goodbye from mike

this week has been totally awesome! its been a great experience to see another culture and how it works. i´m really disappointed that i have to leave and also for the guys and gals who didnt get to make this trip. i truly think my life has changed in a way that i cant really explain but definitely in a positive way.

the greatest part about this trip and i think that everyone will agree with me is the fact that we got to touch these boy´s lives. i may never know what kind of difference i made to them but i will for the rest of my life have the satisfaction that i tried and gave it my all. but since i said im being positive im going to go home knowing that i did. jesús and lizer (lizer was a kid i met at the kusi center and his pic is on the blogging site) were two wonderful and very intelligent kids whose lives crossed mine. i will never forget the time i spent with them and i will always remember the love they showed to me and to everyone else in the center.

think about this and i know you´ve probably read a lot about this on the website, but think about when you were just a small child of about 4-10 years old. now think about getting kicked out of your own home by you´re alcoholic father and a mother who can´t take care of you. or imagine going to the mall with your mother and then the next minute you are all alone in a city of more than 8 million people. these kids have done things to escape the pain that i could never imagine someone their age doing. then imagine someone coming up to you and offering you a place to sleep every night, food three times a day, and an education. many of these kids jumped on that opportunity and they were turned into loving and caring human beings like you and me. many of them go on to vocational school somewhere and become successful businessmen. while others go back out and return to the streets of lima.

but on a lighter note, we visited a glacier lake at huascaran national park. it was a blast! me and some of the other guys decided to take a dip in the 40 degree water, but it was very refreshing. we then hike up part of the base of the mountain and took some nasty pictures of just about everything we saw. some of the other classmates decided to take a boat ride out on the lake instead. we then went back to the kusi center to have the most amazing lunch of the week.

after that we hiked down where the old town of yungay used to stand before it was buried by a mudslide in the early 70´s. that was pretty neat to see because you could still see where buildings were buried and overturned by the mud that was traveling at over 300 mph. they also had a bus that was still twisted and mangled in the ground. we came back to the hostel oasis and witnessed a graduating parade of what seemed to be elementary kids. so that was my day in a nutshell but now i just have to prepare for a 7-9 hour bus ride back to lima and another 8 hour flight or more to home sweet home charlotte.

Peru 2008! (closing statements by Madeline Hatley and Cassidy Henry

Peru is far from what we expected. In the little time we have spent here, we have made memories to last a life time. We all came to Peru to make an impact on the children's lives but it was them who had changed our lives for the better. Seeing the joy and gratefullness in their eyes, even when they had nothing, it caused us to realize how truely ungratefull we are. Through the week, by becoming closer to the kids, it caused us Seniors to not just be classmates, but more like a family. In our devotions tonight we all had the chance to share our favorite memories of our Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional journies throughout this trip.



the fav memories of Madeline and Cassidy are as follows:



Cassidy: When we finally got to the boys home in Kusi, the classes were still in progress. When the classes congregated in the center for VBS, they all couldn't wait to show us their "march", sing their national anthem (and we sang ours), and show off their school mascott...A CHICKEN!!!! but when it came time to help with the craft, I was able to experience the most precious moment of this whole trip. while I was working with my assigned class, i had this girl come up to me and tap my shoulder. as i turned around, i was faced with a beautiful girl with the most exotic green eyes. Before she even knew my name she was already in my arms.While playing with her I realized that she had the walking disability known as "clubbed foot". As i observed her with her classmates, my heart broke as i saw them joke around as they tapped her foot. By time after time of being picked on I, personally, would probably be bitter towards them. This beautiful girl just radiated with joy and love towards all of her classmates, even though they didnt return the favor. When it was time to go down to their feild for recess, instead of playing with the other kids, all she wanted was for me to sit down and hold her. She encouraged me to show love and compassion to everyone, no matter who they are. Its simply amazing, how no matter how "old or mature" you think you are, theres always something to learn from God's greatest gifts...Children.





Madeline: Thursday was the first day that we went to Kusi to do VBS and work. It was my favorite day because I got to meet alot of children and got to interact with them through crafts and playing outside. Thursdays craft was a lion mask from the story of Daniel and the lions den. We all got to help the kids make their masks and after that we got to go out to the field and play with them. When we were leaving the room after crafts, a little girl named Selina came up to me and hugged me. She was one of the girls that I helped with crafts. We went outside and played on the field together. My spanish isnt that good, so everytime she would speak in spanish I would say si, and then she would grab my hand and take me to play with her friends. I could understand some of the things that she said, but for the most part we just enjoyed spending time together. She was so happy to see us and I even got to see her the next day. All of the children were like Selina. They were so happy to see us and always ran up and hugged us the moment they saw us. They were also so grateful for what they had and its obvious that they dont take one day for granted.

