle, and cousin. Sharon’s cousin confessed first and soon afterward confessions from all three came in one form or another with varying levels of consistency. Whatever the whole story turns out to be, Sharon was kidnapped, drugged, and killed by her own family. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 What took place this past week, the acts committed within the confines of a family, are inexplicable without the understanding that the battles we fight daily are not against an enemy we can see or touch. Instead, we fight against an enemy that hides in the shadows of our hearts and souls, an enemy that feeds on that which we provide it in the form of anger and hatred, jealousy and greed, envy and revenge. And don’t sin by letting anger control you. . . . for anger gives a foothold to the devil. Ephesians 4:26,27 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. James 3:15 These evils were at work in the lives of the perpetrators, no doubt, and because they were allowed to remain and grow so did the strength and power that Satan had in their lives. Even so, they alone are responsible for their actions, whatever they may have been, and they are subject to the consequences of their actions.
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:14-15
I mentioned earlier that Sharon’s death took more lives than just her own. In addition to her family the lives of the members of our congregation have been taken, if only temporarily, as we try to make some sense of what has happened. There will be some in our congregation who simply won’t understand what has taken place or how it could even be possible. Some will face their own battles against hatred, fear, and anger spawned by this vengeful act.
Others will want to forgive the perpetrators immediately, reach out to them with the hope that they will repent and themselves be saved. Then, of course, there are those who will seek earthly wisdom in an attempt to discover the details of what took place and to determine why. In the midst of all this gossip, talk, and speculation arise. Stories from the past, conceivable yet unfounded, come forth bringing with them more doubt and uncertainty.
Today, two weeks later, the 3 suspected family members remain in custody, guilty no doubt but of undetermined charges. The investigation continues- a motive sought after along with the hope of resolution. Hope, I believe, is all there is, as there may be no true resolve, the wound inflicted being likely to remain unhealed, other, older wounds opening as a result.
My hope rests in the possibility that Sharon, the victim, was also the innocent in all of this. It is with faith that I believe her murder can serve a purpose and that those who are suffering most are also those who can gain the most if they so choose. The fight now is against the hate and anger, the sadness and depression. The fight now turns inside.
Yesterday during lunch a friend asked “Do you think we’ll ever know what really happened?” “No,” I said.
In storytelling, true or not, an end is expected, a completion to the tale. I struggled to share this story because I had yet to find one. Now I realize it’s pointless to look, as stories such as these never end.
Please pray for the family and friends suffering most through all of this. This story is not a part of their lives. Rather, their lives have become a part of this story. So while they will not find the end they are looking for please pray that they will find peace and that they will find the reason why they have been given a role in this tragedy. 6/22/2009 Happy Father's DayHappy Father’s Day
Father’s Day this year arrives with a bit more glamour and prestige than normal. A few weeks ago Kayla and I finally received Cohen’s birth certificate listing the two of us as his legal “birth” parents, an event that has been long awaited. I’ll get into the details later, but the process was nothing short of drawn out and archaic in nature. Adding to that celebration, I “retrieved” my boys, Alec and Chandler, from the states last week. In 4 days time I managed six flights and 5 layovers between Peru and California. Departing before dawn last Monday morning, I arrived in San Francisco Tuesday around 9:30. I met my parents and the boys at the airport, spent the evening with them in San Francisco, then the boys and I boarded a plane early Wednesday morning for our journey home. Thursday morning we were back in Arequipa, safe and sound, though a bit worn from the journey. Though much apprehension surrounded their return in only a few short days our family has retaken its shape- all due to the blessing s of God!! Acting as the final ingredient of today’s festivities, we celebrated Alec’s 13th birthday today!! You can’t ask for much more on Father’s Day! The boys have grown a great deal over the past year. While I saw them in September Kayla has not seen them since they left last July, almost a full year. The reunion thus far has been nothing short of emotionally overwhelming in a most joyous way. Cohen will not let them out of his sight and that has made their adjustment to their return that much easier. Alec said he thought Cohen would have forgotten them- boy was he wrong!! Meghan is just as happy to see her brothers and have them around. I’m sure it won’t last, but they’re all getting along better