9 Gross Darkness

It was time for Dale to go to Pucallpa again to buy supplies, for Patti was running low on
medicines. The new road into the jungle was finally open to the public, and he heard from his
neighbors that many of the local people were now catching rides with service vehicles to get out
to the city instead of flying out. That wasnt as fast, as comfortable, and as convenient as flying in
an air taxi, but it was a more economical way to travel, so most people were now switching to
land transportation.
Dale thought it was probably about time that he should try traveling on the new road. He
didnt relish the idea of leaving Patti, but it wasnt quite so bad now that Bonnie had come back.
After just one semester of college, she had decided that the major she had chosen didnt fit her
aptitudes very well, so she returned home to help out while she decided what she really wanted
to do with her life. Dale dreaded the thought of going to the city all by himself, but he wouldnt
take Steven and leave the girls by themselves with no man around to help them. Steven would
have to stay at Maranatha, and there was no one else who could go with Dale.
He heard from the owner of the cattle ranch across the river that he was going to send his
tugboat towing a raft of logs to one of the large sawmills in Pucallpa, and he kindly offered Dale
a free ride on his boat. The trip down the river would take about 30 hours, but the return trip
against the current would take three days, so Dale decided to take the boat just one way. He
would try out the new road for his return trip.
He arranged to meet the tugboat at Panduros sawmill, which was located where the
Sungaro River empties into the Pachitea River. That would be a convenient place to leave his
boat so that it would be waiting for him upon his return. Patti, Bonnie, Mary and Steven could
get along without a boat for a few days.
There were some unexpected delays along the way on the trip down the river, and when the
tugboat finally reached the city it was late in the afternoon. He would have to wait until the next
day to do his shopping, so he went to a hotel where he could stay for two nights. The next day he
had to go to several pharmacies to find all the medicines Patti had ordered, and then he went to
other stores to get the food items and other supplies that they needed. When he finished, he had
four full boxes and one large sack in addition to his suitcase. He was becoming a bit concerned
about how he was going to handle that much baggage alone.
He left the baggage in his hotel room while he went to a bus depot to inquire about how he
could get back to Puerto Inca by land transportation. He learned that the new road did not come
directly to Pucallpa. Instead it intersected the highway to Lima at a place that was called simply
Kilometer 86. There was no town at that point, nothing but a police station and a restaurant.
The bus company issued tickets only to towns on the road to Lima, but a person could catch a
ride to an intermediate point by making a personal arrangement with the driver. From Kilometer
86 on into the in-terior it would be just hitchhiking. The bus was scheduled to leave Pucallpa at
9:00 AM.
The next morning Dale hailed a taxi early and took his baggage to the bus depot. Since he
didnt have a ticket, he couldnt check in his baggage, so he piled it against a wall where he could
watch it closely and be on the lookout for thieves. When he saw the bus driver start putting
baggage in the luggage compartment, he moved his bags closer to the bus. He knew that there
would be police check points along the way where he would have to show his passport, so he
opened his suitcase and pulled out the little black zippered bag where he kept the mail and his
important documents. Then he went over to talk to the driver while still keeping an eye on his
bags.
Seor, Dale said, I would like to go to Kilometer 86.
All right, the driver responded. We will have all the passengers with tickets board first,
and after that you can board and pay your fare to me when you get on the bus.
Shall I bring you my bags now?
No, Im putting all the checked baggage on this side. Take yours to the other side of the
bus.
Dale felt very nervous about being out of sight of his bags for even a few moments, but he
breathed a prayer for help as he grabbed one bag in each hand and hurried around the bus to
deposit them beside the driver who had opened the compartment on that side. Then he dashed
back and was relieved to see that nobody had disturbed the four remaining boxes. He picked up
a couple and carried them to the driver as fast as he could. Again he dashed back and was very
relieved to see that the last two boxes were still there. Now he could breathe easier. He
delivered the boxes to the driver and then went back to join the passengers waiting to board the
bus.
