Beautiful Peru... Beautiful People

DAY 7: Saturday, November 12

(I apologize for this being posted so late... I can explain later).

This was my final day in Alto Cayma, and as we sat around the dining room table talking about how this mission not only impacted the lives of those we touched... but more so how those amazing people have impacted our own lives, I was overcome with sadness that I didn't realize I felt. I actually wished I could stay longer and revisit some of the people I'd met along this journey... especially Francisca. I've thought about her and her beautiful baby, Christina, every waking moment since that day we met her up in that mountain community. Maybe it's because we're both moms with two young children... maybe it was her sense of peace with what she and her husband have been able to accomplish in life so far... I really don't know what it is, but I know I do think of her often. I hope some day life will become easier for her and that God blesses her family with good health.

On this last day, some of the volunteers boarded a plane headed for the city of Cusco where they planned to hike Machu Picchu, and some of us stayed back and waited for our flight back to the US.... I was one of them. Since my plane didn't leave Arequipa until 5-ish that day (was supposed to be 7:40, but Bob negotiated me an earlier flight out), Denise, Cassandra and I went to downtown Arequipa to do a little more touristy stuff... we did a little shopping, visited the Monastario de Santa Catalina (a really, really old convent which is more like a city in and of itself), had lunch out on a restaurant balcony and also stopped to visit Juanita, the Incan ice mummy at the museum. Next thing we knew, we where headed back to the volunteer house to pack our bags and head to the airport. While I was out shopping, I found a really cute child-size guitar carved out of wood. I bought it for Camden, who is always playing "music" on whatever he can find to make noise. Before we left the house, I had Father Alex write a blessing to my son on the front of the guitar... I meant to ask him what it meant before I left (since it was written in Spanish), but of course I forgot. So to any of my Spanish-speaking friends out there, feel free to help me translate!

Like I said earlier, Bob got me on an earlier flight out of Arequipa... which basically meant I just had more time to spend in the Lima airport (oh, goodie). After tossing back a crummy aiport sandwich (washed down with a couple of Cusquenas - aka beer), I settled back to send a few emails and take in everything I had just been through in the last week. By 11:45pm, I was on my way back to Florida, where I would spend the next few days kicking back and relaxing.

My Day at the Laboratory

DAY 6: Friday, November 11

I just got back from spending a few hours working in the clinic laboratory while the rest of the gang went downtown to do a little shopping. The lab is only open in the morning, so it´s been hard to schedule some time to get in there. Hugo, the technician (he´s also a pharmacist), showed me around a little at first... which didn´t take long. The entire lab, including the phlebotomy chair and a small bathroom, is only about 10 feet by 10 feet. Not long after I´m there, a patient knocked on the door needing bloodwork. Hugo asked if I wanted to collect the blood, and I told him I would be happy to. But as we got things ready I realized their process is completely different than what I´m used to, so I told him I´d rather watch him this first time and I can take over after. And I´m glad I did. My lab friends are going to love this....

Here in Alto Cayma, whenever a patient needs work to be done, whether it´s laboratory work, a surgery, dental care, etc... they are responsible for purchasing the supplies needed for that work ahead of time (I´ve heard stories of patients only getting half a surgery than what was actually needed because they couldn´t afford to get all of the supplies at one time). So, when the first patient came to the lab, she had in hand a small bag that included gloves and a needle. The only thing the lab supplies is the tourniquet and the glass vials that the blood is collected in (which are washed and reused after each patient). Nothing here is a one-time-use disposible device, except for the needle... and definitely no evacuated tube systems. As I watched Hugo collect the blood, I was amazed at his technique. First, he prepared the glass vial that would eventually hold the blood specimen. Because we were doing a CBC, he put a single drop of liquid EDTA in the bottom. Then, after securing the tourniquet and cleansing the site with alcohol, he inserted the needle (which is just a straight 21 guage 1.5 inch needle with nothing on the end) into the patient´s vein, and then simply held the small glass vial at the other end of the needle and let the blood drip into it. That´s it! That´s all there´s to it. When he had about 1 mL of blood in the bottom, he pulled the needle out, gave the patient a piece of cotton and let her go right away.

Testing at the lab is very "old school". All of the equipment is dated (I saw a chart on the wall that was published by DIFCO laboratories in Detroit from 1974!!) and most of the work is done manually. Gloves are hard to come by, so if you´ve got them you use them, but if you don´t it´s not a requirement. Pipetting by mouth is also a common practice... yuck.

