Our final day of service work came and went quickly as we were leaving the same day. We spent the morning at a nursing home near where we were staying. As we walked in they rang the bells and brought out all the residents. Immediately our students jumped in to shake lots of hands, greet them and give hugs. Each of us settled down with one or a few people and put our Spanish to use. Many of the kids afterwards were exhausted but said they loved that they realized they were speaking Spanish without even realizing it. What a blessing!
We talked about everything but mostly we listened and over the next hour or so were able to offer a friend and an ear to each of these residents. In leaving our kids mentioned how blessed they were to be able to talk and to understand a lot of what was being said. Again Linda and I left being floored by the maturity of these students. A situation that most teenagers might find uncomfortable in their own language proved to be enjoyable for our own students in a different language.
I close our blog for the Peru 2011 trip by expressing how much joy has come to us over the last few days in sharing this experience with this group. We have been blessed so richly by our awesome God and we look forward to sharing our experiences with each of you one on one now that we are home. I hope to post pictures shortly so that you can all share in seeing a piece of what has really moved our hearts over the last few days.
Thank you for your prayers and for following our adventures! Vaya con Dios!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Mission Portion Day 2
After a great night of fellowship, we spent our evening on Saturday practicing for our Sunday School class the next day. Thanks to a lot of sugar and some Coca Cola we were able to fight off sleep and have some fun as we prepared.
Sunday morning we drove to the church of Filadelphia -- a church that is truly being moved by the Spirit! Immediately we were greeted by our brothers and sisters in Christ with love and open arms. The amount of children was wonderful as we moved around the room and watched as the kids sang and played in anticipation of Sunday School. We began with an activity that you can see in the pictures below. Each of the children gathered around a table and were given their own space to draw. One of our students read the story of Esther in Spanish slowly. At certain points she would stop and give instruction to us all to draw out that portion of the story. We began with a King who then married Esther, the villain Aman, Mordecai's advice and the rescue of the Jewish people. Wow! The kids were amazing at drawing. They drew such beautiful stories and took such pride in their drawings. Afterwards we had some glitter paint that they used to mark their names and identify their creation. We were so proud of Lindsay who read the story even in spite of her nerves and of all of the students that worked one on one with the children as we recreated the story of Esther.
We then had another activity where the kids reenacted the story of Noah. They marched around building the arc, the animals boarding the arc, praying to God and ultimately finding dry land. How fun it was to see the kids enjoy themselves and at the same time display God's word to us and help us to see it in a new way.
We then spent the next hour serving lunch to the children. There must have been at least 100 children who were fed. For most of the children eating meat is really something special and not something they get to enjoy often. As we cleaned up bowls almost every bowl was wiped clean. Our students reflected on this and spoke about how much that meant to them. When we left we collected our remaining soles and dedicated it to be used to provide another meal for the students. Our kids were convicted about this and dedicated to trying to make a difference even in a seemingly small way.
We spent the afternoon with another group walking through the homes near the church. What a powerful experience this was for our students. Many of the homes are one-room buildings with a very unstable roof. They are built on a mountain and the further up you go the more disrepair you find. Our students were overwhelmed not only by the conditions of the homes but by the circumstances and the unbelievable hurts that these families felt. At each home we asked if there were things we could pray for and these are things tat we are still committed to praying for. Families with sick children or parents, physical ailments but also financial ailments. One family who literally only has Sunday to spend together. One student mentioned she was struck by how hard they work for so little. We prayed over each family and invited them to come to the Filadelfia church in hopes they might find fellowship and community. After only an hour our students were exposed to so much heartache and hardship but they handled it with such Christ-like compassion. Mrs. Isbell and I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the students on this trip. They have done everything without grumbling or complaining. They have served openly and been comfortable in every situation always serving others as well as each other. What a blessing it was to be with them every day!
Finally we finished our evening by praying over Nicole who is off to Haiti. We recognize that were she home she would likely have been sent off with prayers and blessings but instead she chose to be with us and serve others in her last few days before her discipleship training began. Nicole explained how she came to the decision to all of the students and we spent time encouraging her and praying over her. What a perfect way it was to end Day 2 in prayer for those we spent the day with to serve and one of our own who now goes on to dedicate her life in service. Praise God!
