Leave it to Lima

“People wish to be settled: only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won’t suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when the person looks back-she will hear her heart” – Paulo Coelho

Bueno, it has been about a month since my last post, and quite a bit has taken place. We’ve seen kids leave, new kids come in, and the departure of a volunteer that really left his mark (cheers Anthony!).  Let me bring you up to speed on some things before I get into the focus of this post:

My job here is slowly but surely undergoing metamorphosis (how’s that for complicating a simple thought?!)  Before, I was principally a volunteer in the Water Project, a side effort through the orphanage that provides water to a poor town nearby.  This project still exists but is now all but entirely in the hands of the people of the town itself.  The idea is that they assume responsibility for the running of the project, while we are in charge of simply providing the water and occasionally cleaning the pumps and well.  This transference of responsibility is nearly completed (a cool thing for the people of Alto Salaverry!; please check out old posts for more info on this project).  This means that our efforts are now chiefly focused on the orphanage itself; attending to maintenance needs, improving areas, helping where needed.  It is a great benefit for the albergue to get more attention, and I am always learning a bunch of stuff.

The kids at the orphanage go to various schools, depending on their age and educational level.  There is a school at the orphanage itself for those who are behind, and I have recently had the pleasure and privilege to teach them music one day a week!  I am teaching them a bit of technique and musical knowledge, and helping them to sing as a group.  This is just a precursor for what’s to come when I work in the Summer Projects here, but it is exciting challenge that the kids have enjoyed from Day 1.

Onto the main topic of this post…  I took a trip to the city of Lima for a national retreat of Peruvian youth.  Peruvians guys and girls came from various parts of the country; Trujillo, Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Ciudad de Dios, Lima… Plus there was this Gringo coming from the northeast of the U.S.  That’s right, I’m referring to me.  Some of my friends  from Trujillo and I prepared some songs to play at the retreat and went down to Lima.   What an amazing experience this weekend was.  I must reiterate that the Peruvian people are very kind; really I was greeted with open hearts and the whole time there was blessed by the warmth of mis hermanos in Peru.  The weekend was full of great teaching, quality music, city excursions, and fútbol and volleyball.   The city excursions were a blast, and they included an outing to an impressive park of water fountains and a trip on a boat.

Some times there are people in your life that inspire you and challenge you just by being themselves.  Their approach to life causes you to look at your own and hopefully better it.  One of the primary speakers at this retreat was a man named Miqueas (Micah).  Miqueas is a missionary from the States that has jumped around the Peru, preaching the word of God and pouring his life out for the cause of Christ in the country.  He is a shining example of a person with passion, adventure, and dedication.  Let me elaborate on each of those qualities. Passion:  this dude loves God and loves talking about God.  He tries to preach the Gospel to at least one person a day, and he has been a Peru missionary for 8 years.  He speaks Spanish, and still retains various inflections of his Gringo accent, but speaks with the jerga (slang) of the country.  Thus, when Peruvians hear a Gringo throwing around the street talk of the day, they tune in.  Adventure:  Miquas and his family currently live in the jungle section of Peru, and once a month he takes a trip to various pueblitos on the river.  To some of these people, he may be the first white person they’ve seen in years, and when he comes to these villages they swarm him with attention and hospitality.  He told us about one time where he sat down and they gave him what looked like a human arm…turns out it was monkey!  He’s drunk a beverage initially prepared by the chewing and spitting of yuca.  Oh, and he got Dengue fever once.  He takes risks for the Lord, and, though that doesn’t mean his life is safe, needless to say, it’s far from boring.  Dedication:  I spoke quite a bit with Miqueas, and though his actions speak loudly and show his devotion, he also is serious about what precedes his deeds.  He reads twelve chapters of the Bible a day, and the Bible four times a year, soaking himself in the Word.  Anyone can recognize and respect that dedication.

We learn a lot from the people in our lives, whether they be life-long relationships or brief encounters.  Miqueas is someone that impacted me, and I am thankful for the life he lives.  Gracias a Dios, I may get a chance to live a little bit of that live alongside of him.  It’s possible that my boss (Alex, a Peruvian from the Selva) and I may take a trip to the jungle!  That would certainly merit another blog post (or 2)!

I can’t stress enough some of the deep stuff going on here at the albergue.  There is much need for prayer, with some kids having serious behavioral and educational issues.  As long as this is an internet blog open to the public I am going to keep vague on the details when it comes to these matters, but please keep this orphanage, an obra of the hand of God, and all those present here in your thoughts and prayers. 

Hasta la proxima, and enjoy some photos from my time in Lima!