A Trip to the Andes

Laurel and I had quite the adventure this weekend. Lidia planned a trip for the Lima volunteers to go up to a small village in the Andes Mountains. We were told very little about what to expect from the trip, but we looked forward to seeing another place in Peru. We left Friday morning and then got back Saturday night. Here are the events that happened during those two days.

7:00 AM Friday
We all piled onto a bus. The drive took about 5 hours and most of it was rather terrifying. The roads were extremely narrow once we got in the mountains, so we'd look out the window and see a complete drop-off. I think I cringed every time the bus turned around the bend.

You can't really tell the drop off from the picture, but this was taken on the bus showing the edge of the road

12:00 PM Friday
We made it to the school in Lahuaytambo. We sang songs and did a craft with the kids there.

The school

1:00 PM Friday
We walked to the village (the school was a good distance away from where the people lived). We were escorted to a room in a community center/hostel place. We just sat and played Scum while waiting to eat lunch. We ate lunch at 3:00 and then sent back to this same room. Laurel and I watched part of a movie and took pictures of the place. Apparently things weren't going according to plan, and some of the families weren't ready for us to go stay with them. So we just hung out for awhile.

8:00 PM Friday
We broke into our assigned groups. In my group there was me, Mike, and Tifany (Laurel was in a different group). Tifany is Peruvian and speaks both English and Spanish, while Mike is from Missouri. The three of us walked up to our host family. Our host family was an older couple named Teo and Angelica. They were so cute and so sweet! They made us dinner and told us about what life is like in their village.

Angelica and Teo

Group selfie

Mike and Tifany

10:00 PM Friday
We got ready for bed. Teo has two different houses, so we stayed in a different one from them. This house consisted of two rooms (no bathroom). Our group was fortunate because there were beds at this house. Some groups didn't even have a host family (because there was a miscommunication) and others had to sleep on the hard floor (Laurel slept on sheepskin). Mike had one bed, while Tifany and I shared the other. Good thing, too. The temperature dropped to about 50 degrees and we just had two blankets and no heater to keep us warm. It was really, really cold! Tifany and I basically cuddled all night to stay warm.

7:30 AM Saturday
We woke up and had breakfast. Breakfast was homemade goat cheese and potatoes. Teo also took us on a hike to see a waterfall (although it was dried up).

Dried up waterfall

11:00 AM Saturday
We met up with the rest of the volunteers. We went on a hike to see some ruins. It was a hard hike that was basically straight down and then straight up again. Very pretty though.

The ruins that we hiked down to

12:30 PM Saturday
Tifany, Mike, and I went back up to Teo's where they fed us lunch. We had steak and soup. They also served some juice made from purple corn that I thought was pretty much the best thing ever.

Cute little Peruvian boy

2:30 PM Saturday
We started back home. We picked up people and gave them rides on the way down the mountain. We even had some people climb up onto the roof. As if the bus ride wasn't scary enough already...

This was a cool experience. It was interesting to see how these people live such humble and simple lives, but are totally happy and content with everything that they have. They were very warm and friendly. I loved my experience there.

El Zoologico

We have made some good friends in the ward that is here. They spoil us. Our friend Tito had us over for lunch on Tuesday and we ate some yummy food. Another friend Jorge offered to take us to the zoo on Wednesday. It was a nice, big zoo! It was fun to see all of the different animals that they have here.

The flowers hang and grow down. Coolest tree ever!

Jungle hut

Random cat that decided it would go live with the tortoises.

Creepy piranhas

Water buffalo

Zebras

Incan symbols

I Love to See the Temple

Last Saturday Laurel and I decided we would try to find the LDS temple in Lima. All we knew about how to get there was that we needed to get on a blue bus, sit for about an hour, and then it would drop us off right in front of the temple. With only those directions, we set off to find it. While wandering around feeling (and probably looking) slightly lost, a nice lady walked by and asked us where we were going. She then asked some people which bus we needed to take, told us which one, and then hurried away with her son. She seemed like she was in a hurry, so that was extremely nice of her to take the time to help us. Another man had heard our conversation with her and decided he’d wait with us to make sure that we got on the right bus. I just love these people here. They are so genuine and focused on what they can do for others.

After getting on the right bus, we were dropped off right at the temple gate. It was such a beautiful sight! I love the look of this temple. Since it was a Saturday, it was very busy. There were people (small children included) walking all over the grounds. We found out that the temple was basically too full and that we’d have to wait for hours. We decided that we’d just go back another day. Even though we were unable to go inside, I was still able to feel the wonderful Spirit that the temple has. It felt so right. Here I was: in a foreign country, I don’t speak the language, streets and buildings are unfamiliar, the other volunteers that surround me live life in a way that I don’t agree with, and the only person I knew when coming to this country was Laurel. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost. But when I walked onto those temple grounds, I felt like I was home. Not home in the sense that I was back in the United States, but home where everything is clear, right, and perfect. There is no place on Earth that I would rather be.