Sunday morning we drove to the church of Filadelphia -- a church that is truly being moved by the Spirit! Immediately we were greeted by our brothers and sisters in Christ with love and open arms. The amount of children was wonderful as we moved around the room and watched as the kids sang and played in anticipation of Sunday School. We began with an activity that you can see in the pictures below. Each of the children gathered around a table and were given their own space to draw. One of our students read the story of Esther in Spanish slowly. At certain points she would stop and give instruction to us all to draw out that portion of the story. We began with a King who then married Esther, the villain Aman, Mordecai's advice and the rescue of the Jewish people. Wow! The kids were amazing at drawing. They drew such beautiful stories and took such pride in their drawings. Afterwards we had some glitter paint that they used to mark their names and identify their creation. We were so proud of Lindsay who read the story even in spite of her nerves and of all of the students that worked one on one with the children as we recreated the story of Esther.
We then had another activity where the kids reenacted the story of Noah. They marched around building the arc, the animals boarding the arc, praying to God and ultimately finding dry land. How fun it was to see the kids enjoy themselves and at the same time display God's word to us and help us to see it in a new way.
We then spent the next hour serving lunch to the children. There must have been at least 100 children who were fed. For most of the children eating meat is really something special and not something they get to enjoy often. As we cleaned up bowls almost every bowl was wiped clean. Our students reflected on this and spoke about how much that meant to them. When we left we collected our remaining soles and dedicated it to be used to provide another meal for the students. Our kids were convicted about this and dedicated to trying to make a difference even in a seemingly small way.
We spent the afternoon with another group walking through the homes near the church. What a powerful experience this was for our students. Many of the homes are one-room buildings with a very unstable roof. They are built on a mountain and the further up you go the more disrepair you find. Our students were overwhelmed not only by the conditions of the homes but by the circumstances and the unbelievable hurts that these families felt. At each home we asked if there were things we could pray for and these are things tat we are still committed to praying for. Families with sick children or parents, physical ailments but also financial ailments. One family who literally only has Sunday to spend together. One student mentioned she was struck by how hard they work for so little. We prayed over each family and invited them to come to the Filadelfia church in hopes they might find fellowship and community. After only an hour our students were exposed to so much heartache and hardship but they handled it with such Christ-like compassion. Mrs. Isbell and I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the students on this trip. They have done everything without grumbling or complaining. They have served openly and been comfortable in every situation always serving others as well as each other. What a blessing it was to be with them every day!
Finally we finished our evening by praying over Nicole who is off to Haiti. We recognize that were she home she would likely have been sent off with prayers and blessings but instead she chose to be with us and serve others in her last few days before her discipleship training began. Nicole explained how she came to the decision to all of the students and we spent time encouraging her and praying over her. What a perfect way it was to end Day 2 in prayer for those we spent the day with to serve and one of our own who now goes on to dedicate her life in service. Praise God!
Mission Portion Day 1
What a blessing the last few days of our trip were!
We woke up Saturday morning and left the hotel with our new hosts - Cesar and Amber. We were blessed to have Amber with us every day for the mission portion of the trip. It was a joy to watch her mentor the students and really show us a great deal of what it means to be a missionary in a foreign country and how demanding and rewarding a life it can be.
We spent our first day serving at an orphanage in an area outside of Lima called Huaycan. Mission work always has this fun way of surprising you. You go in believing that you are doing something for someone else and yet God blesses you through service. That morning as we stepped off the bus we were greeted by the warmest of hugs, smiles, and "I love you's" from the children. We spent the first part of our day cleaning. We had teams who tackled the bathrooms, the kitchen, the classroom and Mrs. Isbell took on the organization of the library. The kids sang us songs, brought us bracelets and lots of hugs while we cleaned. We were overwhelmed by their love and affection and mostly by the opportunity to not just serve with our time but also with our efforts. The ability to get down on our hands and knees and to clean toilets, to scrub ink off desks, to really get dirty was probably one of the greatest gifts knowing that it would improve someone else's daily life even if only for a few days. It was something we could do and offer.
