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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.
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In this section I will review the time between leaving the US and the October Revolution. This is the nuts and bolts, the nitty-gritty, segment of the report. Not much happened by way of "real" missionary work. For us this was a most exciting time. We were busy learning the language and culture, getting furnishings, vehicles, bank accounts, etc. etc. Without careful preparation we would not have been able to do the work that was to be done. We were getting ready to spend a four year period in Lima, and possibly a lot longer.
My Mother and Father, along with many other friends and relatives, were at the airport in Chicago to see us off. My Mother wrote a detailed account of the event to Helga's folks. Here it is: Page one; Page two.
Arriving on the 14th of July, after a long flight, Helga wrote the first letter to announce our safe arrival in Lima. Here it is: Page one; Page two.
We had been living in Ashland for the 6 months before departure for Lima. After we left Helga's mother, Olivia Teigen, kept up a flow of letters. Here she is sorting slides after her 1972 visit to Peru.
We were yet without a typewriter, so the first note describing life in Lima was a short note. On the other side the first in a long series of requests to the folks back home. As the year progressed you will notice that the folks back home were very much involved.
Information about how we got this house and it's location can be found in the Missionary Residences section. The place was unfurnished so Orlin was busy building beds and closet space. We had our first church service at the Myrlie's place. They lived in a vacationing missionary house about 9 miles away, on the other side of downtown. Later in December they moved to the La Trinidad barrio where we lived. Here is Page one and Page two of a note describing the house.
Some early notes as we began to learn about Peru.
Having never been a tourist in a foreign country, except for our short visit to Puerto Rico, we were shy about taking pictures. Some were taken from the open vehicle window. Others were taken while trying not to look like we were taking.
You can't miss the shoe shine boys, and they like to have their picture taken. We ran into these fellows many times while visiting the main plaza. Here two pictures in front of the US Embassy: Picture one; Picture two. The traffic was something we had to learn, something like an open field horse race.
Of course, house and building construction was distinct. White wash paint worked well due to lack of rain. The sight of men high up on flimsy scaffolding was common.
We were shocked at the smog, dust, garbage, etc. Since it very seldom rains in Lima the gardens and parks, which were always well kept, had to be irrigated. In the nicer parts of the city the scenes were Latin America at it's best. Lane leading to large mansion. Avenida Ariquipa. But only a short distance away ran the Rimac River, through the center of the city, and with kids playing amongst the garbage. These were some of the first pictures and first impressions. You will find more detail in the correspondence.
The official synod magazine, The Lutheran Sentinel, carried this cover picture and this article along with this report from the Mission Board. Here is the article about the commissioning, and the foto of the family. Everyone was beginning to work out the method of publicity. So far not much excitement had been generated. Not too interesting to know that the shipping drums arrived, or that we bought a fridge. Even I am beginning to show a little stress in one of my early letters. For more on later developments in publicity, go to 1968 PLANNING AND PROJECTS
Rather than comment on all the August news in the following letters, the reader will have the pleasure of going through them personally: Letter one; Letter two; Letter three; Letter four; Letter five; Letter six; Letter seven; Letter eight; Letter nine; Letter ten; Letter eleven; Letter twelve; Letter thirteen; Letter fourteen; Letter fifteen.
We made every attempt to keep up to date on expenses. It might seem that much of the correspondence dealt with money. It did. My father, Rev. A. V. Kuster was the only person on the ELS Mission Board who had contact with the mission in Peru. It was only later in August that the Mission Board named him Field Secretary for Foreign Missions. His letters were full of detail. It was pretty much a full time job. Later the structure of the organization would develop and others became involved. But at this point, all the reports went to "Pop." Here are some samples: Page one; Page two; Page three.
My Father, always alert for items in the local press, sent us this cartoon which commented on a big news story at the time. At this time the ELS position on birth control was strict: none was acceptable. The rank and file of the ELS did not have the same issues with this topic as the poor living in the barriadas around the city of Lima. So, we were placed in an interesting position re birth control.
As the beginnings in Lima were slowing taking shape, the fund raising for the mission also got off to a slow start. Here is the first mention in the Lutheran Sentinel. Note that the appeal is for support of the preaching ministry, bringing the Gospel to other peoples; this was not an appeal for projects.
However, interesting in hindsight, we began to solicit and receive donations for specific projects. Unwittingly, we entered into a serious contradiction over against our stated goal. If the people in Peru wanted a Bible, they should have been encouraged to go to the local Latin American Bible Society book store and purchase one.
Little by little the letters began to contain information about the barriadas. We were taking bus routes all over the area and discovering places in which to work. The senders and the sendees were anxious to get started. The home situation was settling (Page one; Page two.) into a routine, although one of the kids was needing a tonsils operation. Then the news that the Landrover shipped from England on August 22, it would soon arrive, and that would get us out into the barriadas.
People wanted pictures. I will be incorporating many in this site as time permits. In the meantime, imagine the pictures sent with this letter.
Fortunately, our good friend Jorge Arauco was a druggist. His younger brother, Carlos, was a medical student. We were getting good medical information. And so when Nathaniel had his tonsils out on September 8, we were in good hands. This letter announces the operation, along with the fact that the Landrover was on the dock at Callao. Financial matters now were detailing ways to work out health insurance reports and payments. There was a first time for every detail of life. Everything came out okay.
If you are interested in the detail that went into the early planning for the publicity, here is an example of the work. Page one; Page two.
For more on later developments in publicity, go to 1968 PLANNING AND PROJECTS
Correspondence continued to follow all the details of setting up shop. Funds, the La Trinidad apartment for the Myrlies to move in December, and the LandRover is on the dock in Callao. Here. The second medical event, Orlin's appendix is out, which the doctor showed me! A few trips to the barriadas by bus. Here. The kids are in school, learning Spanish, and having "the bug." Here. Orlin is recovering, some pictures were sent, our bookkeeping is a mess, and the Pope visits Columbia. Here. Kids are adjusting well in school and in the neighborhood, all are recovering from "bugs." Here. Received letters from Synod pastors, comments about "mañana" syndrom, another trip to barriadas with Carlos. Here. Beginning to understand the exchange rate for dollars, details about the economy, how the poor scavage, the gap twixt the rich and poor. Here. Neighorhood visits, mixup re water heater installation, kitchen cupboards soon to be installed, and our first trip up toward the mountains to see the sun. Here. The family in the sun. More about kids recovering, thrilled that kids from St. Paul's Chicago are attending CDS in Morton Grove. Here.
A very nice letter from Adolph Harstad.
And, a report to Loyd Miller, Chairman of the ELS Mission Board, was the last correspondence of the month. On October 1 a last minute detail of problems getting the LandRover off the dock. We needed the bill of sale, which the Treasurer sent on October 3.
We end this page with the beginning of the revolution.