Back Home and a call to Dentists

We have returned to Billings safe and sound. Our trip was one of learning, sharing and praying with the people of Peru. We hope this blog gave you some insight into another people who exist in our world and struggle everyday to support their families and communities....just like you and me. We would like to thank the Sisters of Charity and St. Pius parish in Billings for their spiritual support, hospitality and generosity in making this trip possible.

We will plan to continue our connection with the Sisters of Charity and their mission to minister to the poor.
Finally a call to any Dentists who are people of faith and would like to share their talents for one week in an Andean village. Please contact the Peru group or post a response on this blog.

May the peace of Christ be yours.

Leo, Janice, Tom, Mary and Patrick

Our work

We came to Peru not only to visit and share but to share our talents. In Chuchi, Janice taught a popular class of "manuelidades" Northern Plains Indian Beadwork. Leo  provided computer expertise to the library in Chusci.
Tom, Mary and Patrick worked in ministry to the sick, music and repairs in the city of   Piura and the mountain village of Chalaco and surrounding villages.

The land and Pueblo

Andes. Corn fields where it don´t seem possible to climb

rainbow after the rain

La Plaza in Chuschi

Chuchci from above

Different kind of tree in Andes

Chuschi

We arrived in Chuschi after a crazy ride from Ayucucho. This place is in a beautiful valley in the Andes. Very bucolic setting with adobe pueblos every so often in the mountains. Very few cars in the towns and somehow it is more beautiful. The sisters here are very gracious and funny. Janice started her bead classes today and women walked miles through the countryside to attend. I am setting up a computer system to track the church's library.
Internet is very slow here.

The ministry of the Sisters of Charity

Janice(r) joins Sr. Elena(l) and Sr. Susana on the return from a small village three hour walk in the Andes.



Convent is yellow building on left. Look how rough the street is.



Sr. Deide cooks but also teaches religion to high school students

Sr. Clorinda manages the library as well as tends the pastoral needs on the people.

We were hosted by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth in Chuschi. The Jesuits asked this community to establish a catholic presence in this pueblo after a terrible decade of terrorism during the Shining path period in the 80s and 90s. Little by little the sisters with their faith and perserverance are gaining the trust and respeçt of the people who were abandoned during the time of terroism.

Las Eleciones- The elections

Viva la revolucion .Getting the vote out.

Polling place

Soldier w machine gun guarding the polls

coming to vote from the hinterlands

We happened to be here for the elections held nation wide every four years. People walk and sometimes ride from throughout the region to cast their ballots at one place. No absentee or mail ballots.

It´s what for lunch

apple cobbler with fresh apples

salad with beans and salchicha

veg casserole



sweet potatoes and baked yucca



fried bananas and beets

fish

onions in oil and vinegar to put on top of fish

apple juice

Lunch in Peru is the main dinner and eaten around 1 pm. We found the cuisine to be excellent and below is one lunch that we had at the convent in Chuschi. Many fresh vegetables and fruits grown locally are sold in the markets for very low prices.

The transportation system

We went a week without riding in any kind of vehicle. Mostly people walk everywhere but there are these vans called "combis" that transport people between towns longer distance. The people are packed in,sometimes with animals. I counted 22 of us in the van on the three hour trip from Chuschi to Ayacucho. Cost¨$4 americano.

Los trabajadores-The Workers

Making a blanket on loom

ice cream break in plaza

Highway work crew.

Tool used for cultivating fields

Lucky man has a horse

inside courtyard creating sewing products

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Here are some of the many hard workers I have encountered in the Andes. They work only in daylight hours since there is very little electricity. Some walk up to three hours a day to get to work. Many vendors sit on the sidewalk all day and look to sell a few soles a day. A sole equals about 37 cents.

In the Andes: People walk 6 hrs a day to get to work and back: Janice got a bottle of milk and bag of corn from her students.

We have not been able to find internet until today.Many things have happened but I will not be able to post any photos until I find a better connection. Right now I am in an internet cafe with one computer, adobe walls  and a lamb walking around the room. The people here are very poor and walk or run to get anywhere. Our ride over from Ayuchucho was kind of wild going up to 12,000 feet on gravel roads with a driver that liked speed. We are staying at the convent here with four of the nuns who are treating us very well. Janice´s beading class is extremely popular and colorful since all the women come in traditional dress and hat and some walk for miles to attend. I am working with the sisters setting up computer programs to track the books in the library they have created for the people.

Today is election day that happens once every four years and the town is crowded with voters who have come from all over the surounding area mostly on foot and dressed in traditional ways. Many venders on the steet selling things they cook over open fire. Andrew Zimmer from the travel channel needs to try some of this. I do like the Alpaca roasted.
The military presence is obvious for the elections. Sodiers with machine guns are stationed around the polls.
We are here till Wed and then start making our way back to Lima. Until then we will enjoy this remote valley in the Andes surrounded by mountains.

Ayucucho

We flew into this city from Lima and will take a bus up to Chuschi which is over 9000 ft high. This city is famous in Peru. The peruvians conquered the Spanish here to win independence. In the 1980s and 1990s the Shining Path movement started here which eventually ended up murdering 90,000 people. Also in the 1980s
Pope John Paul II came here to be with the poorest people in Peru. No American influences here and very few gringos.

Celebrating the feast of St Michael outside of Church

The bishops house

bread store  in Ayuchucho

bus station office where we catch the four hour bus to the altiplano

In Lima still

We are in Lima today. Took a long city bus ride to see the real neighborhoods. We are at an internet cafe that is very common. Early tomorrow we fly out. The food is good. We are staying at the convent of the sisters of St . Joseph...they have missions all over the world but none in US.

Hasta luego.

Cusco to Lima

We left the Inca capital today to return to the Peruvian capital. Cusco is a great place that thrives on the turisticos. Tourists are there either for the archeological sites or outdoor adventures. Tomorrow we head to the remote part of our trip outside Ayuchucho. We will be there until 10\7.
The other half of group, Tom, Mary and Patrick headed north today to the coastal city of Piura and will also spend time in the Andes in villages there that the sisters have missions.

Guess where in the world this airport is

A callejon in Cusco. Many like this

La Plaza de San Francisco in Cusco

Pisac in the Sacred Valley

Waiting to give flowers to bride and groom

Wedding musicians

selling fruits and vegetables in Pisac market

Today we went to Pisac....an hour from Cusco in the Sacred Valley. This is a Quechua Indian village that happens to have a big market on Sunday. We went to mass at the mission and there were two weddings....very colorful as you see.