The Georges in Peru

I can tell that olympic fever has struck here in Arequipa:  It's amazing how many more people I see out running when I go for my morning runs!  I rarely see any other runners, but one morning this week I saw 5 or 6!  We've enjoyed watching the olympics, but it's frustrating when you hear about an amazing event and when you click on the link you get this:

The life of a suffering missionary.  I used to be we couldn't watch the olympics at all so I won't complain!

Most years in July, Medical Ministries International (MMI), an organization I partner with several times a year, has an eye campaign.  Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and zillions of helpers come to Peru and we operate on cataracts, get people prescription and reading glasses and pull foreign bodies out of eyeballs (That was today's most gratifying patient, because he was instantly relieved!).  Several pastors volunteer to share our hope in Christ to the myriads of patients (last Friday 612 patients were seen!) while they wait in line.  Today, Mia and Paul joined us because they are on winter break from school.  You can see them with the acuity cube testing an unseen patient standing 20 feet away.

I wish I could be with them more while they work, but I'm seeing the patients a few stations after they check their vision to look at their retinas.  Ironically, I found at this clinic that my eyes are getting so old I have to wear reading glasses to look at my patients' pupils to look for Marcus Gunn Pupil.  I had to take a break from my first patient and get a pair before I could finish with her! 

Happy Independence Day to my American compatriots!  

Today I experienced another first:  Baseball in Peru!  Scott Wade, a fellow missionary, is on a baseball team here and they had a game today.  Actually, baseball is very uncommon here, and a lot of foreigners (USA, Colombia, etc.) make up the league.  I experienced several others firsts:  A batter stole first after the catcher dropped the ball on his third strike.  And another batter ran untouched because he hit the ball into the guard dog's pen beyond right field!  I had just walked by the dog which had jumped and strained at a chain strong enough to pull a car out of a ditch (What kind of dog needs that heavy of a chain?  Must be really mean!), when the ball was hit into his living space.  The poor fielder complained, "I can't get the ball!  It's by the dog!" before the dog's owner went in and got the ball for him.  

May you enjoy the freedom you have to worship God freely as you celebrate tomorrow!

They say humor doesn't translate well between cultures.  When you consider the different environments that people live in it is understandable that people from different cultures find different things entertaining.  There is an old joke about a man that took his shoes to the cobbler to be repaired.  He goes on to completely forget that he's taken the shoes in until years later he finds the claim ticket under his desk.  "I wonder if the cobbler still has my old shoes?"  So he goes to the cobbler and gives him the claim ticket and asks, "Do you still have my shoes?"  The cobbler pushes his glasses up his nose and squints at the print on the receipt and grunts before heading to the back room of the shop.  After a lot of sounds of boxes being slid across the floor and drawers being opened and slammed shut the cobbler finally appears and he says, "I found them!"  "Great!  How much do I owe you?" "You can pay when you get them.  They'll be ready Wednesday."

I donated the projector screen to the conference center that hosted Amy's funeral here in Peru as they had to go out and buy it before the funeral.  A month ago I went to a shop that makes little brass plaques that say things like, "Given in Memory of Dr. Amy George, 2016".  "It will be ready tomorrow after 12-noon." I was told.  I didn't have time to return until two days later, and I've learned it's best to give them extra time anyway.  I showed up around 1 pm.  "I'm here for the plaque."  "I said after 12."  I pointed out that it was after 12 and it was actually a whole day later.  "It will be ready at 3 pm."  The next two times I went to the shop, it wasn't even open.  Last week I went and the plaque was made with inverted colors (gold print on a black background).  He said, "Come back at 3 pm, today."  I told him I wouldn't be back for a week. (big mistake)  Today when I went back, he said, "It will be ready in half an hour."  The above joke would be completely lost on him.  

A wall of sample jobs.

Today our church had a faena.  A faena is a work day and today the job was to carry a load of bricks from the street down into the church property where we are going to build a wall.  

Five tons of bricks left on the street.  What if someone steals them?  Wasn't a problem.  Bricks are too much work to steal, I guess.

Scott and Tami Wade, fellow missionaries, helped out.  It took 10 of us an hour and a half to carry the bricks.