After the last ticketed passenger had boarded, Dale stepped up to the door of the bus as he
reached under his arm for his black bag but it wasnt there! Where did I leave my black bag? he
asked himself incredulously. He turned and frantically looked all around where his baggage had
been, but there was nothing there. He ran around to the other side of the bus and searched the
pavement and looked up and down the street, but no black bag was in sight. He hurried back
into the depot, but a quick look around revealed nothing. He asked the clerk behind the ticket
counter if she had seen a black bag. She had not.
The bottom seemed to fall out of his stomach as the enormity of the situation struck him like
a sledgehammer. His passport was gone. His tourist card was gone. His international drivers
license was gone. The letters from home that Patti and Bonnie were eagerly waiting to read were
gone. EVERYTHING GONE!
Dale knew that the theft should be reported to the police right away so that he could get
some temporary documents for traveling, but the bus was ready to leave with his baggage at any
minute now. He felt trapped as he stepped aboard the bus and paid his fare. The bus was
crowded, but he spotted one vacant seat next to a window about half way back, so he sank into
the seat as the bus began to roll. What can I do when the police ask to see my ID? he worried. They
ALWAYS pick on tall white foreigners.
He didnt have long to worry, because there was a checkpoint right at the edge of the city.
The bus stopped, and a policeman came aboard. Dale didnt have the courage to look at him, so
he gazed out the window at nothing in particular. The officer walked down the aisle and back
again without saying anything to anybody. The driver closed the door, and the bus began to roll
again.
Now Dale could breath easier, but not for long. A few miles farther down the road the bus
stopped at another checkpoint, and again a policeman came aboard. He started down one side of
the bus apparently picking a few passengers at random to show him their identification
documents. He questioned the fellow right across the aisle from Dale quite extensively. Then he
made his way to the back of the bus and started back examining the other side. Dale tried to
crouch down and look inconspicuous, but there was no room for much crouching in his cramped
quarters. He desperately tried to think of something reasonable and convincing to say when his
turn came, but his mind seemed to be a blank. Now the policeman was right beside himand he
walked right on by as though he hadnt even noticed that blond head sticking up like a sore
thumb amidst the sea of black-haired Peruvians. Several miles farther down the road there was a
third checkpoint, and there it was a repeat performance. It was really incredibleor maybe a
better word would be providential.
But still the thought of his tremendous loss continued to hang over him like a heavy cloud,
and as if to match the mood the clouds outside got darker and darker until they let go with a
torrent of rain. He closed the window, but the creaky old bus was hardly waterproof. Soon a
tiny rivulet was running across the ceiling toward his seat, and when it was directly over his
head it decided to let go. Drop! Drip! Drop!
There was no place where he could go to flee from this water torture chamber, so he just had
to sit there and endure it. Each drop seemed to drum into his head: Youre alone. Nobody cares
about you. Drop! Drop! Drop! Alone! Abandoned! Alone! His heart seemed to echo the pathetic
cry of David, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 1 Now he could understand a little
better the forsaken feeling Jesus must have felt as he hung on the cross between two thieves.
After it rained so hard that it seemed it couldnt rain any harder, and the driver could hardly
see the road, the rain began to let up. Dale didnt expect to find any shelter at Kilometer 86, and
rain could wreck his pasteboard boxes filled with medicines, so out of habit he desperately
started praying for clear weather. He didnt really believe it would happen, for how can you
have a faith that will not fail when you have just gone through a faith-shattering experience? But
soon the rain stopped and the heavy clouds started to break up, and when a tiny piece of blue sky
showed through, hope revived. And when the bus stopped at the junction about noon, the sun
was out and shining in all its glory.
There at the junction was a control gate across the new road, and beside the gate was a
police booth. A few people were standing around the gate waiting for any vehicle that might
have room to give them a ride. Dale sized up the situation. It looks like the police are checking
everybody who wants to go out on the new road. Maybe I can sneak around the back side of the control
booth and come out on the road farther away where the police arent likely to see me. On second thought, if
they see me sneaking around, then for sure they will be suspicious, and then Ill be in deep trouble. No, Id
better act like I belong here and have nothing to hide. So he picked up his suitcase and forced himself
to walk directly toward the control booth.
