Week One

Hello all! So this is attempt number 3 to finally post an update of everything I’ve been doing.  My computer and the internet here have provided many frustrations in the past week but hopefully it will smooth out. So for that update… and a quick warning, this will be a long one.

PART I – “Are We There Yet?”

Traveling here was an experience in itself. Left San Angelo on Monday the 11^th after some tough goodbyes. The flight from San Angelo to Dallas was a breeze, had a short layover and then another simple flight into Miami.  From there the experience began. First of all, I do not recommend the Miami airport. The workers are not very nice and don’t seem to enjoy their job in the least. Second of all going through security is stressful and we were pretty much treated like criminals.  However, after that it wasn’t so bad. We had a decent layover but the wait wasn’t too bad. Our flight didn’t take off until around midnight so we weren’t just completed surrounded by a ton of people, we spent most of the time talking on our phones.  The flight from Miami to Lima was not my favorite. I was sitting between Claire and another man (who enjoyed his seat and a portion of mine while sleeping) and even though it was a late flight I just couldn’t manage to stay asleep for very long.  We finally landed in Lima between 4 and 5 am and had to go through customs (which was a breeze) and then get our luggage (which was stressful because it took forever and I was paranoid mine had been lost). From here we had a wonderful 10 hour layover ahead of us that was to be spent completely in the Lima airport - attempting to sleep wherever we could while keeping our carry-ons safe and figuring out how to buy food and bottled water with American dollars. (Dreadful). We stayed in the dining area and sat at a table with iron chairs, our belongings between our legs, and slept for a little bit. Between 8 and 9 am I awoke to a woman calling my name. I look up and see a lady walking towards me with a paper that read “Kelly Causin – Villa Milagro”. After my initial reaction of shock I quickly thought “Thank the Lord, we’re saved!” I was thinking she was here to drive us to Cajamarca. This was not the case, she was sent by Larry (the owner of Villa Milagro (VM), the farm/compound I am living at for the summer) to check us into a hotel room for our layover. We gladly follow her across the street to the airport’s hotel, check in and quickly hit the bed for a good 2-3 hour nap.

Our hotel suite.

The view of Lima out our window.

 

From there we went back to the airport to board our plane at 2:30 pm and take off for our final destination, Cajamarca, Peru.  We FINALLY made it at around 4 pm! Such a relief because we were both so tired of traveling – nearly 30 hours, yuck.

PART II: “Life at Villa Milagro”

The first few days here on the compound were filled with “getting our feet wet”. Lots of meeting new people and learning what our typical schedules will be. Just the ins-and-outs of our summer pretty much.  Day two we met the Heaths (the missionary family that moved here in January). They are SUCH A BLESSING!! They have been nothing by inviting and comforting to Claire and I. Really providing us with a family away from home. Our first adventure with them and two other workers from VM was to take a trip to the Metro (like a typical grocery store in the states, very modern) and stock up on groceries for our time here.  Crissy Heath (the wife/mom) took us through the store helping us pick out what we needed.  When we were finished we loaded up and headed back to VM. 

Our bedroom.

Bathroom

One of the amazing views from VM.

The entrance into the building where our room is. We live in a room on the left side, Larry lives in the middle portion, upstairs, and Glenny (Larry's cook) lives on the right side.

The view outside that same building. These are the dorms the volunteers stay in.

The metro where we bought groceries.

Back at VM in our kitchen with all our groceries and Glenny, our new amiga.

 

Claire and I had our first experience cooking that night. Everything here is so much healthier, hardly any preservatives and nearly everything has to be cooked from scratch. And any foods that would have come in contact with the water here have to be sanitized before they can be eaten. That process was very interesting to the two of us. You fill the sink about halfway with hot water and pour in a little more than a cap full of bleach, yes bleach, into the water. Then just stick in whatever fruits/vegetables you have and let soak for 5-10 minutes. Next, rinse them in cold water and you’re good to go.  I was sure I was going to be poisoned by this process but here I am, still going strong. The next few days weren’t too busy. We did odd jobs for Larry, tried to get our internet up and running, worked a bit in the VM pharmacy organizing/counting the medicines, cooked, and continued to get to know the Heath family. Claire and I went to the Monte Sion school with Sean (the husband/dad) to help with his soccer ministry on Thursday and Friday morning. Monte Sion is the church that is closest with VM here and the school is their private school.  Sean takes various classes of boys for an hour at a time to practice soccer and share a quick devotional.  You can think of it as their P.E. period.  I stumbled through my Spanish to do the devotional for him and then we helped with maintaining order and attention during the soccer portion.  We also got to play with the younger children during their recess time. It was so fun! 

