We had a very good time in Lima, a mega city with over 13 million inhabitants. We had good contacts and nice conversations about how we can be active within World Team in reaching out to the 200,000 Chinese in the city.

After another good meeting in Lima we drove back to our apartment with an Uber (a taxi). Talking and thinking about what we still want to do in the last two days we get out. Jacket over the arm because for us it is pretty cool here in the morning. Just too late Marjolein realizes that she has her coat on her arm, but not her bag. What a shock because in that bag are the passports. Marco tries to get in touch with the taxi driver and with the central. This is not possible. We pray that the driver will find the bag and bring it back. We call our Spanish-speaking friend Miguel and our colleague Tony. They come over to us to discuss together and to see if Miguel can reach Uber in Spanish. While we are waiting for them while praying in ourselves, a gray car stops in front of the door and the driver waves with Marjolein bag. In rapid Spanish he says that the next customer had found the bag and that he immediately thought we were the owners. After he had dropped off his customer, he drove back to us. God answers prayers! We are so happy and relieved. In our mind we went through all the steps that we would have to take to have an emergency passport the next evening to fly back to the Netherlands. Miguel and Tony arrive a little later and together we thanked God. Miguel says that this is really a miracle because in Peru things hardly ever are returned.

We enjoyed the view of the South Pacific, for Marjolein the first time she can remember. We allowed our eyes to enjoy beautiful buildings, colorful people, beautiful parks, but we were also confronted with the poverty and the many slums in the suburbs of this city.

We have learned that it is often foggy in Lima because of the encounter between sea air and desert air. Although we were in an apartment building on the 16th floor with an ocean view, we have never seen the sun sink into the sea because it was already covered in fog and clouds.

Now we are “home” again in the Netherlands. The last leg of our furlough, until December 7 we leave again to our Surinamese “home”.