Just then a policeman came out of the booth and headed directly toward Dale. Oh, oh, Im in
for it now, he thought. But the policeman just smiled at him, said, Good Day, and walked right
on past him. With a great sense of relief he piled up his baggage near the control gate and settled
down to wait.
Nothing happened for about four hours. Then a dump truck appeared, but it wasnt going
the direction the waiting people wanted to go. The driver stopped at the highway, and as he got
out of his truck he shouted, Im coming right back, so get your things ready to go. Everybody
happily scurried around getting their belongings together, but within ten minutes they acted like
they had forgotten all about the dump truck. When a pickup loaded with people stopped at the
control booth to enter the new road, everybody scrambled and struggled to get on board. And
somehow everybody did manage to hang on somewhere on that overloaded pickup. Everybody,
that is, except Dale. There was no way he could get on with all his cargo, so he was left alone
waiting for the dump truck to return.
The sun went down, and it got dark. Finally the truck arrived about two hours after the
driver had said he would come right back. Dale shoved his suitcase and his boxes up onto the

1
Psalm 22:1.
high bed of the dump truck, and then he climbed up. To his dismay he discovered that there was
about an inch of water in the bed of the truck. There was no other place to put his things, so first
he put down his suitcase and one box that he thought would suffer the least water damage, and
the rest of the things he stacked on top. As the truck bounced along over the dirt road, it was a
continual struggle to keep everything in place. After traveling about an hour, the truck pulled
over at a highway construction camp. The driver climbed out of the cab and announced, Im
going to spend the night here. Well go on to the Sungaro in the morning. What are you going to
do?
Dale gulped. He hadnt expected this. Well I dont know. I guess Ill just have to stay
right here on the truck with my stuff.
No, you cant do that! It might rain tonight. Here, hand me your things, and well see if
the guys who sleep in this little cabin here will let you put your things inside overnight.
The driver knocked, and quickly the door opened. One glance inside revealed that the small
room contained as many men as it could hold, but they willingly agreed to pile all the baggage in
a corner. Outside Dale noticed that there was a bench below the eaves of the building that would
probably provide some protection from a possible rain that night.
Do you suppose I could sleep on this bench? he suggested.
No, I dont like that idea, the driver responded. Ill let you sleep in the truck cab.
Come, he commanded. He opened the cab door, reached behind the seat, and pulled out a one-
inch foam pad that he spread across the split seats. You should be able to sleep on that tonight,
he commented before disappearing into the darkness.
It really did make quite a comfortable bed, and it felt so good to finally be able to relax after
a long stressful day. Now he could visit with his Father in heaven without distractions or
interruptions. Father, he said softly, I felt so helpless and utterly abandoned this morning, but
now I can see that you really were watching over me all the while. You must have been at work
keeping the police from questioning me. Thank you, Lord. And the rain was so discouraging,
but thank you for turning the rain into sunshine when I got off the bus. And thank you
especially for helping me get a ride with this driver who has been so considerate and helpful. I
have no idea what lies ahead of me tomorrow, but please provide for me whatever I will need. I
love you, Lord, and I long to feel your presence with me each step of the way. Amen.
Early in the morning a bunch of workmen climbed aboard the dump truck, and once again
they were on their way. About an hour later they stopped at the end of a line of several vehicles,
and the workers jumped down from the truck. The driver explained to Dale, Theres a small
creek right ahead of us, but the bridge across this creek washed out last week, so we cant drive
any farther. But you can walk across the creek, and beyond that it is an easy walk on the road on
over to the Sungaro River.
Easy walk did he say? Sure, for somebody walking empty handed, but for someone with
cargo to transport it was a different story. And then to make matters worse, the handle on Dales
suitcase broke, and the only way he could carry it now was by wrapping both arms around it. As
he stood there trying to decide what to do next, the foreman of a work crew came walking by.
He eyed the pile of boxes for a moment before he declared, Man, this is a dangerous place for
you to be. There are a lot of thieves around here.
