July 25, 2008
Throughout the summer, the Paz y Esperanza team served alongside churches in the slum areas.
While joining Ofelia (pastor's wife at a new church in Mariategui) in prayer for people in their homes, they not only saw how God was working in the community but also learned on a deeper level about the fundamental connections between our physical and spiritual beings.
When the team first prayed for Angelica – a young woman whose bones ached so much that she struggled to complete her chores and responsibilities at home – she was about to head to the doctor to see if she had osteoporosis. This is no small diagnosis for a woman already living in such tightened circumstances.
More than just with her physical pain, Angelica was struggling spiritually, feeling like the pain in her bones was a punishment for her sins, a reflection of her own spiritual inadequacy. So the team prayed for her, her whole body – physical and spiritual. Later on, when they went back, they found she learned she did not have osteoporosis but anemia. After taking iron pills, she was feeling healthier and more energetic.
Through meeting Angelica, one member of the team had a chance to ponder the connection between physical sickness and spiritual sickness. Brandon, who's considering work in medicine, wondered about the relationship between Angelica's bodily struggle with its impure, anemic blood and Angelica's spiritual struggle to understand that Jesus' blood had purified her from her sins.
Angelica had a very hard time accepting Jesus' blood as her own, accepting His forgiveness. Haven't we all had a similar struggle at times? But praise God that our Lord desires for us to be healthy, inside and out. The challenge now is: how do we, through Jesus, love and care for the whole body?
Our team was able to minister tangibly to the community by building a staircase on one of the steep hills in the area. Amy – or "Estrella" as she was nicknamed – was struck by how those building the staircase and doing the difficult manual labor alongside them were the directors of the community. These directors were very active in the community, often gathering people for meetings and then leading the meetings themselves. The directors chose to work on some of the most physically demanding jobs because they wanted to build credibility in the community, showing the other community members that their leaders were actively seeking the community’s growth and development.
Such an example is a powerful testimony among the poorest people of the slum areas, who often believe the lie that they cannot make a difference in the world. But, by God's grace, the people took note during the staircase building. May the Lord with His mercy and power break any feelings of helplessness or inevitability in Lima. And may He continue to build up the people who seek to lead through serving.
July 11, 2008
Meet Carmen.
Carmen lives with her husband and two young children in a two-room house that rests on top of one of Peru’s many ceros (steep, rocky hills). Thanks to a personal recommendation from a friend, Carmen applied for and received a government job. Now, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, Carmen cleans and cares for a school near her house. Her salary, 600 soles a month (approximately $200), seems generous when compared to that of her husband; he works 12 hours, six days a week and earns about 500 soles.
Carmen and her husband consider themselves to be in Peru’s lower middle-class. Their tiny house seems a mass of contradictions to my American eye: a television with cable in the living room, but an outhouse in their backyard – three walls and a flimsy tarp are all that separate the toilet from the chickens and bunnies they keep nesting there. Both Carmen and her husband are excited about the new water pipes coming into their area; though they’ve lived in their house for 16 years, this is the first time the state has attempted a project like this.
Amidst all the dirt and the difficulties, Carmen has managed to create a home full of love and warmth. Her children are well-fed and polite; books line the walls of her house; and she shows support for her community by volunteering with several non-profit organizations.
How did we meet Carmen? The Yaycuy Camuy team had the privilege of being hosted by volunteers from the local branch of World Vision in Carmen’s area. Carmen was one of five other volunteers who generously opened up their homes and lives so our team could get to know Peru on a deeper level.
For three and a half days, our team shadowed these women as they went about their daily lives, working alongside them when they worked, playing with their children, making chocolate (okay, that was just Sean – lucky dog!) and learning about the struggles and accomplishments they’ve experienced while volunteering in their communities.
Our visit culminated when our team assisted two churches, both of which were located in areas with some of the most intense poverty we’ve seen thus far, in a program for children from the community that celebrated the National Day of Prayer.July 5, 2008
For the seven members of our team who have been living in the Yaycuy Camuy house, almost every day here has taught us about the high value of hospitality in Peruvian culture. Yaycuy Camuy is constantly opening its doors to welcome friends from the community and around the world. The Yaycuy volunteers are continually seeking fresh ways to form strong relationships with new people. Here’s a glimpse at what we’ve been up to:
Recorridos:
You usually can’t wait for people to come to you – you need to take the first step. Through recorridos (journeys throughout the city) our team heads to parks or neighborhoods where children typically hang out to strike up friendships. During one of our recorridos, we played an impromptu game of soccer with a group of 10- to12-year-old boys. They creamed us, though we like to think it was just because we were outnumbered.
