In reading the history of the people of Peru, with a rich heritage in wealth, commerce, institutional government, and a religion based on the sun, I learned that even today about half of the people in Peru are still of the Inca blood line. The official language of Peru is both Spanish and equally the ancient language Quachua, still spoken daily as the first language by over half the population.
Like most places the Spanish conquered they decimated the people, their culture and their history. It is hard to imagine the power and importance of a country like Peru had it been colonized by the English. There was more wealth in Peru than in Mexico at the time of the conquistadors. As an example of their wealth, Pizarro was offered 88 cubic yards of gold and 176 cubic yards of silver as ransom for the captured king.
The rest of the history is all down hill as the Spanish pillaged the country. Over the centuries since, the government has been unstable and corrupt (as most Spanish led societies are), which continued up to 2000 with Fujimori, now in exile in Japan, the latest in a long list of pillagers.
What is left is a country of adout 25 million people, most of them indian or mixed race, with no prospects for a better life, leading us to the mission we are on. The families are so poor that basic needs like food and water are scarce. One of our tour guides, a native Limian, explained that he "had not seen rain" since he was 7. He is now over 40.
With such extreme poverty there is simply not enough food to go around in a family so the boys are "expelled" from the house when their father deems them old enough to "fend for themselves". This happens at the age of 4 to 12. These boys learn to hate and distrust "adults" and literally hide in the sewers during the day and forage as best they can at night. There are thousands of these boys and the mission is to find them, feed them, educate them and feed them spiritually so they can find God and contribute to their society.
I have witnessed first had the "works" of this mission as I saw and talked to a 26 year old that came through this system. He explained to another of the adults in our group that he was rebellious as a youth, not trusting of adults, that have done everything from sexually assulting children to beatings and abuse. For this reason they do not trust adults so they generally hide. The mission raaches out to them in Lima by offering a place to eat and sleep. Because of the abuse and general distrust of adults the Lima chapter works as a half way house until they can trust the adults at the mission enough to be placed in orphaniges and schools in other more remote regions, like Kuso, where have arrived today after an 11 hour bus ride.
On this trip we first visited a new orphanige that houses about 40 boys. Then we went to Lima and stayed a day and a half at a halfway house.
Some observations:
As we traveled throughout the country I noticed many structures seemingly half built. The Perivian dream, like all of us have, is to own their own house. Typically they start out with 4 mats and "squat" on a parcel of land. Over time they replace grass mats with mud brick and over time, often through their children and grandchildren, build a house, a brick at a time. I hear sometimes it takes several generations to complete a simple homestead.
The first boys home we visited on Monday was in Ica. Scripture Mission has 5 homes in Ica alone and we visited #6, a beautiful camp and conference center on the beach. The conference center and lodges are rented and about 75% of the money needed for the camp is raised in this way.
For the record, the beautiful camp on the shore had no hot water or heat. While the dytime temps are in the 90s the nite time temps are in the 40s. We were cold to the bone the first nite we stayed in Mala.
From there we went to the village of of Kawai where we ate lunch and went soaring on the sand dunes in a buggy that seated 8. Imagine the most intense ride at Disney, then double it! The dunes were 400 feet high and the buggy would go up as fast and far as it could before it slid around then plunged, accellerator to the floor to the bottom, and up the next dune. See pictures.
On Tuesday we spent the night in Lima at the half way house, played with the boys, toured the capital, saw the changing of the guards, Purivian style, and headed to Kusi at 6:00 AM. Kusi is 10 hours North and inland by bus. We had a bus breakdown when still an hour away and the adventure was waiting for a backup, moving the luggage and arriving late for dinner.
Had my first hot shower toight, well, luke worm, but I feel rejuvinated and ready for tomorrow. The plan for tomorrow is to work with the kids in the morning running a vacation bible school, then working on the compound in the afternoon. This town is on the "other side" of the Andes, where it does rain and there is plenty of vegitation.
