Well, when Roldan told me there were hills on the way to Picuro Yaco, he wasn’t kidding. I had no idea this region was so hilly. Lots of up and downs, with deep ravines that disappear into the darkness of the jungle. Then, you top out on a ridge and hit a clear cut where the land has been cleared for farming or logging. Still lots of jungle out there, though. We were joined in our trip on Saturday by two other pastors, and the four of us had a great time trekking through hills to Picuro Yaco. The village sits on top of a hill, and is famous for its fariña, reputed to be the best in the area. This fariña is made of  yucca, which is soaked, pressed, screened, and roasted. It looks like grits or cream of wheat, maybe a little coarser. It is good, filling, and neutral enough in taste that it gets thrown in everything to add texture and body to the food. Good stuff. We arrived in time to take a nice rest in the morning, enjoying the hospitality of the pastor and his family. They offered us fresh coconut milk, freshly roasted farina, and some good conversation as we sat around and cooled off under the shade of a tree. I then passed out in a nearby hammock for awhile, just sinking into the sounds of a farming community with almost no motorized anything. It was absolutely relaxing.

After rest and a light lunch, Roldan and I went visiting. With no phones in the village, the only way to let people know there’s a meeting is go visit them. We stopped by several homes, were fed wonderful fruits native to the area like bananas, some grape-like (in appearance) fruit that had insides like the leche fruit we had in Thailand – really good and sticky to eat, fresh sugar cane, and some great new fruits that Roldan had bought earlier in the day, too. Walking around in the heat of the day up and down the ridges pretty much wore us out, and we got back in time for prepping some for the service that evening. We gathered at the front of the church, sat on the porch and visited and sang, and drew a crowd of children and others. That helped to spread the word about the service, too.

We had a great service that was attended by 50 or 60 people. This is the only church in town except for the Catholic church down the road. It’s been there about 26 years, and has a wonderful testimony for Christ here. I was welcomed like I belonged there, and I made some lasting friendships there. They were already talking about the next time I came, so I hope the Lord lets me go again. We also met an American ex-patriot who married a Peruvian lady and has lived there for about 30 years now. They have an incredible farm on the outskirts of the village. Charles invited us to stay there overnight. It’s a rustic but first-rate two-story place they built themselves. The best part — No mosquitoes! And a terrific time of getting to know Charles, who made it clear that he’d like to have us come again anytime. Roldan will plan on staying with him again the next time he goes, for sure. Oh, I should say that the night sky was amazing, with no city lights to deal with. The Milky Way was close enough to touch almost, and we’re far enough south to see the Southern Cross, which I can never see from New York, of course. It was breathtaking.