The year was 2007, it was a beautiful sunny day with blue skies and I was on an Operation Walk mission to Lima Peru. Like most mission trips, after the bulk of the work was completed, we were allowed some free time to enjoy the city or surrounding region before we returned home. I decided to meet some friends at the catacombs.
The catacombs are man-made underground passages primarily used for religious purposes, particularly for burial. They’re located in the historic center of Lima, built under the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, and currently function as a museum.
I was walking alone down one of the side streets when a young woman in her thirties approached me. I’m always a little cautious when I’m in foreign countries and this situation was no different.
She came close, held out her hands, and presented me with a small piece of linen tied by a thin ribbon. ” I need money” she said and asked me to buy what was in the linen. I was in a hurry as I was running a little late. At first I tried to brush her off but when I looked into her eyes, I could see she was desperate, yet sincere. “4 dollars,” she said, “only 4 dollars”. I didn’t have any change, so I gave her a ten-dollar bill, took the linen and its contents, put them in my backpack and quickly went on my way. I never saw her again.
I had an amazing time at the catacombs and the afternoon went by quickly. In the evening, while preparing for bed, I rummaged through my backpack and realized I’d never opened the linen. Slowly, I untied the ribbon, and to my surprise, there were four brass llamas inside. They appeared to be carefully handcrafted with love and garnished with stone that created backpacks for each llama. They were of different sizes, representing a family: father, mother, and two children. They were amazingly simple yet beautiful.
I’ve been on many, many mission trips around the world. I’ve brought back various cultural items from each country I visited, but to this day, these four brass llamas are my favorite. These four llamas represent the innocence and simplicity of life. They forever remind me of this special encounter that happened for a fraction of a moment 18 years ago on a street in Lima, Peru. This simple yet amazing encounter has and always will have a huge impact on my life forever.
Matthew Holsbeke
RN
Hawthorne, Florida