We had been traveling on the river for about three hours until we arrived at our destination. After we arrived we had to make sure that the boat and motor was secure from robbers, who are always on the lookout for someone to take advantage of. Then we had to take a motor taxi to get us to the small town of Palcazu. This little town is filled with people walking around, selling food, clothes, and even baby chicks to take home to raise. It is busy with life and regardless of what is going on, I always get stared at. I don’t know why, and I look just like them. I have the same skin color and dress like them also. They have a sense of who “isn’t from around here.”
Berta and I checked into a small hostel, thinking it would be necessary to spend the night as the transport agency told me the next truck would be leaving at 3 AM. We stretched out and rested in the room, using the common bathroom down the hall since we didn’t have the luxury of our own. The room was hot having little ventilation, and there were numerous spider webs in the corners. Palcazu’s noise barges into the room with a fury and there’s no resting. In a short time a lady from the agency came by to tell me that a truck would be leaving for Pucallpa in about an hour, carrying a couple of cows in the back. We scrambled to gather our things thinking the truck would be leaving in short order. We hurried up to wait. After an hour I figured we would just go back to the hotel and leave in the morning.
We returned to the hotel, showered, got ready to rest “again”, when the driver of the truck came by and said, “Oh Chinita,” (all Asians are Chinos) “It’s you!” He recognized me from previous trips between Marty and I. In fact he was the driver who lost Marty’s bag of gear out of the tailgate on a recent trip. I told him I didn’t want to travel at night but he reasoned that it was actually safer than going in the early morning. There would be less danger of robbers along the way. Berta lobbied to leave then as she wanted to get on home.
So we boarded the truck and headed for Pucallpa, with two cows bound up and stowed in the back of that pickup truck. They were secured to the bars welded to the truck bed. Every time they moved the whole truck moved. Berta was afraid they might kick the glass in the back window. But nothing bad happened. The trip went a little slower than usual since the driver had to stop periodically to tend to the needs of those poor suffering cows. They couldn’t move. There they were suffering so they could arrive at the slaughterhouse. I was reminded of how Jesus had to suffer for me in order to purchase my freedom. Jesus was led to the slaughter for me, having come into the world for that purpose. Tears come to my eyes when I am made to think about His suffering on my behalf. Those silly cows didn’t have any idea what was about to happen to them, but Jesus went willingly, knowing the pain He would face, and He did it in love.
We ourselves were suffering a little, though not like the cows. The truck slipped and slid along the muddy road. We couldn’t even roll down our windows because of the slosh of muddy water. There were holes I was sure we would never pass, and this was at night on a dark jungle road! It called for real faith to trust the Lord to get us home, and to take care of us if we didn’t. There have been many assaults and robberies on this road in the hours of darkness. Berta and I both called on the Lord to deliver us safely home. When the driver and the owner of the cows began to pull of their shirts because of the heat my mind was made to think that maybe they had illicit things in mind. At one creek, in the night, the driver got out and took a bath! I said to myself, “When will this stop?” Yet I realized that God was protecting us. We even had an extremely bright moon to help us see. I received that blessing as a reminder that God was taking good care of us. I realized that the Lord was providing many signs of His protecting hand on us and I took comfort in His promises.
We arrived at home at about midnight to find Marty pacing the floor and standing on the front porch looking for us. I had alerted him that we were coming; even Jacob was still up and anxious for our safe arrival. The cows were not so glad as they were headed directly to the slaughterhouse! We headed to our beds and delighted in the comfort of our home and rejoiced in the safe passage the Lord gave us. The trip was far less than ideal in terms of comfort, but how sweet to be, under the Lord’s protective hand, home perfectly safe!
Berta and I checked into a small hostel, thinking it would be necessary to spend the night as the transport agency told me the next truck would be leaving at 3 AM. We stretched out and rested in the room, using the common bathroom down the hall since we didn’t have the luxury of our own. The room was hot having little ventilation, and there were numerous spider webs in the corners. Palcazu’s noise barges into the room with a fury and there’s no resting. In a short time a lady from the agency came by to tell me that a truck would be leaving for Pucallpa in about an hour, carrying a couple of cows in the back. We scrambled to gather our things thinking the truck would be leaving in short order. We hurried up to wait. After an hour I figured we would just go back to the hotel and leave in the morning.
We returned to the hotel, showered, got ready to rest “again”, when the driver of the truck came by and said, “Oh Chinita,” (all Asians are Chinos) “It’s you!” He recognized me from previous trips between Marty and I. In fact he was the driver who lost Marty’s bag of gear out of the tailgate on a recent trip. I told him I didn’t want to travel at night but he reasoned that it was actually safer than going in the early morning. There would be less danger of robbers along the way. Berta lobbied to leave then as she wanted to get on home.
So we boarded the truck and headed for Pucallpa, with two cows bound up and stowed in the back of that pickup truck. They were secured to the bars welded to the truck bed. Every time they moved the whole truck moved. Berta was afraid they might kick the glass in the back window. But nothing bad happened. The trip went a little slower than usual since the driver had to stop periodically to tend to the needs of those poor suffering cows. They couldn’t move. There they were suffering so they could arrive at the slaughterhouse. I was reminded of how Jesus had to suffer for me in order to purchase my freedom. Jesus was led to the slaughter for me, having come into the world for that purpose. Tears come to my eyes when I am made to think about His suffering on my behalf. Those silly cows didn’t have any idea what was about to happen to them, but Jesus went willingly, knowing the pain He would face, and He did it in love.
We ourselves were suffering a little, though not like the cows. The truck slipped and slid along the muddy road. We couldn’t even roll down our windows because of the slosh of muddy water. There were holes I was sure we would never pass, and this was at night on a dark jungle road! It called for real faith to trust the Lord to get us home, and to take care of us if we didn’t. There have been many assaults and robberies on this road in the hours of darkness. Berta and I both called on the Lord to deliver us safely home. When the driver and the owner of the cows began to pull of their shirts because of the heat my mind was made to think that maybe they had illicit things in mind. At one creek, in the night, the driver got out and took a bath! I said to myself, “When will this stop?” Yet I realized that God was protecting us. We even had an extremely bright moon to help us see. I received that blessing as a reminder that God was taking good care of us. I realized that the Lord was providing many signs of His protecting hand on us and I took comfort in His promises.
We arrived at home at about midnight to find Marty pacing the floor and standing on the front porch looking for us. I had alerted him that we were coming; even Jacob was still up and anxious for our safe arrival. The cows were not so glad as they were headed directly to the slaughterhouse! We headed to our beds and delighted in the comfort of our home and rejoiced in the safe passage the Lord gave us. The trip was far less than ideal in terms of comfort, but how sweet to be, under the Lord’s protective hand, home perfectly safe!
These are the scripture verses that came to my mind as we traveled on that night:
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:2-3 (TNIV)
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of a calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Tim. 1:7 (Amplified)
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