Friday, April 27, 2012

Aprovechar


It seems like daily I am learning something new, or trying a new activity. Not all of them are super exciting such as learning how to bind books, but if it’s there to learn, why not learn it? That is why I try to say Sí (yes) to almost every opportunity presented. So when my boss asked me if I wanted to help a victim of domestic abuse, from a physical therapy standpoint, I said yes, even though I was a bit nervous. Technically I’m not a physical therapist, but I have spent many hours watching physical therapists work and discussing ideas or treatment plans for patients. Why not give it a shot, right? I began by making my own evaluation form because technically everything I do has to be reported back to Paz y Esperanza. The evaluation form included a body in which she got to circle where her pain was, and asked all sorts of questions from what time of day is the pain the worst to does it hurt when people touch you. I then got to meet with her and talk about how she was feeling and what my plan was. I expected it to be a short 30 minute session, but I ended up sitting with her for awhile because she told me all about herself and her life after her husband. I didn’t understand absolutely everything, but it didn’t really matter because she didn’t need me to respond, she just needed me to listen.

After my initial evaluation, you could call it, with her. I set to work, finding exercises and stretches that would give her some relief. Then I met with her again this past week to go over all the exercises and talk about how she was feeling. When I handed her the papers, saying she could keep them, she began to cry and kept thanking me for taking the time to help her. It is amazing to me that at first I found it to be not a big deal, just a bit scary, yet she thinks it is the biggest gift in the world. They are right when they say it’s the little things that matter, and little does she know that I really do enjoy playing physical therapist, so really she is helping me also.

This past weekend I also said “Yes” when Esther asked me if I wanted to plan a day trip to Huánuco Pampa, also known as the Old Huánuco. This old Huánuco was built by the Incas and was one of their many cities from Ecuador to Chile. The thing about Huánuco Pampa is that it is hard to get to. It’s about a 4-5 hour drive from Huánuco (the new Huánuco), which consists mainly of twists and turns through mountains and mud streets. It also sits about 3,600 km above sea level, which basically means that it is really high, high enough that you can feel the lack of air when breathing. Esther and I went with some friends of the family that own a tour agency, so we were able to get a full tour, and also learn a bit about the history. It was a fun way to aprovechar (take advantage of) the weekend, as the Peruvians would say.

                      Esther and I with our tour guide Juan at Huánuco Pampa

            Esther and I in front of the Inca crown (a huge rock in the shape of a crown)

Now this next week I will be staying at La Granja (the farm) to help translate for a group coming from the states that will be helping at the shelter. And then I’m off to Lima, and then off to Cuzco to walk the Inca trail with Mary and Sean! Hope all is well at home, so much love

“Because if grace is water, then the church should be an ocean. It’s not a museum for the good people, it’s a hospital for the broken.” –Jefferson Bethke

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Perspective


Books I have been reading:
-The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins
-A Stolen Innocence –Elisa Wall
-Love Wins: A book about Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived –Rob Bell
-Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith –Anne Lamott

While sitting on the beach in Mancora about a month or so ago, I had a conversation with Mary, a fellow YAV. We were talking about perspective, about looking at every troubling or difficult situation in a different light. Mary gave me the example of how we don’t necessarily enjoy riding in crowded buses for long periods of time in order to get around. She then continued to say that maybe instead of being frustrated or annoyed we should think of the hypothetical woman that rides the bus two hours to work each morning and then two hours home. She does this because she found a better job in a nicer district, however, she can’t move because she can’t afford to live in that district. So she can’t move, yet she has to work in order to provide for her son. We get annoyed because the bus is hot and crowded, yet this woman is losing four hours each day that she could be spending with her son, all because she needs to provide for him. Maybe our bus rides aren’t so bad after all.

Since that conversation, I have tried to give myself some perspective whenever I am frustrated or slightly annoyed. For example I tend to be cranky when I wake up at 5:30 am to run before work (who wouldn’t right?) But as soon as I leave my house to meet Bani Diego (my awesome running partner) I see the many women and men that clean the streets each morning before sunrise. I have no idea what time they actually start working, but I would guess it to be around 3 or 4 am. As you can imagine, this job isn’t glamorous and isn’t a choice for these people, but rather a necessity in order to provide for their families. So yes, I want to secretly crawl back in to bed and tell Bani we will run another day, but I continually remind myself that if these women and men can wake up super early to clean the streets with a smile on their faces, I can get up and run (a choice) with a good attitude. Another example is when I don’t think I could possible eat another plate of chicken and rice. It’s then that I try to think of the families that can’t afford rice, let alone chicken, and will once again be eating potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is in these moments that I thank God for how incredibly blessed I am, and pray for strength and support for all those who are not as fortunate. 

