Wednesday, April 4
This, by far and wide, has been a day I will never forget. It started out as we normally would: 8am wakeup/9am departure. Linda and I were put into a group going to visit the hospice instead of building. We made our way around the courtyard walled by patient rooms, visiting, praying, comforting all of them.
Five of the male patients were gathered in a small sun room. I thought we'd just be hanging out with them, but it turns out we were assigned to help get them cleaned up. I cleaned, trimmed, and filed all of their nails as well as put lotion on their arms, Charlie and Linda helped shave their beards, and Maria Susanna kept their minds company, filling them with joy through her spoken word.
I can't tell you how humbling that was. And how much courage it took those men to allow us to take care of them that way. Had I been in that position, I might have had too much pride, or been too stubborn. To help someone in such an intimate way was an amazing. I've never been put in that situation before. Definitely challenged myself.
After the hospice our small group went to lunch at a restaurant in town to try the famous Peruvian ceviche. What a luxury it was! Not going to lie, I felt a little bit guilty to be sitting in an air conditioned room, drinking cold soda, and indulging in the best ceviche that I've ever come in contact with. It's so odd that I would expect this in the states. My point of view, already, has been totally altered.
For the rest of the afternoon we went to one of the building sites to finish the house. When we got back to the church, I was exhausted. The long days and lack of sleep had caught up to me. Everyone was rushing to shower and dress before mass started, but I had decided to stay in tonight and rest.
Just as the last few missionaries were leaving for the service, one of the church members asked me "Aren't you going to mass?" I replied, "No, not tonight." She asked (in a bit of a perplexed tone), "Why wouldn't you go?" I brushed it off with the excuse that I was tired, and not feeling up to it.
A few minutes later, Caleb (who is a remarkable soul; came from the states to live in Piura for six months, just because he felt called to), approached me asking if I was going to mass, again I said, "no." With a face that said nothing less than how could you sit here and miss out on this? Caleb replies "Why not?" again I brushed it off with the excuse that I was tired. Shrugging his shoulders, Caleb walked away, down the stairs to mass.
At this point, I'm completely guilt-stricken. The moral debate of "should I skip mass or not?" bouncing around in my head. For two strangers to come up to me, and only me, and ask if I was coming to mass...that was too weird for me, too coincidental. So I got up, quickly changed into something nice(er) and ran downstairs.
Let me tell you, God works in mysterious ways. Even before this trip, I had been yearning for a service with the sacrament of Adoration. Guess what? Tonight was the monthly healing mass and the one time all month that they have Adoration. How is it possible that I am here only one week, yet it's the week they have the healing mass? How is it possible that I was dead set on not going to mass tonight, yet the words of strangers sparked something in me to go? How is it possible that I had been seeking adoration for weeks now, and the night my mind was set on missing it, I ended up in the middle of it? God is good. God is good.
Dios te bendiga :)
31 May 2012
30 May 2012
{building time}
Tuesday, April 3
Day two here in Piura has been so fulfilling! Gregg arrived this morning to join the team. Got up at 8 and we were out of here by 9. We were split into three groups: two to build houses and one group went to deliver food.
We pulled up in the village we had visited yesterday where we met our foreman, got a quick overview of what the house will look like and the materials we were using, and got straight to work! The houses are composed of bamboo beams for infrastructure, thatch mats for interior walls, wood sheets as exterior walls, and a sort of corrugated sheets of plastic/metal for a roof.
After the first hour of work a lot of the neighborhood children started gathering to see what all the commotion was about. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that David and Gregg are part of a documentary that a good friend of theirs is shooting while we're here. As if a group of 15 white people wasn't enough to get people talking, we also came with 5-7 camera, sound, and photo crew members.
The kids were fascinated with all of the technology. I had my DSLR with me and it wasn't long til one of them asked to play with it. I watched as the kids passed the camera back and forth to one another, taking shots of themselves, their neighborhood, and the work we were doing.
There was one little girl, Marcela, who stayed by my side all day long! She would help with the building, hold my hand when breaks were taken, and cling to my side while I was shooting. Something really struck me with her.
Over the course of 8 hours in the blistering Peruvian sun, house #1 had finally come together. I think the best part about today was getting to meet the family we built it for. They were so grateful and overjoyed that they had been given this gift!
I'm already so humbled from my experience. Never in my life have I been so grateful for a shower -- and a cold one at that! The things I'd complain about at home seem so trivial now.