I drew blood on a few patients, which once I got the hang of it ended up being not so bad afterall. My biggest concern was accidentally sticking myself, since there is no protective devices to help avoid that. I also helped Hugo do a few urine dips and spin a few tubes of blood. I wish I was able to do more, but the language barrier didn´t help much. The most common tests we did today were CBCs, urines and a few parasitology tests. Gastro issues in this area are extremely common. I thank the Lord we didn´t encounter any with worms. We also did a few glucose tests and CRPs. We also did an ABO/Rh on a 6-year-old girl... not really sure why, though. As you can imagine, DX codes are not a part of the their system. After the big rush (which was only 10 patients or so - but it takes so much longer to do the tests because everything is manual), it was time to wash the glassware, including the urine cups and pipettes. Hugo started resulting all of his work, which again was hand-written and delivered to the doctor. By noon, it was time to close up shop. I headed back up the mountain to the volunteer house where I waited for the rest of the group to get back from shopping.... and, yes... a quick nap was definitely in order!

Meal Delivery

Every day, food is prepared in these huge pots. That´s Scholastica (the director of the food program) washing dishes at the sink.

Chop, chop, chopping veggies.... and doing it with a smile!

The food is put into 5-gallon buckets and loaded into the van.

Here is Adan serving up some delicious soup!

A sweet old Peruvian coming out with is bowls to get his hot meal for the day.

DAY 5: Thursday, November 10

Today, I was assigned to kitchen duty along with Sally and Karen. Across from the volunteer house is where Scholastica and her staff prepare and deliver food for nearly 700 people who wouldn´t otherwise have much for nutrition. We started cutting vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots, squash and cilantro) at around 9am or so... and didn´t finish until 11:30. The other ladies prepared meat (one looked like beef, the other was labeled "hot dogs", but not the kind you and I have come to know). Another cook is preparing rice. Two and a half hours of non-stop chopping, and one huge blister later, we were ready to put it all together, cook it, and prepare it for delivery. Every Monday through Friday, these ladies (local Peruvians who are employed through Father Alex´s food program) prepare food to deliver to the poor. On Saturdays, they spend the day going to the market to buy the food needed for the following week.

Once the food is ready (and, we´re talking a complete meal - soup, rice, a main dish that varies day to day, and a protien drink made especially for the elderly), it is poured into 5-gallon buckets and loaded into the van. Karen and I ride up in the front with Adan, the driver, while Scholastica and another gentleman ride in the back with the buckets. We take off through the streets of Alto Cayma and stop every few blocks to drop off buckets. Some of the drop off points were designated as a distribution location. Other places we stopped were just at someone´s house where Adan honks the horn and they come out with their bowls in hand. They must be the people that aren´t able to walk to the drop-off locations - mostly elderly and/or handicapped.

The route takes about an hour and a half and brings us back to the volunteer house just in time for lunch. It´s kinda hard for me to not feel guilty about how lucky we are to have such a wonderful lunch prepared for us considering what I had just witnessed over the last few hours. Even as I sit here and type this blog, I think about all the work it takes to do this every single day for the 700 people out there that have hardly a thing to their name.... and to see the sincere appreciation for that one meal a day they are given.

DAY 4 (Part 2): Wednesday, November 9

Wednesday afternoon, we decided to take a break from the volunteer house and head into downtown Arequipa to have dinner and do a little shopping. In just a 30-minute ride by the local public transportation, known here as the "combi", you can go from being surrounded by extreme poverty (in Alto Cayma, where the Mission is) to a bustling city with a growing economy. Arequipa is an amazingly beautiful city with tons of history and rich in culture. We are dropped off at one of the city´s most popular areas called the "Plaza del Armas". Below is the cathedral tower.

There is a HUGE cathedral that runs along the edge of the plaza. It is rare to see it open, we are told, so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to see inside.

Here we are (most of us) by the fountain, which is in the center of the plaza. Yes, I´m wearing my red hat, again. It has so much meaning for me knowing that the ladies in the knitting shop hand-made it for me :)

Home Visits with Maria

This is where 14-year-old Alba and her 9-year-old brother live.

Francisca and her 3-month-old beautiful baby girl Christina.

Inside Francisca´s home where her husband and two children live. There is only one bed for the four of them, and a dirt floor, as you can see. Maria, the social worker, is sitting next to Dr. Bob in the black vest.

Little 3-year-old Luis Fernando playing with his dump truck.

Here we are at Guillermo´s home where we visited his elderly mother, Luisa.

DAY 4 (Part 1): Wednesday, November 9

After breakfast this morning a few of us went with Maria, the social worker, to make home visits to some of the people further up the mountain. These communities, called "invasion settlements" or "arrival towns" are the newest generation to come down from the mountains to squat and find work. Most of the homes here are simple walls built with either stone or brick (depending on how much money they have) and most have dirt floors. This, by far, has been the most emotionally draining experience of the mission. The area we visited today was called "Mujeres con Esperanza" (Women with Hope).

