Saturday / Huanta, Quinua & Ayacucho

Up early for a morning walk. This morning I walked by myself through the streets of a city that was just beginning to wake up. The streets were clean and empty. The air was cool, fresh and dry. Actually the air was too cool for the shorts that I was wearing because my laundry was not yet dry from the day before. But, it was a good walk and it gave time to reflect and think about the week that we all had just experienced.
We were treated to an early breakfast and were joined by the Montes family. Sadly, now was the time to say our final goodbyes with tears and promises of our returning next year.

On the bus ride to Ayacucho we were taken on a side trip to the obelisk memorial of the Battle of Ayacucho near La Quinta. (The memorial of the 1824 Latin-American battle of independence of Peru and South America over Spain). The harrowing road was rough, narrow, high, long and unforgettable.

After visiting the memorial we visited the small and picturesque town of Quinua, Peru. It had small shops, stone streets and on this day... a wedding reception. With the celebration and inviting nature of the local Peruvian people, we all were invited to the reception. A few of us visited the wedding for just a few minutes to send our well wishes. (videos are in the picture album).
After our visit to Quinta, we were back on our way to Ayacucho. After arriving in Ayacucho, our group split up to visit different places and eventually all met at the local Indian Market. While walking to the Indian Market, among all of the cars, trucks, horns blowing, people, and musicians... someone seemed to be yelling specifically at us. As we turned, we noticed it was the family that owned the Hostel in Huanta! They were in Ayacucho visiting! Small world... even in 35,000 people!
While returning from the Indian Market, Theresa and I were almost hit by a MotorKar! It was the closest I think that I have ever been to a moving vehicle. I think the driver literally brushed the back of my pant legs as he went by! Whew!
We enjoyed an early, light dinner at the Via Via Cafe on the Plaza de Armas before returning to our rooms. We had to get up very early the next morning for our flight to Lima.

Friday / Huanta

Friday was a "light" day since the benches were completed and taken to their respective churches.

After lunch at the Cristo Rey Church, most of the group retired to a quiet area to sort all the donations. After sorting and then repacking, we had 14 full suit cases! The donations were given to each church in the Presbytery.

The soccer match was this day for the bragging rights to retain the Huanta Cup! We are sorry to report that the that the "Galloping Gringos" lost. So, the La Copa Huanta will remain in Huanta!

We enjoyed a late afternoon visit to Cristo Blanco and we celebrated Sarah Dolatowski's 16th birthday (again) with a surprise party with cake and Coke-a-Cola when we returned. A special thank you to Sarita Ross for the idea of the party, the card and "quietly" getting everyone's autograph. And thank you to Sara Armstrong for helping aquire the birthday cake. The cake was so good... we might have to get one every year!

The celebration atmosphere continued at the Cristo Rey Church in the evening with games and a wonderful potluck dinner.

Finally, what we all had been dreading since the beginning of our trip to this wonderful place. We had to say some heartfelt and very sad goodbyes to our friends at the Cristo Rey Church... until next year!

Thursday / Huanta

Theresa and I had another early morning walk that was culminated with coffee and pastries with Sara Armstrong. All of us had been lax in keeping our journals and wanted desperately to catch them up. The early mornings were a great time to sit, be quiet, think, and be thankful. Down time for reminiscing and reflection was at a premium this year.

Thursday was our final day of work and we were prepared to complete our task of assembling, sanding and painting. We only had 41 benches to left to paint and we completed them before lunch.

I must say that this day was one of the most spiritual days in recent memory. Connie had been suffering back pain since before we left Charlotte. The pain seemed to be getting worse with the walking, standing and working on the benches. This day, in fact, she was hardly able to walk and was transported by MotoKar to the church by our very good friend Gamaliel Berrocal. She didn't want to stay away from the "action" at the church. Once there, she was able to just lie on her back and watch the work going on. Many in the group were concerned of her pain and a few from the church actually wanted her to go to the hospital. I and a few others were fortunate to be asked to join the group that would pray for Connie. I couldn't understand the language from Pastor Vlado Massón but, I could feel the love, passion and spirit that was transmitted on that glorious day.