Dales first impulse was to retort bitterly, So what else is new, Mister? But he knew that
would sound too sarcastic, and the man was probably just trying to provide a helpful warning, so
he kept his mouth shut and said nothing. He picked up his suitcase and carried it about ten feet,
then put it down and went back for a box. One piece at a time he moved the baggage, and in five
minutes he had moved the whole stack ten feet farther down the road. Then he repeated the
whole process to move everything a little farther, never being very far from his precious cargo.
At this rate he thought he might reach the river about noon.
 When he came in view of the washout, he was dismayed by what he saw. There before him
was a deep gully, probably about 50 feet deep. Many trampling feet had formed a muddy path
down to the creek, where a log had been thrown across the creek to serve as a footbridge. Some
2X4s had been nailed up on one side of the log to form a handrail, and some steps had been cut
in the steep bank on the other side. There was no place along the steep path where the baggage
could be stacked up, so each piece would have to be carried down to the creek and up the other
side without stopping, leaving the rest of the baggage unattended and vulnerable to possible
theft for about five minutes on each trek. Lord, help me, Dale pleaded. Remember that these
medicines are for your work. Please send Your angels to guard what I cant.
There were some spectators on the other side watching the tractors that were working on a
detour and temporary log bridge across the creek. He didnt trust them, so he waited until they
moved on. Then he started moving his things as fast as he could, down the slick path, across the
creek, and up the steps on the other side. As he walked across the log while holding the suitcase
with both hands, he bumped into the handrail which upset his balance. For a moment he
thought he was going to fall into the creek, but just in time he somehow regained his balance. He
wondered if it was an angel hand that steadied him at that moment. The words of the Psalmist
flashed into his mind, He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your
ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.2
Finally he had everything across without the loss of anything, and gratefully he slumped
down to the ground beside the baggage almost exhausted. Just then a truck backed up to where
he was and stopped to unload some tanks of acetylene and oxygen. The driver noticed him
sitting there. Put your things on the truck, he said, and Ill take them to the river for you.
That sounded like music to Dales ears.
When they reached the Sungaro River he saw a boat at the rivers edge loading passengers
and cargo. He hurried over to the boat and asked for a ride to Panduros sawmill. Soon they
were on their way, and the boat pulled up beside Maranathas boat that was still tied up right
where Dale had left it several days before. They quickly transferred his cargo from one boat to
the other, and in half an hour he was home again.
It was a bittersweet homecoming. Dale recounted his tale of woe, concluding by saying, It
seemed so unfair to me for God to let my passport get stolen. I couldnt see how all things could
work together for good in what happened. 3 Then I thought about the little book I had in that
black bag. It was El Camino a Cristo (Steps to Christ). Maybe God wanted the thief to have that
book. At least we can hope and pray that hell read it.
Then Patti told her tale. Last night, she said, Steven heard a noise in the direction of the
clinic, so he got up to investigate but found nothing amiss. But in the morning when he went to
grind corn to feed the chickens, he couldnt find the grinder in its usual place, so he came and
asked me if I had done something with it. I hadnt, but I went with him to hunt for it. We
searched high and low but couldnt find it anywhere. Then we discovered two sets of footprints
between the back of the clinic and the river directly below the chicken house. As you know, its
very steep there, and nobody in his right mind would choose to come up here at that place unless
he had some evil intentions.
Those sneaking thieves! What rascals! Dale exploded. After all weve tried to do for
these people, I can hardly believe that somebody would be so unappreciative as to come in the
dark and steal our little food grinder. Ill bet they were planning to break into the clinic and take
all they could from there too, but fortunately Steven heard them and interrupted their little
scheme. Im so thankful we have Steven here. It was a big comfort to me on my trip to know that

2
Psalm 91:11-12.
3
See Romans 8:28.
he was here to keep an eye on things.
Patti stared at Dale with somber eyes before she continued, Are you ready to hear some
more bad news?
No, Ive heard enough for one day. I dont want to hear any more. But I guess Ill have to
find out sooner or later, so wed just as well get it over with. Go ahead. Tell me.
Steven wants to move to Puerto Inca.