Saw incredible mountain views and valleys as I read that the Andes have the highest peaks with the deepest valleys on Earth. We went by the lake today at 14,000 feet and actually had some of us get sick from the altiude, and he bus ride, which was an adventure in its own merit.
Tidbits about Lima: Founded in the 16th Century it was actually an Indian town dating back to 1700 BC.
On our way to Kusi (translated as Happpiness, joy, comfort) We pass the Valley of Huacho (google this) which is the Southern California of Peru. Irregation from glacier rivers is used to grow the crops we enjoy all winter, asparigas, broccoli, cantelop, and other fruits and vegitables.
We traveled along through the town of Huaura, famous for San Martin's declaration of Independance from Spain in 1821. Then onto the fishing village of Supe. This valley is the site of the oldest city in the Western Hemosphere. It dates to about 2950 BC and include a city complete with pyramids and structures rivaling any on Earth for the period. For historians this is:
1000 years before Abraham (Father of the Jews)1500 yeqrs before the Mosus led the Exodus from Egypt
We then passed the towns of Barranca, Paramonga, and Pativilca, all this in the fist four hours of the journey, and not yet half way to Kusi.
Next we traveled up to 14,500 feet around Lake Conococha, the highest navigable lake on Earth. Then down to Huaraz, through Anta,Carhuaz, Yungay, and into Kisa. This is the newest of the campsites and home for the boys, their school, and the location Southlake students have been building for the past six years.
Kusishka kasunchink - We shall be happy has true meaning to the Indians who always seem to be smiling. Today was 11 hours on the bus so not much else to report, except I had plenty of time to read the Bible. I started gain in Acts of the Apostles becasue I wanted to get an idea of how the Apostles started and managed the early church.
I especially like Acts as Paul is my favorite role model. Here is a Roman citizen, chosen by God to carry out his work in mission to the Gentiles. For him to have been chosen by God, specifically for his station, a wealthy and educated man, then fill him with the spirit tocarry out his work ahs always been an inspiration to me.
While Acts is a long Book, it highlights just how God planned for the seeding of his Church and how He inspired simple and educated men alike to carry the good news throughout the World.
Like most places the Spanish conquered they decimated the people, their culture and their history. It is hard to imagine the power and importance of a country like Peru had it been colonized by the English. There was more wealth in Peru than in Mexico at the time of the conquistadors. As an example of their wealth, Pizarro was offered 88 cubic yards of gold and 176 cubic yards of silver as ransom for the captured king.
The rest of the history is all down hill as the Spanish pillaged the country. Over the centuries since, the government has been unstable and corrupt (as most Spanish led societies are), which continued up to 2000 with Fujimori, now in exile in Japan, the latest in a long list of pillagers.
What is left is a country of adout 25 million people, most of them indian or mixed race, with no prospects for a better life, leading us to the mission we are on. The families are so poor that basic needs like food and water are scarce. One of our tour guides, a native Limian, explained that he "had not seen rain" since he was 7. He is now over 40.
With such extreme poverty there is simply not enough food to go around in a family so the boys are "expelled" from the house when their father deems them old enough to "fend for themselves". This happens at the age of 4 to 12. These boys learn to hate and distrust "adults" and literally hide in the sewers during the day and forage as best they can at night. There are thousands of these boys and the mission is to find them, feed them, educate them and feed them spiritually so they can find God and contribute to their society.
I have witnessed first had the "works" of this mission as I saw and talked to a 26 year old that came through this system. He explained to another of the adults in our group that he was rebellious as a youth, not trusting of adults, that have done everything from sexually assulting children to beatings and abuse. For this reason they do not trust adults so they generally hide. The mission raaches out to them in Lima by offering a place to eat and sleep. Because of the abuse and general distrust of adults the Lima chapter works as a half way house until they can trust the adults at the mission enough to be placed in orphaniges and schools in other more remote regions, like Kuso, where have arrived today after an 11 hour bus ride.
