MissionPeru

This week eight representatives from the Iona Prep community, three sets of fathers and sons, are in Peru to take part in a mission service trip. This is the blog for our Mission Team. While there, the group helps local families, experiences their lives, and does some sightseeing.

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Mission Peru Team in Machu Picchu

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Arrival in Cuzco and the beginning of our exploration of the Inca civilization.

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A view from Tanya’s

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Dona Carmen’s house where her family does piece work sewing. A tough life

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Dona Tanya tells her story and lets us try our hand at making cloth bracelets. This is her main source of income because she can do this as she goes to appointments with her youngest son who is struck with seizures and awaiting surgery.

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Last day in Lima: Canto Grande. It was a different kind of ministry, that of presence with the poor. Introduction here

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Today was tourist day, an entirely different reality from Jicamarca. We headed south to Barranco and walked up above the Pacific with spectacular views of the ocean. Then we headed to the historic core where we visited Sto Domingo, the resting place of three saints from Lima, Sta Rosa, S Martin de Porres, and S Juan Macias. Finally we saw the Plaza Mayor. It was a full day

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Celebrating Our Lady of Mt Carmel a bit early in Lima.

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In Las Flores at the service house, we spent a few minutes hearing about Laudato Si, on care for God’s creation. Then we put it to practice with a quick clean up outside the residence. Off to actual showers with hot water and flush toilets instead of a latrine.

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Farewell to Sra Fani, Sr Juan and Shamir. We prayed with them and were able to leave them with a couple of donations. They in turn were emotional in expressing their gratitude.

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Hand mixing and the final product

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Last day with Sra Fani and her husband, Sr Juan, and two year old (this week) Shamir. We worked to help mix the concrete to put a floor in the house.

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Bucket line for the sand which is mixed by hand in situ with the cement to form the concrete floor.

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Donation distribution in the community center

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Mari and Jose treat us to a Pachamanca, an ancient tradition of cooking dinner in the earth. Stones are heated over a fire, then the potatoes, chicken, pork, sausage, corn and beans are cooked by the hot stones wrapped up in the earth, I.e., under a dirt mound.

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Jorge, our carpenter, leads the team in the final stages of putting the roof on

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The end of today’s work. We return tomorrow to put in a cement floor.