March 2019: "The Georges in Peru"

I was in Lima this week to renew my passport.  While there, I visited the print shop that is making 5000 copies of a book based on Proverbs that is being taught in some Peruvian schools.  After my visit I rode in a public transport van that was the most beat up that I have ever seen.  The side window was gone.  All of the linings in the door and roof were gone as were half of the dashboard components.  In the 9-block trip to the bus station we had two near accidents.  Peru has a vehicle-inspection law, but evidently this van slipped through the system.

Mine is Quechua.  I speak a teeny bit of it and it has magical powers here (okay, theologically I know it's not magic, just go along with the literary device!).  This morning we gave a ride to three girls that recently started attending our church.  When we were dropping them off at their house a filthy drunk with a shovel approached the car, yelling and waving the shovel agressively.  Paul and I thought he might start hitting our truck.  "Girls, get out on the other side of the car!"  While they got out I distracted the drunk on my side of the car.  "Alli

Thankfully, we didn't have to wait in this line today!  This is the office where Peruvians have to go to get their government IDs.  Schools start up in early March (Paul returned to school on Monday) and many people wait until the last minute to get their kids' IDs renewed when they expire.  You don't have to wait in line if you have money.  Many people go and wait in line and sell their spot for $1-3 when they get near the door.  Tomorrow, I have to go to the immigrations office and then the driver's license office, so I'll probably get my share of waiting in line