Firstly let me apologise for the delayed blog updates. In fact I have back-dated this one to the time of this next event so it makes chronological sense. It has been a whirlwind since we have arrived in Lima along with a lot of cultural and geographic adjustment. More on that in the next post or two.
After on-sending half of our luggage to Curahuasi where we will see it again in 3 months when we move there to set up house, we realised we were one bag short. Bag #1 would you believe! So we had to report it missing at the Lima International airport. That meant a taxi trip back the next evening. After catching a train and then a bus, we hailed down a taxi in a dodgy part of town. What happened next was primarily due to both circumstance and fatigue on my part, whereby I had to pay cash for the taxi to fill up at the fuel station as part of my fare (I believe a common requirement here in Lima), and as I did not get out of the vehicle I consequently left my wallet on the seat where it remained when we got out at the airport.
Now anyone who knows Lima will be aware it is not a city known for its integrity or safety. In fact I have read that more mobile phones are stolen in Peru than any other part of South America – about 2.2 million phones a year out of a population of some 30 million. I have not seen more alarms, high walls (probably a Spanish architectural trait), bared windows and doors, electric fences and alarm systems in my life than in Peru. I think you get the idea – the odds of seeing my wallet again were not good.
But then I prayed earnestly that night before filing a police report that it was missing. And I asked others back in Australia to also pray. Yes I had made a mistake, but in the circumstance I had done my best. I left the rest up to God.
I had made an appointment to visit the Australian Embassy in Peru to introduce ourselves as a family and let them know what we were doing in Peru for the next three years. They were very impressed with our family’s commitment to the cause and assured they would help us in any way they can. Along with providing all our contact details, I also noted my wallet went missing in a cab the night before.
The next morning, I received an email from the Australian Embassy (because they then had our details), saying the taxi driver had located my wallet and contacted them with his mobile number! UNBELIEVABLE the locals have told me – this NEVER happens in Lima let alone with a random unidentified taxi at night in a dodgy part of town. I promptly called the guy and within an hour and a half, he had delivered it back to our door at the Diospi Suyana Guesthouse!
I will let you draw your own conclusions on that one. But as for me, I gave thanks to God for His amazing faithfulness in looking after us on this trip.
I have attached a few proof shots to help visualise the recovery situation.
My miraculously returned wallet
Me with our Lima taxi driver returning my wallet, pictured with Sam and Guesthouse caretaker Jose who were with me when it was left behind on that fateful night
Thanks for following our journey and for those that are praying with and for us,
Chris
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