As an added note, church was great on Sunday, too. It was held at the stake center because they were splitting the ward here. I was asked to play the piano for a choir musical number. It was a difficult hymn that I can’t actually play that well, but luckily the choir sang loud and well enough that they covered up all of my mistakes. It was a little nerve-wracking because I sat up on the stand for the whole meeting and worried that I’d mess up the song, but it turned out okay. I was happy to participate in the program. :) 

First Week Volunteering in Peru: Check!

I’ve enjoyed my first week of being here in Peru. It’s kind of crazy to think that it’s already been a week. Here are some of the highlights from the week:

                On Tuesday Laurel and I were both at San Antonio. We were assigned to go work with the older girls (ages 10-14ish). Throughout this week, I have been trying out my very limited Spanish communication skills. I was talking to one girl (in Spanish) and she asked me about my family. Sad topic, seeing as how I still have both parents and a lot of brothers and sisters, while she doesn’t have anyone. I told her about how I have four brothers and four sisters and I wanted to tell her that I was the youngest. Well, I didn’t remember the Spanish word for “youngest” so I tried to say that I was the baby of the family. After I said that though, she started freaking out and patting my stomach. Apparently I told her that I was expecting a baby… I quickly tried to explain to her that no, I was most definitely not pregnant.

                Laurel and I went to the Inka Market and each bought bags for around $7. Rest assured, we will be doing a lot more shopping. I want an Alpaca sweater.

                On Thursday I got to volunteer in the baby orphanage. All morning I was in a room with little 1-year olds. Gosh, those kids were so stinkin’ cute! There were five of them and they were all smiles when I walked in. I helped them get ready for the day and I helped feed them lunch. We played with toys and the kiddos fought over who got to sit in my lap.

                We’ve had some very yummy food here. We even had the famous Peruvian dish Cerviche, which is raw fish smothered in lime, onions, and cilantro. I thought it was pretty good actually. We had deep fried fish and squid to go with it, so it was really quite a good meal. We eat rice at least once a day.

               

                Today, instead of following our normal volunteering schedule, we went to San Antonio for their 20^th Anniversary Celebration. They make parties and celebrations a huge deal here. There was a lot of dancing and music, basically for hours. We also painted some more on the mural and Laurel and I scraped bird poop off of playground equipment. Here are some pictures of the progress we’ve made with the outside part of San Antonio. 

 This yard used to be covered in weeds. It looks much, much better now!

The mural

Weekly Volunteer Schedule

Last Monday Laurel and I had an orientation meeting where we were given more information about the volunteering program and we were able to go to the different orphanages. We saw all of them so that we could choose which ones we’d like to volunteer in. After seeing them all, we each chose our weekly schedule. Laurel and I both had some preferences, but for the most part we just wanted to be placed where we’d be the most useful. We don’t have the same schedule as each other because we wanted to be flexible. Here’s what my weekly schedule as a volunteer looks like currently:

8:15-12:30 Mondays and Thursdays

                Divino – this is an orphanage for kids ages 0-10. They have a lot of the really young kids and babies at this orphanage. This was the one that Laurel and I both had a preference for, because the cute, chubby Peruvian babies are just adorable.

8:30-12:30 Tuesdays and Wednesdays

                San Antonio – this orphanage has older kids and even some teenagers. It is mixed in with some kids that have special needs. This one has a number of different projects. There are different groups of kids that we could go play with and teach English activities to. This week there was a huge project of getting the outside yard/play area looking decent. The area was covered in weeds and long grass, the playground equipment was in need of a new paint job or at least a cleaning, and we have been painting a beautiful mural on the wall. There has been a lot to do here.

8:15-12:30 Fridays

                Esperanza – this is an orphanage for babies and young children with special needs. Volunteers typically play with the children, or help the workers as the children go through their therapies. They receive physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

4:00-6:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays

                La Punta – this is not an orphanage. It’s a government owned place for girls that have been abused or exposed to violence in some way. The girls stay there anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. It is a place for them to feel safe again. As volunteers, we go there to play with them, teach them English lessons, and just provide a (hopefully) happy distraction for them. We are not told what they have been through or why they are there, although I do know that one of the girls there right now is pregnant.

It has been a humbling week. It’s heartbreaking to see so many children without families. They are so sweet. These children just love everyone and all they want is to be loved as well. Even if they have no idea who you even are, they’ll run up to you and hug/kiss you (Peruvians kiss each other on the cheek as a greeting).  Anything I can do to help these little sweethearts, I will gladly do it. 

Feliz Dia Papa!

Happy Father's Day! I was sad to be away from my dad, but I was at least able to celebrate Father's Day with Papa Juan. He invited Laurel and I to go to church with him on Saturday night. It was a Christian Evangelist church (we think) and they were doing a special sermon/celebration for fathers. We sang some hymns and then they had the fathers play some games. They had them play soccer in honor of the World Cup.

Papa Juan playing soccer

After the games, they had a Jewish Rabbi give the sermon. Kinda interesting that a Jew gave the sermon in a Christian church... but I'm sure it was nice. I didn't understand any of it really. He spoke for over an hour, which is apparently longer than what they are used to. They had dinner afterwards, but because everything took longer the dinner was at 10:30. 

