Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Razzing a Co-Worker and Being Razzed

Omar and I were sitting in the communications office at PyE this morning each working on our computers and various assignments. We would talk a little bit about my church service I am preparing, and the elections coming up, but other than that he is pretty quiet. Omar is pretty serious and focused on his work, but he never hesitates to let me ask one of my random questions. Omar did say earlier in the morning ¨Hmm, Carol must not be coming or she didn´t come.¨ Karol no viene?
At about 11:15 a.m. she came strolling in the door. Now to tease someone in spanish is molestar. I asked her ¨Did she lose her watch?¨ and as she was responding ¨No no I had a meeting¨Omar breaks in with a straight face and says ¨No her bed sequestered or kidnapped her,¨ while he made motions with his arms like the sheets would not let her go. All he did was crack a smile, and kept working. Classic razzing. HAHAHA!!!
I share this because of the Hora Peruana or the Peruvian Hour. It allows people to take liberty with time and play loose and fast with schedules. This is one of the things that I do not particularly care for. If you are supposed to began at 1 p.m. then you usually get started about 1:30 to 1:45 p.m. I have learned to bring a book or something to keep me occupied. Some Peruvians will say that the Hora Peruana is a total crock, but others just fall right into line. Never the less it happens. Carol really did have a meeting, but was just fun to tease her, and to have her tease me right back. Cross-cultural hijinx makes office life at PyE fun.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Baja, Baja, Sube, Sube - the city bus

Since arriving in Ayacucho I have been trying the different modes of transportation, from my two feet (pies here) to mototaxis and regular taxis. Each one costs less than the other. Taxis are most expensive at about 3-4 soles and well my feet are free. Unfortunately my office is on the otherside of the city or atleast it feels like it so I cannot walk. So yesterday and today I decided that I was bound and determined to become a regular rider of the Ayacucho bus services. They are private companies and there are a variety of rutas (routes) that they run. They cost 50 centimos to get me from the corner near the Colegio El Buen Pastor to the PyE office. I am guessing that is about a quarter, more or less. For the past several days my host Rosa and the people at my office have been riding with me to make sure I know which bus to take and where to tell them to I want to get off. Today I made it to the office all by myself. I even had a seat, and did not have to stand up. I rode the buses or camionetas in Guatemala, and so far they have proven more fun and colorful, but I want to wait a few days before I weigh in. There of course is not usually the chance of running into a chicken, a pig, or other barnyard fare on these buses...atleast I don´t think.

So to flag down a bus it just like in Guatemala. You stick your arm out horizontally and wave it a few times. The bus pulls over and the ayudante or helper starts saying ¨Sube, Sube, Sube¨ which means to go up or basically get on. When he stops saying it the driver takes off so you had better have ¨Subed!¨ When it is time to get off you say to the ayudante or yell from the back of the bus ¨Baja or Bajamos¨ if there is more than one of you. It literally means to go down or get off. Bajamos is we. It is a usually a pretty rapid transition so have your hands free because you have to grab onto the ceiling bars and the door bars as you ¨Sube, sube.¨ The steps on the bus are so high. I am not sure why because most Peruvians are shorter, as am I. The curbs are the same way too. Sometimes it takes and act of congress to get up on one. I guess it is all part of the experience though.

Yesterday on my way home I learned(well remembered) that the number of seats does not determine the number of passengers. I had a seat that opened up. If all the seats are full and an older person or a pregnant woman gets on it is sort of unwritten that you should offer you seat. I am neither, but just got lucky because someone got off. It didn´t take me long to swipe that seat. By the time we had run the ruta 12 to take me back home the bus meant to hold 20 or so was holding about 40 people, all trying to hold on. We were like those clown cars at the circus. The ayudante all the way saying ¨adelante, adelante¨ which is trying to get all those bodies cramming in the door to move down the aisle to the back of the bus. I made it to the corner of the Mercado Choro and Jr. Grau which is where I needed to get off. ¨Baja en la esquina¨ I said. I want to get off at the corner. The bus whips into an open space and even though I was in a seat right by the door, I had to wade through (in other words push) all the people who had piled on blocking the entrance. UGH! YYHOLE!! the people say as you try and get off. I give the ayudante my 50 centimos and walk down the side walk to the sound of a roaring bus engine and the ayudante saying ¨fill that seat, mas adelante por favor, sube sube - vamos - let´s go!¨ Noone can get on until everyone that wants to gets off. The Colegio El Buen Pastor is just down the street where I will meet Sheridad, Penuel, and Eunice (the Sulca Tucno kids) for the walk home, which is about 2 blocks. It is kind of an exciting ride don´t you think?

