Today at lunch, the restaurant had the news tuned into the session of Congress dealing with the volatile situation taking place in the Amazon regions of Peru. This news has grabbed everyone's attention because of the violent situation that developed last Friday because of the confrontation between the police and the natives (see my last post , here and here). We have heard the roads are clear thanks to the patrol of the army. On the way home this evening we saw tanker trucks (petrol) coming from the direction of Yurimaguas (apparently, they are letting traffic through on both ends now!) and the streetlights even came on! yay! Life seems to be settling down a bit. But at no small price.

Here are a couple links to the situation on MSNBC.com describing how our situation stands politically:
Amazon Indians challenge Peru over land
Deadly Amazon clashes roil Peru
These stories follow pretty true to reality.

My own summary: The government has made mistakes, but neither are the natives without guilt. Both sides are have committed grave errors costing lives. This is a big deal, and permanent resolution seems remote. Neither side is very willing to concede anything to the other. I don't really specialize in analysis of these kinds of things, even though we have our share of opinions. We can see a little of both sides. The natives have a right to land, and that right ought to be established and protected. The government ought to seek progress and the responsible development of natural resources form a big part of that. Needless to say, there is serious division all over the country, and people have taken sides, knowledgeably or not.

It's complicated - I'm certainly glad I'm not a politician. As of this writing, the gov't has suspended the laws that have outraged the natives. We'll see what happens next.

I mourn for the souls whose earthly lives were cut short, and for their families that will miss them. In comparison to what people experience daily in the Middle East, this is nothing. Yet, for us, it is unexpected and new. I'm pretty confident that there probably will not be any more bloodshed for some time. I think it was a big shock to the whole country. Rightfully so.

And of course, we're hoping that the road can stay clear for the next several months so that we can get to and from Trujillo a couple of more times by car. Who would've thought that this would be our reality several months ago when we came here?! Well, of course... God did. :) We can rest in that!

Note: All photos courtesy larepulica.com

Some photos of the conflict in Bagua Grande:

My blog post on how this affects our family HERE.

From what we've heard the numbers in the following article are based on the injured or killed that have arrived in the hospital. But, the news here is that the natives have been carrying off their killed comrades and burning their bodies... the report we've heard (we have no idea of the reliability of the source) has said there are possibly hundreds of casualties. This is all happening in the town we always stay in on our way between Tarapoto and Trujillo. It feels just a little too close to home.

Here are some links to news stories on the situation here in Peru, in Bagua Grande:

Click Here for article in English
Click Here for articles in Spanish
(This one is the only one I've seen that actually talks about the severe rise in prices and increasing lack of basic necessities... our reality)



Also, there is now NO gasoline in the city... all the gas stations are out.
Prices on staples have been climbing again, and no doubt tomorrow will double because of the mania.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We know that many of you have been praying a little extra for us in these days and we thank you for it. I (Micah) am back to 100% after fighting with "bone break" dengue, Amy is also completely healthy after her difficulties with vertigo and Mya is feeling much better after having struggled with diarrhea and vomiting for a few days.

A couple of weeks ago, if we had taken our 17 hour trip through the jungle, over the mountains and down the coast to Trujillo we would have been stuck there and unable to make it back to Tarapoto. The highway opened up for only a few days and then was once again taken over by natives who still refuse to let anyone through until the government promises to stop exploiting them and their lands. As a result our city continues to be cut off from all transportation, commerce and gasoline. The city's electrical grid is run by gasoline generators which will no longer be able to function by midnight tonight for lack of combustible. The city has been rationing power the last ten nights cutting streetlights and starting tonight it'll be no electricity at all! (This might be our last e-mail for a while).

Today everyone is listening for news as much violence has broken out at the roadblock (Bagua Grande – halfway between here and the coast). The government has sent in hundreds of police armed with machine guns to take on thousands of natives armed with blow guns, spears and bows and arrows. Today a helicopter has been downed and the natives have killed several police but of course the police and army have taken out many more of the natives with their modern weapons. In Yurimaguas, the natives are outraged at the news of the killing and are preparing ambushes from the jungle around the highway and we've heard they are planning to blow up gas stations if and when the police attempt to get close.

Please pray with us that they can come to a peaceful solution soon.

-Micah for the Tuttle's

PS. When we say `natives', we do not use the term insensitively as, we as the American missionaries are the civilized and the Peruvians are the uncivilized! The term `natives' is a term the Peruvians themselves use for this people group, who are living as their ancestors have historically lived in their villages and/or nomadically living off the land. This is in contrast to the approximate other half of Peruvians who are part of a mestizo group who are of mixed Spanish and native Peruvian descent.

