Chapter 26: The Last Day in Bagua
Moving Day becomes a little more exciting than planned!
AS TOLD BY GRO AGERSTEN
Moving Day becomes a little more exciting than planned!
AS TOLD BY GRO AGERSTEN
“Señora, señora!” The voice seemed to come from far away but grew stronger as I started to wake up. I sat up and looked at the clock. It was a little past six in the morning and it was starting to get light. John heard the shouts as well and started to stir on the mattress next to me on the floor. “Sounds like someone is calling us,” I said curiously while looking around the room. Maino and Lewi were still asleep on their mattresses. In the room next to us I could see our packed boxes and some rice and cement bags that belonged to the owner of the house. “Oh, yeah, today is moving day. We’d better get up.” The thought had barely entered my mind when we heard the shouts again.”Señora!” There was something about the tone of her voice that got us up quickly and into the next room that had doors and windows out to the street. Pajamas and a nightgown would have to do; this seemed to be something urgent!
Still sleepy, it took us a minute to realize that something in that room was not quite right. The door was standing wide open. Outside, a crowd of mostly women and children from our neighborhood had gathered led by the housewife from across the street. When she saw us at the door, she quickly told us that when she had opened her door that morning, she had noticed ours stood open but we were nowhere to be seen. We had been neighbors long enough that she knew we would not just leave the door open, especially that early in the morning. She had come to the door and peeked in, but had not seen nor heard anyone. She ended her story by saying: “I think thieves broke into your house last night. Didn’t you hear anything?”
Still sleepy, it took us a minute to realize that something in that room was not quite right. The door was standing wide open. Outside, a crowd of mostly women and children from our neighborhood had gathered led by the housewife from across the street. When she saw us at the door, she quickly told us that when she had opened her door that morning, she had noticed ours stood open but we were nowhere to be seen. We had been neighbors long enough that she knew we would not just leave the door open, especially that early in the morning. She had come to the door and peeked in, but had not seen nor heard anyone. She ended her story by saying: “I think thieves broke into your house last night. Didn’t you hear anything?”
A burglary
Thieves! Of course! That’s why the door was standing open. We inspected the lock and discovered it was broken. With increasing shock, we looked around the big room that had been our living room and kitchen for almost a year. Was anything missing? There sure was! The three big suitcases we had so carefully packed the previous day were gone. I felt like my heart was going to stop. Our passports and some other documents were in those suitcases, and our cash as well! We had debated last night where to put the cash and other valuables and had decided on one of the suitcases. We felt that it would be harder for someone to steal a big suitcase from us than a smaller bag or purse. That was three months' worth of personal salary and funds for the mission, all in cash! We had cashed out the checks from Norway in Chiclayo since there was no possibility to do so in Bagua or any other place in the jungle until we reached Yurimaguas. With that money, we were going to pay for the moving truck and a boat to Borja where El Sembrador was waiting for us. There would be other expenses as well, including food and other provisions for the trip into the jungle. And all we had left of the documents were our Peruvian ID cards and a list of all our things. We had to show that at every control station. I couldn’t help thinking “Why did this have to happen right now? We had just completed all the preparations, and everything was packed and ready to go.” The transistor radio we had just bought was gone, and we discovered that so were the accordion and the typewriter. The guitar was left behind a couple of sacks. They probably hadn't seen it. Two bags we had packed specifically for the three-day trip to Borja were also gone. One of them had diapers, clothes, and other things needed for Lewi who was 18 months old. The boxes with provisions and some equipment were still here, although a couple of smaller boxes were gone. Our furniture and some bigger items were stored in a room across the street. People started to withdraw little by little, and we got dressed in what we wore the day before, which now were the only outfits we had. Then we prayed for wisdom and strength in this trial.