Following this we were able to serve the children lunch that we sponsored. The children begged for "crema" or mayonnaise for their fries and chicken. This was something of a treat for them. After serving them we were able to fix our own plates and sit down to eat with them. Using our Spanish, the students got to converse about everything from what is your favorite food or color or game to what do you want to be when you grow up. We heard big dreams! What a blessing! We also got to hear some of the children practice their English and were impressed by their desire to learn.
Our last portion of the day was probably our favorite part of the trip. We were able to just "be" with the children. For each of us our time was different. Some spent time in the classroom sprucing it up. The boys pumped up soccer balls and played. As for the girls, we did hair, painted nails, gave lots of hugs and uttered lots of "Que bonita!"
As we reflected on the day, most of the students kept saying how blessed they felt to spend some time playing with the kids. After only a few hours of one day we all felt like we could just want to stay there and love these kids every day. It made us so grateful for Amber who continues to dedicate herself as a constant figure in their lives and as a role model for these children. That evening we prayed for our families, gratefulness for our parents and the opportunities that we have, but most of all we prayed for the children we spent the day with. We pray for education, for opportunity, for Amber and others as role models in their lives, and most of all for a knowledge of who God is and a growing and active faith because of the grace of Jesus Christ in the midst of struggles and suffering.
We woke up Saturday morning and left the hotel with our new hosts - Cesar and Amber. We were blessed to have Amber with us every day for the mission portion of the trip. It was a joy to watch her mentor the students and really show us a great deal of what it means to be a missionary in a foreign country and how demanding and rewarding a life it can be.
We spent our first day serving at an orphanage in an area outside of Lima called Huaycan. Mission work always has this fun way of surprising you. You go in believing that you are doing something for someone else and yet God blesses you through service. That morning as we stepped off the bus we were greeted by the warmest of hugs, smiles, and "I love you's" from the children. We spent the first part of our day cleaning. We had teams who tackled the bathrooms, the kitchen, the classroom and Mrs. Isbell took on the organization of the library. The kids sang us songs, brought us bracelets and lots of hugs while we cleaned. We were overwhelmed by their love and affection and mostly by the opportunity to not just serve with our time but also with our efforts. The ability to get down on our hands and knees and to clean toilets, to scrub ink off desks, to really get dirty was probably one of the greatest gifts knowing that it would improve someone else's daily life even if only for a few days. It was something we could do and offer.
Following this we were able to serve the children lunch that we sponsored. The children begged for "crema" or mayonnaise for their fries and chicken. This was something of a treat for them. After serving them we were able to fix our own plates and sit down to eat with them. Using our Spanish, the students got to converse about everything from what is your favorite food or color or game to what do you want to be when you grow up. We heard big dreams! What a blessing! We also got to hear some of the children practice their English and were impressed by their desire to learn.
Our last portion of the day was probably our favorite part of the trip. We were able to just "be" with the children. For each of us our time was different. Some spent time in the classroom sprucing it up. The boys pumped up soccer balls and played. As for the girls, we did hair, painted nails, gave lots of hugs and uttered lots of "Que bonita!"
As we reflected on the day, most of the students kept saying how blessed they felt to spend some time playing with the kids. After only a few hours of one day we all felt like we could just want to stay there and love these kids every day. It made us so grateful for Amber who continues to dedicate herself as a constant figure in their lives and as a role model for these children. That evening we prayed for our families, gratefulness for our parents and the opportunities that we have, but most of all we prayed for the children we spent the day with. We pray for education, for opportunity, for Amber and others as role models in their lives, and most of all for a knowledge of who God is and a growing and active faith because of the grace of Jesus Christ in the midst of struggles and suffering.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Day 3
We had trouble posting this entry originally so we'll post it now a little out of order.
Day 3 Peru - Live life on the edge….
Buenos noches from under the Peruvian stars. We are here sitting on a terrace in the Andes Mountains looking at the moon and the stars. Our third day in Peru has been absolutely amazing. We left off this morning later than planned because, as Marlene put it, "my watch was confused". We were very sad to leave the cobblestone streets and bustling town plazas of the beautiful Cuzco. First, we drove to the Santuario Animal de Ccochahuas, a rescue animal reserve outside of Cuzco. There we saw (more) llamas, alpacas, parrots, macaws, Andean deer, tortoises, and gigantic condors that put on quite a show. We "awwed" at the adorable pumas who were spotted sleeping and cuddling together in their cave. From there we continued on into the Sacred Valley, one of the most beautiful and breathtaking sights that I've ever seen. From the rushing Urumbamba River to the snow-capped mountain peaks, there is absolutely no way to describe it. One thing we have discussed while we have been here is how words and pictures simply do it no justice.
