Tupananchis Caman

Thing we learned about Inca/Quechua culture:

-They believe in three worlds: The world above- Hanan Pacha, the world now- Kay Pacha, and the world below- Uka Pacha

-There is a ceremonial way to chew coca leaves that includes making a wish in them

- It would have taken the Incas about a week and a half to run (yes, run) a message from Cusco to Lima
-Tupanachis Caman is Quechua for I will see you in another life

This past week was honestly one of the best weeks of my life. Mary, Sean, and I made the most of our week vacation by completing the 4-day Inca trail! We headed to Cusco on Saturday and spent two days eating pizza and bagels and enjoying the beautiful city.

                                  The girls getting excited over bagels and fresh juice! 

Monday morning bright and early, we were picked up by our trekking company Peru Treks. It actually started a bit stressful because I was picked up alone, meaning that I was in a different group than the girls. While sitting on the bus alone for those first two hours, I simply prayed that God would allow us to all be together, or that I would be given a really fun group that I could bond with on my own. I was lucky enough to have both of them come true. Not only were the girls put in my group, but we also had wonderful guides, and an amazing group as well!

                                 Our amazing group and our amazing porters! 

So we finally began the trek, together, and had a wonderful first day! We had decided long before that we were gong to be strong, independent women that carried their own bags. This sounds all well and good until about 6 hours later when the only thing you can think of is taking off your pack. Throughout the first day, a lot of the scenery was very similar to what Mary and I see daily, but even though I see it daily, it still takes my breath away. While looking at those mountains, I had to ask myself how I am going to leave them. It is strange how after 8-9 months they become a comfort, something you rely on to always be there. 

After spending the night at the campsite and two delicious meals later (the food was super super good!) We woke up early to coca tea being delivered to our tent. I whispered Mary a happy birthday because I knew she didn’t want too many people to know, and we set off! Now let’s go back a few weeks when a friend of mine, Juan, was giving me tips on the trek and told me that on the second day you will, in his words, “Go just a little bit up.” Now what Juan actually meant by a “little” bit up was 6 hours straight UP hill. Sure we took our breaks every couple of hours, but getting up Dead Woman’s Pass was not easy, especially with all of our stuff. BUT we did it, we rocked it, and we had so much fun talking, laughing, and helping each other along the way. 

                                             The Inca trail drawn out

                        We had started that down allll the way at the bottom! 

Now day three is the longest day, which sounds fine until you wake up and realize that your muscles are so sore that just getting down to the bathroom sounds hard. But after a little bit of breakfast and a spike in adrenaline, we were off once again! The third day was honestly one of the most beautiful because you pass into jungle territory, so it’s very lush and green. We spent the majority of the day just trying to take it slow and enjoy everything around us.

                                          Just one of our amazing views 

So I mentioned before that Mary didn’t want anyone to know about her birthday, but during one of the breaks on day three, the guides asked her when her birthday was. She seemed a little concerned that they now knew that her birthday was the day before, so I tried to reassure her by saying, “Mary it’s okay, it’s not like they are going to bake you a cake, we are in the middle of the Inca trail.” Oh but was I ever so wrong. That night, after dinner, they served us a beautiful birthday cake for Mary, which also became a celebration of our last dinner together. We still have no idea how the cake turned out so amazing. The guides say it was magic… I say there was a bakery around the street they didn’t tell us about, we shall never know!

The fourth day started early so that our wonderful porters could make their train home, and so that we could get to Machu Picchu before the sun rose over it. So we hiked a short hour to the sun gate, spent about half an hour admiring the view, and then spent the rest of the day walking around Machu Picchu. We were then able to all eat lunch together in Aguas Calientes, and then take the train back to Cusco.

                                        Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate

One of the things that I really loved about this trip was that our guides were shocked that Mary, Sean and I had only known each other for 9 months. The also told us that we were the “craziest” girls they had ever met. And while that sounds a little bad, it really just means that they had never seen three girls continuously laughing, singing, and enjoying each others company. We may have only known each other for less than a year, but we are already like sisters, something I’m so proud of. I was also proud that our group was known as the “noisy” group because we always clapped for each other, our porters, and our porters always clapped for us. It may have been annoying to other groups, but we had an unforgettable time because of it.

                                                      We made it!!

Now, I’m back in Huánuco and looking forward to spending my last couple months with my family and friends here. As always, sending so much love to everyone!

“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person.”

― Audrey Hepburn

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

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

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

Tag and Colorful Yoga

March has flown by on me! I can’t believe that this weekend I will be traveling to Lima for yet another YAV retreat. This time we are going to Ayacucho to celebrate Semana Santa (Holy Week). It’s amazing how much faster life seems to go when you are happy. Last week was filled with planning for the kids therapy group and visiting the shelter, which basically means my week was full of chasing around little kids! But a lot of hugs and kisses also. 

This past week’s therapy group theme was exercise. So we learned how to stretch and then headed to the park outside the office to run around. I planned a few races, but the Thursday group of kids quickly got tired of that and asked if they could play tag. So for a good hour or so, we all played tag, running around and laughing. I had forgotten how much fun (and how much exercise) a good game of tag can be!  My Friday group was a bit more difficult because only two of the kids showed up, plus it ended up being pretty hot outside, so I quickly reworked the plan to move inside and play twister. I’m pretty sure twister should be called “Colorful yoga” because I was working muscles I haven’t worked in awhile just to stay balanced! But both of the boys were in fits of laughter the entire time, and begged to play over and over. All in all both therapy sessions went well, and the kids that tend to be the most trouble actually did well, so I was relieved and incredibly happy with how everything went. Two more to go!