On our way, Adan drove us in the van as far as the paved roads would go. Then, we got out and walked. At some point, we met up with a lovely young woman named Francisca. She was walking the dirt roads carrying her baby in a sling (a very common sight around here). Maria introduced herself as a social worker that is a colleague of Father Alex. Francisca tells Maria of a few families she knows of that might benefit from some of the services Father Alex´s mission supports. So, we follow her to visit some of these families...

The first home we went to was difficult to imagine. A 14-year old girl and her 9-year old brother lived there. The parents had built the home some time back, but left the children (for now) and headed back to the mountians, leaving them to make a life without them. No one was home when we got there, but we were told the boy was at school and the girl had gone into the city to work. Perhaps we will meet up with them later...

Our next stop was to say"hola" to another young mother and her son... he was playing with a dump truck outside their humble abode. Watching little Luis Fernando reminds me of Camden, and I quietly tear up watching him dump rocks into the back of the toy dump truck imgining my son doing the same in his sandbox in our grassy, landscaped back yard... a luxury I have sadly taken for granted.

From there, we are invited to see where Francisca lives... who graciously welcomed us into her tiny one-room home. Some of us sit inside on a makeshift bench, while the others sit on the single bed while Francisca tells us more about her and her family. She is 24 years old and has a husband (who is in town working construction) and two children. Her 6-year-old daughter is in school at the time, and her 3-month-old daughter (Christina) is bundled in the sling and tied around her shoulders. They bought their land for 100 soles (or, approximately $40), built the block-walled home (with no windows and dirt floor) a few years back. Their plot of land is approximately 300 sqare meters... so not very big. We sit and talk for quite some time, with Bob interpreting for us since neither Maria or Francisca speak English.

After leaving there, we head back down along the ravine toward Alto Cayma. We must have walked at least 5 miles, I´m guessing. Francisca follows us the entire time, carrying her baby on her back. Karen offers her bottle of water to keep hydrated, and Francisca graciously takes it. As we guessed, we finally run into Alba, the 14-year-old that lives alone with her younger brother. Maria invites her to come with us, so that she and Francisca can come to her office in Alto Cayma to talk about services Father Alex provides with the mission. They both agree to come. Our last stop before heading back to the volunteer house is to see an elderly woman named Luisa. Before we got to her house, though, Maria stops at a tiny store to buy the old woman bananas. Luisa is 86-years-old and lives with her son, Guillermo. He´s busy outside sewing on an old machine. Luisa is inside her home (I´m guessing she can´t walk too well). We go in to say hello and she kissed me on the cheek. Guillermo´s wife is away, working in the city, my guess is she works to provide the income so that Guillermo can take care of his mother. A short visit later, and we are headed back home.

DAY 3: Tuesday, November 8

Yesterday was a day full of emotion... some good, some sad, some filled with hope, and some completely devastating. The morning started out as usual: woke up at 5 (it gets light out extremely early here), dressed, and breakfast at 8. Dr. Bob, Father Alex and Ben arrived later in the morning. We had a quick lesson about the Mission of Alto Cayma from Father Alex, then it was off to visit the projects of the mission. We first stopped at the women´s knitting shop where some of the women in the community, many of them have been widowed or deserted by their husbands - so this becomes more than just work for them, it´s a gathering of support, we´re free to look through some of the items they made. Their work is amazing... sweaters, scarfs, hats, gloves, bags, bracelets, etc. I immediately spotted a beautiful red hat... nd for $18, it was mine. From there, we headed back to the volunteer house to meet with Maria, the social worker. Maria´s job is to do home visits with those that can´t make it into the clinic, or even to the market, for that matter. The family we visit is a young husband and wife with two small children (ages 2 and 5). The husband was working a few years back and fell from a 5-story building. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, is unable to walk, talk and eat. He is taken care of by his wife (who just by looking at her, looks beyond exhausted). They live in a 1-room house with 2 beds... one for him, and the other for the rest of the family. The wife isn´t able to work, since taking care of him is a full-time job. He needs to be changed (he is incontinent) and fed through feeding tube regularly. This visit hit many of us pretty hard. The walk back home to the volunteer house was a quite one, as we all try to process what we had just witnessed.

By now, it´s just about lunch time. Cassie and Sandra are heading off with Maria to take care of the food distrubution... I will be getting my chance later in the week. For now, the rest of us enjoy a nice lunch here at the house. After lunch, a few of us went to the child care center to play with the kids. Many of these kids are here every day while their parents head into town to find day labor. Some of them are picked up early, some of them stay as late as 5:30. There is an agreement with the staff and parents that if the children aren´t picked up by 5:30, they will go home with one of the teachers to wait for their parents to pick them up. The kids are so exited to see us... ¨visitas¨, they yell and run into our arms. They apparently LOVE visitors! We play with puzzles and get LOTS and LOTS of hugs. Many of them sing along with the music the teacher is playing.