Rather than having a simple senior trip to the beach, us seniors were allowed the privlege of coming to Peru to impact others for the good of Christ. Hopefully we impacted them as much as they impacted us.

I Love Peru, by Tara Alt

So today we made bricks all day and i am exhausted, especially from the sun! i am going to come home looking like a peruvian!!! i am really connecting with the boys from the center here more than i everhave before because there is not as much of a language barrier anymore! i love them and every day more that i spend here i begin to see a better picture of God´s love and how he is changing me more than i could ever imagine! this really is the best experience of my life and i am so glad iam doing this and challenging myself on so many different levels!

i am so excited to see what else God will do in my life! the work is tiring, but it is way worth it and i wouldn´t want to be anywhere else in the world! i love that God is teaching me to rely on him fully spiritually and he willprovide what i need physically. Tomorrow is my last day in Caraz and i have already cried about it! The boys here are so special to me,especially one little boy in particular named Diego (please pray for himbecause his story is very sad). we have really connected unlike anyoneelse and he follows me everywhere i go! i love it here! Tomorrow we are going on a hike through the glacier lakes and then on the long bus rideback to lima on sunday!

Note from Miss Jackson: Tara graduated from SLCA in 2005 and is back in Peru as an intern for 6 weeks. She has spent her first 8 days with us!

Thoughts from Steve-O

Ah Peru a land of mountains, cities, jungles, and various other types climate zones that i am either unaware of or am not interested in. The people here are all really short, myself being roughly a foot or more taller than the average person. Their short stature however is cleverly masked by some of the most aggressive and insane driving found on the face of planet earth.

As I spent many hours in various buses around the country, I have many opportunities to ponder many questions about life and other random topics. I was able to realize the sheer amount of sci-fi forms that I immerse myself in when I perfectly understood the scientific aspects of the movie "Deja vu", which we watched on the bus. In the dead of night I found evidence that there really are telepathic people in the world when I woke up, wanted to know what time it was, rolled over, and dreamt that I asked Mr. Arrendale what time it was only to learn that I was fairly accurate.

Over the course of the trip, I found myself missing two things in particular: treated water and clam chowder. I really love clam chowder. It will be the first thing I eat after I return home. The soup here is really good, but it is not quite the same. On the subject of food, I got to watch Logan kill a guine pig, have it skinned, cleaned and cooked. It was delicious!

I got to spend some time digging out really big rocks from the sides of mountains. For the most part the efforts put forth yielded only small rocks, but one large rock was found under a foot of earth. It was a really big rock.

People often underestimate the impact of high altitude. The people who live up here would run to the point that fire would burst from thier feet if they ever came to sea level. Shortness of breath is common amoungst us outsiders.

thoughts from mr. arrendale

Yesterday and today we worked at the Boys Home in Kusi. Yesterday the boys and girls made bricks, with the boys hauling mud to the brick forms after the girls stomped the mud and straw together. Today however the girls were on their own as the boys "moved rocks". That is slang for digging up boulders to make a stone wall.


To build a stone fence we had to excavate a trench about 1.5 feet deep, which meant using a pick ax, shovel, pry bar and assorted "manual" instruments of labor, and pain! It literally took a team of boys (and men) five hours to dig the trench twenty feet, while removing hundreds of rocks, some we estimate weighed more than 1000 pounds.

I have to give special thanks to my personal chiropractor, Clyde Walker, who had to make an adjustment of my neck, on a rock! When will I learn that I cannot keep up with the kids any more! I am concluding that one should never travel without their chiropractor. Thank you Clyde.

The work today was a labor of love as the boys knew it was for the mission camp at Kusi. We men marveled at how much spirit our kids have as they worked and rested in teams, having to spend considerable time resting due to the altitude. Myself, I became winded after only a few minutes of hard work, while the boys could work much longer.

Representative of their teamwork, the boys moved a rock (about 500 pounds, over 100 yards by rolling it along the ground. They figured out on their own that six of them could work in teams of 2 and roll a while, turn it over to another two, and rest while the rock made its way to the trench. I am including a picture of that effort and a picture of the excavation.

We broke for lunch then went back to work until 4, when we went back to the camp and the children put on a show for us. Amazingly, we could have left early as the work was tedious, and the kids were worn out from the physical labor. Instead they chose to stay around for an extended show and danced and sang with the boys at the mission, giving up shopping time in town. To a person, all of our kids always said the best part of each day was when they could "play" with the boys. I must admit, interacting with the boys was the best part of my day as well. I have never been prouder of our Southlake Seniors.

At lunch today we acted out a skit on the story of Ruth and Boaz. I got to play a small role as Ruth's husband that passes away early in act .25. I believe they do not like my acting! I forgot my only "act", which was to die on cue. Of course I forgot my cue, and it caused some laughter for the audience, and some humiliation for me.