than they ever have, playing together, sharing, helping out. Wait a minute- are these my kids? As the boys just finished their school year in the states we had not planned on forcing them to enter school here right away. We figured we would give them some time to readjust to the Peruvian scene, relax a bit, and get comfortable again. Well, after just 4 days both boys say they are ready to get back into school. Funny- I don’t ever remember having those feelings as a kid? They are going to “visit” their class tomorrow and will probably start full time next week. I have a short trip to make this week and they want to go with me so there’s no reason for them to start before that. Back to Cohen and where we are in the adoption process. Like I said, we received the actual birth certificate a few weeks ago, June 4th to be exact. As some of you may recall, I was made to return last November to appear before the judge one last time. Prior to this I had been told my presence was no longer needed then suddenly I was told I had to be here. After appearing before the judge I was again told I could return to the states to work as my part in the adoption process was done. When Kayla and I went to pick up Cohen’s birth certificate we found out otherwise. When I say “pick up” I say so because I thought that was what we were doing. As it turns out, we were going to sign and fingerprint the birth certificate that was to be filled out in our presence. When I say filled out that’s exactly what I mean- filled out by hand with a fountain pen on a paper bound in a ledger-style book. Yes, the birth certificate was filled out by hand, and it wasn’t until we went to the office to get it that it became known that had I not been here my name would not have been on the certificate. While we didn’t know this when we made the decision for me to return to Peru it seems a bit of confirmation that it was the right thing to do. After all, adding my name to the certificate would not have been an easy process as it is in the states. Without being physically present there would have been no way of adding my name. Guess I made the right decision, after all. Kayla had requested three copies, assuming they would resemble birth certificates from the states- a certificate printed on heavy paper, an embossed seal or gold sticker, and pre-printed signatures. Instead what we got for the cost of our three copies were three photo copies on paper with an “official” watermark. Still, it was all worth it. The next step is to have the birth certificate translated, along with the decree of adoption and the amendment that was added to correct the mistakes in the original. We also need to get Cohen’s Peruvian passport but are told this is a simple process (we’ll see J) . Once this is done I will head to Lima to present the papers to an agent at the U.S. Embassy. If she approves of the papers she will then approve of the adoption. Once done I will await an appointment with another individual in the embassy who will approve a visa for Cohen. The Embassy says the visa will be issued in no more than 6 weeks, maybe sooner. Again, we’ll see. Upon receipt of the visa Cohen will be able to enter the U.S. and once upon U.S. soil he will automatically be a citizen of the United States of America!! Of course, we have to get there first. In the meantime, Kayla continues to work at the school teaching various English and Christian education classes. She is also teaching English 3 nights a week to adults. I occupy my time gardening, running errands for my father-in-law, and acting as a housewife most of the time. I am hoping we will get more interest in advanced English and conversational English classes for adults so I can begin teaching them but so far no luck. We want to continue our work in Ichupampa, the rural area in the Colca Valley and have also been asked to aid in a new work about 2 hours north of Arequipa. However, without monetary support we are limited in how much we can do. Gas is expensive here, and feeding a family of 6 on the road isn’t cheap, either. We debate daily what our future holds, where God plans to take us. Our hearts and souls rest in Peru while we see the needs of our own family not being met in areas such as a proper education for our children and decent medical care. These things are available but, again, not without support from the outside world. We are working to support ourselves but the catch-22 is that if we are locked into “jobs” we cannot travel and provide for those who are most in need. While far from giving up we are not clear on what we are to do once Cohen is able to leave the country. There are good reasons to stay and good reasons to return to the U.S., as well as some bad ones on both sides. God’s most recent message to me came this morning- “Don’t make any decisions, just wait. Be patient and see what I have in store for you.” He can be a bit ambiguous at times, you know . . . so we wait, not committing to anything one way or the other but simply doing what we can on a daily basis, not knowing where we will be tomorrow. Well, that’s life as it goes in my part of the world. As you read this I hope you’ll keep us on your hearts. Pray for us that we may have patience to wait for God’s timing, wisdom to know when that is, and understanding to hear Him clearly.
