Travel Journal, 145

This medical mission to South America marks my 6th trip to the jungle near Puerto Maldonado in south east Peru. In many ways, this is business as usual. The mission is a week-long medical campaign in which our small team of medical professionals, locals, missionaries, and support crew travel around the Puerto Maldonado area. We travel by vehicle and boat along the Las Piedras River, reaching people who have great medical need and an even greater spiritual need.

The Yine people live here in a protected conservation area. And bordering them lies a reservation in which lives the Mascho Piro nomadic tribe. They are an uncontacted people related to the Yine. It a deep place. As one Paddington Bear once called it, “darkest Peru.”

Yes, it’s business as usual. But that is a conflict of terms. An oxymoron. The business of traveling to darkest Peru for a medical campaign in the jungle never happens “as usual.” Perhaps the most usual we expect is for things to be, well, unusual.

Fuel and Power

A few months ago, Peru experienced what seems like a “perfect storm” of energy crisis. A pipeline ruptured in the Cusco region, resulting in a massive drop (90%) in natural gas and LP. The dominoes fell one by one. Hundreds of thousands of drivers made a switch to traditional gasoline. To add insult to injury, the Iran War put even higher pressures on petroleum prices and availability. Now, the average gallon of gasoline costs $6.20. But it’s gone much higher, around $8 in some areas.

All of this to say that gas is expensive…if you can find it. Lines go around blocks. And sometimes it’s simply not available.

Elections

The general elections in Peru are taking place on Sunday, April 12th. This is right around when we begin our medical campaign. To put it bluntly, Peru has had political instability for a very long time. These elections will be for the Peruvian people. And it is a legal obligation for the population to vote.

What does this mean for the Medical Campaign?

We are obviously excited to see how God will work in the lives of the people in the area. Our trip will look a little different this year. Due to the general elections, many from the villages where we go will be in Puerto Maldonado. Gas availability is spotty at best. This might restrict our travels to a degree. But it looks like the people will be coming to us, since they have to vote.

We may be hosting clinics closer to Puerto than usual. And we may not be going up the river as far as usual. But God is giving us patients to treat, souls to heal, and opportunities to show the love of Christ.

Are things different this year? In some ways, yes.

But God is good.

Business as usual.

 

anthony forrest