Our next stop was at the Pisac market, where we haggled for alpaca scarves, intricate jewelry, beautifully woven bags and blankets, and even machete knives. This was my favorite part of the day--the market was so lively and full of bright colors and it was a great way to practice our Spanish. It was full of music and bird noises (made from little wooden whistles) and you soon forget that soles are much less than the American dollar. We spent over an hour here shopping and yet most of us only spent thirty dollars for loads of different things.
Our journey continued onto Ollantaytambo (we keep pretending to know how to spell these names), where we were able to see some more Incan ruins. They were positioned high on a cliff (and required quite a climb), but the view was completely worth it. Our hotel was right next door and it is absolutely charming. After check-in, we went exploring behind the building and ended up playing soccer all evening. We will come back to Texas in great shape after running around with almost zero oxygen for hours on end. According to Nicole, "a flappy ball on a terrace in the Andes mountains was the best day of my life."
Today was truly amazing, though, and loads of fun. We are so excited for Machu Picchu tomorrow.l
By: Liliana (Lindsay) Elaine Struthers
P.S.- Contrary to Mrs. Isbell's initial belief, there is a moon over Peru...
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Days Five and Six in Peru
Day 5
After a long, strenuous day at Machu Picchu we all discovered muscles we didn't know existed. We anticipated having a nice, easy morning by going to the thermal springs of Aguas Calientes. Little did we know the hike was all uphill, the waters were less than clear, and only mildly therapeutic. But it made for a fun morning anyway.
We climbed downhill to our hotel, got our bags, and then climbed back up hill (Can you tell we've walked a lot?) for some pizza. Aguas Calientes is apparently known for its Peruvian pizza so we decided to try it out. They baked it in a clay oven while we were serenaded by some fine Andean music. We have heard a lot of wooden flutes in the last week.
We then made our way to the train station for our Vistadome return to Cusco. Though it was the most direct path to the train station. We succumbed to yet another round of shopping in a Peruvian market with Peruvian bargains.
It was a beautiful ride when darkness fell and the vistas were no longer visible, our train attendants decided to entertain us. We were treated to a broadway show sort of song and dance performance by a man in a cultural costume who danced up and down the aisle. The other two attendants then proceeded to have a fashion show for us of an array of alpaca apparel. We made it to Cusco, had a nice dinner, and stumbled into our beds.
Day 6
We woke this morning to leave Cusco behind for the airport. We had a great, short flight to Lima excited to be able to breathe easily once again. We went to lunch on the Avenue of the Pizzas where we were accosted by at least five restaurant hostesses seeking our business. With our stomachs full we made our way on our tour of Lima with our guide Jose. We began with a bus tour to the "Love" memorial overlooking the tumultuous waves and the risk-seeking surfers of the Pacific. Our drive proceeded past massive mud brick pyramidal structures in the middle of this Spanish-built city. We were shocked since we thought we had left the Inca and natives behind in Cusco. Our drive took us through the olive groves and beautiful houses built by the Europeans. We then left the modern city and went to the colonial part of the city built by Pizarro after the Spanish conquering. Jose introduced us to a great museum - the gastronomical museum of Peru. An entire museum about food. We loved it and have been nothing but impressed by the food and hospitality of the Peruvian people.
San Francisco Monastery was a beautiful example of Spanish architecture which blends Moorish influences with colonial architecture. We saw wonderful woodwork, beautiful tiles, arches and grill work. All of that beauty disappeared the minute we descended into the bowels of the church and were confronted with the bones of 25,000 to 30,000 bodies. They were arranged in patterns that left little to imagination. Lima is one of only three cities in the world that has such a grandiose collection of huesos.
We had rushed tour of the Gold Museum which is one of the most extraordinary collections of weapons ever collected. It was long enough to leave us impressed and short enough to leave us curious and wanting to go back.