The emotional dedication and presentation of the benches to the Presbytery of Tampo was done in the late afternoon. Each church in the presbytery had a representative present. Some churches received as many as 10 benches for their church and some as few as only one. The number of benches awarded was based on the number of members. It was during this time that the members of the mission team had the honor to present to the Presbytery a number of prayer shawls on behalf of the Prayer Shawl Ministry of Sharon Presbyterian Church. The Prayer Shawl Ministry has provided shawls for warmth to those that need a special prayer. The shawls reinforce the feeling of compassion and love. They also remind the wearer that someone, somewhere is praying for them in their time of need.

We had a light early dinner at Pastor Orlando's home before returning to our hotel to get ready to visit more churches within the Presbytery of Huanta.

Wednesday / Huanta

Theresa Wolf and I got up early for a walk. We walked early and we were treated to the experience of the city "waking up". The air was cool and crisp, the morning was clear and the streets had been swept clean during the night.

The whole mission group was invited to the home of Samuel Montes for breakfast. It was a warm and inviting home filled with love. The breakfast was wonderful with danish, fruit, coffee, and juices. The only thing better than the breakfast was the fellowship and hospitality of the Montes family.

We all worked hard at the Cristo Rey Church assembling, sanding and painting all of the 150 benches (except 41). We will have to complete the remaining benches Thursday by lunch because everyone will be coming to the Cristo Rey Church to pick up their benches at 3:00.

We all have had a wonderful time here in Huanta bonding with other churches and seeing our old friends. Everyone's health is fair, but a few have some bug bites and sunburns.

We hear from Luz that Pricilla wakes her siblings in the mornings by saying "THE GRINGOS ARE COMING... THE GRINGOS ARE COMING!"

Tuesday / Huanta

We found a few computers with the speed that will allow us to post. But, we were still trying to get used to a Spanish keyboard (with the lettering on the keys worn off too). Everyone's health is OK (so far) except for working too hard at 8500 ft and 20% humidity. No rain yet!

We were quickly getting to know our partners from Port Orange Presbyterian Church and Bryson City Presbyterian Church. We were honored to have them join us and share this journey together.

We completed assembling the rest of the 150 benches with sanding today! We had 2 full days of painting to do ahead of us.

In the evening, we separated into 2 groups and visited 2 different churches. These are outlying churches that we had not visited before.

Monday / Huanta

As we woke Monday morning:

• The morning sounds of the rooster crowing, the clanging of the trash men, and the church bells ringing.
• The smell of fires burning to heat water and wood stoves for warmth, the faint smell of coffee and the aroma of the orange tree just outside our door.
• The feel of the chill in the air and the very low humidity.

All help us remember the Huanta, Perú that we missed so much.
This day was a big step in the spiritual journey for each of us. As we had our morning devotions, many of us thought of the planning and dedication that has gone into this trip. We all are fortunate and blessed to have leaders Randy Ross, Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson that are so devoted to these mission trips. This trip and the following days of our week would be a culmination of a year of planning.

The day progressed into the afternoon and as we finished our workday, we had completed assembling 43 benches. On my way back to the hotel, I reflected on how much everyone had put their lives on hold to accomplish our goal. As I walked quietly and with my eyes tearing up, I gave thanks to God... it's great to be back.

Sunday / Lima, Ayacucho & Huanta

I must thank Gemetta Stanford for sending a post to let everyone know we had made it to Lima safe and sound. I was not able to post on the hotel computer because of firewalls. We were able to check and send emails, but when we tried to post, we were shut down. Also, adding to my predicament were my limited amount of sleep, the complications of travel, the computer in Spanish, the computer keyboard in Spanish and most of all... my lack of Spanish.

Up at 2:30AM! We needed to be at the Lima airport by 3:30AM! We flew from Lima to Ayacucho and then a 1½ hour bus ride to Huanta for Sunday services at the Cristo Rey Church. We were blessed for Brenda to be able to join us on the flight to Ayacucho and on to Huanta. Our thoughts and prayers were still with Rose Boelke and her mother's health. We missed her terribly.

When we arrived at the church in Huanta, it was so wonderful to be back with our Peruvian brothers and sisters. It was almost as though we had never left. All of the planning, packing, traveling, and aggravation had been worth it. We joined our brothers and sisters with hymns in Quechua, the Sermon in Spanish, English and Quechua, and we received the bread and the cup of Communion. We were home again... with God's people... in God's house.