We left the child care center at about 2:30, where we then head down to the health care clinic. The clinic opens in the morning, but then closes between 1pm and 3pm for lunch. When I say ¨closes¨... I really mean closes... like everyone leaves to go home, and the door is locked. I guess they take their mealtime with family seriously! I´m with Karen and Sally, both RNs. I´m sad to hear that the laboratory is closed for the day. On this particular day, we are helping in the admissions room, where once the patient is registered at the front desk and they pay their 5 soles for the visit, they come to the admissions to have their height, weight and vitals taken. I leave that part up to the nurses in my group, and take on the responsibility of pulling charts. Boy, I thought we had an outdated system at work... all of these charts are hand-written!

We stayed at the clinic until about 6 or so, then headed back uphill to the volunteer house. I think I´m finally getting used to the high altitude here, as I´m actually able to talk while I walk back uphill. The volunteer house is at about 8700 ft above sea level... so it´s been quite an adjustment! We all met for dinner at about 6:30, had a quick lesson with Ben from HBI, then some went off to their rooms. Cassie, Denise, Stephanie, Leah and I play a mean game of UNO. By 9pm, its ¨quiet time¨at the volunteer house, so we all head back to our rooms to journal.

In the foreground, you see someone has planted alfalfa. Further up the hill, a landscaping project is under way.

This is a typical view of the side streets of Alto Cayma.

This is Father Alex´s other church further down the street from the volunteer house. There are two services held here daily.

Here is the health care clinic Father Alex had built. It is located right next to the church you saw above.

Of course, I had to take a picture inside the clinic laboratory. Basic tests are run here... CBCs, protimes, sed rates, even some chemistry tests. Most of the tests range in cost from 3 to 15 soles (so about $1 to $5). Office visits cost about 5 soles (about $3).

DAY 2: Monday, November 7

Woke up this morning at 6am with a clear head and a good night´s rest... finally. Veronica (the cook at the volunteer house) was already in the kitchen getting things ready for today´s meals. There isn´t much conversation between us since she speaks only in Spanish and I only know some of the basics. We just smile and nod our heads at each other. I grab my cup of coffee (instant Nescafe, of course) and head back to my room to get ready for the day. By 7:30, she´s got the table set for one (Irene is already gone to the preschool where she volunteers as a teacher), and had an amazing cheese omelet made for me. I learn later this morning that the rest of the group finally made it into Lima and should be arriving in Arequipa by 12:45. After breakfast, Father Alex and Bob met me at the volunteer house to talk about the plan for today. Bob and I decide to visit of few of Father Alex´s mission places (the preschool, the soup kitchen, the knitting shop and the clinic). We weren´t going to be spending too much time there, since our more formal orientation would be when the other six arrive today. So, I didn´t take any pictures.

The preschool was so heartwarming to see. There are about 80 children there that range from 3-5 year olds. Their parents go into the city to find day labor, so this is where they can drop the kids off so they aren´t home alone. I´m not sure if they have to pay anything to have them there... but if they did, like much else around here it isn´t much. Everyone around here seems to take care of each other, so just like at the health care clinic there are prices for services, but if someone can´t afford it they will still receive the service but pay what they can. After stopping at the preschool, we head over to the soup kitchen. Again, we aren´t staying long... just a quick pop in to say ¨buenos dias¨. From there, we visit the knitting workshop, but no one is there quite yet. All of these places are located right on Father Alex´s ¨compound¨ next door to the volunteer house. It´s a gated community, so it really does feel like a compound.

Next, we head down the street to visit a friend of Bob´s. We wind through all sorts of cobbled streets (some are just dirt paths) trying to find their home. With no luck, there is no one home. So, more walking to Father Alex´s health care clinic. I´ll post a few pictures I took later... A quick tour inside and we´re headed to another more ¨hospital like¨clinic further into town. This one is more for those that have absolutely no aid and have very little money... kind of like the ¨free clinics¨we have at home. Bob is good friends with one of the Pediatricians there. When we get there, the halls are lined with moms holding their little babies waiting their turn to see the doctor. We go in to visit Bob´s friend (can´t remember his name, but we´ll be stopping back at a later time). He welcomes us into his office where he is in the middle of examining a little boy. I guess there are no issues with patient confidentiality here?? Again, speaking very little of the native language, I don´t pick up on much of what was said, but he consulted with Dr. Bob about the symptoms the little boy was having. We stayed only for a short time, and Bob filled me in when we left. Apparently, the little boy has scarlett fever and strep throat. Poor thing!

