OKC 11-28-04

UNUSUAL MISSIONARY LETTER

Many of you are wondering what happened to the Gismondis. It has been a long time since our previous letter. Nothing much has changed. Now you can just throw this letter away. Or let us tell you all a few happenings.

During the recent hurricane season in Florida I was sent by Scope as a volunteer chaplain to work along the Rapid Response Team of Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc. This trip freshened my awareness that the fields are indeed “ready for harvest” everywhere.

My mom went to be with the Lord about 3 weeks ago and by God’s provision I was able to go to be with my family in Lima and Trujillo, Perú. My sister had been the full time-full care provider for my mom after her stroke at the beginning of the year. In a recent letter to the family I wrote: “In TRUJILLO. After breakfast Eli [Elizabeth, my sister]… and I sat in the outside court area to talk. I saw my sister emotionally spent. She cried intermittently as she related to me what transpired the last few months. For the last few weeks of her life my mom had gangrene in her legs and the odor became intense. I am thinking the doctors thought that amputation was not indicated because of her frail state. I don’t know. From the description of my bro. Luis and Eli, it seems that my mom was in and out of consciousness at the end and … responded to Eli’s love and devotion. I asked Eli what is the dream of her life she would like to see fulfilled and she was unable to name one, except to express that after a while one “quits dreaming or desiring”. I interpreted that this also meant that she was a bit depressed. I asked her if she had decided to go to Lima…she answered with an emphatic “yes”. I asked “when” and she said “tomorrow”. This was the only time I cried and sobbed sensing her need to get away. I was filled with profound admiration and love for my sister, her ability to stick it out to the end under most trying circumstances….

We took a taxi and went to the Cemetery. The place is beautiful, and probably the best cared for I have ever seen. She is in the typical stack of drawers seen in Peru and quite accessible to hang flowers and care for it... After that we went to town and I perceived by now that the plan had to be to cheer her up. We went to a few places: the bank, the internet,… and I decided we should have lunch before going back. So, we had juicy cabrito (young goat) with rice, beans, and yucca plus very tasty Chicha morada. Most delicious! During the meal we began to talk about the past, the family, food and non-sense, and finally also our trip to Lima. She seemed to brighten up a little. While I was at the Internet shop she went for a walk and had her old shoes re-stained and she was very proud of it, because she did not have to buy new ones. They looked like new! We got home at 3:30PM.

Fernando [Eli’s husband] told me some of his adventures with missionary Bro. Northcutt in North Peru. One of those stories was particularly funny. They went to visit this family in the countryside and, of course, the lady of the house prepared a meal and presented to the dear people of God a large plate with a pottage containing a whole guinea-pig, head and all. Fernando began to enjoy his meal and was dispatching the varmint placing the little bones at the side of his plate while Bro. Northcutt was doing his best to eat around the “rat” sitting in mid plate. The lady of the house left to go to the kitchen for a minute and Bro. Northcutt took advantage of those few seconds to slip the pig under the table where the house dogs took care of it in less than a blink. When the lady came back she said, “Oh I’m so glad you liked it so much” and gave him another one!

I Finished editing chapter 2 of “Se Transformado” by candle light.

FRIDAY 11/12/04. … at 11:25AM Señor Diaz, the neighbor, came to give me samples of herbs – iporuro for nerves and chuchuhuasi for rheumatism. At 11:30AM, the taxi that was called came to pick us up, we said “bye”… The bus… left 2 hours behind schedule… This is the first time I saw her laughing and carrying on…

SATURDAY 11/13/04, in LIMA. Much of this day we [the 4 siblings] spent together talking telling old stories and laughing. Eli recalled an event when a nude greased robber entered their apartment at midnight [and she tried to scare him away] by saying “call the police” while one of the children answered “we don’t have a telephone!” This brought on a similar story where a certain mom was alone with the children and she screamed, “call Max!”, and the children answered “he is away on a trip”. Then she said, “Get the pistol!”, and they responded, “We don’t have a pistol!”

By now we were having too much fun so there is nothing else in my diary (whew! Thank goodness!)…. Sunday we visited two different churches. Monday was a different day!

My brother had been desiring to go see the change of the guard at the Plaza de Armas for some time. So, we went. At one point the beautiful, colorful and very good military band started playing a popular waltz and Eli began to move and dance and then she grabbed me! I did not have time to say I am a Baptist (just kidding). So we danced to our hearts content while the tourists and some students present made a circle around us and clapped. Then … the band began playing a huainito [an Indian dance] and Eli would not stop dancing, so I convinced a nice young kid to replace me and by then Dorita [my sister-in-law] joined the fun and grabbed another kid and it became a dancing hall right in front of the bemused guards. There were 20 or more people, tourists included, dancing and the rest of us laughed and clapped. And Leonardo [my nephew] took a video and was jokingly threatening to send it to Metropolitan Baptist Church and to the Trujillo brethren to show the pastor’s wife and the missionary dancing in the street! - and having the most fun we have had in a very long time!”

Sorry about that. I promise that my letters will usually be short. If you are still there I want to add that I am still in the midst of editing the first draft of the Spanish translation of “Be Transformed”. Glenda and I are spending more time at Scope. We have no more than 1/3 of our support. Continue to pray for us that we may keep our eyes on Jesus. My Pastor Randy Faulkner has been teaching about Faith from Hebrews 11 and has been of great encouragement to Glenda and me as we start this new adventure in the Lord. Please share with us any items of prayer that we may pray for you with knowledge.

In His love