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Sanwiches de Pollo

Yes I spelled sanwich (pronounced san-weeech) correctly. On Saturday, my host mom Rosa, had to go to a meeting before the encampamento. Time slipped up on her and when we were eating breakfast she sighed, and said "I forgot to make your sandwiches for a snack." The chicken is in the pot. I told her that I could try to make them. She kind of looked at me, thinking about it. I said how hard can it be...sanwiches de pollo con sabor gringa!! Rosa laughed and agreed, thanking me for my help. So this was the second time I have cooked in Peru. Slowly I am working my way up to head chef, and getting to use the big wooden spoon. There was pan Ayacuchano or chapla which is also called pan Arabe. It is like a thinner version of pita bread and is unique to Ayacucho. It is flavored with Anis seed (think liqcorice).
Then lettuce which Rosa had washed, as well as mayonaise (remember they put it on everything here!!). Then there was the chicken. I lifted the lid on the pot to take a look. Rosa said it needed ten more minutes. Okay, it had been ten minutes. There was no deli counter at the local Piggly Wiggly. There was a whole chicken in the pot, that I had to debone and pull the meat off of to make my "sanwiches de pollo" come to fruition. So I did, and I am not bragging or anything...well yes I am....those sandwiches were pretty darn fabulous. I could eat another. Feel free to contact your local Department of Deliciousness (i.e. - ME) for the recipie.

Intergenerational - International Red Rover

On Saturday I went to an all day encampamento or retreat with my the Sulca-Tucno family (they are my hosts). It was just a short drive further into the mountains, yes you can go further into the Andes than Ayacucho, I know it is hard to believe. It was with the church that my family attends. The pastor is the twin brother of my host parent Habacuc. There was volleyball and soccer. The men even took a rest so that the young women could play. There is some serious talent here, those chicas could be good.
We shared a day vasking in the mountain sun. Did anyone know there were mosquitoes in the mountains? I could play connect the dots on my lower legs. Hee hee!!
There was a big lunch with Secco de Pollo and arroz. That is roasted chicken and rice with peppers and cilantro mixed and cooked in so the rice has a green hue. It was fantastic.
Toward the end of the day they started playing some games or juegos. Peruvians are serious about their juegos. They asked me if I knew some from the United States. I started racking my brain for ones that I could explain in spanish. Freeze tag, no...three legged race? No.Then it hit me "Red Rover!!" We started with just the youth, then the pastor asked for everyone to join in adults and children alike because he wanted us to all do things together. So our small Rojo Rover turned into an all church festivus. We went from 15 to 60 people in ten minutes. But it was fabulous just look at the pictures...the largest international Red Rover game ever played, I think!?

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Youth Day - In Peru

Today, Sept 23, 2010 is Youth Day in Peru. That means that everyone under the age of 35 seems to greet one another with a grip or hug while saying "Feliz Dia de la Juventud! Vamos a celebrar nuestra juventud." Happy Youth Day, Let's go celebrate our youth!"

Most of, if not all of the 11 people in my office are under 35 or right at it. We are all going out to dinner tonight, as a team, to celebrate Youth Day.
Remember that the Youth catergory in Peru is roughly 14-35. That is flexible.

Callqui, Ayacucho, Peru

Yesterday I had my first opportunity to go to Callqui. This is a small barrio of Huanta which is about an hour from Ayacucho. I was excited to be asked to go. So Amanda and I, accompanied by Raul set out in PyE's 4x4 toyota. On the way I got my first taste of mountain rain. I never thought I would say "AMAZING!" when talking about rain, but it was. Callqui is where one of the GAMs or Grupos para Ayudar Mujeres (Groups to help Women) meets. A majority of these 8 women were affected by the Violence that began in Ayacucho (Chuschi) as did Paz y Esperanza. They were impacted directly or indirectly, they lost someone to the violence or were hurt themselves through assault and mistreatment. The workshops that Amanda and Milagros lead are designed to create a safe space for the women to talk and process their stories from then, as well as their lives now. They also help provide some space to encourage the women's work on their self esteem.
These women, in Callqui, are fascinating. Most of them only speak Quechua, one of the native languages of Peru, while a few spoke bothQuechua as well as castellano,which is what they call spanish. My host family speaks both Quechua and castellano so Rosa (my host mom) is going to help me to learn to speak it. I could only understand parts of what they were saying yesterday. They talked about their weekend and what they did, and of course that lead them into struggling with their views and interpretations of scripture, as their faith and daily lives are intertwined. Even though I did not know everything they were saying, I was amazed that I could pick out these things. Ironically enough a majority of these women are members of the Presbyterian Church in Callqui. They were excited to learn that I was a Presbyterian as well.
They always begin the meeting with a dynamica or icebreaker. We had partners and were mirrors of each other. Amera was my mirror. Whatever she did, I did, then we reversed roles. There was a lot of giggling. After that they gathered in a circle and began to talk about thier weekends and what had past since their last meeting. The women like to sit on these little squatty stools or really a log about a foot high, if that. They seemed comfortable. Every three minutes Amanda would send one of the women away from the group, to face a wall where they could not hear the conversation. Then they would return and someone else would go. As the group closed for the day Amanda asked the women who were sent away to explain in one or two words what it felt like to be separated from the group. They used words like lonely, and sad. Amanda (who by the way speaks Quechua like a champ and is a native Peruana) reminded them to be aware of when they feel this way because one of the goals of the workshops is that the women walk together in solidarity, and that when one is separated, then they all are.
After the group ended Amanda distributed seeds to women for hearty vegetables that would grow near there homes like beets, broccoli, and carrots. This is part of the healthy eating initiative that PyE hopes will help the women with a healthier diet and hunger, but also trickle down to their families as they are the cooks. Then, like any good gathering of Presbyterians WE ATE! The women made Caldo de Gallina or chicken soup, and Amanda and I had brought some sweet bread to share. They also set out a big bowl of canchitas or roasty toasty corn kernals. I hope to go back. As we told one another good bye, that was their question to me in a combination of Quechua and castellano "When are you coming back?" I hope it is soon, not just for them, but for me too.

