Chapter 10: Visits to Huancayo
AS TOLD BY GRO AGERSTEN
Experiences in Huancayo
Huancayo is located at 10,670 feet above sea level in a wide, high mountain valley on the banks of the Mantaro River. The city is the capital of the province of Junin and today has around 450,000 inhabitants. It was considerably smaller in the 1960s, but it was still a big city compared to Tarma. The climate is slightly cooler than in Tarma because it lies at a higher altitude, and also because of its more exposed location on the high mountain plain.Even before the Lindgrens traveled home to Sweden, we went on a couple of short visits to Per and Brita Anderås in Huancayo. By then, they had lived and worked there for over three years. The church there had a place in the center of town where they held a welcome service for us and later a farewell for the Lindgrens. The congregation was still quite small, but new members joined little by little. Per Anderås had a strong work ethic and many good ideas for how to reach out with the Gospel. Both he and Brita were active from morning to night. Brita, of course, also had a lot to do at home with a large family that demanded a good portion of her time.
In March / April 1967, we went to visit the Anderås family in Huancayo.again. This time we were staying for three weeks! I wrote a letter home about our time there:
“They have started producing programs on a local TV station. Kerstin, the oldest daughter, is in charge of the programs for the children. She receives her own missionary support from a church back home, and she is a full-time missionary despite her young age. Well, actually, she's just a couple of years younger than me.
There are four more children in the family. The three youngest attend the Methodist Church's school in town. Ingrid, the next oldest, is studying through a Swedish correspondence program. It is always nice to visit the Anderås family. We feel at home with them. With children and young people in the house there is plenty of life and movement. They had a lot of fun, and were also active in the work of the church.
Huancayo is located at 10,670 feet above sea level in a wide, high mountain valley on the banks of the Mantaro River. The city is the capital of the province of Junin and today has around 450,000 inhabitants. It was considerably smaller in the 1960s, but it was still a big city compared to Tarma. The climate is slightly cooler than in Tarma because it lies at a higher altitude, and also because of its more exposed location on the high mountain plain.Even before the Lindgrens traveled home to Sweden, we went on a couple of short visits to Per and Brita Anderås in Huancayo. By then, they had lived and worked there for over three years. The church there had a place in the center of town where they held a welcome service for us and later a farewell for the Lindgrens. The congregation was still quite small, but new members joined little by little. Per Anderås had a strong work ethic and many good ideas for how to reach out with the Gospel. Both he and Brita were active from morning to night. Brita, of course, also had a lot to do at home with a large family that demanded a good portion of her time.
In March / April 1967, we went to visit the Anderås family in Huancayo.again. This time we were staying for three weeks! I wrote a letter home about our time there:
“They have started producing programs on a local TV station. Kerstin, the oldest daughter, is in charge of the programs for the children. She receives her own missionary support from a church back home, and she is a full-time missionary despite her young age. Well, actually, she's just a couple of years younger than me.
There are four more children in the family. The three youngest attend the Methodist Church's school in town. Ingrid, the next oldest, is studying through a Swedish correspondence program. It is always nice to visit the Anderås family. We feel at home with them. With children and young people in the house there is plenty of life and movement. They had a lot of fun, and were also active in the work of the church.
Maino’s second birthday was celebrated while we were there, not only privately but also in the children's program on TV! Kerstin held a big party for Maino live on her TV program. Ingrid had baked a beautiful cake with two candles. She came in with the cake to Maino's big surprise and delight. Agneta, who played the clown, led the singing and entertainment, while Kerstin worked in a Bible story. She and her sisters are incredibly talented at capturing the children’s attention. During the program, all the children who participated got their share of the cake. It was truly a special birthday celebration for Maino that year!
In addition to the work at the church, Anderås runs a bookstore where people can buy Bibles and other christian literature. They also sell school supplies. Here in the country, parents have to buy school books and everything else that is needed for their children's education, so the bookstore is very busy at the start of a new school year which begins in March / April. Since extra help was needed at this time, we spent several hours in the bookstore every day while we were with the Anderås. We sure got a lot of opportunities to practice Spanish while we were there! Spanish was buzzing around us all day, and we learned a lot of new words and expressions. John also sang and spoke at the church services with Per as interpreter. We have a lot to learn about both the ministry and about the culture of Peru, so the weeks in Huancayo were of great benefit to us for our future work."
