Meeting the President - With Annie Soper

Annie Soper (L)  Rhoda Gould

19 December 1928

Dear Mother
[Extract]
Miss Soper who is on her way back to the jungle is in Lima just now. She has done such good work there that the President wished to see her when she was on her way home. However she had left Lima before this news reached her so sent a message this time to the President to say she was here again. He accorded her an interview and I had the honour of taking her to the Palace to see the august little man Augusto B Leguia. He was very nice to us and showed a sympathetic interest in her work and in our school too. He promised to see that she was not hindered in her work by the priests – though that may not mean much since he owes a lot to the support of the Church. Still he means well towards her, and seemed quite grateful for the work she is doing. Did I ever tell you about here? She went out 6 years ago to Moyobamba leaving Lima and all traces of civilisation behind and pushing out into the wilds with her companion Miss Gould, a fortnight’s mule journey from Cajamarca. It was a tremendous step. But their nursing skills stood by them. A practise grew up. A demand for meetings arose and before long Miss Soper (who was brought up as  Brethren ! – but was kicked out for attending a Baptist Church because there was no assembly in the town where her hospital was) was holding meetings and preaching almost every night. The Free Church then accepted the services of these ladies who previously had been independent and three years ago they sent out Dr [Calvin] Mackay to assist them as physician, surgeon and pastor. Another nurse later joined them and now Miss Soper’s niece is going out to start a school there. It is quite a flourishing work now.

Note: Some of the story of Annie and Rhoda is told in "Dawn Beyond the Andes" by Phyllis Thompson and published by Regions Beyond Missionary Union. Theirs is an unsung pioneering, frontier mission story yet to be fully told.

Pacasmayo

As soon as the news of our engagement reached Cajamarca, Rev and Mrs Calvin Mackay, who were in charge of the Free Church mission there, wrote back inviting us to spend our vacation and celebrate the marriage there which we did. The journey to Cajamarca was quite an adventure in itself, although prior to this it had been still more so. We travelled by sea to Pacasmayo on a coastal boat, which called at every port loading and unloading cargo. First class on the boat was only recognisable by comparison with third class which was much worse. On the deck immediately below our cabins were the stalls of cows and pigs. Nowhere on the ship could we escape that stable smell.  Third class passengers lived in closer proximity still to the animal cargo. Loading and unloading the animals was an interesting experience. A loop of spliced roped was placed under the animals horns and attached to a winch. The signal was then given to hoist and the animal was pulled up head first. It’s eyes would bulge out like a couple of fried eggs and its feet would stick out at right angles in front of it as it is spun giddily above the lighter and was hoisted on board. Three days later we reached Pacasmayo.

Pacasmayo in the ‘good old days’ was quite a primitive place on all counts. The water supply was obtained from a little creek which served every purpose under the sun. The women washed clothes in it, the children bathed and the pigs wallowed in it and at relatively clear spots, water was baled out for household purposes. One look at the source of the water supply was more powerful than a law against intoxicating spirits. A friend of mine, who would not trust the water even when it was boiled, bought a half bottle of beer each night with which to clean his teeth and gargle. Naturally we did not remain in Pacasmayo any longer than was strictly necessary. Next day we took the train up the Jequetepequi Valley to the railway terminus at Chilete. The hotel there was even more primitive than that at Pacasmayo. On our return journey, our bedroom, which opened out onto the street could only be closed properly by propping a broken chair against it. A drunk tried to force his way in during the night but was unable to dislodge the chair.