Sunday October 10, 2010 A World Day of Prayer for the Struggle Against Poverty

This is my first assignment- to distribute worship resources and continue to build relationships with the local evangelical (remember that means Protestant) churches in Ayacucho. The theme for this year's Day of Prayer for the Struggle Against Poverty is "Tus Manos Pueden Hablar" or "Your Hands can Speak." The PyE comunications team also wants me to work with them to design a worship service for that Sunday which will be used in a local church.
The materials and the impetus for this Day of Prayer are the Millenial Development Goals set and signed by 189 member nations (UN) in September of 2000. These are 8 goals designed to, and if met, will erradicate extreme poverty by 2015.
I saw an article on MSNBC yesterday that doubted these goals would be met. Maybe we should just quit now? I believe the apostle Paul said, and I agree "By No Means!" If we quit now what would be the point of having even started. Someone or something has to get the ball rolling. Something I have learned since 2000 is it (erradicating, not just band-aiding extreme poverty) takes transformational work. To make these goals become reality someone is going to have to sacrifice so that the other might gain. I have found that is the challenging part for everyone who has enough, including myself.

My Role with PyE - Ayacucho

My work with PyE will center around the areas of communications and the area of mental health. With Omar and Carol I will be the third person in communications. My job is to help PyE stay connected with local churches, their pastors, and the youth. PyE is trying to work with the youth (remember that youth in Peru is roughly 14-35) of the churches. PyE feels like right now they have the most open minds about expanding the vision of the church to include not only us as individuals and God (reaching up and down), but to reach out and recognize our neighbors, especially those living in poverty or whom lack access to basic neccesities. A majority of the churches in Peru do not want to talk about their neighbors, their tunnel vision seems to keep them focused on their individual relationship with God. So I have my work cut out for me. One neat thing that I think will be helpful is that the juventud in Ayacucho have already begun to organize themselves ecumenically (that means across the board, not just Presbyterians) for worship, study, and fellowship. They have created a group called the Fraternity of Young Chrisitians. The oldest child in my host family, Cheridad, is involved in it. I am excited to better get to know this group.
My other work with PyE is in the area of of mental health. I will work with Milagros and Amanda on accompanying women in the barrios and pueblos that were affected by the Violence or the Civil War. Milagros and Amanda's backgrounds are in psychology and therapy. The said they are excited to have me becasue of my accompaniament work in Guatemala, and my work last year as a chaplain in the trauma room and care floors at WFUBMC. They want me to accompany them as often as I can, they go about every two weeks, and to lead a bible reflection, as well assist them with some of their theraputic activities, in addition to just being present.

Friday, September 17, 2010

First day at PYE

Today was my first day at Paz y Esperanza or (PyE). Neri, the director met me and we took a taxi to the office. PyE is an NGO that works in Human Rights. I sat with Naomi and she explained the different areas that they work in from Mental health and support to Communication. Today was a big brainstorming session lead by a young woman from outside the NGO. She lead us in a discussion and session of trying to bridge ideas and reality with our projects. It was a great discussion, full of a lot of missiological concepts that can apply across cultures. She said ideas are great, but you need to do some diagnostic work on the ground first to see if your idea is feasible or necessary in this community. Her focus was "What is the reality of the gente or people of this community?" I have heard this before, and was glad to be hearing it again. It involves listening and observing in a location that you want to help instead of pressing your ideas and desires to be helpful. What do they want and need? Is the area secure? This must be addressed becasue of the violent past of some of the pueblos in this area, from the Shining Path to drug trafficing. The discussion began to focus itself. It was good to be a part of this on my first day and watch the people at PyE work.

The big thing that they, and most Peruvians that I encounter want to know is "Are you married or single." If you are single they immediately want to know when I am getting married or if I am looking for a boyfriend. It is usually a bantor that draws a lot of laughs.

