Goodbyes

March 23

From Sue

We had the opportunity yesterday to say goodbye to Yolanda and the boys. Guili arranged for them to meet her at her office and then they walked over to our apartment. The boys were very excited to see Eric as usual. We then took them over to the playground at the park near our house. The boys loved it! Rebekah and Eliljah eventually joined in especially after the kids spotted two puppies that some folks had in the park. They loved playing with them but got a little over exuberant and chased the owners away:) That led to them gathering branches and putting them on a pile. They don't understand each other but seem to communicate nonetheless. We had a chance to visit with Yolanda and ask her about school and her English classes. She still misses the home and has had some challenges with making decisions and juggling her school and work. She is currently in the process of switching schools because her old one is too far away and she can't find someone to watch the boys. It was a very difficult choice for her because the other school is better. She is doing what a good mother does, putting her children's needs first. Not easy for anyone especially when you are 18. After the kids finished playing, we got ice cream for everyone. Then it was time for goodbyes. Luckily the boys are so hyper and distracting, it wasn't too hard. We are hoping Yolanda will come to Reina on Thursday for the pizza party. Please continue to pray for her and the boys.

On Monday night, I went to my last BSF with my Lima class. It has been a pleasure getting to know the women. We got some really nice photos for me to remember my time with them.

We are now in the process of cleaning and packing. (Didn't I just do this?) We have been thinking about what we will miss and what we won't miss. What we will miss-the girls at Reina, Guili, Yolanda and the boys, in short- the people, the view of the ocean, the weather, the bread, chifles (banana chips-delicioso), churros, the family time, slower pace. What we won't miss-our noisy neighbors, the traffic, mildew, milk, mosquitoes, only soccer on the sports channels. What we can't wait to see/do/experience-sleep in our own beds with our own pillows, see our friends (not necessarliy in this order:)), drink the milk, pet our dog (yes, he made the list), play in our yard, listen to the quiet, eat Maggie's cookies!

Reina, etc.

March 22
From Sue
It is hard to believe that we are entering into our last week here in Lima. We are all getting excited to be home again.
Last Thursday we went to Reina because, if you remember from a previous post, our time slot was given to someone else. Eric, Maggie and I reviewed with the girls what we had discussed the previous 9 weeks. They remembered it amazingly well. They also like to ask us questions about our family. One of the girls asked what would happen if a guy wanted to take Maggie out. We said that they have to talk to Eric first. They also wanted to know how Eric and I met and how long we knew each other before we got married. The question that really got me was when one of the girls asked Maggie how she would feel if her mother told her she hates her. Maggie didn't know what to say. She replied, "I would wonder what happened to my mom." This led into a discussion of how kids will say this to their parents and it hurts but that they don't mean it. As a parent we have to be very careful to think before we speak because words are very powerful.
Eric and Maggie then entered into a tutoring session with 2 of the girls with them teaching English and the girls teaching them Quechua, a language spoken most often in the highlands of Peru. Emily, Elijah, Rebakah and Carolyn helped to feed, change and play with babies. They were tired! They just love those kids though and always talk about who they want to take home with us. Little Fiorela looked much more comfortable on Thursday and we have heard that her mother is with her at Domi. She also has a new pair of pink and white sneakers thanks to Giuli.
On Saturday, we had the opportunity to meet up with one of Eric's former students and his girlfriend who happen to be in Lima right now. Joe and Juleen have been travelling since September through Central and South America volunteering and seeing the sights. They have had some very interesting experiences and it was a pleasure hanging out with them and exchanging stories about what we have seen and done while away from the US. Emily and Maggie both seem to think this is a very cool thing to do ( and it is) especially when it's other people's kids:)
Yesterday was our last Sunday at Flamingo Road Church and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. If you remember last week I blogged about how all of the Sunday School workers love Rebekah. Well, yesterday I had to break the news that it was her last Sunday. The first girl I told gasped, put her hands over mouth and said, "no". She passed it on and they all had the same reaction. Hands over mouth, gasp and a bunch of stuff in Spanish I couldn't understand. They ended up taking a group photo, getting our email and mailing address, giving her a gift and giving her many hugs and kisses. They also prayed over her. What a wonderful, loving group of people! Our little girl has certainly made an impression!