The main strike has lifted, but there is one town on the way from Tarapoto to Trujillo, that still is blocked.

AND there is another mototaxi strike planned for Monday... so, we've decided to go for it.

• Please pray that we could get through without any hang-ups.
• If we do get stuck somewhere along the way please pray that the Lord would provide for that (He ALWAYS does!).
  
• Pray for safety, extra patience and flexibility.

We'll try to keep you posted on our arrival, and if possible of our progress along the way.

the Tuttles
Tarapoto-Trujillo, Peru

Just a quick note, as we know that you all are busy people...

Protests:
The mototaxistas have let up on their strike giving the government a week or so to resolve the problem! The natives continue to be restless, but we've heard there's a meeting in Lima today hopefully with a resolution coming in the next days. Chicken prices are still through the roof! And we were SO glad to get out of the house today for the first time in 5 days!! :)

Health:
With open roads, we were able to take Micah to the hospital to confirm that he does have Dengue. The doctor said that was good news because the alternative was something that has a tendency to go on for a longer time. My dizziness seems to have disappeared for the time being! Yay! Praise the Lord!

Travel:
The airport is now open and flights are available if we end up needing to go with that option... just so costly. But preferably, this week the road will clear, and we'll jump at the first chance to drive to Trujillo. We're hoping the car won't complain. We have things that we need to get in order there... particularly, Sam, our poor orphan dog. Though we've heard from friends that he is doing just fine ;) After a week or two in Trujillo, we hope to be back here again until July (IBEM in Trujillo).

So there you have it, your prayers have been effective, and we are super thankful for the reprieve!

the Tuttles

PS. Below are some pictures of a trip we took to Laguna Azul on our family day last week... probably where Micah got sick?!


Our contact information:
e-mail: majctuttle@yahoo.com
phone: 011 42 527401
mailing address:
Centro Biblico Trujillo
c/o Stephen Twinem - (Tuttles)
Av. Larco 1069
Trujillo, Peru

"...though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith...may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." ~1Pet1:6-7

Well, the title "various trials", pretty much sums up the last month and a half to a tee. We've had hundreds of little tests and some big ones, we have passed some with flying colors and some not so brilliantly. The point is, that all these slight momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

For that we PRAISE the LORD!

A few trials to praise the Lord for :)
We've been visited by the dengue bug. Micah has spent the good part of the last four days in bed with a high fever and bone-break nerve pain. It's been pretty tough but we're hoping that, under the influence of meds, he is on the mend. At the same time, I've had vertigo (my head spins for no apparent reason and I end up super nauseous). The bug might have taken up residence in my ear, for all I know!

Our upcoming trip to Trujillo has been delayed indefinitely (we were planning to leave yesterday - of course we also have to be in a state to make the 20 hour drive ;). But, as of now, we're completely trapped in Tarapoto by a group of indigenous people protesting and manning the roadblocks to all entrances/exits of the city for the last week and a half. To add insult to injury, the motocarristas (taxi drivers), have decided to strike at the same time so that no one can move even inside the city (they've threatened to damage cars that attempt to drive about - and it's too far to walk with lots of little kids to most places from where we live). It was already getting pretty bad before the taxistas started their strike. Now many in the city are at risk of running out of food, most of the stores and all the markets are closed, and one can't even get to the hospital. A few minutes ago, they even shut down the airport. It is supposed to last through this week, so unless the miraculous happens, we will most likely miss the National Congress of full-time workers and leaders (May 13-16)... along with any elders/leaders from this part of the country (Yurimaguas) that haven't flown or left by car already.

So over this last month, in a house with no furniture, facing serious health issues, with mosquito bites galore, with a bathroom & kitchen that emptied sewage into the backyard, bats coming in, high temperatures, incessant rain and the resulting mud, all the while keeping up on pastoral visits, preaching/teaching multiple times a week, facing immaturity issues among the believers, etc., etc.,... We do NOT complain, but PRAISE the Lord for the opportunity to grow our FAITH.

Pray that in all things we would welcome trials as a test of the genuineness of our faith and obedience. Pray that HIS glory might be revealed in us as we continue to be tested in various trials. It is not an easy task.

On His grace we're dependent
To reflect His glory resplendant.
So we learn to be content,
And this that our souls may live.

The Tuttles