Thieves! Of course! That’s why the door was standing open. We inspected the lock and discovered it was broken. With increasing shock, we looked around the big room that had been our living room and kitchen for almost a year. Was anything missing? There sure was! The three big suitcases we had so carefully packed the previous day were gone. I felt like my heart was going to stop. Our passports and some other documents were in those suitcases, and our cash as well! We had debated last night where to put the cash and other valuables and had decided on one of the suitcases. We felt that it would be harder for someone to steal a big suitcase from us than a smaller bag or purse. That was three months' worth of personal salary and funds for the mission, all in cash! We had cashed out the checks from Norway in Chiclayo since there was no possibility to do so in Bagua or any other place in the jungle until we reached Yurimaguas. With that money, we were going to pay for the moving truck and a boat to Borja where El Sembrador was waiting for us. There would be other expenses as well, including food and other provisions for the trip into the jungle. And all we had left of the documents were our Peruvian ID cards and a list of all our things. We had to show that at every control station. I couldn’t help thinking “Why did this have to happen right now? We had just completed all the preparations, and everything was packed and ready to go.” The transistor radio we had just bought was gone, and we discovered that so were the accordion and the typewriter. The guitar was left behind a couple of sacks. They probably hadn't seen it. Two bags we had packed specifically for the three-day trip to Borja were also gone. One of them had diapers, clothes, and other things needed for Lewi who was 18 months old. The boxes with provisions and some equipment were still here, although a couple of smaller boxes were gone. Our furniture and some bigger items were stored in a room across the street. People started to withdraw little by little, and we got dressed in what we wore the day before, which now were the only outfits we had. Then we prayed for wisdom and strength in this trial.
Found!
Not many minutes had passed before we heard someone calling us again. We ran to the door to meet a man that had news for us. “Three suitcases are lying open on an empty lot not far away. There are clothes strewn everywhere in a big mess.” The man was breathing hard, he had obviously run to tell us the news. John went out in a hurry and ran with him down the street toward an uninhabited part of town.In the midst of the joy that at least some things had been found, a thought suddenly struck me.” The money! We did NOT put it in the suitcase after all!” I ran over to the sink, and there on the counter in between some cups, bowls, and food items, was my purse. And on top of it was the billfold with the money! I sat down completely overwhelmed and grateful to the Lord for His mercy and protection. We had completely forgotten that just as we went to bed, we had an impulse to take the money back out of the suitcase. We agreed to wait till morning to decide where the money would best be stored, so I had just put the billfold on top of my purse for the night. At least now we had money, whatever else might be missing. In my mind, I could hear the song that had been sung over us at the train station as we left Norway almost three years ago: “God will take care of you, He will take care of you.”
I dressed the children who had woken up. It was now almost eight o’clock. The sun shone down from a cloudless sky, and it was starting to get hot. It looked like it might be a really hot day. “Where was John?” I looked outside and saw Mrs. Placencia walking toward the house. She and her husband were members of the Baptist church and were the ones who had helped us find a place to live when we moved to Bagua. A couple of months ago they had moved into a new house just up the street. They had already heard about the burglary and understood it would involve a lot of work for us and that it would delay our travel plans.
While we were talking, John and another man came hurriedly around the corner. They were carrying the suitcases. I couldn’t wait to tell him my news: “The billfold with the money was on top of my purse on the kitchen counter! I guess they just passed the light from their torch over the counter and missed it among the cups and food sitting there.” John stopped and stared at me. “The Lord must have given us the impulse to take the money out of the suitcase,” he exclaimed. He went on to tell me that the suitcases were open, but with most of the content spread out. I guess the thieves had been mainly looking for cash. Several of our neighbors were still looking to see if they could find more of the missing items. Some were following a path up the hill. All we could do was hope that they would find more of our belongings.
Everything had to be taken out of the suitcases and repacked. We were overjoyed to find our passports and other important documents. Most of our clothes were still there, with the exception of a few of the better pieces. Some of Maino and Lewi’s clothes were also missing and some of the medications we had bought for the trip. Maino and I had a few pieces of jewelry, and they were also missing. But it did not really matter. All in all, we were happy to have so much back. The moving truck came while we were repacking, but it would just have to wait. We were not ready to load things up.