Paracas

March 19

From Sue

On Wednesday, we took a much anticipated family trip to the city of Paracas located 3 hours south of Lima. Because we booked 7 people for this tour, we were told it would be cheaper for us to have our own van. Cool! After 10 weeks of riding in the back of a taxi with the kids, I was ready for it! Our driver, Javier, showed up at 3:35am and we loaded up. He told us that there was another person coming and we picked her up along the way. I thought it was another tourist but it turned out to be our own personal tour guide. Very cool! (gotta love a big family!) We made the drive sleeping most of the way and arrived in Paracas at 7:45. Our boat tour left at 8 so we made our way to the dock. Our boat was a motor boat and had a capacity of about 30 people. We all put on our life vests (for Rebekah and Elijah it was more like life dress!) and headed out to the Ballestas Islands. On the way, we saw a huge candelabra-shaped design etched into the side of a hill ala Nazca lines. No one knows who made this design or why. One theory is orientation which the people of the area still use it for today. We then drove for about another 15 minutes to the islands. These are volcanic islands used as nesting and rookery areas for thousands (I am not exaggerating) of birds. There were Inca terns, pelicans, boobies and even penguins! They were everywhere all over the rocks and flying overhead. If you have an aversion to birds, this is not the place for you. Apparently, guano is harvested here several times per year for agricultural purposes. We could sure smell it! This is also an area where sea lions live and breed. Eric has video on facebook of the main beach where the sea lions live. It was so cool to see these animals in their natural habitat! One of the moms was teaching her pup how to dive. At one point, the pup was left alone and we couldn't see the mother. The pup was squalling and looking around. Then from out of nowhere, the mother pops up out of the water right next to the pup and barks right in its face. As a parent, I could totally relate to this animal. It was an amazing sight and the day was very sunny and beautiful. The entire boat tour lasted for two hours.

We then headed over to the Paracas Reserve, the only marine reserve in Peru. This area was hit very hard by the earthquake in 2007 and so many of the hotels and restaurants are new. The museum in the reserve, however, has not yet been rebuilt, so we drove around the reserve. This area is a desert and the most desolate piece of real estate I've ever seen. There wasn't just no plants, there was no life period. Occasionally, though, we would round a bend and see the ocean and it was just gorgeous. We stopped at one lookout point and there was a sign about the rock formation that used to be there called the Cathedral. It was a huge arch of rock that had taken 25 -28 million years to form. It crumbled in the earthquake and was ruined in seconds. We could see cracks in the dirt along some of the cliffs. We then walked down to the beach. It was really neat, the climb back up in the sand, less so. We drove to a little cove, Carolyn has dubbed it Pelican Cove, and we had lunch at one of the little restaurants there. These had also been rebuilt as they had been destoyed by the resulting tsunami in 2007. It was a neat little place about 30 yards from the beach, open all around. We had fresh, and I mean fresh, fish for lunch with juice from these amazing little "limons" sprinkled on top. Delicious! After lunch, Rebekah and Eliljah had a ball playing in the surf as it was gentle in this little cove. The rest of us thought the water was a little too cold for a swim.

Then it was time to head home. The roads were pretty good and they were actually in the process of building a new one. What a remote and barren area. Yet there are small communities scattered throughout. There are also some pockets of fertile valleys that are homes to many wineries. It is amazing how diverse ecologically this country is- deserts, rain forests, mountains and coastal environments. I still can't get over how this barren desert devoid of life, exists right alongside the ocean teaming with life and diversity. A very worthwhile, fun and exhausting trip!

Eric's Trip to Tarapoto

March 18, 2010 from Eric

Last week I spent part of the week in Tarapoto, a smaller rainforest city in the northern part of Peru. It's a beautiful place and a bit different than Iquitos, the other rainforest town I visited. Tarapoto is bordered by the Cordillera Escalera ("mountains stairs") with great forest and numerous waterfalls. Otherwise it's similar in that the pace of life is a bit slower (I think the heat helps to slow things down) and folks are generally quite friendly. Mototaxis and motorcycles are the predominant ways to get around, although there were more cars than in Iquitos. In any case, like the other trips that I've taken while here, I traveled to Tarapoto to investigate opportunities for students to study and work on diseases caused by many of the parasites which afflict folks in this area.