Another thing I am always trying to find perspective for is the kids therapy group, and I’m starting to realize that it’s worth getting a bit stressed out in order to see the kids laugh and just be kids. Last week during the therapy group we talked about family. We read the story of The Prodigal Son and talked about some of the emotions we can have within our own families including happy, sad, jealous, and mad. We explained that we aren’t always incredibly happy with our families, but we need to communicate and forgive because we love each other. We then had the kids draw their families and explain who was in the drawing. The last project was to have all the kids write down one thing that they do really well at home such as: help out my mother, wash the dishes, take care of my little siblings etc. on a piece of paper. On another paper we had them write one thing that they needed and wanted to work on such as: listening, eating more, or sharing toys. Both of the pieces of paper were then put into balloons, blown up and taken home to help them remember what they wrote. And even though I felt like a crazy person that needed a nap, all the kids left with a smile, that’s enough perspective for me.

Now it’s off to plan more therapy groups for the kids. Hoping all is well at home. Much love to all!

                                      The group in front of the lookout in Ayacucho

Monday, April 9, 2012

Semana Santa


I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I LOVE that we get to travel around to different parts of Peru while we are here. Especially because in Peru each district, each town has its own traditions and specialties. So as I mentioned in my last blog, I left last Friday for Lima where I got to spend the weekend with a few of the other YAV volunteers. I was able to see The Hunger Games, spend an afternoon by the pool, take a bike tour along the coast, window shop, and eat really good food including sushi, salads, and kebobs! I even found out how to maneuver some of the Lima buses, which as a small town girl, is a big deal…. and yes I was scared out of my mind.

                                               My first salad in 7 months!

Then, Tuesday night the Lima YAVs and I took the overnight bus to Ayacucho for Semana Santa (Holy Week). Now Ayacucho is an incredible place for many reasons, but here is two; 1) the district of Ayacucho is where the 20 years of violence started (1980-200), and it was also hit the hardest. I believe the stats say that 4 out of 10 people killed during the years of violence came from the Ayacucho district. These years of violence are a primary reason we are all in Peru, so it always tugs a bit at our heartstrings to hear the history and stories. 2) Ayacucho, the city, has around 33 Catholic Churches, which means that Holy Week in Ayacucho looks a lot like Spring Break on Florida beaches.

                                         The main square in Ayacucho


*This photo is of Mother Angelica. Her son was taken in the middle of the night during the years of violence. She began to fight back by looking for answers, starting a soup kitchen for orphans, and finding donations for a museum and a memorial for the victims and families. 

While we did have devotionals and vocational discernments, we spend most of our time wandering around Ayacucho or sitting in the main square, watching the events of the week unfold. I’m going to break down the processions by days because it’s just easier to follow:

Wednesday: By late morning groups were forming in the main plaza to make flower carpets for the parade that night. These carpets are INCREDIBLE! They have so much detail and color. It was a lot of fun to just sit and watch the process of how they are made. Most of the carpets have a chalk outline, but the majority of the detail is just done free hand. That night around 9, the procession started in which a float of Jesus carrying the cross was met by Saint John and La Victoria (we aren’t quite sure who she is considering we aren’t Catholic.) Each of them are on their own handmade float carried by men on their shoulders. Jesus was then carried to meet the float of Mary. The whole process took around 3 hours, and the place was packed!





Thursday: There wasn’t a procession Thursday night, so no carpets were made, but there was a church parade in which people walked from church to church. We didn’t participate in the entire walk, but we did get to see that each church has one alter streamed in white gauze. The significance of this is unknown to me, but if was beautiful to see!

Friday: There was another procession, carpets included, in which Jesus came through the square in a coffin full of flowers and Mary met him. It was quite beautiful and felt like Christmas because almost everyone in the crowd had a candle.

Saturday: There was no procession Saturday, but there was a bull run. Three of my fellow YAVs decided to participate. It wasn’t quite as exciting as the bull runs you see on TV, but they all had fun. We ended up heading back to Lima Saturday night because we all had to work Monday, but Sunday morning around 4 am is the last procession in which a HUGE float around 25 meters high parades around the square signifying the resurrection. I obviously didn’t get to see it, but the pictures alone were incredible.



After returning to Lima, I spent the majority of Easter on the coach or pacing while watching the Masters before taking the overnight bus to head back to Huánuco.

This week I have the kids therapy group (remember how I said I had two more left…. well my boss has decided to extend them until July. Just have to love God’s sense of humor!) I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend! So much love from Peru! 

“People are unrealistic, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.” 
 Mother Teresa