Yogi's and Mayonaise as the Ultimate Condiment

On Thursday evening Rosa, my host and I set out for the local market. Eunice her youngest daughter (age 6) went with us. We met up with her son Penuel (9) at the market. He was eating Peruvian "Cheesy Poofs." Penuel likes to share so he gave me some. My host mom said "Lisa, let's go to the market and walk around so you can get to know Ayacucho." So off we went. We bought a towel for me in the market. A blue one, my favorite color. We also waled through the different stalls, as this is an open air market, and I saw piles on piles of potatoes. All different varieties. Of course white and yellow, but also purple, and red, and even a sweet variety that had tiger stripes.
After the market we extended our walk. While we were in the mercado (market) Penuel asked me if I liked hotdogs as we passed the salchicha counter. I said "yeah they're okay, do you like them?" He told me that he did, and that there is a snack here called a YOGI. It is basically like a corn dogexcept it is baked in a mold that looks like a waffle iron. Then it gets topped with your choice of cremas or sauces. I went for broke and said give me all of them...mayo, mustard, ketchup, avacado, I passed on the olive sauce (they grow olives in Ica, Peru and eat a lot of them).
After walking around a little more my family took me out for pizza. Eating again!? Pizza is Pizza. They go light on the sauce and heavy on the queso here. The kids and apparently most of Peru likes Hawaiian pizza which is ham and pineapples. My family goes further and gets the Hawaiian number two which adds olives and peaches to the tropical mix.
As the waitress prepared our table she set down a small dish of aji which is chili spread and one with white cream in it. "Que es esto?" What is this I asked? Penuel said "It is mayonaise, we put it on our pizza." When the pizza came he and Eunice spread it all over their pizza. I held out. No mayo for me thanks. I guess I should think it was wierd, but I remember 8th graders in Clinton, SC in 2000 smearing ranch dressing all over their pizza.
Ooooh! I wonder what is for breakfast?

Is There a Pig on this Bus?

Wednesday, Spetember 15th I set out on a bus for Ayacucho, Peru. It is located high in the Andes Mountians. I am told there are locations and towns much higher (ugh!). I was aboard one of those double decker Greyhound buses. They come through and give you a snack, then they come back through and give you a small plastic bag, with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, just incase you may see that snack again. Before I left I took some motion sickness pills and a sorojchi pill. Sorojchi pills are for the altitude sickness that often accompanies a quick trip up into the mountains. Those mountain curves are crazy, especially as you get closer to Ayacucho. After a ten hour bus ride and making friends with my little plastic bag I arrived to the greetings of Rosa, my host, and Yanette from Paz y Esperanza at the small bus station. I even made a friend on the trip. His name is Edgar. He works for the bus line and said whenever I am traveling if it is on his bus he will look out for me.

So I thought that since I was traveling on a double decker greyhound bus there would be no replays of the chicken buses in Guatemala. You know the ones that get there name becasue sitting next to you might be some sort of barnyard fare. Well the double decker bus stopped in this little town called Huan Tara (I think that was it). People waiting to get on at the stop/station had there things lined up. This older gentleman had a couple of bags and some cow hides, fresh ones I think. One of his bags kept wiggling. I thought I was hallucinating from the Sarojchi, but no. When he picked up the bag, a pig stuck its head out and squealed really loud. That pig and the cow hides where going under the bus with the puppy that had been put there in Lima. Yes, travelers there was a pig aboard the greyhound bound for Ayacucho. No one else thought it was unique, but who is counting?

Monday, September 13, 2010

Presbyterian Church - It's a Small, Small World - Speaking Connectionally.

I just made up that word connectionally, but it is so true - the connectional nature of the Presbyterian Church has popped up for me again, this time half a world away in Lima, Peru.
On Sunday, Rev. Harry Horne, Debbie (my supervisor and his wife), and I were having lunch after church. We had Pollo a la Brasa which is basically rotissere chicken. It is so good (que rica! How tasty - as they say here.) While we were eating we got to talking, and somehow I mentioned my host family in Guatemala. Actually I think I mentioned them to Debbie a few days earlier. When I did Debbie said "Rutillio, Rutillio...hmm that name sounds familar." Harry and Debbie had previously been mission coworkers in Guatemala as well. "I wonder if he was one of Harry's students?" I told her Rutillio, my host dad in Guatemala had trained to be a pastor at the Presbyterian Seminary in San Felipe.
By Sunday when we continued our conversation, Harry confirmed that Rutillio had indeed been one of his students. Rutillio seemed to be remembered well by both Harry and I, as a man of honor and hard work despite not always having his abilities recognized by others.
When we returned to Harry and Debbie's house I used skype to call my host family and for a minute Harry and Rutillio got to talk again. Rutillio remembered Harry. He said "Haarree Horneee! Mi profesor! Que Pasa con ud.? This encounter reminded me of the degrees of separation that I keep encountering in the mission field, but also the global church.