Our worksite today was right in the path of the 1974 earthquake that killed the 30,000 I spoke of Monday. It was kind of eerie working under the ominous peaks of the glacier that broke away during that quake. I have been told that when the lake broke free the mud reached speeds of 300 miles an hour by the time it made its five mile trek through the town. The people did not know what hit them.

My observations from today are that the little time we were here and interacting with the kids, means more to them than we think. When I look at the Scripture Union Mission, and think about all it stands for, and the awesome task at hand, I feel inept in trying to perform God's work for such a brief moment in time. I remind myself that if we only affect one soul, and lead them to Christ, then we have accomplished much. I can tell you that this has been a life changing event for me personally. I see all the good that has come from a dream someone had to make a home for these children.

I see the family that is the mission, and the great people that run it and care for these boys. I also see the joy and happiness in the faces of the children from a simple kiss on the head, a hug and "Yo amo usted", my bad Spanish for "I love you". And I will tell you that in only five minutes with them you too will fall in love with them. Their eyes light up as they realize that we do care for them, and our short time here is truly meaningful. That our love translates to the love of Jesus and eventually can lead them to salvation through Christ. All of our kids are keenly aware of this mission.

It is a tough message to "get" for any child that has never felt the love of a parent, been abused, abandoned or orphaned. They must feel there is no God and there is no value in their life. We talked last night about the purpose of service, and how God uses us in his name. Jesus reminds us that we must have faith, but that faith without works is shallow.

My verse regarding service comes from 2 Timothy, 4:2, “Preach the word, be prepared in and out of season to correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction." In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he was warning Timothy that service to God is not "easy". It takes courage and perseverance. This is His command of our mission as well.

Macho, macho men!

Two unfortunate victims of the Ruth skit :)

Ruth and Boaz

The boys at Cusi perform a choreography. Later, they taught us how to dance!

Cusi, day 2!

It was a good day! There is lots to say, but there is a little parade outside...more to come! Tomorrow trip to a glacial lake, two hikes, and some pachamanca.

Tyler and Logan break up dirt to make bricks.

The kids at Cusi did an indigenous dance for us, then they invited us to dance along.

Mike helps one of the boys make a bracelet that says: Dios esta conmigo (God is with me)

Cassidy loves making bracelets too!

Rachel and her new friend!

This bird has found a new nest.

These girls are ready to work.

Miranda is.....ready to work?

ADOBE!

Making adobe bricks in Peru was an experience for the kids I am sure they will never forget. I believe they now understand what it takes to be in a country where the labor is all manual and the materials are free, if you have the muscle to do it.

MY job today was easy. I became the official photo holder, transferring the photos off their cameras so they could take more pictures and then had to photograph all the boys at the camp. There are 27 boys that live here and some fifty that come and go each day from the local mountain community.

This place is amazing. We are so high up that it is hard to get a breath, but the locals have oversized lungs due to their genetic makeup. The Indians are all between 4'10" and 5'4" and some of the kids amazed me to find out they are teenagers.

We arrived at camp about 9:30 this morning and met the kids that were coming to VBS. It was neat. They started out by lining the kids uup in platoon fashion, placeing them through drills, attention! left face! at ease! etc. Then they raised the Peruivian flag and sang their National anthum. They then raised the US flag and we sang the US anthum. IT was neet!

We then took had a few skits teaching about sharing and not taking other's things. After that we had a chicken visit us whereupon our kids taught them the chicken dance and song. It was fun. In VBS we had them make a lion from paper plates and construction paper. We shared the good word and each side said prayers.

This is really a miracle how the word of God reaches into the highest peaks in the Andes. This compound has been under construction by mission trips for five years now. The kids make the bricks from mud and clay, then more workers come later and build the walls and the locals help some, but most of the manual labor is performed by the kids. I have been shown paths and buildings put up by South Lake over the years.

After VBS we all went out to a pasture and played with the kids for about an hour and a half. IT was great fun. I am amazed at how our kids so willingly show so much love and affection for these children and how much the children crave love and touching. They literally would hang onto and latch ont anyone that would show a hint of attention to them.

After "play time" which our kids always saw is the most fun for them we had lunch. Part of the ritual was the butchering of a guini pig. Logan Arthus was the only one willing to butcher the pig, but several of the boys watched and we have lots of pictures. At any raste most found this appaling, but the kids learned that this is how the third world gets their meals.

After lunch I found a quiet place by a stream with trees and lots of sun. For a while I was alone and able to reflect on the meaning of the trip, and what value I bring to this earth. I concluded that no one can do it all but everyone can do something. This is our calling. In Acts Paul tells of the deciples willingness to allow thousands to start and build churches, manage themselves and lead the locals to Christ. I believe that if each of us can influence even just one soul, that God is pleased.

More later.

- Mr. Arrendale and some other bloggerites