This past weekend was also a lot of fun; I rested a lot (due to my sore muscles from the therapy groups), but also ended up going to a birthday party for a friend, the talent show at the church, and the Pre-Inca Ruins with Esther (my new friend from Switzerland!)

                                           Esther on the energy rock at the ruins

                                       The main temple at the ruins

This week has been a bit more relaxed, since I don’t have the kids, but it has be busy helping the adolescent girls with their art project, while also preparing for my trip to Lima and finding some fun activities to do there. So far on the list is a bike tour through a section of Lima, visiting the zoo, going to see the Hunger Games movie, and searching out food that doesn’t contain rice and potatoes!

 The butterfly project with the girls! Now you can see where all the little hearts I cut out went

Hope this blog finds everyone well! So much love to all!

Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.

Mother Teresa

1,000 Little Hearts

You know you have lived in Peru for 6 months when:

-       Breakfast isn’t breakfast without pancitos (little rolls of bread)

-       Lunch is not complete without a serving of rice and potatoes

-       When someone begins talking to you in English you begin to speak Spanglish which is of course a mix between Spanish and English

-       You argue when the mototaxi driver asks for 2 soles when it usually costs s/. 1.50, even though those .50 centimos is only about 15 cents at home.

Since being back in the office, I have been pretty busy, which is of course a blessing. I jumped right into my next therapy group with the kids. Only this time I was alone, which also meant that I was scared out of my mind! My week was filled with trying to get things prepared and obsessing over every little thing. It actually ended up going quite well. This session was all about nutrition, so we played games in which the kids learned about the food pyramid and which foods are good for you and which aren’t. The kids then got to prepare their own fruit salads. I was scared out of my mind to give each of the kids a knife to cut their own fruit, but my bosses kept telling me is was totally fine, and most of these kids already know how to cook. I understood where they were coming from, but I was also thinking “You are going to leave me alone in a room with 8 kids and all of them have knifes, someone is going to die!” So I ended up only letting 4 cut at a time so I could watch them, and continually repeat, “Con mucho cuidado,” which simply means be very careful! Luckily nobody got hurt, and everything went quite well, but I was completely exhausted after those two sessions.

                                         Coloring in the food pyramid! 

This opportunity has taught me so much about myself. First of all, that my Spanish is so much better than it use to be, and even though I still get scared that I won’t be able to understand the kids, I really haven’t had any problems so far. In fact those kids say the funniest things sometimes, and I’m thrilled that I can understand them. In the last session, one of the boys asked me if we had flying cars and robots in the United States. When I told him that the United States was a lot like Peru, he looked at me and said, “How boring.” I probably laughed for a good five minutes about that one. Second, I have learned that even though I love kids, I do not love teaching them. It stresses me out WAY too much. The constant demanding of attention and stopping of arguments is not my favorite thing is the world. So as much as I love the kids, I do not see Elementary school teacher in my future!

Another project I have been working on is helping with the teenage girls on Saturdays again. Right now the girls are working on an art project, and I get to help prepare materials or just sit there and talk to them while they work. So far the project has been pretty interesting for me, mainly because I tend to prepare ALL the material for the girls, and by all the materials I mean when the girls need 1,000 little hearts cut out, yep, that’s all me. The reason I cut out all of the hearts, and the girls don’t, is because one of the problems that victims of sexual abuse tend to have is lose of hand stability and function. So, yes the girls can cut, but it tends to be uneven and a difficult task. SO, while I have spent the entire weekend and week cutting out little hearts, I thank God daily that I am still able to cut out little hearts.

Now this week, I have been alone in my office because everyone is in Lima for a conference. But I still have been busy putting things together, visiting the shelter, and of course cutting out hearts! Hope everyone is doing well! So much love from Peru!

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” -Howard Thurman

Livin' On A Prayer

I couldn’t have stumbled into March in a better way. Due to it being our halfway of the year point and it being summer vacation, the other YAV’s and I made the 20 hour bus ride from Lima all the way up the coast to Mancora, which is said to be some of the prettiest beaches in Peru (I won’t argue that point). We were completely spoiled with a house 100 yards from a private ocean and a pool in our front yard. Each morning we woke up for a devotional, and then quickly hit the beach or pool, in which we only returned for meals. We all pitched in cooking and cleaning, and were able to prepare some of our favorite American meals that we miss. Some of the highlights were fajitas, spaghetti with grilled chicken, and swordfish with mango salsa. Needless to say it was perfect. The group also got into a few competitive games of Dutch Blitz, our new favorite card game. All in all we had a wonderful, restful week in which we all did a lot of thinking as to how our last 6 months have gone, and how we want our next 5 months to go. 

                                                 Dutch Blitz time!

                                 The pool we had in Mancora, horrible right?

                                                 A view from the house!

When we returned to Lima, I had about half a day to get things settled, organized, and then get on the night bus back to Huánuco. I was luckily able to spend some more time with Laura and her boyfriend Oscar before they left for Colombia. We decided to head out to Callao and take a boat ride around the ocean, and really just explore a new part of Lima. I really enjoyed getting to see them again and spend some time with them. They will be truly missed and forever close to my heart.

Now I’m back in Huánuco: rested, preparing for a busy month, and just excited to see what the future brings. Hope all is well, much love from Peru!

"We're half way there, Livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear
Livin' on a prayer" -Bon Jovi