On this trip we first visited a new orphanige that houses about 40 boys. Then we went to Lima and stayed a day and a half at a halfway house.
Some observations:
As we traveled throughout the country I noticed many structures seemingly half built. The Perivian dream, like all of us have, is to own their own house. Typically they start out with 4 mats and "squat" on a parcel of land. Over time they replace grass mats with mud brick and over time, often through their children and grandchildren, build a house, a brick at a time. I hear sometimes it takes several generations to complete a simple homestead.
The first boys home we visited on Monday was in Ica. Scripture Mission has 5 homes in Ica alone and we visited #6, a beautiful camp and conference center on the beach. The conference center and lodges are rented and about 75% of the money needed for the camp is raised in this way.
For the record, the beautiful camp on the shore had no hot water or heat. While the dytime temps are in the 90s the nite time temps are in the 40s. We were cold to the bone the first nite we stayed in Mala.
From there we went to the village of of Kawai where we ate lunch and went soaring on the sand dunes in a buggy that seated 8. Imagine the most intense ride at Disney, then double it! The dunes were 400 feet high and the buggy would go up as fast and far as it could before it slid around then plunged, accellerator to the floor to the bottom, and up the next dune. See pictures.
On Tuesday we spent the night in Lima at the half way house, played with the boys, toured the capital, saw the changing of the guards, Purivian style, and headed to Kusi at 6:00 AM. Kusi is 10 hours North and inland by bus. We had a bus breakdown when still an hour away and the adventure was waiting for a backup, moving the luggage and arriving late for dinner.
Had my first hot shower toight, well, luke worm, but I feel rejuvinated and ready for tomorrow. The plan for tomorrow is to work with the kids in the morning running a vacation bible school, then working on the compound in the afternoon. This town is on the "other side" of the Andes, where it does rain and there is plenty of vegitation.
Saw incredible mountain views and valleys as I read that the Andes have the highest peaks with the deepest valleys on Earth. We went by the lake today at 14,000 feet and actually had some of us get sick from the altiude, and he bus ride, which was an adventure in its own merit.
Tidbits about Lima: Founded in the 16th Century it was actually an Indian town dating back to 1700 BC.
On our way to Kusi (translated as Happpiness, joy, comfort) We pass the Valley of Huacho (google this) which is the Southern California of Peru. Irregation from glacier rivers is used to grow the crops we enjoy all winter, asparigas, broccoli, cantelop, and other fruits and vegitables.
We traveled along through the town of Huaura, famous for San Martin's declaration of Independance from Spain in 1821. Then onto the fishing village of Supe. This valley is the site of the oldest city in the Western Hemosphere. It dates to about 2950 BC and include a city complete with pyramids and structures rivaling any on Earth for the period. For historians this is:
1000 years before Abraham (Father of the Jews)1500 yeqrs before the Mosus led the Exodus from Egypt
We then passed the towns of Barranca, Paramonga, and Pativilca, all this in the fist four hours of the journey, and not yet half way to Kusi.
Next we traveled up to 14,500 feet around Lake Conococha, the highest navigable lake on Earth. Then down to Huaraz, through Anta,Carhuaz, Yungay, and into Kisa. This is the newest of the campsites and home for the boys, their school, and the location Southlake students have been building for the past six years.
Kusishka kasunchink - We shall be happy has true meaning to the Indians who always seem to be smiling. Today was 11 hours on the bus so not much else to report, except I had plenty of time to read the Bible. I started gain in Acts of the Apostles becasue I wanted to get an idea of how the Apostles started and managed the early church.
I especially like Acts as Paul is my favorite role model. Here is a Roman citizen, chosen by God to carry out his work in mission to the Gentiles. For him to have been chosen by God, specifically for his station, a wealthy and educated man, then fill him with the spirit tocarry out his work ahs always been an inspiration to me.
While Acts is a long Book, it highlights just how God planned for the seeding of his Church and how He inspired simple and educated men alike to carry the good news throughout the World.
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