Bob Vila en Espanol! Tools and Bookshelves

Rachel and James (my fellow YAVs) are in Huanuco and Moyobamba, respectively. Therefore, today I went to the Joining Hands Office (RED) in Lima. I am going tommorrow as well to pass the time until I move to Ayacucho on Wednesday. Debbie thought it would be good to spend some time there with the staff, pitch in and help out. At the same time I am getting to know them better. Jeny, Jed, Conrado, Koki, Maribel, and Michelle are great fun so I am glad it was suggested.
After a meeting on the Youth and Young Adult Congress on the Environment that RED is hosting in Lima in January we went to lunch.
When I got back Koki (remember Jorge?! See photo) put me to work. There is a back room that looked like a moving van had thrown up in it. There was the start of a shelving unit and there were comercio justo or Fair Trade products all over the place. Stuffed animals - monkeys and llamas, hand made socks and bags. It was like a tornado of fabric had landed in that one spot.
Koki looked at me and smiled really big and said "We need to straighten that." It looked insurmountable, but Koki and I worked together. He said we needed to finish putting together the shelves and move them into place. That would be our task for today. To do that we had to unbury the shelves that were in pieces on both sides of the room. We basically put alot of the loose items in bags and moved them into the hallway. AHHHH! A clear space.
When we were about to start Koki took out a bucket of tools. A pair of pliers, a hammer, and some nuts and bolts. He asked me as we positioned the next peice of the metal shelving (you know like those ones in your garage that you put motor oil and paint on?) "Do you know how to use these?" I answered "Si, mi papa se ensene a mi porque el quiero me ser una mujer mas independiente." Koki chuckled. I told him yes, because my dad taught me so that I could be a more independent woman. While we were working, because I know Koki speaks a little english, I asked him what they call the different tools in Peruvian Spanish (because I know what they are Central America), and then I told him what they were in English. A little cultural exchange.
It was a dirty job because Lima has a lot of dust that blows in off the streets, but we got the shelves put together and in place and then I cleaned them off. The only problem is I couldn't reach the top shelf, even while standing on a stool. I asked Koki and when he stood on the stool he said "Look we are the same, ha ha!" He was no taller than I. He said "It is good, we will just put bags and boxes up there, no handicrafts." Koki is going to bring his drill to attach them securely to the wall. Good day, Bob Vila has nothing on me, Koki, and our bilingual hardwareisms.


Sunday, September 12, 2010

Church in Lima, Peru - The Sequel

This morning I went back to the same church we attended last week in Lima. It is a short walk down from the house we are staying at. It is part of the Evangelical Church of Peru. This week the Rev. Harry Horne, a PC(USA) mission co-worker preached on the Parable of the Sower and not for 50 minutes. He is very insightful and I have enjoyed getting to know Harry this short two weeks. His wife, Debbie is my supervisor.

A couple of highlights from today's church experience....singing a choro or Christian hymn to the tune of the Beatles song "Let it Be." The musician started playing the piano and I looked over at Debbie and said is this what I think it is? It was. "Let it be, Oh let it be!!"

The next was a real privilege for me. Elias, the man who leads the youth class (and the muscian this morning), asked me if I would come and speak to the youth upstairs, even if just for a minute about mission work and why I felt called to Peru and what I would be doing here. I agreed. So after the service I went upstairs and there were Alex, the pastor's son, Ian, Jasmin, Kara, ad couple of others. Before I spoke they shared how they completed their Sunday School homework. Their assignment was simple. Find someone that you can share words of Christian support with by being present, listening, and letting them know that even though they may feel alone, you will be there to listen. Three of the youth shared stories that I found to be perfect examples of their assigned task. It reminded of how in Latin America the faith life and the daily life are integrated, there is no separation.

I talked to the youth about where I was from and why I was there. I reminded them that many centuries ago white men brought the bible, they gave it to the people, and they did alot more talking than they did listening. I told them I too had the bible, but that much like their assignment this past week I was there to listen and to share, to talk and to listen. To give to and but also take away (figuratively speaking)from the people of Peru, young and old, that I encountered. "I have two ears and only one mouth, so I think that means that the best way I can do mission work here in Peru is to listen more than I speak." Among other things, that is what I told them, and I think it will prove true.

I left as Elias asked them "who brought your bible with you today?" His question was met with a stammering of excuses like my dog ate it, I left it on the bus...I laughed to myself and thought it was not much different from an American youth group. They were sort of excited to be there, willing to share once they trust their leadership, and say the funniest things.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Cebiche

Ceviche is the national dish of Peru. Everyone just loves it...ask. I am hit or miss on it. It is spelled sometimes with a v other times with a b. It is always pronounced phonetically. SE BEE CHAY, so sometimes when they write it, even on the sides of buildings it becomes cebiche. A Cebiche mixto is fish, octapus, calamari, and shrimp marinated in citrus juices, red onion, and some secret herbs and spices. Of course it comes with potatoes, why do you even ask, isn't this Peru?

Rafael Nadal

I watched intently today as Rafa Nadal made his way to the finals of the US Open tennis tournament in New York. I look forward to the final. I am not a huge tennis fan, but Rafa Nadal could make tiddly-winks an exiciting game.

Yuyanapaq Para Recordar To Remember

Yuyanapaq is the Quechua (indigenous language to Peru) word meaning "to record." They record the internal events of Peru from 1980-2000 so that noone forgets, but also they hope to prevent them from ever happening again. From 1980-2000 there was an armed conflict, a divisive civil war that was waged in the country side and then spilled down into the streets of Lima, Peru (the capital) before it was REALLY noticed. During this conflict some 82,000 people were killed. For every three people killed, two were indigenous or spoke Quechua. When the military came for them they did not understand the Spanish that the men with the guns spoke. If there was even a hint (right or wrong) that you were associated with the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) you were killed, that meant that at the height of the war - EVERYONE. Whole villages and towns (pueblos) were wiped out. Men, women, and children.