Lastly Jose took us to the fountains where we also encountered a 24-hour fresh flower market and had to take a perusal of the market. The fountains combined music, lights, choreography and visual projections to create a one of a kind show. Devon and Jake attempted to make their way through a maze of water without being drenched. They ate dinner in wet clothes.
We experienced Peruvian traffic first hand. More than this we experienced Peruvian driving first hand with Luis. Muy loco.
This wrapped up another great day in Peru and the final day of our tourist portion. We would love your prayers! Tomorrow we meet up with Cesar and head to the orphanage.
Laughing our way through Lima,
Mrs. Weiss and Mrs. Isbell, Nicole and Lindsay
After a long, strenuous day at Machu Picchu we all discovered muscles we didn't know existed. We anticipated having a nice, easy morning by going to the thermal springs of Aguas Calientes. Little did we know the hike was all uphill, the waters were less than clear, and only mildly therapeutic. But it made for a fun morning anyway.
We climbed downhill to our hotel, got our bags, and then climbed back up hill (Can you tell we've walked a lot?) for some pizza. Aguas Calientes is apparently known for its Peruvian pizza so we decided to try it out. They baked it in a clay oven while we were serenaded by some fine Andean music. We have heard a lot of wooden flutes in the last week.
We then made our way to the train station for our Vistadome return to Cusco. Though it was the most direct path to the train station. We succumbed to yet another round of shopping in a Peruvian market with Peruvian bargains.
It was a beautiful ride when darkness fell and the vistas were no longer visible, our train attendants decided to entertain us. We were treated to a broadway show sort of song and dance performance by a man in a cultural costume who danced up and down the aisle. The other two attendants then proceeded to have a fashion show for us of an array of alpaca apparel. We made it to Cusco, had a nice dinner, and stumbled into our beds.
Day 6
We woke this morning to leave Cusco behind for the airport. We had a great, short flight to Lima excited to be able to breathe easily once again. We went to lunch on the Avenue of the Pizzas where we were accosted by at least five restaurant hostesses seeking our business. With our stomachs full we made our way on our tour of Lima with our guide Jose. We began with a bus tour to the "Love" memorial overlooking the tumultuous waves and the risk-seeking surfers of the Pacific. Our drive proceeded past massive mud brick pyramidal structures in the middle of this Spanish-built city. We were shocked since we thought we had left the Inca and natives behind in Cusco. Our drive took us through the olive groves and beautiful houses built by the Europeans. We then left the modern city and went to the colonial part of the city built by Pizarro after the Spanish conquering. Jose introduced us to a great museum - the gastronomical museum of Peru. An entire museum about food. We loved it and have been nothing but impressed by the food and hospitality of the Peruvian people.
San Francisco Monastery was a beautiful example of Spanish architecture which blends Moorish influences with colonial architecture. We saw wonderful woodwork, beautiful tiles, arches and grill work. All of that beauty disappeared the minute we descended into the bowels of the church and were confronted with the bones of 25,000 to 30,000 bodies. They were arranged in patterns that left little to imagination. Lima is one of only three cities in the world that has such a grandiose collection of huesos.
We had rushed tour of the Gold Museum which is one of the most extraordinary collections of weapons ever collected. It was long enough to leave us impressed and short enough to leave us curious and wanting to go back.
Lastly Jose took us to the fountains where we also encountered a 24-hour fresh flower market and had to take a perusal of the market. The fountains combined music, lights, choreography and visual projections to create a one of a kind show. Devon and Jake attempted to make their way through a maze of water without being drenched. They ate dinner in wet clothes.
We experienced Peruvian traffic first hand. More than this we experienced Peruvian driving first hand with Luis. Muy loco.
This wrapped up another great day in Peru and the final day of our tourist portion. We would love your prayers! Tomorrow we meet up with Cesar and head to the orphanage.
Laughing our way through Lima,
Mrs. Weiss and Mrs. Isbell, Nicole and Lindsay
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Day four in Peru, Machu Picchu Style!
