Missing (and the subsequent search)

We were welcomed with a hot cup of tea, the most delicious bread in the world, and some fried potatoes. We talked of going straight to bed as we tried our best to eat this tasty meal until Pastor Henri interrupted us with a distressing problem: my roommate and the group with her had not yet made it to the town where we thought they were going to stay. Josué had gone to look for them, but it was already quite dark and dangerous to be wandering around a mountain. Options started coming quickly, but there really wasn't anything for us to do as we did not know the terrain. We couldn't even call home because the cellphone tower was out. Josué went to find them and tell them to stay at Estancía and we were sent to bed.

We were led up a rickety, homemade ladder to the second floor of a mud and straw house. First, they led me to my room at the end of the hall with one bed made. When Pastor Jim asked where his room was, they pointed to the unmade bed in the same room. He explained that that wouldn't work for us, so the took me across the hall. However, as I looked into this room, I saw Timoteo's head peep over the covers and decided I would continue my search. After a few more rooms, it was decided that I would sleep downstairs with Elizabeth. I quickly updated the other girls from the team what was happening with Rochelle and our plan for the next day. Upon crawling into bed, I realized that the bed was about a foot and a half shorter than I was expecting and my sweatshirt was still wet from our hike, but the two ibuprophens had already started to attack my killer headache and aching muscles, and I was ready to sleep.

At about 3:30 a.m. our room was completely awake. Alicia, Elizabeth, Sarai, and I talked for almost an hour. We heard the pigs from the next room trying to get into our room, but thankfully the door was latched tightly. I drifted back to sleep until the sun came up.

Morning also brought more tidings of our missing friends. We learned that Rochelle and Javier never did make it to the town and, as of six o'clock, they were still missing. People from the surrounding villages were searching. Pastor Jim went to the one phone in the entire town to call Lima so that Becky could call the States. Then he went with Josué and a few men to the other town to wait for the lost ones. We were sent to the schools to tell all the children about the kid's clubs we wanted to have. The director let us talked to every classroom, and most of the students wanted to come. As we were walking, Pastor Henri and Alicia (Javier's wife) came running up with the news that our friends had been found and we could meet them on the other side of town.

It was a relief to see them. They had a rough night in the dark with a cold rain. I am sure they will never forget this trip!