For the past 8-9 years all of our DCF trips to Peru have been to a small town called Pisac, an hour outside of Cusco. We’ve had some great experiences serving in the shadow of the Andes Mountains in a placed called the “sacred valley” by the Incas who inhabited this area hundreds of years ago.
For the June trip, our missionary host in Peru suggested that we consider serving with a young pastor who had recently started a small church in a place called Paracas. This town is located on the Pacific Ocean 4 hours south of Lima. Like Cusco, Paracas is a tourist destination known for it’s abundant sea life as well as it’s proximity to the Peruvian desert. Both the sea and the sand provide great opportunities for outdoor recreation.
From what we have been told about Paracas, it sounded like a good place to serve. However, there were lots of unknowns going into the trip. It’s always good to do a site visit to any new location so that there aren’t surprises to be encountered. Dr. Bill remembers going to places to work only to discover that no one got the word that he was coming so no patients showed up. Other times, he’s been to locations without electricity, water, bathrooms, or even a roof to shelter from the sun.
Long story short….God was most faithful to the June Peru team. With little knowledge beforehand of where we were headed, the team encountered warm hospitality in Paracas, a great place to hold clinic, loving people, very interesting geography, and even a coffee shop right across the street from clinic. The hotel was “basic”, the food was delicious, no one got sick, we served hundred of dental and optical patients, and met with great church people who love Jesus. The dental students on the team gained invaluable experience for the graduate dentists, new friendships were made, and our trust in God’s goodness was deepened.
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Cor 1:9