The masses tonight and last night were a great way to end the day. They're spoken in Spanish and I can't understand a word, but at the same time that's almost a blessing. I was able to focus on what I was feeling instead of trying to scrutinize every sentence of the homily. And the community of Santisimo Sacremento is inspiring in itself.
It turns out a large part of our group is composed of extremely talented musicians. You know what that means? Amazing, loud, spirited jam sessions into the wee hours of the morning. It' so fun to have all of us gathered in the courtyard singing, dancing, drumming, and just enjoying each others' company! Perfect way to let our souls speak the joy and elation that's built up during the amazing days we're having through service.
Can't wait for what tomorrow brings. Dios te bendiga :)
Update: Remember that lovely little girl I mentioned, Marcela? I've started a fundraiser for her and her family! Please take the time to read her story at crowdrise.com/marcela
Day two here in Piura has been so fulfilling! Gregg arrived this morning to join the team. Got up at 8 and we were out of here by 9. We were split into three groups: two to build houses and one group went to deliver food.
We pulled up in the village we had visited yesterday where we met our foreman, got a quick overview of what the house will look like and the materials we were using, and got straight to work! The houses are composed of bamboo beams for infrastructure, thatch mats for interior walls, wood sheets as exterior walls, and a sort of corrugated sheets of plastic/metal for a roof.
After the first hour of work a lot of the neighborhood children started gathering to see what all the commotion was about. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that David and Gregg are part of a documentary that a good friend of theirs is shooting while we're here. As if a group of 15 white people wasn't enough to get people talking, we also came with 5-7 camera, sound, and photo crew members.
The kids were fascinated with all of the technology. I had my DSLR with me and it wasn't long til one of them asked to play with it. I watched as the kids passed the camera back and forth to one another, taking shots of themselves, their neighborhood, and the work we were doing.
There was one little girl, Marcela, who stayed by my side all day long! She would help with the building, hold my hand when breaks were taken, and cling to my side while I was shooting. Something really struck me with her.
Over the course of 8 hours in the blistering Peruvian sun, house #1 had finally come together. I think the best part about today was getting to meet the family we built it for. They were so grateful and overjoyed that they had been given this gift!
I'm already so humbled from my experience. Never in my life have I been so grateful for a shower -- and a cold one at that! The things I'd complain about at home seem so trivial now.
The masses tonight and last night were a great way to end the day. They're spoken in Spanish and I can't understand a word, but at the same time that's almost a blessing. I was able to focus on what I was feeling instead of trying to scrutinize every sentence of the homily. And the community of Santisimo Sacremento is inspiring in itself.
It turns out a large part of our group is composed of extremely talented musicians. You know what that means? Amazing, loud, spirited jam sessions into the wee hours of the morning. It' so fun to have all of us gathered in the courtyard singing, dancing, drumming, and just enjoying each others' company! Perfect way to let our souls speak the joy and elation that's built up during the amazing days we're having through service.
Can't wait for what tomorrow brings. Dios te bendiga :)
Update: Remember that lovely little girl I mentioned, Marcela? I've started a fundraiser for her and her family! Please take the time to read her story at crowdrise.com/marcela
29 May 2012
{getting there}
As mentioned in my first post, a trip inspired the creation of this blog. On April 1 I went on a mission trip to Peru with my cousin, David, my Aunt Linda, and our friend, Gregg. I so wish I had chronicled the adventure in real time, but I didn't. So, I'm just going to blog as if I had!
April 2
After a grueling 15 hours of flight time, we have arrived in Piura. My body's clock is so out of whack, I'm still slowly realizing that I am actually in Peru! We got off the plane around 8am and were immediately greeted with members of the church we're staying at. They had huge signs and were so elated at the sight of 30 missionaries coming to help their town.
Some of us piled into vans, others hanging on for life in the backs of trucks, we made our way to Santisimo Sacremento. The welcome there was completely overwhelming. As I walked through the archway, into the antechamber, I realize that the crowd inside isn't the daily churchgoers mingling after a service. They're all here for us. At least 75 people, women, men, children, mothers, elderly, cheering, singing, waving. I was flooded with so much emotion, I broke down and started to cry. What an amazing introduction for the rest of my journey here.