By now, it´s time to head back to the volunteer house and get ready for lunch. Bob is heading to the airport to pick up the other Impact Peru volunteers. I head to the computer to get a few things up on my blog then grab a cup of tea and sit outside and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. Finally... they all arrive at the house. YAY! Lunch was great... Veronica made some kind of vegetable soup and casserole dish. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day here. It wasn´t long after lunch, my stomach started twisting and turning... churning and gurgling. And, nest thing I knew... I was experiencing the inevitable... an hour or so of non-stop vomiting with everything I had eaten in the last two days finding it´s home along the Arequipa sewer system, if you know what I mean. Thankfully, I felt human again just about the time the group was getting ready to board the van to head up the mountain. Father Alex was taking us on a tour of the most recent settlements up the mountain. Reluctantly, I go... but I take the seat nearest the door, just in case. The rest of the evening was uneventful... still trying to settle my stomach. Ben suggested I make a cup of anis tea, which helped tremendously. At dinner, I ate a little. After dinner, we all just headed to our rooms to get comfortable and settle in for the night. Some started journaling on their computers or skyping with family... which I finally got to do with Camden and Annalyn. Seeing their faces was the highlight of my day and hearing their voices was like music to my ears. We only talk for a few minutes and it´s off to bed for them. I finish jotting my notes down of today´s activities and flip through a book I found on Peru on the bookshelf here at the house. Finally... lights out for another good night´s rest.

DAY 1: Sunday, November 6

This is the volunteer house where we are staying. Right now, it´s just me and Irene (until the rest of the group gets here). Irene is a retired teacher from England who spends 3 months every year here. She volunteers her time at the preschool next door. Veronica, the amazing cook, does not stay here. Bob and Ben live with a host family in downtown Arequipa when they come to Peru... so it´s pretty quiet in the house so far. Home sweet home...

Next door to the volunteer house is one of Father Alex´s churches (he has 2 in Alto Cayma).

Since the rest of the group would not be arriving until Monday, Bob and I decided to head to downtown Arequipa to do a little sightseeing and orientating me to the city and it´s people. In a nutshell, the city of Arequipa is doing surprisingly well, with a strong economy that enables it to expand exponentially. Father Alex has been a catalyst in helping the outer skirts of the city, like the community of Alto Cayma, flourish by providing services (like health care, food programs and employment) to the people who live there. Here is a picture of Arequipa (from downtown) looking out into the mountain communities:

My interpretation of Alto Cayma and similar settlements around Arequipa was that it was a sad, underdeveloped place with not much for opportunity for those that live there. Boy, was I wrong. Bob explained to me that since Father Alex began his mission 17 years ago, more and more people are moving to the community, finding jobs and flourishing. I´ll post more about this particular subject in detail later...

We met Ben for lunch at one of Bob´s favorite restaurants, called Tipika (?). This place was amazing... it had outdoor seating in a kind of like garden setting. We ordered a huge sampler dish of typical Peruvian cuisine. Can´t really remember what it was called, but it was tasty. Of course, we had to have Peruvian beer to go with it :)

We spent the entire day wandering around the city, stopping at all sorts of interesting places. I can already tell you, riding in the back seat of a rickety old tin can on wheels (aka the ¨taxi¨) makes me VERY nervous! To put it simple, traffic is insane and I´m surprised I haven´t witnessed any major accidents yet. We didn´t accomplish much ¨work¨ as far as the mission goes since we didn´t want to dig our hands into any project withouth the rest of the team being here. So, most of what I learned today was from Bob´s own experiences and knowledge of the culture and Arequipa.

Before leaving downtown to head back to Alto Cayma, we made a quick pit stop to wach ¨the bunuelo lady¨make her deep fried pastries. I guess this is a ¨must see¨thing around here.

Later, I went with Irene to Padre Alex´s 7pm service. I didn´t understand a single word that was spoken since my Spanish is extremely limited, but none of that mattered. I could feel the enthusiasm in his sermon and it was amazing to see how many in the community attend his services (he has three every Sunday: 11am, 4:30pm and 7pm). There must have been at least 200 people there crowded into the chaple... young and old.

Finally, by the end of the day I was so pooped my head barely hit the pillow and I was out. Thanks, also, to Irene for making me a cup of something that tasted like hot cocoa, but not as sweet. She said it´d help me sleep... don´t think I need any help in that department... my body was screaming for rest.

I´m finally here...

I´m a day behind in my blogs already, but by the time I got settled into the volunteer house yesterday, I had been up for 39 hours with only a few cat naps in between... so I figured I better wait until morning when I have a little bit clearer head. I was so tired last night I didn´t even notice the barking dogs outside my window.

My trip started at 7:30am Saturday morning with me being the first one in line at the American Airlines ticket counter. Five minutes later, I was checked in and ready to go. My first stop in the Milwaukee airport was to get something to eat, so I headed for a cafe. I wanted to start off my trip with a little adventure, so I ordered a spanish omelet... something I would never have ordered before, but I wanted to challenge my taste buds to new possibilites. Wasn´t sure how my tummy would handle the combination of eggs and salsa at 8am, but there´s nothing a little imodium can´t cure! As I sat at the airport waiting for my flight, I kept my eye on a family with a little girl about Annalyn´s age. Made me miss here terribly, already.