I continue in the letter:
«One day, John accompanied Andrås on a day-trip to Lima to buy more school supplies and other things for the bookstore. While in Lima, in an unguarded moment, somebody stole John’s jacket that was hanging behind the front seat of the car. They were in an area with a lot of people and a lot of activity, and in such places there is always the risk of something being stolen. Losing the jacket was upsetting, but the worst was that he had , his driver's license and his Peruvian ID card in the pocket of the jacket. We are required to keep the ID card on us at all times, so he was very upset, but there was not much he could do about it right then. In the following weeks we ended up spending a lot of time and expenses to replace these important documents. It took a while, but finally he had a new certificate and a new Peruvian ID card. We were very relieved to have this taken care of, and we learned a lesson from that too. "
We buy a car in Huancayo
While we were in Huancayo, we bought a car without having a penny toward the purchase price! John wrote about how this happened in a letter home:
"One day we happened to hear that a construction company in the area was going to auction off 12 Land Rover 1961-63 models with a very low starting bid. Of course, this piqued our interest. There is no doubt that we needed a car, but you need money to buy one! Per Anderås thought that this was a good opportunity to buy a good car for the mission work at a reasonable price. Per, who has been here in the mountains for many years, obviously knew as well as we did how helpful having a car would be in the ministry. We prayed about it, and then we drove to the auction the next day which was a Saturday.
When we arrived at the auction site, we walked around and looked at the cars. Some were in bad shape, however there were two that had lower mileage, and that looked in relatively good shape. There was quite a crowd there, and one of the first people we met was the bank director from the bank where Anderås has an account. Per knew him, so we started talking to him. He wondered what we were doing there. Per was very straightforward with him, and told him that we needed a jeep, but that we did not have the money to buy one. The bank manager was very understanding and offered Per the opportunity to overdraw their account with the amount we needed today, and that they could arrange a loan next week! It was obvious that the bank director really trusted Per!
We decided to bid on the next best jeep, and seven-seater -63 model. We won the bid which also included some spare parts and tools. It was cheap compared to what such a car would otherwise have cost, but for us it was still a lot of money. Per reassured us that if we were not able to raise the money needed for the car, he would buy it himself since his daughter Kerstin could also use a car in her ministry. With that reassurance, we made the deal. It was with great pleasure we drove the landrover home to Tarma when the loan and the rest of the paperwork were in order the week after the auction.”
After some correspondence back and forth with different churches and groups in Norway, we were able to raise the money we needed.Some of the money our church,Salem, sent out, was money we had raised before we left, but they also sent an additional amount. We also received a large amount from another small church that paid for almost half the car! In addition to that, our friends in the Peru mission group sent a sizable amount. It was a joyful day when we were able to pay Per so he could pay off the car loan. "
After a while we realized that the jeep needed an engine overhaul. John bought the spare parts that were needed and returned to Huancayo. One of Per’s acquaintances had a car repair shop there, and he gave John the use of his shop to do the repairs.John was able to borrow tools from the owner and also received helpful advice. The jeep was now running well, but instead we had another problem. The parts had cost so much that we did not have enough money to pay the rent for the next month! We prayed for a solution to this problem, and the answer to prayer came! We were expecting our monthly support, but for some reason it was delayed. Instead, there was a letter in our mailbox from Canada which contained a money order for almost exactly the amount we needed! We had not had any contact with Canada before! Who sent the money order? It turned out that it came from Håkon and Giggi Reigem who were friends with John's mother in their youth. They had emigrated to Canada several years ago, but had read about our work in Peru in a christian magazine they subscribed to from Norway and had decided they wanted to support our ministry. The money came just when we needed it most! The Jeep was a great blessing in the work. It enabled us to visit many different places, even where ordinary cars would not be able to go. And there were many such roads both here in the mountains and around Bagua Chica where we moved to a year later.
Children's camp in Huancayo
In January 1968 we participated in a children's camp that the congregation in Huancayo sponsored at a campground just outside Huancayo. Kerstin Anderås was responsible for the camp, which was for children ages 10 to 14 years old. It lasted for 12 days, and there were a little over twenty children enrolled in the camp. John held Bible lessons for them every day, and I helped Kerstin with other activities for the children. We had good helpers from the church in the kitchen. It was a great time where the children received good instruction from the Word of God, and many experienced God's love in their lives. Most of the children came from very poor conditions and many also from homes with major problems. But they were faithful in attending the services and Sunday school. Some of the oldest children were baptized, and some of the teenagers were baptized after the camp.
When we got home to Tarma, the vacation Bible School started for the children there. Since the children were on summer vacation from school in January and February, there was a lot of ministry to the children going on during this time in addition to the regular work. But we didn’t mind, because he children are grateful and receive the teaching and love we give them with joy, and of course they really enjoyed the good food! It is a pleasure to give them
God's Word and give them a break from the daily struggle many of them experience at home.
While we were in Huancayo, we bought a car without having a penny toward the purchase price! John wrote about how this happened in a letter home:
"One day we happened to hear that a construction company in the area was going to auction off 12 Land Rover 1961-63 models with a very low starting bid. Of course, this piqued our interest. There is no doubt that we needed a car, but you need money to buy one! Per Anderås thought that this was a good opportunity to buy a good car for the mission work at a reasonable price. Per, who has been here in the mountains for many years, obviously knew as well as we did how helpful having a car would be in the ministry. We prayed about it, and then we drove to the auction the next day which was a Saturday.