After many a "hello," "welcome," "thank you," and "god bless you," we were escorted upstairs to our living quarters by the resident priest, Father Joe. It's set up much like a dormitory. Most of the rooms are small rectangles with two bunk beds, concrete floors, and a rotating fan. We cleaned up, ate breakfast (a mixture of deli meats, fruit, scrambled eggs, bakery items, and cereal), and gathered to hear the day's itinerary. Father Joe announced that we'd be taking a tour of Piura and the various establishments he'd founded for the people there.
First stop was a village in one of the poor areas. I can't even call what they live in a "house." Dirt floors encased in sheets of wood with tin roofs all connected to one another. No plumbing, no running water, no electricity of any kind. Kids running around in the blazing sun with bare feet and minimal clothing. A baby bathing in a bucket of water. Culture shocked is putting it mildly.
The rest of the city was a bit easier for me to handle. We visited a hospice, school, men's rehab center, nursing home, and an orphanage for girls. All of these were built by Father Joe. That man is an absolute saint. He graduated from Notre Dame University and decided to become a priest. He's been in Piura for over 20 years now and has done so much for the people here.
Such an amazing day! Save for the gnarly sunburn. Getting ready for mass now (did I mention it's Holy Week? How rad?!), then dinner time. Tomorrow's our first day of building -- I'm so excited to get to work!
Dios te bendiga :)
Edit: Oh my goodness! Completely forgot a HUGE part of this day! There was an earthquake tonight! I was completely asleep and all of the sudden I start waking by a rumbling sound, then Linda's shouting "Alexa...ALEXA!" I jumped out of bed, running out the door of our room and into the courtyard. By the time everyone had gathered it was over. No one was hurt, it wasn't anything major, but still! Definitely a crazy way to start off this week, haha.
April 2
After a grueling 15 hours of flight time, we have arrived in Piura. My body's clock is so out of whack, I'm still slowly realizing that I am actually in Peru! We got off the plane around 8am and were immediately greeted with members of the church we're staying at. They had huge signs and were so elated at the sight of 30 missionaries coming to help their town.
Some of us piled into vans, others hanging on for life in the backs of trucks, we made our way to Santisimo Sacremento. The welcome there was completely overwhelming. As I walked through the archway, into the antechamber, I realize that the crowd inside isn't the daily churchgoers mingling after a service. They're all here for us. At least 75 people, women, men, children, mothers, elderly, cheering, singing, waving. I was flooded with so much emotion, I broke down and started to cry. What an amazing introduction for the rest of my journey here.
After many a "hello," "welcome," "thank you," and "god bless you," we were escorted upstairs to our living quarters by the resident priest, Father Joe. It's set up much like a dormitory. Most of the rooms are small rectangles with two bunk beds, concrete floors, and a rotating fan. We cleaned up, ate breakfast (a mixture of deli meats, fruit, scrambled eggs, bakery items, and cereal), and gathered to hear the day's itinerary. Father Joe announced that we'd be taking a tour of Piura and the various establishments he'd founded for the people there.
First stop was a village in one of the poor areas. I can't even call what they live in a "house." Dirt floors encased in sheets of wood with tin roofs all connected to one another. No plumbing, no running water, no electricity of any kind. Kids running around in the blazing sun with bare feet and minimal clothing. A baby bathing in a bucket of water. Culture shocked is putting it mildly.
The rest of the city was a bit easier for me to handle. We visited a hospice, school, men's rehab center, nursing home, and an orphanage for girls. All of these were built by Father Joe. That man is an absolute saint. He graduated from Notre Dame University and decided to become a priest. He's been in Piura for over 20 years now and has done so much for the people here.
Such an amazing day! Save for the gnarly sunburn. Getting ready for mass now (did I mention it's Holy Week? How rad?!), then dinner time. Tomorrow's our first day of building -- I'm so excited to get to work!
Dios te bendiga :)
Edit: Oh my goodness! Completely forgot a HUGE part of this day! There was an earthquake tonight! I was completely asleep and all of the sudden I start waking by a rumbling sound, then Linda's shouting "Alexa...ALEXA!" I jumped out of bed, running out the door of our room and into the courtyard. By the time everyone had gathered it was over. No one was hurt, it wasn't anything major, but still! Definitely a crazy way to start off this week, haha.
{here we go again}
Let's see...this might be blog number 3? 4? I've made so many of these and never kept up with them! But that's about to change. I was inspired to make this blog because of an extremely life-altering trip I recently took. I've gotten to do some pretty amazing things in my mere 20 years of existence and I think I'll appreciate documenting them.
So here it goes! Let's hope this one makes it :)
So here it goes! Let's hope this one makes it :)
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