After the spiritual morning of seeing the sun come up over the horizon of the Andes and worshiping with our hosts, we returned to our home away from home the Hostal "La Posada del Marques" to rest and unpack. A few returned to the church later to play volleyball. In the early evening the group got together to talk and receive an orientation.

Good Pizza for dinner.

Theresa didn't have any hot water in her shower... he he... I had plenty.

Saturday / Lima & Nuevo Ayacucho

After very little sleep we were up early for our bus trip to see our freinds at the Nuevo Ayacucho Church. The trip was longer than I had remembered (since I was asleep last time). We received a warm and spiritual welcome from the ladies of the Nuevo Ayachucho Church. I say ladies because the men were away working. For some unknown reason, everyone was notified that we would not be visiting this year.

We were all worried that we have not heard any news from Brenda about her condition. We learned that we must be patient and put our faith in our Lord.

We all need to be concious (and thankful) of the impact of our visits to Perú have made on us and on others. On the return trip to Lima, Sara Armstrong mentioned that Samuel Montes had stated to her "that if we can come this far to visit Perú... then he can buy a car and visit others close to Huanta."

Later in the evening we heard the good news that Brenda would be joining us at the airport for the trip to Ayacucho the following morning!

Glory to God!

Friday / Lima

We were treated to a band playing Latin music next door last night. The only problem was that they didn't quit until 2:30AM! Actually the band was good. It could have been worse if the band was bad.

We were up fairly early with Brenda and I walking to the corner store to buy fresh bread for breakfast. The breads and pastries here in Perú are wonderful!

I made the mistake of taking a Hydrocodone pill for my back and foot pain in the morning. (I'LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN). Most of the morning was a haze and my head didn't stop spinning until around noon. It made the kamikaze Lima traffic a little more relaxing though. Ha!

The day's schedule was a light one. We walked around the center of Lima playing tourist by visiting the President's Palace to watch the changing of the guard and some shopping.

We returned home after lunch with Brenda not feeling well. She decided to lie down for the afternoon while Connie and I packed for our trip to Huanta. Some of the luggage that Connie and I had brought were gifts to the Amen Presbyterian Church, so those bags could stay at the Paredes' home until we returned on the following Sunday.

We were all excited to see the rest of the group from Port Orange, Bryson City, and Sharon. We had left for the airport early in order to visit with Samuel and Julia Montes, Sara Armstrong, and Rusty Edmondson. As we were at the airport we heard that Brenda would not be joining us that night or the following day. She was taken to the hospital with an bacterial infection. We learned later that she was kept at the hospital for the night with IVs. We all prayed for Brenda and quietly hoped she would be able to join us for the trip to Huanta on Sunday.

As the evening hours wore on, our group finally started coming out of the secure area at the airport. Hugs were all around, as we saw old friends and met new ones. We in Lima were treated to a surprise that Phyllis Acton was able to join us again this year! But, in the back of our minds was the heartache that Brenda and Rose Boelke were not with us. Our thoughts and prayers were with both of them.

We stayed the night in Lima at the Casa Kolping Guest House and with all the excitement, bus ride and amount of luggage... we made it to bed around 2:00AM!

I must take this time to thank the Paredes family for allowing Connie and I to disrupt their daily lives and welcoming us into their wonderful home. They had spent untold hours making their home a comfortable and inviting place for us to visit. I hope someday we will be able to return their hospitality. Thank you very much.

Thursday / Lima

We woke on Thurday morning to bands playing in the streets. Many neighborhoods have small parades with local children, banners, flags, and sometimes a car or two. The Peruvians are proud of their heritage and love to celebrate their Independence for several days.

After having a pancake breakfast at the Paredes' home cooked by Connie... (yes, cooked by Connie), we were starting to settle into a daily routine with our hosts. Because of the large amount of donations that we had brought, Connie and I didn't pack much in the way of personal clothes. Creative planning of the attire/laundry schedule had to be done often wherever we stayed. So, today was laundry day.