Fast forward 15 hours later to my arrival in Lima. I was expecting to meet up with Carmen (from HBI) and the rest of the Affinity team who had been scheduled to arrive an hour earlier than me... but it was just Carmen. Oh yea... remember that dream I posted about earlier, where when I got to Peru, I was the only one there because I had traveled on the wrong dates? Well, this wasn´t exactly the case... but I WAS the only one there (besides Bob and Ben, from HBI). Due to a snag in Houston, the other six ladies were not expected to arrive in Peru until the next night. Their flight had been cancelled in what I would call a travel nightmare. So, Carmen and I went in search of some much needed coffee. By then, it was just about midnight. I was going to be making the Lima airport my temporary home until the next leg of my trip, which was scheduled to depart at 6:45am. I was so desperate to find some sleep, but there was no where to get comfortable other than the hard cement floor or the handful of uncomfortable chairs that had already be spoken for. Sitting was the last thing I wanted to do... I´d spend the better portion of my day in that position (I was one layover away from getting a pressure sore on my tush!). In fact, we were so desperate, we headed to the airport chapel hoping to land a pew... but it seemed everyone else had the same idea. So, we drank our coffee and talked about anything and everything until the sun came up.

Dr. Bob and Father Alex were waiting for me at the Arequipa airport... and this is where my adventure begins...

Good night, sleep tight... my little ones

Well, it's my last night at home... just put the kids to bed. I head out for Milwaukee after work tomorrow, where I'll be staying at my brother & sister-in-laws. They'll be taking me to the airport Saturday morning. I'm behind in my packing, but I couldn't pull myself from snuggling with Camden for just a little while longer. As we said our good-night prayers, we talked about where "mom" is going and why I'll be away from home for a while. When I said I was going to a place far, far away to help some people who don't have much for food or even a warm bed to sleep in... he asked so innocently, "Can I come with you? I'll bring them my mouse." I just about cried. That stuffed mouse has been one of his favorites since he was a wee little baby. It's amazing how much a 3-and-a-half year old understands about the world that some grown adults aren't even capable of.

It's funny... I've practically been counting down the days to this trip since, oh, I'd say 12 weeks out or so. Now that it's right here, I kinda wish I had a few more days to prepare. This isn't like getting ready for a beach resort vacation. My bags are filled more with basic necessities than clothes. Somehow, what I wear seems so insignificant to those other things I'm bringing down with me. I'm a little scared, too. My goal was to come back a changed person... but who knows exactly how much an experience like this can change a person. Will I be happy with what I am accomplishing in my own personal life? Will I be able to pass this sort of eye-opening experience on to my own children, teaching them there is a much bigger world out there beyond our suburban life in Neenah, Wisconsin and that what we believe we must have in order survive... in all actuality we could do without. I sure hope so.

This will be my last post from the U.S... the next time you hear from me I'll be in Peru. Please continue to follow my blog throughout my journey. My plan is to update this daily and include some amazing photos. Again... thanks to all my wonderful family and friends for your support. (And, if you're wondering... YES! You can still donate financially to the mission by clicking on the donate button to the left of this page. All proceeds will go to Health Bridges International in support of their mission efforts in Peru).

Me with Dr. Gehringer (aka "Bob") at the Potluck for Peru reception. I had an awesome time meeting everyone who has helped with Affinity's IMPACT Peru mission in the past and reminiscing with some of those that have gone in past years. A huge "thank you" to my dear friend, Amanda, for coming with me and for supporting my mission efforts as well!

Some Peruvian artifacts

Me with the wonderful Father Alex Busuttil who heads the program through the Missionary Society of St. Paul in Alto Cayma. He is a Catholic priest from the island of Malta who has done amazing work empowering the people of Alto Cayma by helping them learn lifelong skills and providing assistance to those in need, especially the children and elderly.

What was left of my empanadas at the end of the night....

He wants me to bring WHAT??? That's right... what you're looking at are EIGHTY-TWO bulb syringes... or, as we call them at my house "snot suckers". Maybe I should reconsider the larger suitcase? These are just a small piece of what has been donated for missions... there were cases of toothbrushes, mouth-to-mouth blobs, infant and pediatric resucitation dolls, respirators.... the list goes on.

Potluck for Peru - This Friday

On Friday, St. Elizabeth will be hosting a reception for Father Alex (who is in town this week) and the rest of the IMPACT Peru team that's set to head out in 2 weeks, myself included. If you don't know who Father Alex is, read my earlier posts. I'm so excited to finally meet him and hear the stories of past missions! What a great time for all of us to get together and socialize, connect with those who have gone before us, and inspire those who have supported us thus far. If anyone has ever traveled on a misssion in the past, supported this mission indirectly, have had a desire to participate in a mission trip, or simply would like to learn more... PLEASE, come to the reception with me!! We are all whipping up a Peruvian dish to pass and those that have been to Peru before will be sharing photos, scrapbooks, memories, music... it sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun!