Copy of the hand-written birth certificate
Receipt for a copy
Cohen in his 1st place costume. The rules stated the costume must be made from recycled materials so went all out, using boullion cube and SlimFast containers and even "bio-fuel" as seen in the water bottle-tanks in the rear.
Cohen in traditional dress for the Mother's Day Pollada. 4/15/2009 Here's what's going on . . .It's been a while since I've written, but then, who wants to hear about the life of a restaurant manager in California anyway? Now that I’m back in Peru I figured it was time for an update on what’s happening in our lives.
I had shared with a few of you the completion of our adoption of Cohen. Upon my arrival in Peru I learned that it was not quite so. While the adoption is finalized many obstacles remain. We have yet to receive Cohen’s birth certificate, though it was promised to be delivered two weeks ago, and as it turns out, the papers finalizing Cohen’s adoption, those that state his legal name, Kayla and I as his parents, etc. . . are in the process of being corrected.
It seems the Peruvian justice system, rather than using standardized templates or creating new documents for each case, instead uses documents from prior cases and simply replaces the specifics- names, dates, and so on. Our paperwork just happens to include some information from a prior case, and thus must be edited. How long this will take is anyone’s guess, as are the rest of Peruvian gov’t operations. All in God’s time, for that is all the time we have.
In the meantime, Kayla, Meghan, Cohen, and I eagerly await the return of Alec and Chandler. They are finishing out the school year in Colorado and will be returning to Peru mid-June. Alec is still recovering from a recent appendectomy and the removal of several hernias. He underwent the procedure two weeks ago, the appendectomy as a precautionary measure, and during the surgery the hernias were discovered. We pray and believe this will bring an end to much of his ongoing pain.
Chandler is facing his own struggle right now, one of a much more personal nature but one that I am willing to share with any of you who wish to know more and believe with us that he will make it through. It is a time of concern, but also a time of relief as he deals with a past issue that desperately needs closure.
Speaking of God’s time, it seems as though He has plans for us here in Peru, plans that fill my heart and soul with excitement, passion, and anticipation. The small town of Ichupampa continues to be a burden upon our hearts. It seems the Lord shares in this burden. Though I have been back not quite two weeks I have already been invited to join two separate mission trips to Ichupampa and the surrounding villages.
The first, at the end of April, will be with as part of an MMI (Medical Missions Int’l) group consisting of medical professionals from the U.S. Though I will be nothing more than a volunteer and liaison during this trip it is an honor and opportunity to be invited. MMI, from my understanding, is a non-evangelical group, and I was asked specifically to help impart some spirituality to the trip. Pray for me that I am able to do so, and for the entire mission itself.
The second, tentatively planned for some time in July, involves a group of medical students from a university in Lima. They, too, want to visit the poorest of poor in the towns of Ichupampa, Lari, and Madrigal. They have asked to stay in our church in Ichupampa and base a medical mission from there for 5-7 days. This trip awaits the final approval of the university, approval which will be given today, God willing, so again, please pray for His will.
In addition to the work we wish to continue in Ichupampa Kayla and I have plenty to do right here in Arequipa. Ronnie & Joyce’s church, Casa de Dios, was forced to find a new building. Ronnie had to delay his return to the U.S. by two weeks in order to facilitate the move but God blessed us with an amazing opportunity to rent a building that has three times the space we had before along with what may prove to be a better location than that which we had downtown.
Aside from being active in the church move and development during Ronnie & Joyce’s absence (they will be in the states until mid-August) the church board has also expressed a desire for Kayla and I to utilize some of the church space for endeavors which will benefit both the church and our various missions projects. We are in the process of developing an English academy with the intent of using the profits to aid in the rent of the church as well as the maintenance of the church in Ichupampa.
I have also been solicited to open an after church café of sorts, a place at the church where the people can congregate, have a snack, small lunch, and simply spend time together. The church is equipped with a kitchen, which is to say it has a large room with two sinks, some counter space, and an exhaust hood (no power or fans, just an aluminum chimney). I’ll have to figure out how to go about obtaining some meager cooking equipment if I wish to truly provide sustenance for the people. Until then I’ll cook at home and seek help from the women of the church to do the same. This shouldn’t be a problem, though, as many of the women have often asked me to teach them to cook “American” food.