Hello everyone, today is Jake and Devon's turn to write the blog. We began our journey to Machu Picchu with an early morning Vistadome train ride through the arid and tropical mountains to the city of Macchu Picchu. As soon as we reached the city we were rushed to a bus that would take us up the mountains on dangerous switchback roads to the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu.There we were met by our guide who led us through the ruins for 2 hours. He talked about the 3 levels of life that the Incans believed in, as well as the importance of duality in their lives.The first level is represented by the serpent, it is the spiritual level and is where we go when we die. The second is represented by the puma and is the life we live now on earth, and the third, the condor is the solar system. The Incans had different temples at Machu Picchu to these three animals that we visited. Throughout the ruins there also were many instances where duality was shown, between elder mountain (Machu Picchu) and the young mountain as well as an image of a man and a woman. After the guide left us we took a short lunch break and then went back up to the ruins to "journal", take pictures, and to check out some things the guide didn't have time to show us. This took a few hours and then we decided to leave and head down the mountain. Thanks to an Irish couple we had met the night before who had visited the ruins that day we decided to take a walking trail down the mountain instead of a boring old bus ride down. This trail, though very physically demanding, had a spectacular view of the mountainous landscape surrounding Machu Picchu. After completing the hour and a half journey down the trail we finally made it to Hatuchay Tower, our hotel. Here we had a gourmet dinner and then had the rest of the night too relax and play catchphrase and other games.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Day TWO in PERU (look it rhymes!)
Hola fellow readers. Me llamo Elena de la Vega.
Angel (Devon), Joaquim de la Vega (Jake), Christina (Corey), Liliana (Lindsay), and Roberto (Bobby) say hola as well.
With so much going on in just one day, it feels like we have been in Cusco for a week… and that’s a good thing. It is gorgeous and quaint. First thing first, we had a nice breakfast in the hotel. Joaquim put chocolate powder on his toast. Poor guy. The altitude is really affecting him. We had a guided tour in a Jesuit church. It was extravagant and breath-taking. A monstrous golden altar towered in the front of the church. It had a much more European feel compared to the Cathedral yesterday. The prevalence of the Incan culture still today is fascinating. The ‘Incan Museum’ highlighted characteristics about the Incan people that were before unbeknownst to us. ‘Learn – work – love’ was a little sound bite that our guide, Marlene, kept using to portray the life of the Incans. Once you learn, you can work, and once you work, you have enough to love…and to love is to give. What a beautiful picture, right? We also learned that there are still tribes out in the wilderness of the beautiful Peruvian terrain that are so distant and separated from civilization that cannibalism is the norm for them. Seems so incredibly archaic, yet here we are, now just a stone’s throw away. Llamas and alpacas roam the mountainsides, and some women meander through the streets with the furry animals, endlessly repeating “Peecture? Peecture?” And of course we had to! Who knows when an opportunity like that will come again! Actually, just around the corner! The Peruvian babies are strapped onto their mothers’ backs by means of a long, beautiful piece of cloth. Little toddlers are absolutely precious, even though today we did observe one sprawled across the sidewalk with his little batooshie out for all to see. Regardless, the people are wonderful, the language is a blast, y mucho divertido, and the culture is so different from anything any of us have ever experienced. Tonight ended with a folkloric dinner. The food was superb; alpaca was an option, of course. The band used mainly wood wind instruments that blew out the most rich, pleasing sounds, but they also had a mini chicken instrument that piped out some pretty strange bird sounds. It wasn’t complete without some classic songs like ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Yesterday’. The Beatles made it to Peru, in case you didn’t know. Dancers dressed in ornate costumes, with mile high hats and painted masks adding to the fun. We enjoyed a nice walk back to the hotel in the brisk, cool weather (boys in shorts, Mrs. Weiss in gloves and a ski coat), and just can’t wait for the newness and excitement of another day.
Elena de la Vega
(aka Nicole)
Day TWO in PERU (look it rhymes!)
Hola fellow readers. Me llamo Elena de la Vega.
Angel (Devon), Joaquim de la Vega (Jake), Christina (Corey), Liliana (Lindsay), and Roberto (Bobby) say hola as well.
