MISSIONARY RESIDENCES
THE AUTHOR
Rev. Theo Kuster is a retired missionary living in Minneapolis, MN. He earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Bethany Lutheran Seminary, Mankato, MN, in 1962; a Master of Sacred Theology from Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, IN in 2002; a BA at the U of Minnesota in 1960 and an MA in Ibero American Studies from the U of Wisconsin in 1981. As pastor he served St. Paul's in Chicago, IL and St. Peter's near Goodhue MN. As missionary he worked in Peru, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ghana West Africa, and Kazakhstan.
LAST UPDATE
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SEARCH FOR A PLACE TO STAY UPON ARRIVAL
During the exploratory trip we made contact with the Summer Institute of Linguistics. This organization had a mission house in the center of Lima. I wrote requesting a room for a few days.
The person in charge, Winnie Gentry, sent a positive reply. I reconfirmed before our arrival. Rev. Fred Wolff, an ALC missionary, and his wife Elenore met us at the airport and took us to the mission house, where we spent our first night in Peru.
JORGE ARAUCO FINDS OUR FIRST LOCATION
During 1967 while still in Chicago, we met a Peruvian family, the Araucos. Some of the family had moved to Chicago, some had stayed in Lima. I wrote in May to Jorge, who owned a drug store in Lima, and to whom we talked to in January of 1968. I asked if he could help us by locating a house to rent. He replied that a house was available for $100 a month. It would be a tad small, but we accepted the offer. Jorge wrote back saying the owner was pleased, and that all details could be handled after our arrival.
THE FIRST LOCATION
Our first location was in Urbanization La Trinidad, near the 19th block of Avenida Colonial, actually about 19 blocks from the center of the city. And, here is a close up of the area. The Myrlies did not move to this house until December of 1968. They sub-rented a house from a missionary on vacation.
The park formed a triangle. When we lived there the park had no trees and no monument, it was bare dirt. In that picture you can see the white LandRover parked in from of our house.
The people living around the park agreed that each would plant a tree, or a bush, or some grass across the street from each house. We remember people going out early in the morning to dump their coffee grounds around their newly planted tree, or dragging the hose across the street to water their plot.
We wrote a letter describing the situation: Page one; Page two.
THE KIDS WHO LIVED IN THAT HOUSE
