Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Peru!

We arrived in Lima, Peru last night around 10:30! Initially we were suppose to leave monday but Hurricane Irene had something to say about that. Other than a few initial scares with finding our reservations at the airport (due to the first flight being cancelled) we had a smooth ride all the way down to Lima. For those who are curious, it was about a 3 hour flight to Houston, Texas and then about a 6.5 hour flight to Lima. Sean informed us that all the flights in Lima get in at one time so it may be a little crazy, which it was, but we were all able to locate our bags right away and make it through customs without any problems. Debbie met us at the airport with Dámaris, who we will be staying with for our 10 days of orientation. 
This morning, after a wonderful breakfast of bread, jam, and papaya juice, we went to La Red, which is the organization that Debbie works for, which mainly works with Fair Trade. So we got to meet everyone at the office, have a short devotional, and play some games to get to know each other more. While my Spanish is still progressing, it was very evident that they were all excited to have us there and really value and appreciate our year of service. We then all had lunch at a local Chinese/Peruvian place in which we gorged on delicious foods and Inca Kola (a mix between mountain dew and bubble gum). Then for the remaining afternoon we were introduced to the peruvian money, culture, and went over what our future year in Peru would look like. We are all so incredibly excited and exhausted, especially after the long travel. So now I am off to do some "self care" and joke around with my fellow YAV's :)

Friday, August 26, 2011

My Adventure

So it occurred to me that maybe I should explain to some people what exactly I will be doing in Peru. I applied to be a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) last January and after a few interviews was selected to go to Peru for a year. I will be living in Huánuco which is a town/city of around 75,000 that is inland and north of Lima, approximately a 9 hour bus ride. There I will be living with a host family in which I will have chores and responsibilities. I will be volunteering at Paz y Ezperanza (Peace and Hope) which is an organization that provides needs for sexually abused children or other children in need. I don't know all of the specific details yet, but I am under the impression that I will work under a psychologist and basically do whatever they ask me to do, which could include helping with therapy sessions or summer camps. That is all that I really know so far about my future year. I do have six other YAV's going to Peru with me, but four of them will be in the Lima area and one with be in Huancavelica. I posted their blogs on my page if you look to your left, I would encourage you to read theirs because a) we are all doing wonderful but different things and b) they are much better writers than I am!

Today was a very interesting self reflection day. We took personality tests to help us express what we have to offer our groups and what things are going to irritate us that need to be addressed. We also did a very interesting exercise in which we had three people yelling at us about our fears/worries and one person, acting like God, and telling us everything was going to be okay. I found that I really got into the exercise and that it was very easy for me to be to come up with negative comments. While I would never actually say those to someone and mean it (I hope) I found that they are comments that I would be willing to tell myself. So Shane (another Peru YAV) and I had a side conversation about how sometimes the most optimistic and inspirational people can still have very negative thoughts when it applies to themself. Just something for me to ponder and try to address throughout the year. Oh the things you learn at YAV orientation!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

And The Adventure Begins


          Monday morning began at 4:00 am as my mother and I took the shuttle to the Portland Airport and I went on my way, tearful of course. While flying from Denver to Newark the pilot noted when we were flying over Pittsburgh and my heartstrings tugged a little. On a funnier note I almost jumped out of my middle seat with excitement when I saw the Statue of Liberty from the plane. The woman in the window seat next to me was less than amused that I had practically jumped in her lap to get a better view. Especially since she had been doing breathing techniques the whole trip because flying was not her thing. So I calmed myself down and thought about how lucky I have been over the past few years to see so many new places.
         I knew that I was suppose to meet other YAV's in the baggage claim area, but I was unaware of how awkward it was to walk up to people and ask them if they were also a volunteer. I got a few funny looks but I finally found my group, which luckily had one person wearing a Presbyterian Church t-shirt. We then all arrived at Stony Point's retreat center which is beautiful. Very spacious, green, and has the most incredible meditation center I have ever seen. All of the other 70 volunteers are wonderful. Everyone is so welcoming, friendly and excited to start his or her new adventure. It's a breath of fresh air to be around people who are at the same stage in their lives as me. Although I think I am one of the only people considering a career in the medial field. Most people are seriously considering a route in ministry, which I greatly admire but know that I would not be able to do.
         The first day was packed full of getting to know each other more, learn more about our sites, worship, and a very intense seminar on cultural awareness. The seminar was long but important in which we were told we have about a million ways to ruin this mission experience. One example would be acting like we were the strong Americans coming to save the poor and needy. While we all hope to help the community we are about to join, we have to realize that we will most likely fail in more than one occasion and that in the end we will most likely receive much more than we give. As for worship, I love the way we worship! Instead of singing normal camp songs or hymns (which I also love), we have been singing songs that were originated in other countries. My favorite one so far is called “Sanna” which is short for Hosanna, comes from Africa, and is usually accompanied by drums and dancing. The respect for other cultures and religions here is inspirational and gives me so much hope.
         Today was filled with more seminars, these based around sexual misconduct and safety. Each seminar scares me a little more, but they are necessary and very helpful. But I have gotten one very important thing from each seminar and that is that each volunteer has so much support. While I, unlike some of the other volunteers, will be alone in my town, I have many people I can call or email at anytime which can help me through any situation. That in itself gives me a lot of comfort and peace.
         Last thing to mention, my Peru team is AWESOME! I am so excited to get to know them more and be with them throughout the year. We were all talking last night and the only thing that could get me away was the fact that I was falling asleep in the chair. Not only do I get to go to Peru for a year, but I get to go with an incredible group, how lucky can a girl get? 

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Crazy is the Forecast All Week

So I leave in approximately a week for orientation in Stony Point, NY, and if you know me then you know that I have not packed a single thing. Sure I started a cardboard box full of things that I might take, but as of actually packing, nothing has been accomplished. I do have an excuse though, I still have one more week of Anatomy and Physiology at Portland State which includes two tests in a four day week. Then I get to go home, have dinner with my adopted grandparents, see my best friend from high school, pack (very quickly), and jet off to New York to meet my fellow volunteers. My mother tells me that the retreat center in Stony Point is one of the Presbyterian Church's nicest retreats, so I'm excited to see what is in store. I get asked if I am nervous a lot, and yes I am nervous, but then I get an email for Debbie (my site coordinator in Peru) about my host family or about bringing a bathing suit for our exotic beach days and I get so excited that nerves aren't even a question anymore. I have been dreaming about doing this for years and so I am exited that the time has come! But for now I have one more week of kidney and reproductive anatomy, off to study!