Not many minutes had passed before we heard someone calling us again. We ran to the door to meet a man that had news for us. “Three suitcases are lying open on an empty lot not far away. There are clothes strewn everywhere in a big mess.” The man was breathing hard, he had obviously run to tell us the news. John went out in a hurry and ran with him down the street toward an uninhabited part of town.In the midst of the joy that at least some things had been found, a thought suddenly struck me.” The money! We did NOT put it in the suitcase after all!” I ran over to the sink, and there on the counter in between some cups, bowls, and food items, was my purse. And on top of it was the billfold with the money! I sat down completely overwhelmed and grateful to the Lord for His mercy and protection. We had completely forgotten that just as we went to bed, we had an impulse to take the money back out of the suitcase. We agreed to wait till morning to decide where the money would best be stored, so I had just put the billfold on top of my purse for the night. At least now we had money, whatever else might be missing. In my mind, I could hear the song that had been sung over us at the train station as we left Norway almost three years ago: “God will take care of you, He will take care of you.”
I dressed the children who had woken up. It was now almost eight o’clock. The sun shone down from a cloudless sky, and it was starting to get hot. It looked like it might be a really hot day. “Where was John?” I looked outside and saw Mrs. Placencia walking toward the house. She and her husband were members of the Baptist church and were the ones who had helped us find a place to live when we moved to Bagua. A couple of months ago they had moved into a new house just up the street. They had already heard about the burglary and understood it would involve a lot of work for us and that it would delay our travel plans.
While we were talking, John and another man came hurriedly around the corner. They were carrying the suitcases. I couldn’t wait to tell him my news: “The billfold with the money was on top of my purse on the kitchen counter! I guess they just passed the light from their torch over the counter and missed it among the cups and food sitting there.” John stopped and stared at me. “The Lord must have given us the impulse to take the money out of the suitcase,” he exclaimed. He went on to tell me that the suitcases were open, but with most of the content spread out. I guess the thieves had been mainly looking for cash. Several of our neighbors were still looking to see if they could find more of the missing items. Some were following a path up the hill. All we could do was hope that they would find more of our belongings.
Everything had to be taken out of the suitcases and repacked. We were overjoyed to find our passports and other important documents. Most of our clothes were still there, with the exception of a few of the better pieces. Some of Maino and Lewi’s clothes were also missing and some of the medications we had bought for the trip. Maino and I had a few pieces of jewelry, and they were also missing. But it did not really matter. All in all, we were happy to have so much back. The moving truck came while we were repacking, but it would just have to wait. We were not ready to load things up.
Breakfast
As we walked up the hill toward the Placencia’s house, we had a good view of most of Bagua and the surrounding area. We had settled here on the fringe of civilization about a year ago hoping to be able to reach the people of the jungle from here. It turned out that the distances were too great and the communication opportunities too poor. It had been a difficult decision to leave here and head out into the vast areas where the river was the only way to get around. But once the decision was made and we received the blessing from our church in Norway, we had been filled with peace and joy. Now we felt like the enemy was trying to discourage us and actually hinder the move. But he did not succeed! The Lord was with us, and good friends and neighbors were helping and encouraging us. We would come out of this trial stronger than before.
Breakfast was ready when we arrived at the Placencia’s house: coffee with milk, fried plantains, and bread with fresh cheese and olives. It tasted so good after the tumultuous morning. Naturally, the conversation veered to the burglary. José felt like we were blessed that we had not woken up while it happened. He said it was very probable that they were armed, and would not hesitate to shoot if discovered. He continued to tell us about other crimes that had been happening in Bagua lately. The police force and other authorities were poorly organized so it was easy for criminals to hide and get away with their crimes. Happily, the vast majority of the people moving in were honest farmers looking for a better life for themselves and their families.
While we were still talking and enjoying our meal, we heard voices outside. “Señor Juan, we found a couple of bags up on the hillside. They were hidden under some bushes, but we could clearly see by the downtrodden grass that someone had been there. Are the bags yours?” We hurried out to the street and saw three men holding the two bags we were missing. We were overjoyed and so grateful for sweet, helpful neighbors! The bags were still almost full, and as we looked through them we realized they had only taken a few pieces of clothing. I was especially relieved that Lewi’s diapers, clothes, and baby food were still there. We were very happy as we returned home with the Placencia family. They were going to help us load the moving truck. As we arrived at the house, a couple of neighbors came with the typewriter and the accordion which they had found hidden further up the hill. The transistor radio was truly gone, as well as some clothes, jewelry, and medications, but we were very grateful for all the help and that we had retrieved so much. What had first seemed like a tragedy and a hindrance to us being able to move into the ministry in the jungle, had turned into a testimony of God’s goodness and protection.
