At 4 a.m.
Carlos A. is an important person. He is his wife’s husband, his children’s father and a member of our media centre. A year ago it was remained in the balance for a long time, whether his family would move from Lima to Curahuasi.
At the time Doris Manco was putting her team together, but no one knew if the producer and camera man would risk leaving his life in Lima behind or not. “Do you really need this man for Diospi Suyana’s media work?” asked a Christian friend of ours from church. “Definitely,” was Doris’ immediate answer, “But the price of moving seems to be too high for Carlos.”
“Don’t worry about that,” was the calming answer. “I will pay for the five flight tickets for Carlos’ family!” No sooner said than done. The funds were transferred for the flight tickets for a family she did not know. Or, put a different way, she gave money for God, whom she has loved and trusted for so many years.
A wonderful story so it seemed until the start of 2017. Then Carlos became seriously ill and, after a routine operation, he collapsed. Day to day he got worse and the outlook became bleaker and bleaker. We at Diospi Suyana expected the worst….
It is Friday, 10th March, 4 a.m. I am lying in a hotel bed in Uripa. Thoughts and worries about Carlos have broken my sleep. I start praying for protection, healing and health tossing and turning on my pillow.
At the same time my wife Martina wakes up in Curahuasi. Her first thought: “Carlos”. Unaware of each other we pray out of fear and yearning for our colleague.
Five hours later I call her: “How is Carlos?” I ask and press my ear into my telephone. “Extremely bad,” she replies, “a short while ago our team stood at his bed and prayed.” I start groaning quietly.
But the day is not yet over. Almost unnoticed a healing process starts: the laboratory results finally start pointing in the right direction. The grueling uncertainty continues for even more days, but we look to the future in hope.
In the meantime Carlos has arrived home from hospital. The incredible pains have subsided somewhat and he feels his strength returning. I do not doubt for a minute that our prayers were in vain: at 4 a.m. in Uripa and Curahuasi heartfelt prayers offered to God with trembling and apprehension.
On the penultimate day of his stay in hospital, standing at his ward’s door, I called: “Carlos, together we will bring our radio programme to Tumbes!” (a city on the North Peruvian border, about 2,000km away from Curahuasi).
Carlos answered full of confidence: “From Tumbes to Tacna” (a city on the South Peruvian border).
Together we yelled: “From Tumbes to Tacna, from Tumbes to Tacna!” /KDJ
Picture: Carlos A. speaks at the opening ceremony of the media centre.