I worked mainly with an NGO called URKU-Estudios Amazonicos; this group works with indigenous communities on a variety of economic and agricultural issues in a context of conservation and community development. There are a number of different ways that students might become involved with projects in this area, from treatment for various parasitic infections to education to water quality.

One of the neatest experiences for me was the welcome I (along with a colleague of mine) received in the indigenous community of Kawana-Sisa, about 1.5 hours from Tarapoto (by motorcycle, but that's a different story...). The Director of URKU works in this community and holds a special place of honor there. In any case, we arrived and met with community leaders in an outdoor shelter. Many folks from this small town were there and offered their official words of welcome. It was unlike any experience I've ever had.

After we were served masato (a strong drink made from manioc -- you'll have to ask me if you really want to know how it's prepared), the president of the community invited folks to speak additional words of welcome in addition to words of their concerns about health, etc. (I had spoken briefly prior to this, mentioning that I wanted to learn about their lives, their health and their concerns about this.) As is true for many people who live in rainforest habitats -- even though this town is not exactly surrounded by forest as you might think of it -- many of the folks are infected with various species of worms and other infections. Life is hard.

Many of the people spoke up -- their health and the health of their children is their primary concern (something that unites them with other folks around the world, perhaps). Their access to health care is VERY limited -- e.g., they want a small health clinic in their community. It's hours for them to get to any kind of hospital, at times, and many of their children have been refused treatment there. Like many people in this area, they mainly rely on traditional medicinal remedies from rainforest plants. (By the way, the amount of knowledge they hold in this area is amazing.) Many of them asked for my help, my mercy. (Believe me, I explained that I wasn't a physician.) It's difficult -- at the same time it's very possible that work there in the future will be helpful to them. Some simple things will make a big difference for them.

After receiving some great gifts and taking some pictures, we were invited to a special meal they prepared. It was made from manioc and fish (and wrapped and cooked in a large leaf), and apparently is a very ancestral dish for them. Wash that down with some more masato and you have yourself a meal! Add to that the chance to see a live boa (as in snake) leashed to a tree -- they use part of this for medicinal purposes -- and all in all it was a very memorable (and humbling) experience. I really hope to be able to return there at some point.

"Reebekah"

March 14
From Sue

For those of you who know Rebekah, you know that she is, in general, a very loving and sweet girl. She makes friends wherever she goes and makes people feel special. We feel that it is one of her gifts-making people feel special. Well, you can imagine that she has managed to charm some of the ladies who work with the kids at the church we've been attending. The first week, she was placed in the English class for obvious reasons. The next week she said she wanted to go to the Spanish class so that she could learn Spanish. We suspected it was for the movie they watched and the snacks they served. By the third week, whenever we dropped her off, there were at least 2 young ladies who would exclaim, "Reebekah" when I took her to her class. None of the volunteers speak English very well, but they have formed a relationship. She hugs all of them when I drop her off and when I pick her up! Last week they wanted to place Rebekah back in the English class because the Spanish class is more of a nursery than a class and they thought she was too old. She was not a happy camper when she was picked up and so this week, we asked if she could just stay in the Spanish class.
Where has Elijah been the last 9 Sundays? With us in the worship service. Even his sister's enticements of snacks and movies could not persuade him to go to the class. Some Sundays, he would tell us, while we were still at home, that he was going to go and then when we got there he changed his mind. They are very different!
A couple of notes: Apparently, you can get Turkey Hill ice cream in Lafayette! It isn't at the Wong anymore:( Also, we are going on a day trip to a city 3 hours south of Lima called Paracas tomorrow. Please pray for our safety and good weather. We are not going to Reina until Thursday and I wasn't able to go to BSF because my driver (that's for you Jen), Raul, is on a mission trip.

Reina de la Paz

March 10

From Sue

We have been away from home for 9 weeks now and we have 2 more weeks left in Peru. Eric is away again, this time in Tarapoto which is in the jungle. He has arrived safely and will return on Saturday. Please pray for his safety and ours. Last Friday night, Emily and I were awakened by what we are pretty sure was gunfire. I never heard any sirens but it was scary nonetheless. We were also handed a letter from the mayor of Miraflores about what to do in the event of an earthquake or a tsunami. Between those things and some of Eric's adventures, we have keenly felt God's hand of protection and the prayers of His people. Thank you.