Monte Sion School

The playground area

Sean and I with a group of 1st graders, about to start the short devotional before playing futbol.

 

Besides that, we have spent a few evenings at the Heath’s house cooking dinner and watching movies.  They have 4 children, River, Lake, Sailor, and Autumn. (Yes, these are their real names, or rather their middle names - how cool!) The family is just a joy in general, Claire and I love spending time with them. We enjoy going on power walks with Crissy and getting to see more of this amazing Peruvian scenery and we have enjoyed multiple talks around the kitchen table while sipping coffee.  On Friday afternoons from 3-5 they open up their yard to the neighborhood children to come and play volleyball or futbol (soccer) and then have a small bible study with a craft. Claire and I enjoyed helping with that and playing with the kids. They are all so loving and just crave attention and to be played with or hugged.  

This was just a portion of the group, aren't the cute!

 

Also, we are looking forward to a Thursday night bible study with them possibly starting this week, over the devotional “Not a Fan”.

PART III: “Bienvenidos to our first volunteer group!”

Nearing the end of the post, bear with me.

The first volunteer group arrived on Saturday from Arkansas. It’s a group of about 25, comprised of high school and college students and some adults.  We went to church together on Sunday morning at Monte Sion and have been getting to know them through lunch and dinner time. 

Decided to walk to church with the Heaths. This is one of the views of Cajamarca along the way.

Inside the church, sitting about midway.

Part of their group is focused on medical missions and the other portion is here for Vacation Bible School. Today was our first full day. I went to a town called Jocas (pronounced like Hokus) about an hour away and worked with the medical team. I translated for one of the doctors. I was nervous at first but then I just decided to go with it and struggle though and I was pleasantly surprised. The Lord definitely helped me out!! And I learned new vocabulary. We saw about 130 people and were able to provide simple medications and some reading glasses.  It was a very full day! Breakfast at 6 am, left at 7, clinic at 8, lunch from 12-1, and then finished a little after 4. We were supposed to go until 5 but no new patients were coming so we packed up early. I’ve learned that mostly women come to the clinics with their children; we didn’t see many men today. With the culture here that is the woman’s job – take care of the children and work on the farms. I have yet to see a man carrying around a baby and I have seen very few men even walking with a child. Mostly you see a man in front and a woman walking behind with a baby on her back and another one (or 2 or 3) walking along side. It’s a sad realization that the men just aren’t good father figures here. Anyway, that is what I did today and will be doing the rest of the week. While Claire is here her job is to teach English at the Monte Sion school. She leaves VM around 7:15 nearly every morning during the week and doesn’t finish until around 4. We are both staying very busy.

The little building in Jocas where we held the clinic. I think it serves as a church for the town. Some volunteers entertained the children out front with puppets, bible stories and crafts.

Inside the building, people are just starting to file in.

 

Overall it has been quite the experience so far.  I’m learning not to care much about how my sentences come out but to just speak what is on my mind and see if I am understood. It’s a process but it feels good to be using what I’ve been working so hard on. The scenery here is just amazing, so much better than the pictures show. VM is a wonderful place and God’s work is evident.

Thank you to everyone who supported me in this, it has been such an awesome experience already in just the one week. Can’t believe I have 6 more to go.

My family & Ryan– I miss you all so much! Wish you could be here with me. Love you!!!!!!!!!!!

My friends – Thank you for supporting me, encouraging me and loving me through this. Can’t express how much it means.

I’ve finally reached the end, the next posts won’t be this long I’m sure. Thank you for your endurance! Hope you enjoyed the update and the pictures.

Love from Peru…Chao.