On Friday my two American colleagues and I spent the morning with Efrian at the National Museum of Peru. It is 6-10 floors of everything Peru. The sixth floor is sparsely decorated. The walls are cement, the windows are screens with no glass. The rest are pictures, and there is a video in English or Spanish to get you started. The sixth floor is an photo exhibition. It is hundreds of photographs collected from 1980-2000. Each one as powerful and gripping as the next. In one photo a group of villagers is standing in the streets, in the next their bullet ridden bodies are lying in a mass grave. The photos tell a story so that those who see it can remember, and then tell the story to someonesle. The problem here is that even some Peruvians do not want to talk about it. They also want to know why anyone else would, like me? They think it was not and is not their problem. Some know the 6th floor exists and do not go there, others do not even know that the exhibit exists. When teachers ask what is there the museum staff says "Oh, it is just an exhibit about terrorism."

Becasue I walked through there, and because I write on this blog it is no longer just an exhibit, it is part of the story of Peru that I will share along with the ancient ruins, the exotic food, and the mysteries of international transportation. On Friday afternoon we went to National Paz y Esperanza Office in Lima, Peru. This is one of the subgroups or partners of RED - the Joining Hands Network. I will be working with Paz y Esperanza in Ayacucho, Peru. When we were at this office I saw an enlarged photograph hanging on the wall. It was a line of indigenous women passing in front of squared off blankets containing tattered, soiled, and worn clothing. Each square had a number C83, C85, etc. I recognized right away that the photo exhibit did not stop at the museum. It was here in this office too. The women were identifiying or trying to, all that was left of their loved ones. They were trying to remember the last time they saw their sons, daughters, or husbands...but most of all they were trying to remember what they wearing, 20 years ago.

These are the people I will be working with and accompanying this year in Ayacucho, Peru. Those who have been affected by the years of Violence in Peru, perpetrated by the Shining Path, the MRTA, and the military. Their story will become my story as they are willing to share.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Peruvian Church - I need to work on my Preaching

This morning we went to church services at Debbie and Harry's church. It is a part of the Evangelical Church of Peru. Remember that in Latin America "Evangelico" simply means Protestant, not to be confused with evangelical in the United States. A little different experience than I had in Guatemala. I have to remember that I am in a city now. It was still a simple brick building with incandescent lighting, but they had microphones, a keyboard, and a projector with screen to put the words up. This youth (ages 14-35) are doing a bible study on the environment and their responsibility for it as a part of creation.
There were some songs sprinkled through out the service, prayer for the pastoral team, and the ministries of Debbie, Harry, and a couple of others present. One of the congregants was celebrating her birthday so the congregation sang Happy Birthday to her, and the pastor prayed over her giving thanks for her life lived and the future. They also let us come up front and introduce ourselves and talk about where we are from, and where we will be moving to in about week.
Here is the kicker...the pastor, Hector, preached for some 50 minutes. Yes 50 minutes on the character of Christ. He lost me part of the way through, but 50 minutes...schew!! I am not sure that I am capable of preaching for 50 minutes, let alone do you all want to hear it.

Pacific Ocean - Barranca

After catching a glimpse of the Empire, we caught a bus to Barranca which is a small colonial town on the Pacific Coast. There is bridge there that is said to be the spot of a lot of marriage proposals. The town and the bridge overlook a shallow calmer part of the ocean. We walked down to the overlook at the edge. There is a road that runs along the coast. There was a big sign that said in Spanish "In case of Tsunami this is an escape route." That was good to know. Right now, as before, it is winter in Lima so the water was too cold to go in. Just looking out at it made me shiver. It did look inviting though. Perhaps in February. There were a couple of musicians and one was playing Charranga, which is a minature guitar with more than six strings maybe 11and a pipe flute. Both are Peruvian instruments which they say I will see more of in the highlands.

Still Under the Empire

Today after church we took a trip to Mira Flores. I thought it was going to be some grand sight that I will never forget. Well it was actually another part of Lima. It was a commerical part. the swanky commercial part complete with all of the large chains that are found in the United States...KFC and Pizza Hut (YUM Brands - Louisville, KY), McDonald's and Burger King, Chilis, and of course Starbuck's. There were also a couple of stores like Tottus which is a Chilean (Chile) version of a big box store or Wal-Mart. I was sort of disappointed in a way, but I want to see if McDonald's is the same...I mean they were having a Festivus of Lasagnas at the Pizza Hut. We only did a drive-by so my curiosity will need to wait, but just know that the Empire crosses the equator.