I have spoken of many things, mentioned many needs, and now I will ask for the most important- pray for us!! Pray that God’s will be done in all that is happening right now, pray that the Lord imparts His wisdom to us all, and pray most fervently that our hearts, minds, and souls are open to His will!!
As always, your prayers are the most important and substantial blessing we can receive!! Thank you all. . . 2/4/2009 And the hit's just keep on comin' . . .And the hits just keep on comin’. . . Kayla and the kids have been back in Arequipa for almost two weeks now and there’s no progress to speak of. The first week back Arequipa was on strike. No public transportation, lot’s of closed businesses, and as such, no way for Kayla to get the death certificate the magistrate has requested. As we all know this past weekend ushered in the month of February. For many of us that also brings the excitement of the Super Bowl. For Kayla and I it welcomed the news that during the month of February all Judges in Peru are on vacation, save one, who handles every case from every sitting judge. Looks like the chances of us getting the papers we need have fallen considerably. Kayla’s parents returned from Argentina this morning, along with our lawyer and his wife. As they were driving from Tacna to Arequipa, my lawyer at the wheel, they had a blowout and rather than coasting to a stop my lawyer decided to hit the brakes. The frightening result was the truck rolling and landing on its roof. People in the area came running and righted the truck so everyone could get out. Somehow no one was injured. I’m waiting to see the pictures my father-in-law took while our attorney spoke with police about the accident. You ever wonder why our plates are filled the way they are, why we’re challenged they way we are? I quit wondering. I figure, if I can handle it God’s gonna give it to me, and if God gives it to me that’s all I really need to know. I’ve come to expect that whatever situation I’m in will work itself out on God’s schedule, not mine. As long as I’m willing to work through it I can count on positive results. It’s tough not to be impatient, not to have answers, not to know the when’s, where’s, and how’s. Life is tough, but not facing reality will make it even tougher. Despite all the hard times my family is facing right now the reality is this- God has blessed us with more than most will ever hope for, than many will ever realize, and than any of us deserve.
1/17/2009 No GnusI remember this show I used to watch when I was a kid. A gnu (that’s a type of animal, pronounced gu-new, in case you’re wondering) hosted the “news” portion of the puppet show. He would always say “No gnus is good gnews.” Today I have to agree. Kayla spoke with our attorney’s office this morning only to find out that the magistrate now and suddenly wants the death certificate of Cohen’s birth mother before he will release the adoption papers or Cohen’s birth certificate. Without those papers Kayla cannot get Cohen a Peruvian passport. Without his passport Kayla cannot start to work on Cohen’s visa at the U.S. Embassy. As such, Kayla is going to return to Arequipa. She has been staying in Lima the past two weeks hoping the paperwork, which the judge assured us over a month ago, would be released so she could begin the visa process. When she returns to Arequipa she and the kids will have no bed to sleep on, no couch to sit on, no oven or stove to cook with, because she sold or gave away everything before leaving. We were hoping for the best. The best has eluded us. While in Lima Kayla and the kids faced their share of challenges and they still have a few more coming. Having a place to stay became a problem, but we appreciate Bill & Lena Shrader and Phyllis Rose for doing what they could to accommodate them. Now, as Kayla and the kids rest in a hotel for a few days I pray they will overcome the frustration of being set back by recent events. Even tougher for us all is that I can do so little to help them during this time. To add to the stress Cohen is more and more confused every day. While in Lima he spent the first few days walking around the house where they were staying trying to find me. He knows I’m in California, and as far as he was concerned so was he. Now I can only imagine that during the flight back to Arqequipa he’ll again think he’s coming home to me. He’s young and will survive this. Even so, I know it’s got to be tough, just as it is on Meghan, who tells me daily how much she misses me and wishes we were all together again. That’s the news for now. As things change and we realize more progress I’ll keep you all updated. Please pray for us all as we continue to live in the state of the unknown. ¡Gracias por tu visita! I truly appreciate each of you taking the time to read what I have to say. It may mean nothing to you, or it may mean something. Either way, it means something to me. If you like, I hope you'll let me know you stopped by, share a thought or two, and even provide me with a little insight of your own. Of course, criticism is always welcome and appreciated.
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