As we walked up the hill toward the Placencia’s house, we had a good view of most of Bagua and the surrounding area. We had settled here on the fringe of civilization about a year ago hoping to be able to reach the people of the jungle from here. It turned out that the distances were too great and the communication opportunities too poor. It had been a difficult decision to leave here and head out into the vast areas where the river was the only way to get around. But once the decision was made and we received the blessing from our church in Norway, we had been filled with peace and joy. Now we felt like the enemy was trying to discourage us and actually hinder the move. But he did not succeed! The Lord was with us, and good friends and neighbors were helping and encouraging us. We would come out of this trial stronger than before.
Breakfast was ready when we arrived at the Placencia’s house: coffee with milk, fried plantains, and bread with fresh cheese and olives. It tasted so good after the tumultuous morning. Naturally, the conversation veered to the burglary. José felt like we were blessed that we had not woken up while it happened. He said it was very probable that they were armed, and would not hesitate to shoot if discovered. He continued to tell us about other crimes that had been happening in Bagua lately. The police force and other authorities were poorly organized so it was easy for criminals to hide and get away with their crimes. Happily, the vast majority of the people moving in were honest farmers looking for a better life for themselves and their families.
While we were still talking and enjoying our meal, we heard voices outside. “Señor Juan, we found a couple of bags up on the hillside. They were hidden under some bushes, but we could clearly see by the downtrodden grass that someone had been there. Are the bags yours?” We hurried out to the street and saw three men holding the two bags we were missing. We were overjoyed and so grateful for sweet, helpful neighbors! The bags were still almost full, and as we looked through them we realized they had only taken a few pieces of clothing. I was especially relieved that Lewi’s diapers, clothes, and baby food were still there. We were very happy as we returned home with the Placencia family. They were going to help us load the moving truck. As we arrived at the house, a couple of neighbors came with the typewriter and the accordion which they had found hidden further up the hill. The transistor radio was truly gone, as well as some clothes, jewelry, and medications, but we were very grateful for all the help and that we had retrieved so much. What had first seemed like a tragedy and a hindrance to us being able to move into the ministry in the jungle, had turned into a testimony of God’s goodness and protection.
On our way.
We received a lot of help loading the moving truck. Even though we had sold a lot of our furniture, we still had a big load. The driver had a plastic tarp that he used to cover everything on the bed of the truck. Because of the morning's events, it was a little past midday before we were finally on our way to Chiriaco, literally the end of the road, We would spend the night there, and from there, our travels would continue on the rivers. John had been to Chiriaco on his travels before, but this was a new adventure for me. It was the 15th of October, nearly a year since we had moved to Bagua from Tarma. This move was even more radical for us than the move from Norway to Tarma where we had lived for the first two years. But we felt peace and joy to be on our way in spite of the hindrances and difficulties. We had also been encouraged by the news that two Norwegian ladies were coming as missionaries to Peru. We would need someone to relieve us in a year and a half or so when it would be time to return to Norway on furlough.