Noone Said Anything About Climbing a Mountain - Lomas de Carabayllo The JESHNI Project



On Saturday we met Nelson Figueroa at a local church and we took his Nissan pick up about an hour up the Pan-American Highway. This is the highway that runs south all the way to Chile and going north will take you all the way to Mexico, according to Nelson. I hoped we weren't going to try to find out. We stopped for a quick lunch at a roadside restaurant. Most restaurants in Peru have what they call Menus (pronounced menoos) which is a selction of meals (appetizer, entree, and drink) for around 4-5 dollars. Remember the entree always comes with both rice and potatoes or it is not Peru. Vegetables? Isn't a potato a vegetable? I know it isn't, but I digress...The restaruant served tipica Peruvian food. I had the lamb ribs...when I asked what it was they said it is the side and pointed to their ribs. When my plate came it was a huge hunk of bone and a little meat that looked like it should have been on Fred Flinstone's plate and not mine. It was good though. !Que Rica! (How tasty!)
Finally, we were back on the Pan-American highway and off to Lomas de Carabayllo. It is the desert at the foothills of the mountains. The mountains will come into play in a minute not to worry. Nelson stopped to pick up a bottle of Pepsi and some bread for a snack later. So on to Lomas...to describe it...desolation and poverty in a dust bowl. There is no electricity or running water. Nelson said that these big trucks bring water in and will sell it to the residents and it is not clean water, but it is all they have. We were passed by one of the big tanker trucks. Nelson said that they pay three times as many Soles ($$) for a portion of dirty water than he does for municipal water in Lima. Needless to say there are a lot of GI issues in Loma. To make money a lot of the men young and old travel to Lima looking for work. They ride a bus sometimes 2-2.5 hours one way, even though it only took us an hour by private car. The women and children work sorting garbage that comes from Lima and is dumped. They rumage through piles of human waste and debris with bare hands looking for things that can be recycled. It is dangerous for their health and well being, but it makes them money. They at most earn about a dollar a day.
I forgot to tell you who Nelson is. Nelson Figueroa works with a youth group in Lomas called the JESHNI project. He drives from Lima across the RIMAC river two or three times a week to spend time with this youth group that he has helped to create. They have a little center there where they do workshops on everything from self-esteem to environmental issues and sustainability which is Nelson's new passion. They also have been learning about and have created a radio station. Currently they are learning about the Bosque or desert forest that is toward the mountains. We learned a lot about it too, because Nelson, the youth, Rachel, James, and I made the trek up to the bosque which is an ecological preserve. There is a sign that says it is, but Nelson says it has not been made official. He said the mayor campaigned on it, but has fallen short. He said there are some 150 species of insects and critters that live here. There were two men with large sprayers strapped to their backs that said we were not allowed to go any further up the mountain. They asked us who we were, and Nelson stepped forward and said "No, who are you? This is a reserve. That, that poison you are spreading is going to kill what we are trying to protect." They went back to their work and let us pass, no harm.
Oh! This is where the side of a mountain comes in. We knew we were going to a forest preserve to "hang out" with Nelson and the youth, but no one said we had to trek up the side of mountain. AHHHH!! But we did, and we had fun. All in the name of building relationships. I got to know Nelson F., Luis, Jasmin, Eddie, and Joel a whole lot better. We even stopped to break bread (literally) and drink Pepsi together on the trail. Good times! I am glad Nelson works with these youth, and they seem to enjoy working with him. The work Nelson does with the JESHNI project is coordinated through RED the Joining Hands Network in Peru.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Winter in September...Really I Coulda said July

My two traveling companions (Rachel and James) and I arrived in Lima, Peru on Monday August 30th. It is winter in Lima. When you cross the equator the seasons reverse. The Peruvians meeting us at the airport said "Where are you winter jackets, it is cold out there!?" Debbie our supervisor said they think it is cold here. She had on a scarf, and a little Peruvian boy that was on our plane was greeted by his mom and another woman who quickly wrapped him up in a puffy orange down jacket, a scarf, and wooly hat. It was almost like that movie A Christmas Story, when the mom wraps the kid up snug as a bug in a rug. I tried to peer over the crowd outside. "Was there snow on the ground?" I thought Peru was a tropical place, it is right near the equator. We walked outside and it was dark yet the brisk air was refreshing on these limbs, after the sweltering Carolina summers. The Peruvians thought we were nuts. As the night went on though I slept in my clothes and a sweatshirt that I added to the mix because it did get colder and there is no heat in most homes in Peru.
Glad I packed for the cold weather in Ayacucho. (layers baby, layers)..my soon to be mountain home.

The World through Andean Eyes

The Andean or really the Inca Cosmovision or world view still exists after thousands of years. Today for many Peruvians this Andean way of seeing the world is integrated into their Christian way of life. The two mix, and for others they are separate and cannot coexist. They "choque" or fight/conflict.
There are several major ideas that make up this cosmovision that have been important for me to understand, and I think might help begin living and working in Ayacucho this will be especially valuable as the Andean cosmovision is deeply seeded, and the people still speak Quechua, one of the 14 different indigenous Incan languages still spoken in Peru.
1. While we have two levels or plains in our world - heaven and hell or the earth and sky, the Andean world has 3...hanan pacha - which is the upper world, the heavens.
In the middle is Kay Pacha or the present world. This is a world of equality.
Third is the world below or Uku Pacha. This world is not Dante's Inferno, and it is not significant with pain and punishment. It is where you are buried upon death with those familiar to you, and later you (your soul) will return to live. All three of these plains have life.
2. The Andean world is one of equality and total integration and interrelation. For instance, in the west we use the environment for our satisfaction. We exploit the earth, extracting and taking what we can for out benefit ( I know I do)...and we call it progress, and do it in the name of modernization.
3. In the Andean world time is cyclical, not linear. The past is remembered inorder to construct a present, and to make a better future.
4. Where do Christianity and the Andean cosmovision merge? God created humans from the dust (the earth) to administrate the creation with justice. The earth - Pacha Mama or Mother Earth. Pacha Mama takes care of us and we in return care for her with respect.
Many of the campesinoes or rural farmers that I will encounter in the Andes Mountains toda via or still have this world view passed to them from thier ancestors. "Do not exploit pacha mama or us!" Is their cry for justice.

