To The VRAE (Vallie Rio Apurimac and Ene)

IEPRP Pastor Samuel Montes invited Sara and I to attend a conference in the community of Pichari. He did mention that Pichari was located on Apurimac river in the selva (jungle). As the date of the event drew closer we learned that the conference was going to be a Synod of the Selva meeting. It would be an opportunity for Sara and I to meet the church leaders in the area. Sara soon learned that she was also the 'featured speaker'. We began to research the area and a red flag appeared. Actually, lots of red flags appeared. Pichari is in an area known as the VRAE. The VRAE has a history of terrorist (Shining Path) and is where most of Peru's coca is grown and transported. Coca is a legal product in Peru, cocaine is not, and Peru has become the number 2 supplier of cocaine to the world. So as the departure date grew closer we consulted with several of our contacts for advice. The response was mostly "can't tell ya' not to go, but here is what's going on dude". There are some very interesting stories about the VRAE. Most every evening a news story of some battle between the cartel and the police is on. We visited with Samuel about our concerns. He listened intently and when we finished our interrogational conversation, he simply stated "Hermanos, you will be safe. It is safe there, trust me. This is where many of our Presbyterian brothers and sisters live. If you want to know them, and you need to, then you will travel to their home." Si, si, si, si, si, claro! ya!

We (Sara, Rusty and PCA missionary Robert Woodson) boarded a La Molina Bus in Lima destined for Ayacucho at 8 am and crawled off it at 5 pm. Ayacucho is a wonderful community in the Andes. It's has numerous old and stunningly beautiful churches. The Plaza de Armas is so similar to the Plaza de Santa Fe, NM. I really do feel at home there. There are several great restaurants and the Santa Rosa hotel is a nice and affordable hotel. Robert Woodson and his wife Shirley came to Peru in 1965 with the PCA. Living in Huanta and later moving to Ayacucho they have seen a huge transformation in Peru. We enjoyed his stories laced with wisdom. I am encouraging him to write a novel about his time serving in Peru.

We were up early and Samuel joined us for coffee in the morning as he had traveled to Ayacucho from Huanta on the early bus. Adrian Fernandez, IEPRP President, had just arrived from an all night bus trip from Lima. So we are five travelers to Pichari. Loaded with luggage and boxes of books we go the the "Combi corner" where we find a Combi (12 passenger van) that will take us to the VRAE. The van soon becomes loaded with cargo and passengers and we leave for Pichari.

The paved road soon becomes gravel and there are very few 'straight aways' in the road. Total switch back corners, a road built by JF Kennedy administration (why?) in 1963 and it has not been widened or improved very much. So, a narrow, gravel, switchback road with no guard rails that goes up and over several ranges of the Andes. The road is shared by other buses and large truck traffic.....I enjoyed it. Sara sank her nails into the armrest, buckled the seat belt and sang Jesus songs for most of the trip. Before we enter a switchback corner the driver honks his horn. Does not slow down, no, just honks the horn. About 2 hours into the drive we lose the drivers side mirror on a corner when we have a close encounter with another Combi...honking horns. The mountains became covered with a forested canopy like I have never seen. Reminded me of jungle scenes from an old Tarzan movie. Incredible beauty, and it is being altered.

The war with the terrorists took a sad and heavy toll on this area and its people. The evidence of war and suffering is visible on the country side and its residents. Part of Peru's restructuring process is commercial development. Peru is in many ways doing a very good job at building its economy. The state is spending 30 million soles in the VRAE town of Kimbiri building a hospital, schools and supporting small business construction. The same is being done in San Francisco and Pichari. There is work if one wants it. But one main problem is that most Peruvians that have higher education do not want to live in the VRAE. Some because of fear of the cartels and terrorists. Others because of the incredible remoteness of the Selva.

And the environment is taking a bashing. Coca is legal as it is used in many products from tea to medicine. Farmers grow it and the government buys it at a fixed price for control purposes. The other buyer of coca is the drug cartel. They buy the coca, make it into cocaine and transport it to the world. Because of this cartel demand, forests are slash cut and burned, processing chemicals are polluting the water and soil and poverty transforms the indigenous population into human mules that become expendable. The Peru police and military are everywhere, appear professional and well trained. Yet they seem to be overwhelmed meeting the challenge of their job. I noticed DEA equipment, troops with new m-14's and body armor. I noticed a lot of international "technical assistance" including the Israeli Defense Force. Training exercises?

No se.

We were welcomed by church and community leaders in San Francisco, Kimbiri and Pichari. The conference meeting that we attended in Pichari became a lengthy evangelical gathering that included a wedding for what I call 'half-time entertainment.'

There were so many folks attending this three day event that the church cleared the lot next to it and erected a large tent. The women of the church prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was an amazing amount of work to feed the 300 + people attending. The music was special, the talks were spiritual, the conversations became the web of friendships.

These people are survivors of many years of war and injustices from terrorism and political neglect. They continue to pay a personal price because they speak out against the drug cartel, the terrorist, the poverty and political prejudice. These Presbyterians remain faithful to their Christian faith and cherish their cultural values. They understand that to witness to their faith in this environment does place them, and their families, in danger. Yet they continue to witness about Christ's peace.......for peace, for social justice and for political equality.

The locals are frustrated because when a terrorist attack is launched against the army or police, the news agencies report it as though it was within their city limits. The reality is that most of the attacks on the military are in the jungle a great distance from these cities. This misinformation has produced a great deal of misguided fear about this area. Not to say that this is a "cartel free zone". There are always travel dangers and one needs to be well advised with current information.

It was a fun, tiring and culturally educational event that we experienced. We negotiated a combi price to take us back to Ayacucho and enjoyed Sara's comments on our "drivers youthful inexperience and endangerment antics". He got my vote because he shaved off 45 minutes on the "drive home" and kept the mirrors.

Sara, Robert and I enjoyed a evening in Ayacucho. The next morning we boarded a La Molina Bus at 8:30 to arrive in cloudy Lima at 6:30 in the evening.

Sara and I once again learned a lesson in being able to trust. Trust our partners, trust our instincts, trust God. And when the TV news, or other sources of news, tell us about some terrible terror event in the VRAE, we question and we pause to reflect. We understand, we worry and we say a quick prayer.

We have been to their homes. We have shared their food.

We know them....Thanks Samuel.

The photos in order are:

The Apurimac River at sunset

The Santa Rosa Hotel courtyard in Ayacucho

The high Andes road continuing to Pichari

At Pichari: the "half time" wedding with Roberto Woodson officiating

The tent meeting

The band Groupo VRAE musicos

The kitchen/dining area

The combi headed home

The curious