Chiriaco
The road to Chiriaco was terrible and got even worse when the pouring rain started. The trip with the truck took the whole afternoon, and it was starting to get dark when we drove into the small town with its small wooden houses and bamboo huts. We were going to spend the night in a house that rented out rooms on the second floor. There was room for the truck just outside, and the driver would spend the night in the truck to guard our things. We made our way up some steps that were more like a ladder. It was not easy with small children and baggage, but we made it. There was no ceiling, and the walls separating us from the room next to us were thin and only reached a little above our heads. Needless to say, it was not soundproof, and the whole house was filled with noisy music from a transistor radio. There were three narrow beds with mosquito netting, and it did not take long to understand that the mosquito nets were just as important as the beds. As the tropical night descended, so did the swarms of mosquitos! It was like an invasion. I'm sure we looked silly as we beat the air around us with whatever was at hand. There were mosquitos in the evening in Bagua too, but not like this. Fortunately. we had some mosquito oil. In the light of the paraffin lamp, we got some out of one of our bags. I was glad the thieves in Bagua had not wanted that. Lewi was whining and crying over the mosquitos that kept biting him everywhere. Poor baby, it wasn’t easy to be that little and on the move into the jungle. We applied the oil to him and Maino before we applied it to ourselves. What a relief! The mosquitos respected the oil and left us in peace.
We went downstairs to the “dining room”. There we were served fried fish, rice, and manioc. We were hungry after the trip, and both us adults and the children enjoyed the meal, even if neither the service nor the environment was exactly first class. It wasn't exactly an inviting place to hang out either, so after the meal, we climbed the ladder back to our room. It had been a long and eventful day, and we were really tired. Back in our room, we discovered that not only would the mosquito net keep the mosquitos and other insects out, but also the vampire bats that were flying under the roof above us. In spite of the narrow and lumpy bed, it felt good to crawl under the net. Soon the music in the house stopped as well, and we fell asleep to the sound of the rain on the tin roof.
We received a lot of help loading the moving truck. Even though we had sold a lot of our furniture, we still had a big load. The driver had a plastic tarp that he used to cover everything on the bed of the truck. Because of the morning's events, it was a little past midday before we were finally on our way to Chiriaco, literally the end of the road, We would spend the night there, and from there, our travels would continue on the rivers. John had been to Chiriaco on his travels before, but this was a new adventure for me. It was the 15th of October, nearly a year since we had moved to Bagua from Tarma. This move was even more radical for us than the move from Norway to Tarma where we had lived for the first two years. But we felt peace and joy to be on our way in spite of the hindrances and difficulties. We had also been encouraged by the news that two Norwegian ladies were coming as missionaries to Peru. We would need someone to relieve us in a year and a half or so when it would be time to return to Norway on furlough.
Chiriaco
The road to Chiriaco was terrible and got even worse when the pouring rain started. The trip with the truck took the whole afternoon, and it was starting to get dark when we drove into the small town with its small wooden houses and bamboo huts. We were going to spend the night in a house that rented out rooms on the second floor. There was room for the truck just outside, and the driver would spend the night in the truck to guard our things. We made our way up some steps that were more like a ladder. It was not easy with small children and baggage, but we made it. There was no ceiling, and the walls separating us from the room next to us were thin and only reached a little above our heads. Needless to say, it was not soundproof, and the whole house was filled with noisy music from a transistor radio. There were three narrow beds with mosquito netting, and it did not take long to understand that the mosquito nets were just as important as the beds. As the tropical night descended, so did the swarms of mosquitos! It was like an invasion. I'm sure we looked silly as we beat the air around us with whatever was at hand. There were mosquitos in the evening in Bagua too, but not like this. Fortunately. we had some mosquito oil. In the light of the paraffin lamp, we got some out of one of our bags. I was glad the thieves in Bagua had not wanted that. Lewi was whining and crying over the mosquitos that kept biting him everywhere. Poor baby, it wasn’t easy to be that little and on the move into the jungle. We applied the oil to him and Maino before we applied it to ourselves. What a relief! The mosquitos respected the oil and left us in peace.
We went downstairs to the “dining room”. There we were served fried fish, rice, and manioc. We were hungry after the trip, and both us adults and the children enjoyed the meal, even if neither the service nor the environment was exactly first class. It wasn't exactly an inviting place to hang out either, so after the meal, we climbed the ladder back to our room. It had been a long and eventful day, and we were really tired. Back in our room, we discovered that not only would the mosquito net keep the mosquitos and other insects out, but also the vampire bats that were flying under the roof above us. In spite of the narrow and lumpy bed, it felt good to crawl under the net. Soon the music in the house stopped as well, and we fell asleep to the sound of the rain on the tin roof.