Friday, October 21 (6-8pm)
Helen Fowler Conference Center - St. Elizabeth Hospital

Let me know if are interested...

Time to dust off the old suitcases

This week, I pulled up my old dusty suitcases from the basement in anticipation of trying to cram the necessary supplies I'll need into the smallest amount of space. Naturally, I grabbed the large piece of luggage, but changed my mind as I imagined hauling it around the cobbled streets of Arequipa. Nah... better go for the smaller one and a carry-on (in case my checked back doesn't make it there). Besides, what else do I need other than a few changes of layered clothing (we'll have laundry facilities at the volunteer house). Oh, that's right... there's that list of "necessities" we discussed in our meeting with Bob. Sunscreen (it's always sunny in Arequipa), comfortable walking shoes (a common form of public non-transportation), ear plugs (again, for those wild dogs that bark throughout the night), immodium - or even better, Cipro (for the inevitable). And then there are the mission supplies... can I squeeze in a child-size recusitation dummy? Thankfully, I started this task early.

With three weeks left until departure, I'm excited to say that I'm getting SO close to reaching my fundraising goal. A HUGE THANK YOU to my hometown church in Poy Sippi for awarding me with a grant to be used for the mission. That brings my total amount raised to $1,645.18!! Like most people, I absolutely HATE asking people for donations, but without your support I wouldn't have been able to commit to making this trip. With that said, I still have just over $650 yet to raise... and I could REALLY use your help. During my time in Peru, not only will I be providing services and warmth to some of the most kind-hearted and appreciative people I'll ever meet, but I'm hoping to be transformed in the process.

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves".

I'm leavin' on a jet plane!

Well, it's official. I purchased my flight to Peru yesterday. I guess there's no turning back now! Although, after realizing what a long and exhausting ride it will be there and back, the thought did cross my mind. Where exactly is Peru? Oh, yeah... it's 4270 miles (as the crow flies) from Neenah, Wisconsin. Yowza! That means, when I leave the Milwaukee airport at 9:15am on Saturday, November 5th... and after stopping in Chicago, Miami, sleeping off an 8-hour layover in Lima and finally arriving in Arequipa... it'll be a full 24 hours later. Better have myself some good reading material with me! It'll be well worth it in the end. I'm thinking if I can make one elderly Peruvian smile as I deliver them a warm meal or have two little arms wrapped around me with excitement as I give them a brand new pencil... it'll be worth every minute and every dollar it took to get there.

I appreciate all the well wishes and comments sent my way. Thank you, too, to all who have supported this mission financially. Without your dollars, I don't think I would have been able to be a part of this IMPACT Peru team. The flight alone cost $1442! I still have quite a ways to go to reach my fundraising goal of $2300. You know, if each one of my facebook friends and family members took those couple of bucks they'd normally spend on a cafe latte at Starbucks or manicure at the nail salon and plugged it into that little donate box to the right, I'd probably end up reaching my goal in a matter of minutes... just sayin'.

My nerves are getting the best of me...

So, I had this dream last night. The time had finally come to board the plane headed for Peru (yay!). After a LONG and exhausting trip (will take us 24 hours and 4 flights to get there), I finally arrived in Arequipa and boarded a rickety old bus to take me to the volunteer house (which was a shack, in my dream). Once at the house, the bus pulled away... and I realized I was ALONE. Apparently, I had booked my flights for the wrong date. So, there I sat... in a dark empty house... nothing to do... no one around... and the wild dogs that apparently are the norm in this area were surrounding me, barking constantly. I can't remember exactly what happened next, but I do remember finally meeting up with the rest of the group. I think it's safe to say my nerves are getting the best of me...

On a happier note, I'm looking forward to meeting Father Alex (Busuttil) who runs the Mission of Alto Cayma in Peru. He'll be here visiting the Fox Valley some time this month, and will be meeting with our group of volunteers from Affinity during his visit. I can't wait to see and hear from the mastermind of the Mission of Alto Cayma. From humble beginnings out of the trunk of his old Land Rover, Father Alex has overseen the growth of the mission during the last 16 years now serving a population of over 32,000 Peruvians.

"Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace... a soul generated by love." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

Thanks to all of my amazingly generous friends and family, my fundraising (to-date) is at $1,051.26!! I can't thank you enough for the support you've all given me... and I hope I can continue to raise money for this special cause. I'm almost half-way to my goal... so please find it in your heart to donate what you can.

