As I settled down from a busy week in the jungle it was great to be back in the city and able to relax in a air conditioned room, my mind settled on the fact that the problems with logistics and safety were over. I opened my computer thinking that I would write on the blog but decided that I would check E-Mail first.
The first E-mail read: Flight Cancelled - Contact Your Local Office. The elections in Peru mandated that airlines cancel all flights on Saturday. I'm not too sure how a presidential election would require that everything in a country stop, but that’s what happened. The stores were closed, the airlines canceled flights and the entire country focused on the election. I can't figure out why this was a surprise to the airlines but they sold us the tickets during the work stoppage.

We were now rushed and the time to relax had to be delayed. I phoned the airline and managed to secure 12 seats but that left me with ticket and no way out... but a friend in the airport that managed to get me the 2nd to last seat on another airline. All that to say I had been delayed at getting out information on the Missions Conference.

So...Stats, 788 miles on the Amazon transferring people and equipment. 6 round trips from Nauta to Santa Rita. 27 Churches represented, 25 communities, 2400 meals served, 276 pastors, leaders and families. Our attendance was lower than expected due to the compulsory voting laws in Peru. (One lesson learned) But God knew and our food equaled the number of people perfectly. To the last detail everything went perfectly, that’s not to say there weren’t changes and a couple of glitches but each and everyone on the team took up the challenges of the tasks without a single issue.

We had moved the teams up river prior to the conference for 3 days, I set some to be leaders and left tasks to do and each time I returned up river I was completely blown away at the amount of work completed and way each one had become connected to the others. Never have I seen so much done by a team in such a short time. I would have never imagined that bringing 25 people together and with 1/3 of them not knowing the others would they have all meshed so perfectly. It really was a God thing……

The first group were building bunk beds and painting, the second; painting and cleaning, all of the tasks were done and the mission center was 100% ready when our guests arrived.

The voting in Peru is madatory, so all residents must return to their place of registry to vote or be fined 100 dollars. That made attendence to the seminar lower that anticipated. None the less, God had His chosen 276 people attend. Billy Powell, Carlos Arstoga, Jim Bates, Larry Reynolds and Jorge Arevalo all did amazing jobs at teaching. They all flexed with the changes and managed to work together evey step of the way.

Praying with the Pastors

We learned so much, developed deep relationships with the brothers in the jungle and the other team members. If I could have asked God for a particular outcome it wouldn't have been this great. Thats not to say there wasn't logistical issues, there was. Like running at night on the Amazon. Nothing quite matches the darkness in the jungle or the amount of trash in the river. If you have a spot light on to see the trash you can't tell where your going, you can't see the river bank. If you turn out the lights then you can just make out a slight difference between the trees and the sky, giving you a rough idea of where the river is going. Can't win...

Anyway lots to do and will get more details soon. Keep praying, God has done a mighty work, mostly due to your deep and ferverent prayers.

Tom