I look forward to seeing how this manifests itself in Ayacucho and the surrounding area, what is the same, and what is different.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Spanish Aqui vs. Spanish Aca

First day out of the box I realized that Toto and I were not in Kansas anymore. Maybe it was the fluidity of the taxi scene which moves like waves, NO not so much a clue. Perhaps it was eating lunch at two o'clock in the afternoon and having both potatoes and rice on the same plate, no that was not so much the thing either.
What made me realize that Peruvian Spanish is different from Central American Spanish is the vocabulary. They use different words.
For instance (Less than an hour in Lima), in the Lima Airport the Policia Nacional Guard who was checking immigration papers and directing us "Tienes algo a declarar?, Did we have anything to declare?" I responded no, and he said "La ultimo cola." I looked at my traveling buddies Rachel and James and said "I think he just said something about my tail," as I covered my backside. I knew he wanted me to go to the end of the last line, but Rachel grinned and laughed "Cola also can refer to forming the end or tail of the line, so he was talking about a tail, but not yours."
Amazing!!! The Spanish language faux pauxs just keep on a coming....later the next day we were in the RED office helping to pack up some of the fair trade crafts that the women artesinas (craftspersons) had made. They were being shipped to St. Louis, MO to a RED partner. I was counting and packing these little wooly hats for kids that had a little puppy design sewn in, with little ears that flapped off the top, how cute. Jorge (or Koki) as he is more affectionately known was helping me record the information for shipping. I pointed to one and said "Un chuchito" and he stopped and looked at me with big eyes and his mouth dropped open. I wasn't sure what I had said so I said it again - BIG MISTAKE!!! If you mess up once DO NOT repeat it. He said to Jeni the secretary "Por que habla de su chuchitos con migo,: and he laughed...Debbie my supervisor came in and helped me figure out that I had just talked to Koki about my chest not a puppy. Chuchito in Guatemala is a puppy, chuchito in Peru is a female body part in the chest area.
I asked if I had embarrased Koki, because I had myself. They said no Koki does not get embarrassed, he will just not let you ever live this down...just so you know. What I have discovered in all of this is my wonderful and very fluent Guatemalan Spanish needs to take a back seat and let me absorb some Peruano vocab and slang. Note to self.

No Stop Signs and Braking is only a Reccomendation

I get in the car, put my seat belt on (even though my knees are buried in my chest), and I begin to pray. I pray giving thanks, and hoping that after being in Lima, Peru for only three days I have not been in a serious accident. I did spot a few first-aid kits in the windows of the taxis that we were riding in. For what!? My supervisor said they are required by law to have those in view. "Why?" I asked, and then in my snarkiest voice added "It must be so they can dab some Neosporin on my open fracture and traumatic, gaping chest wound to tide me over until the ambulancia arrives. You think?"
The YAV program explicitly instructed us not to drive in our placements no matter what. Hmmmm.....the PC(USA) and her insurance company need not worry. I prefer the two feet God gave me. You see, at least here in Lima, Peru, there are no stop signs at intersections, and braking before changing lanes or at an intersection is optional. From my astute observation intersections here are treated like a blind four way rolling stop sort of things. To get out into traffic you sort of stick your nose out until someone stops...okay really, someone remotely slows down to let you in. It is not at all abnormal to change lanes by force. The car or usually for my very small Toyota taxi it is usually a large dumptruck that wants over. They just keep moving right until they are in. The offended car usually offers a puny little "toot!" as if to say OH OH! I see you there, I do not like it but here you come anyway. This is changing lanes by force or just using the size of your vehicle to determine driving regs.
It makes your heart race and your faith grow stronger. I have this little soundtrack going over and over in my head which drowns out the 1980's love ballads that circulate on 102.1 Lima Radio. I am just waiting on Air Supply to be the next selection...."I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you....buh buh buh......who needs stop signs when I can amuse myself?
Tomorrow, Phil Collins and Genesis. Maybe I can talk the taxi driver into stopping at the little strip of aluminum shacks that seem to service the taxis....they sell all the cool stuff to "Pimp your taxi." The little light on top that blink "TAXI", leather racing seats in a variety of textures and colors, perhaps they even have the coup de gras....fuzzy dice. I will let you know!!! Stay tuned as the Peruano transportation watch continues. Until then...