With so much going on in just one day, it feels like we have been in Cusco for a week… and that’s a good thing. It is gorgeous and quaint. First thing first, we had a nice breakfast in the hotel. Joaquim put chocolate powder on his toast. Poor guy. The altitude is really affecting him. We had a guided tour in a Jesuit church. It was extravagant and breath-taking. A monstrous golden altar towered in the front of the church. It had a much more European feel compared to the Cathedral yesterday. The prevalence of the Incan culture still today is fascinating. The ‘Incan Museum’ highlighted characteristics about the Incan people that were before unbeknownst to us. ‘Learn – work – love’ was a little sound bite that our guide, Marlene, kept using to portray the life of the Incans. Once you learn, you can work, and once you work, you have enough to love…and to love is to give. What a beautiful picture, right? We also learned that there are still tribes out in the wilderness of the beautiful Peruvian terrain that are so distant and separated from civilization that cannibalism is the norm for them. Seems so incredibly archaic, yet here we are, now just a stone’s throw away. Llamas and alpacas roam the mountainsides, and some women meander through the streets with the furry animals, endlessly repeating “Peecture? Peecture?” And of course we had to! Who knows when an opportunity like that will come again! Actually, just around the corner! The Peruvian babies are strapped onto their mothers’ backs by means of a long, beautiful piece of cloth. Little toddlers are absolutely precious, even though today we did observe one sprawled across the sidewalk with his little batooshie out for all to see. Regardless, the people are wonderful, the language is a blast, y mucho divertido, and the culture is so different from anything any of us have ever experienced. Tonight ended with a folkloric dinner. The food was superb; alpaca was an option, of course. The band used mainly wood wind instruments that blew out the most rich, pleasing sounds, but they also had a mini chicken instrument that piped out some pretty strange bird sounds. It wasn’t complete without some classic songs like ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Yesterday’. The Beatles made it to Peru, in case you didn’t know. Dancers dressed in ornate costumes, with mile high hats and painted masks adding to the fun. We enjoyed a nice walk back to the hotel in the brisk, cool weather (boys in shorts, Mrs. Weiss in gloves and a ski coat), and just can’t wait for the newness and excitement of another day.
Elena de la Vega
(aka Nicole)
Sunday, June 5, 2011
cusco - la ciudad bonita
Que linda! y...que espiritu de aventura en los estudiantes! How many of you could fly all night, have two delayed departures (but an on-time arrival in our final destination, Cusco!), enter a country during its election day when security changes everything at the airport where we were attempting to hand off luggage for the mission portion of our trip...catch a few winks in transit, and then be ready to hit the ground running for an afternoon of amazing sightseeing of Incan ruins outside of Cusco???? We told the students that this was an adventure trip - heading off to climb, hike, ponder among the ruins and "la sierra" of Peru, and so far it has been incredible! Our itinerary changed a bit due to the election - hiked up and down through Incan shrines and temples, stood in awe of the Palestinian Christian's gift to Cusco of a 30 foot statue of Jesus towering over Cusco (floating in eerie light by night), made friends with the natives and their llamas (pronounced yama...) and stepped inside a cathedral which took our breath away with its sheer size, its gilded and silver altars, and the diversity of representations of the crucifix. Our food has been delightful and interesting - we've tried alpaca and an assortment of other comida indigena - we've sipped strong coffee and sugared up on steaming hot chocolate. We've gazed at the massive cathedral while eating tasty omelettes and listened to Andean music as we finished off smoked trout and quenoa sopa. All in all, we should all be dropping into bed, satisfied but exhausted, praying for a good nights sleep, and ready to engage Cusco for yet another day. We miss you all, prayed for you tonight, and ask God to keep our hearts bound tightly together while we are apart.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Globe Trekkers - Getting Started
Welcome to our blog!
Here we hope to share with your our adventures of travel through Peru. We'll begin in Cusco exploring the ancient Inca civilization culminating in a visit to one of the modern wonders of the world - Machu Picchu. We'll then explore the Spanish colonization of Peru in Lima and spend three days of service at the orphanage that POP works with outside of Lima.
The students will take turns blogging about both our adventures and our prayer requests. We would love to have your prayers and hope that you will enjoy the reading!
Here we hope to share with your our adventures of travel through Peru. We'll begin in Cusco exploring the ancient Inca civilization culminating in a visit to one of the modern wonders of the world - Machu Picchu. We'll then explore the Spanish colonization of Peru in Lima and spend three days of service at the orphanage that POP works with outside of Lima.
The students will take turns blogging about both our adventures and our prayer requests. We would love to have your prayers and hope that you will enjoy the reading!
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