When we arrived at the auction site, we walked around and looked at the cars. Some were in bad shape, however there were two that had lower mileage, and that looked in relatively good shape. There was quite a crowd there, and one of the first people we met was the bank director from the bank where Anderås has an account. Per knew him, so we started talking to him. He wondered what we were doing there. Per was very straightforward with him, and told him that we needed a jeep, but that we did not have the money to buy one. The bank manager was very understanding and offered Per the opportunity to overdraw their account with the amount we needed today, and that they could arrange a loan next week! It was obvious that the bank director really trusted Per!
We decided to bid on the next best jeep, and seven-seater -63 model. We won the bid which also included some spare parts and tools. It was cheap compared to what such a car would otherwise have cost, but for us it was still a lot of money. Per reassured us that if we were not able to raise the money needed for the car, he would buy it himself since his daughter Kerstin could also use a car in her ministry. With that reassurance, we made the deal. It was with great pleasure we drove the landrover home to Tarma when the loan and the rest of the paperwork were in order the week after the auction.”
After some correspondence back and forth with different churches and groups in Norway, we were able to raise the money we needed.Some of the money our church,Salem, sent out, was money we had raised before we left, but they also sent an additional amount. We also received a large amount from another small church that paid for almost half the car! In addition to that, our friends in the Peru mission group sent a sizable amount. It was a joyful day when we were able to pay Per so he could pay off the car loan. "
After a while we realized that the jeep needed an engine overhaul. John bought the spare parts that were needed and returned to Huancayo. One of Per’s acquaintances had a car repair shop there, and he gave John the use of his shop to do the repairs.John was able to borrow tools from the owner and also received helpful advice. The jeep was now running well, but instead we had another problem. The parts had cost so much that we did not have enough money to pay the rent for the next month! We prayed for a solution to this problem, and the answer to prayer came! We were expecting our monthly support, but for some reason it was delayed. Instead, there was a letter in our mailbox from Canada which contained a money order for almost exactly the amount we needed! We had not had any contact with Canada before! Who sent the money order? It turned out that it came from Håkon and Giggi Reigem who were friends with John's mother in their youth. They had emigrated to Canada several years ago, but had read about our work in Peru in a christian magazine they subscribed to from Norway and had decided they wanted to support our ministry. The money came just when we needed it most! The Jeep was a great blessing in the work. It enabled us to visit many different places, even where ordinary cars would not be able to go. And there were many such roads both here in the mountains and around Bagua Chica where we moved to a year later.
Children's camp in Huancayo
In January 1968 we participated in a children's camp that the congregation in Huancayo sponsored at a campground just outside Huancayo. Kerstin Anderås was responsible for the camp, which was for children ages 10 to 14 years old. It lasted for 12 days, and there were a little over twenty children enrolled in the camp. John held Bible lessons for them every day, and I helped Kerstin with other activities for the children. We had good helpers from the church in the kitchen. It was a great time where the children received good instruction from the Word of God, and many experienced God's love in their lives. Most of the children came from very poor conditions and many also from homes with major problems. But they were faithful in attending the services and Sunday school. Some of the oldest children were baptized, and some of the teenagers were baptized after the camp.
When we got home to Tarma, the vacation Bible School started for the children there. Since the children were on summer vacation from school in January and February, there was a lot of ministry to the children going on during this time in addition to the regular work. But we didn’t mind, because he children are grateful and receive the teaching and love we give them with joy, and of course they really enjoyed the good food! It is a pleasure to give them
God's Word and give them a break from the daily struggle many of them experience at home.
Farewell to Huancayo
At the end of August -68 was the last time we went to Huancayo before we moved to Bagua Chica later in the year. Lennart and Boyan Lindgren lived and worked in Huancayo now since they returned in March after a year's stay in Sweden. They had asked us to come. The Anderås family was on vacation a few weeks at that time. We had some nice days together with the Lindgren family. At the same time, we said goodbye to the congregation in Huancayo. It was nice to be with friends there once again, but also sad to say goodbye indefinitely.
We really enjoyed the beautiful drive of nearly three hours from Huancayo to Tarma via the city of Jauja, but this time it was bittersweet knowing that it would be a long time until the next time we would drive through that area.
At the end of August -68 was the last time we went to Huancayo before we moved to Bagua Chica later in the year. Lennart and Boyan Lindgren lived and worked in Huancayo now since they returned in March after a year's stay in Sweden. They had asked us to come. The Anderås family was on vacation a few weeks at that time. We had some nice days together with the Lindgren family. At the same time, we said goodbye to the congregation in Huancayo. It was nice to be with friends there once again, but also sad to say goodbye indefinitely.
We really enjoyed the beautiful drive of nearly three hours from Huancayo to Tarma via the city of Jauja, but this time it was bittersweet knowing that it would be a long time until the next time we would drive through that area.
