
Trapped in Peru- Help me get home
Donation protected
CATCH 22 IN PERU
Mi historia en español aquí.
That's me on the Chira River Bridge, the border crossing between Peru and Ecuador. My friend captured the moment I was denied permission to cross the border because I lacked an exit visa. An exit visa is required to board planes, buses, or cross any border in Peru. To obtain one, I must pay the tax for staying in Peru on an expired visa. This tax increases daily and indefinitely. I believed my volunteer teaching and the affordable medical treatment for my post-cancer condition justified my staying in Peru. Tourists are not allowed to work and earn money but can't leave until the tax is paid. My social security is just enough to pay for my room and my food, so I will never save the money to pay this ever-increasing obligation. That is why I have turned to you for help. The tax must be paid in cash at the airport, and I must board a plane leaving the country that day. Please help me come home.
At age 65, encouraged by a Peruvian businessman, I headed to Peru to join him in distributing an organic fertilizer, my mentor and best friend, Dr. Richard Leavitt had developed.
Unexpectedly, my partner abandoned the effort after only two months, leaving me in Chancay, a small Peruvian farm town.
While in Chancay, I discovered that the intense radiation I had received in the U.S. for my cancer led to bone fractures. I required multiple surgeries to close the fractured bones with screws. These procedures were impossibly expensive at home. Peruvian medical care is both inexpensive and excellent. Each of the four surgeries required a one-year recovery period, so it was only logical to stay and finish the surgeries under the affordable and professional care of my Peruvian specialists. I found a room to rent and lived quietly in Chancay as a local during periods of recuperation.
GOD OPENS A WINDOW
As the only native English speaker in town, local teachers invited me to join their English classes so students could practice speaking English. I happily agreed.
I fell in love with these kids and found a purpose greater than my original goal.
Mark Twain said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why."
I had found my WHY—to help students where English proficiency is mandatory for graduation, college entry, and non-manual labor jobs.
I formed a team of English teachers and students, and we set out to modernize English language learning to conform to today's students’ preferences for their smartphones, social media, and video games. We created Speed English Games. Between surgeries, I worked with my team to create English language learning and practice opportunities that were both fun and effective. This work not only aided each recovery but instilled in me a sense of important purpose.
Six years have passed since I arrived in Peru. That is hard for me to believe.
Was overstaying my tourist visa worth it? I received critical medical treatment I could afford while I tutored hundreds of English students and helped tens of thousands through our social media lessons.
At 72, I'm now pain-free and have done the most important work of my life. It's time to head home, see my family, and return to Peru as a legal worker, when possible. Failing to obtain an exit visa means a very uncertain future for me.
If you can, please donate and share this campaign with your friends and family. Thank you.
Organizer

Chris Davis
Organizer
Littleton, CO