We went for our Tuesday visit to Reina de la Paz, this time with Giuli and Raul. The psychologist was there and scheduled for the same time we are usually there and so we only had an hour to talk to the girls. As often happens, the conversation takes a turn very different from the one I anticipate. I wanted to encourage the girls to invest in the lives of their little ones (one of our themes) by working hard in school since their school starts next week. Giuli started to talk to them about loving themselves and respecting themselves, when one of the girls told us that another girl asked her if anyone will love them because they have a child. The girl then asked us what we think. We told them that they are worth loving and that they should wait for someone who is worthy of their love. We keep trying to warn them about not allowing guys who only want to use them into their lives and to remember what God says about them. They need reassurances just like all teenagers.

Since the daycare had opened that day, Eric and the kids headed over there to see if they could help out with the little ones. Cecelia, the director of the daycare, gave Eric and Maggie jobs of gluing foam pieces on the playground area to cushion the cement. The rest played with little ones. The daycare cares not only for the RdlP kids, but also some neighborhood kids and some children from another home, Domi. The workers there are good and they work hard as they have many babies per worker. Emily, Rebekah and I also helped to feed some of the toddlers their lunch. They are sweet children and soak up our attention. Giuli and I spotted a little girl whose one eye was swollen and looked seriously infected. Giuli asked Cecelia about it and was told that this little girl had been kicked in the eye by her father while he was beating up her mother. Apparently, she has lost her vision in that eye. Giuli told me that it was all over the news when it happened a month earlier. It was this little ones first day at the daycare as she is now at Domi. When children are seized from their parents in Peru, they are placed into a home (orphanage) because there is no other recourse. This little girl was so sweet and beautiful. She had big cheeks and a cute little smile. Her shoes were about 3 sizes too big so Giuli measured her feet to bring her new ones. Please pray for Fiorela that her mother is alive and she can return to her and that she wouldn't feel lonely or afraid.

Andean Adventure Part II

March 7, 2010 from Eric

Just wanted to update folks on my recent trip to the mountains. In order to investigate some more opportunities for students to work/study in Peru, this past week I (along with a Peruvian colleague) traveled to the region of Puno in southern Peru. The actual city of Puno is next to Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable freshwater lake in the world (and apparently the largest lake by volume in South America) and sits at about 12,500 ft in elevation.

We arrived there late in the day but were still able to see the lake and the harbor-area at Puno. There are lots of boats with folks willing to take you on a tour of the lake or to see some of the Uros, the interesting floating reed islands (and the folks who live on them). It was too late in the day for us to visit any islands, but we were able to tour around Puno a bit and to see the beautiful cathedral on the central square. (Nearly all towns or cities in South America have a central plaza (square) that is organized in a similar way with a cathedral on one side, the municipal building on the opposite side, a central statue or monument -- usually of a military hero -- and with other official buildings on the other two sides.)

I spent most of my time in a small city called Ayaviri, about 100 kilometers from Juliaca (which is about 45 km from Puno). For those who have been in this region, Ayaviri is about 250 km or so from Cuzco. I was there to visit a group called Caritas-Ayaviri, an organization that works with many of the communities in this very large region. They work on community development projects such as providing potable water for people, education, and public health. There are certain parasitic infections that are big problems in this area, ones that I might be able to have students learn about (and help to address).

One of the highlights for me was visiting one of the communities where they work on a potable water project. We had to drive for a few hours to get there, finally switching from our car to a 4x4 truck to get to our final destination. Communities, and homes that are a part of them, are VERY spread out and isolated. I was able to meet a few of the folks from the community; we were privileged to be invited into their homes to hear them talk with pride about how things like the clean water, hand-washing and new stoves with chimneys that vent outside instead of filling their homes with smoke (and causing all sorts of respiratory problems) have greatly improved their health and lives. It was a great experience.

One experience that cut me to the heart was interacting with an adorable little guy who was being carried around by one of the ladies all day. I assumed this kid was hers, but when we asked his name she said "I don't know" which I thought strange given that she had been caring for the little guy all day. One of the men in their community had been struck and killed by lightning only two days before; as it turned out, that man was the father of this little boy. No one said anything about his mother, so it's difficult to know what will happen. It's a blessing that there are folks there who can care for him for now. I don't know how the community handles such things.