Educational Programs for Children:
Once Yaycuy has already formed relationships with local children, they take the friendships a little deeper and host fun, educational programs. Of course, Peruvian kids could learn about their country from books, but how much more meaningful would it be for them to learn through experience? Our team planned such an activity.
By building miniature houses, “harvesting” various crops, and playing homemade instruments, the children not only learned creativity and cooperation but also had the chance to develop more pride in their heritage. The latter is especially needed in a country that places so much value in being light-skinned and blonde.
Los Exploradores Guardaciudadanas:
The new Exploradores (Explorers) are really the epitome of what Yaycuy hopes to offer to the community. Made up of two small groups of twelve- to fifteen-year-olds the Explorers are kids from poor families who work on an intimate basis with Yaycuy. The seven of us on Global Urban Trek are very excited to deepen our relationships with these adolescents, especially the five older ones, whom we’ll mentor individually in a series called Amigos del Alma (Friends of the Soul).
Cooking and cleaning:
I don’t know if any of us realized before coming to Peru how much time it takes to maintain a constantly hospitable house. Meals can take hours to prepare and dishes at least an hour to wash afterward. Keeping floors and bathrooms clean is a never-ending task, especially when – how should I put this delicately? – proper functioning of your team’s digestive tracts is questionable thanks to the new environment (read: diarrhea – days and days of diarrhea). But, surprisingly or not, there’s a deep satisfaction in regularly participating in manual labor, as we work together and create an atmosphere of order and openness.
July 2, 2008
Imagine you are a parent of ten children, and your only available resource is a single sheet of paper. You need to create something of value with this paper to sell it and feed your children for the day, yet time is of the essence. In no more than fifteen minutes, could you make something with this paper and then sell it at the marketplace?
This was the challenge given to the Lima Trek team by our hosts during our first morning in Peru. Participating in this simulation gave us our first real glimpse of the despair and helplessness that many urban Peruvians face everyday. How could we convince someone to buy our products when they clearly had little monetary worth?
Some of us managed to sell what we had. A Peruvian took pity on us and bought our product. Others of us came away empty handed
with the sinking feeling our stomachs that, had the situation been real, our children would have faced empty bellies that night.
Such is a day in the life of the Trek team in Lima, Peru. Our thirteen-person team made it here safely at 5 a.m. on Sunday, June 22, after completing an array of orientation activities in Miami the week before. On Sunday, feeling both excited and exhausted (after a six-hour flight delay the night before), we were welcomed warmly by our hosts at theYaycuy Camuy house and introduced to Lima through a variety of exercises.
Walking through through the Galeria Viva, a nine-room exhibit in the Yaycuy house, we got a brief glimpse of the struggles and ingenuity of the Limeñan poor and the ministries that the Yaycuy volunteers have created to come alongside them. Throughout Sunday night and Monday morning’s exercises, we pondered how best to serve the urban poor in a way that both affirms their dignity and acknowledges the harsh realities of their situations.
What situations do some Peruvians face everyday? For many of those we’ll work with (the poorest of the poor), water is a luxury. Others, like the displaced who have recently fled violent rural areas to move to the city's shantytowns, relive memories of the horrors caused by the terrorist group Shining Path or the Peruvian military.
For many Limeñans, going home requires a long climb up a steep, muddy hill. Though this hill, called El Cerro, is officially condemned by the government, many have no other option than to squat here for survival.
Our team is split into two groups to partner with two holistic-ministry organizations in Peru. At Paz y Esperanza, Gracie, Laura, Amy, Amy (yes, two!), Kelton, and Brandon work with community churches, make home visits and help with workshops addressing local problems like sexual abuse. Check out their progress at www.limatrek08.blogspot.com.
At Yaycuy Camuy (which, in Quechua means, “come in and make yourself at home for a while”), Sean, Sarah, Andy, Alicia, Walter, Jeff and I help plan and participate in programs to educate and serve local children.
More to come, though finding internet connection here is a challenge.