On Sunday Laurel and I went to our (LDS) church. Everyone was SO nice. We instantly had a lot of people approach us and talk to us. Most everyone thought we were missionaries and they kept asking us where our badges were. We had a couple of people offer to translate Sunday School and Relief Society for us, so that was really nice. I always find it amazing that our church is the same everywhere in the world. It's incredible that we were even on the same lesson that we would have been on in Utah. I love talking to the members and hearing their testimonies. To have the church be so organized and the people so zealous in their commitment to live the gospel all over the world is really quite amazing. I have always found such righteous examples as I have traveled and it reminds me that I want to be more like them. I need to be better about reaching out to others and giving selfless service. I look forward to being here and getting to know these wonderful people better. 

One of the cute girls that helped us, Camila

The street and gate outside of the church. Yes there are spikes on top of the gate. 

Home Away From Home

Made it to Peru! We arrived late Friday night/Saturday morning. "Papa" Juan was there to pick us up and took us to his house, where we will be staying. It was a lot to take in that late at night. Juan is Lidia's (the IVHQ program coordinator in Lima) husband and there are about 19 volunteers living here at this house. I feel like every time I walk out of my room there is someone new I haven't met yet. Apparently people are in and out all of the time. Laurel and I are in a room together with one other girl.

Our quaint little room

The area that is right outside our room

Main room with extended dining room 

Lima is a fun place. It's a large city, so it's quite crowded and kind of dirty. There is a lot to see here, though, and the people are wonderful. I feel like everyone has been very helpful and friendly. We've been able to go to a bunch of different places in Lima - the beach, Miraflores, La Punta, and we've walked all around San Miguel (where we live). 

Our town

 Cat-infested JFK park

Beautiful beaches

Wait, You're Leaving the Country?! Again?!

Well guys, I’m off on another adventure. I am headed to Peru for four weeks, where I will be working and teaching in an orphanage. I, of course, am very excited for this new adventure – new culture, new people, new sights. Many people have asked me why I like traveling so much. In fact, most people are surprised I would even go at all, let alone several times. I guess I don’t come across as the adventurous type. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and have decided that there are three main reasons why I have a traveling addiction.

#1 The people

I love people. I love observing how people think and act and have found that I am at my happiest when I am helping others. I love meeting new faces, learning new customs, listening to their language, comparing their culture to my own, and watching how people around the world live their life. It is amazing to see that while there are some major differences between people living in different countries, we are still all the same. Everyone has needs and desires, hopes and dreams. I’ve learned to be respectful and open-minded to new perspectives. I’ve also learned how to love and serve others. Thailand in particular has people that have completely devoted their life to serving and lifting others. It came naturally for them to forget themselves and serve, and I hope that I can one day follow their example.

#2 The adventure

I don’t mean to brag guys… but I’ve done and seen some pretty awesome stuff. I’ve pet a tiger, ridden an elephant, climbed the steps of Notre Dame, explored multiple castles, and stood inside the Roman Coliseum – just to name a few. Doing stuff like this is surreal and exhilarating. I highly recommend just spontaneously going on an adventure and seeing something new every once in a while. Travelers turn into great storytellers. Even if something doesn’t seem as fun at the time, good stories are always sure to come from your traveling experiences. Having my group get robbed on a beach in France was not a pleasant experience at the time, but now it makes for a great story. Getting kissed by a strange man on a train in Ukraine was really quite horrifying, but likewise – it makes for an incredibly entertaining story. I’m all about the stories. I could seriously go on all day on the topic of travel, but it’s something I try to limit talking about because I’m sure I can get to be annoying about it. 

#3 How it helps me to grow and overcome fear

I was born with a very small comfort zone. I get why many people are surprised that I seek out crazy travel adventures, especially if they knew me during my incredibly awkward and shy teenage years. I’ve had many paralyzing fears throughout the course of my life – speaking in front of people, going somewhere by myself, having to ask for help, meeting someone new… But truthfully, I hated that I was like that. I wanted to get better and to conquer some of my fears. So how can you get over a fear of public speaking? By speaking in public. How can you get over the fear of meeting new people? By introducing yourself and talking to someone you don’t know. I have forced myself to do things out of my comfort zone, over and over and over, until it wasn’t as scary. Believe it or not, traveling is totally out of my comfort zone. Because of it, however, I have been able to conquer many of my fears. Good thing too, or else there is no way I could have the career that I now have. Teaching requires me to speak in front of people, meet and work with new people, and ask for help when I feel that my weaknesses are stopping me from doing my best. I’ve learned many of these skills throughout my traveling experiences, especially since most of the time that I travel I am teaching and working with children.

Traveling has changed my life. I owe many of the life lessons that I have learned to traveling. I am a better person for it. It probably isn’t a necessity for everyone, but it acted as the kick-in-the-pants I needed to get my life headed in the direction I wanted. It’s my own way of stopping myself from getting into a rut and feel like I am living life to the fullest by doing what I want to. One of my favorite songs is the song “I Lived” by One Republic. It pretty much sums up how I am feeling right now as I am about to embark on my journey to Peru. At the end of my life, I want to be able to quote that song and say this:

 I did it all

I owned every second that this world could give

I saw so many places

The things that I did

Yeah, with every broken bone

I swear I lived