We head from our friend Luis that the computers were DONE! Nelson (Miriam's brother) agreed to meet Luis and pick up the laptops on this day. Thank you to both.

In the early evening, we joined the Paredes family for a trip to the water park in the center of Lima. At the water park, there was music, dancing and vendors of all kinds. With the Independence celebrations continuing, the smells, sights and sounds of this city were proof of just how large of a city Lima was.

On our way home, we stopped at Channy's for dinner. It was one of Brenda's favorite neighborhood restaurants for roasted chicken. mmmm!

Wednesday / Lima

Happy Independence Day!

On this day, we met our friend Luis Cordova. Luis lived in Lima and had agreed to change the programing of all the computers that we brought to Spanish. The laptop computers were loaded with the Windows operating system in English. For convenience to our hosts, Luis had agreed to load the operating system Linux in Spanish. We were grateful for his knowledge and to Sara Armstrong and Rusty Edmondson for their recommendation.

Later, we attended the San Pablo Church in Lima to celebrate Independence Day. (San Pablo is the mother church of the Amen Presbyterian Church). Connie and I joined the band from the Amen Presbyterian Church and sang our song!

We were also treated to a sermon by Robert Woodson. Robert and his wife Shirley came to Perú in 1965 with the PCA. (After mentioning to Sara Armstrong about who preached this day, she said that Mr. Woodson will be retiring this year, after 45 years of service in Perú. They will return to the U.S. and live in Atlanta). After the service, all attending the celebration were treated to a church luncheon.

Lucky us... later that evening we were treated to dinner at Rodizio!

Tuesday / Lima

We woke up to horns and banging early this morning. We soon realized that it was the alert for trash pickup.

We had a great morning breakfast at the Paredes' home with the usual household chores that needed to be done. We washed clothes and hung them on the line, but we were not sure how long it will take for them to dry in this cool, overcast weather. Oh well... we just had to wait and see.

The celebrations for Independence Day had begun with what sounded like guns going off or loud firecrackers... ummm we were not sure. Parades were in almost every street and neighborhood. Music was everywhere!

We were told by Brenda in the morning that the Dales would be singing with her band at the San Pablo Church in Lima on WEDNESDAY?! WHAT?! SINGING?! So, we were off to practice at the Amen Presbyterian Church.

After the much needed practice, we returned home to a wonderful lunch of Ahi de Gelina with (a special) hot sauce for Van... Whew! Thank you Miriam!

After lunch, we were off to the city to visit the Fair Trade Store, Independence services at the San Pablo Church and then... you guessed it... we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant before heading home for the evening.

Monday / Lima

It rained last night in Lima! Well... not really rain but a heavy mist. We were up early for a breakfast date with Brenda's mother and her extended family. It was a wonderful experience to meet all of her family with hugs, laughter and tears.

I WILL NEVER DRIVE IN LIMA! The traffic there was beyond belief. With so many cars, trucks, motorcycles and people... there was just too much for the police to keep up with. Everyone just seemed to police themselves.

We enjoyed lunch for the whole family at Siam Thai. I think there is only a couple of Thai restaurants in Lima. This one is goooood!

We had heard about the unusual weather in the highlands. We were going to be around 8500ft on Saturday. Even though the local people were used to cool weather, they were not accustomed to bitter cold. Because of the bitter cold, the streams in the open pastures where many Llamas graze were freezing over. Many young Llamas were dying because of the cold and lack of drinking water.

Sunday / Lima

We were treated to a warm and spiritual Sunday morning service with communion at the Amen Presbyterian Church in Lima. The small church is in the district of Carabayllo, north of the main city of Lima. The Amen Church has around 28 members, with about 20 members attending on this Sunday.

After the service we enjoyed a lunch of seafood and cerviche at Choza Nautica in Lima. In the afternoon, the Paredes family and the Dales returned home to unpack, catch up on some rest, answer the many emails of questions and good wishes, a Skype call or two, and looking at maps to plan our upcoming week. Sabastien (Brenda's 5 year old brother) was shy, but he was getting accustomed to us being at the Paredes home. That afternoon, he finally started to talk and talk and talk...

In the early evening we returned to the city for dinner at Pikalo's, were we had roasted chicken, skewers of local meat and papas fritas!