During our group meeting last week, we kinda got an overall idea of what this trip is going to be about. I keep thinking of the little kids we'll be meeting at the newly developed pre-school in Arequipa, and all of the other families that get by with so little. I'm hoping to be able to take with me a bag full of supplies to distribute to these families and to the school, and I'm hoping some of you might know of a supplier that would be generous enough to want to donate. Items I'm looking for include:

-toothbrushes
-hair combs
-pencils
-packs of gum
-stickers

Anything I take with me will need to be lightweight and easy to pack. Medical supplies might also be taken down with us, but as you can imagine it's difficult to get through customs with bags of syringes and such. :)

SIX weeks and counting...

I got to meet Dr. Gehringer this week, along with the rest of the IMPACT Peru team from Affinity. What a great group of people!! I'm officially getting really excited about this trip and can't believe it's only six weeks away! Big change coming from my end... I'll be going about this mission on my own. We decided that because of a few personal snaffoos along with the difficulties in arranging childcare and so on, Troy will be staying back and I'll be taking on this adventure by myself. Well, that is, in the great company of my IMPACT Peru team, of course!

Now that this mission is finally becoming a reality, I need to really kick up the FUNDRAISING!! I appreciate all of the donations that have come in so far, but I've got a long way to go to raise my new goal of $2300! YIKES! (doesn't help that airfare has gone up a bit since our first estimated trip cost... boo!).

PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING... no amount is too small. Every little bit helps toward this amazing opportunity and worthwhile mission project!! You can donate online using the button to the right. It's completely safe (trust me, I tried it - donated to myself!) and it goes directly into my PayPal account, which will be used to pay my travel fees and housing. If you're not comfortable with that, there's always snail mail (email me and I'll send you my home address).

Finally, my new passport arrived!!

Well, I was happy to see in the mail a week or so ago my brand new shiny passport finally arrived. New name, new hair color and all...

Time is certainly flying by, we're down to just over seven weeks until the mission. I'm starting to get a little nervous, but that's mostly because I haven't traveled out of country in a while. I keep telling myself I should brush up on my espanol a bit before I leave, but much like everything else on my list of things to do, I'm forced to prioritize what's REALLY important for the day (shower, work, kids, meals, cleaning, etc, etc). Ahhhh... if only I could find more free time!

Our first meeting with Dr. Gehringer is next Wednesday. I'm excited to get together with our mission team and find out more details on the trip. I don't recognize any of their names but I'm sure we'll all end up sharing some special bond at the end of it all.

That's pretty much all the latest news I have... but stay tuned as we get closer to departure!

Oh, passport... where art thou?

So, since I had not updated my passport with my married name since Mexico 2007, I needed to send it in for what I though would be a simple name change. Simple... not so much. Had I known this could have been done FOR FREE within a year of getting married, I would have done so immediately. But, much like everything else in my life that typically becomes more difficult than it has to be, I procrastinated and unexpectedly had to submit a whopping $110.00 check with my application. Really??? Believe me when I say that I seriously considered changing my drivers license back to my maiden name, just temporarily... to save a few bucks, ya know.

Anyway, now that the US government has had in their hot little hands (Lord, help me) original copies of both my passport and my marriage license (both the Spanish and English versions)... it seems as though they are not so quick to send them back. It's been almost 2 months. Yikes! Thank the Lord I started this process early!

-Patiently waiting at the mailbox...

How YOU can help...

When I posted about my upcoming mission trip to Peru, several of you sent me emails asking how you could help/donate. It costs quite a bit to go but I know this is a door that God has opened for me and I feel confidant that I'll be able to raise these funds. The exciting part is that you will be able to share in this compassion in several different ways. First, you can pray for me and the entire IMPACT Peru team. We will need prayers that God will prepare us for our trip and bless our efforts as we serve the people of Peru. We also ask that you pray for my little ones while I am gone. I will be leaving Camden & Annalyn for the first time ever for this length of time and I thank my family for helping to care for them while I am gone. I also need prayers that my fundraising goal will be met. At this time, I need to raise $2300 to go on this mission trip and that is quite a challenge.

Another way you can be involved is to help provide that financial support. Would you consider helping support our mission work in Peru through a donation towards my trip? No donation is too small and every donation helps bring me closer to our goal of $2300. Donations are tax-deductible as well. If you would like to contribute to the mission trip, there is a DONATE button on the right sidebar and you can make your donation safely and securely via this site. Money donated will go directly to an account designated solely for this trip and will offset my travel cost during the week of the mission. If donations should exceed my goal (may God bless you!), the remainder will be given directly to Health Bridges International to be put to use as they see fit.

Whether you feel compelled to contribute financially, through prayer or both, your support is greatly appreciated. I look forward to helping serve the people of Peru through this amazing opportunity! Again, thank you for considering being a part of this worthy mission.

God Bless, Kelly