March 15, 2013

Good evening to all!

Today we are celebrating with Sister Maria her 66th Birthday. The celebrations began with 7:00am Mass followed by a breakfast feast which seemed to stretch into a full morning of greetings and dancing.

Gloria and I decided to invite all of María’s friends, who were at mass, to the house for a “Franciscan breakfast” as María called it, but it turned out to be a breakfast banquet. Gloria and I had shopped for the beacon, eggs, juice and bread last evening. At midnight I was frying up beacon while Gloria decorated the table so we wouldn’t be too rushed when the guests started arrive. We had previously ordered a dozen tamales but seeing the size of the group we quickly cut each in two and since not everyone eats spicy food there was enough for all. We ran out of bread as we only bought for 25 people but quickly someone came to our rescue with two more bags of buns, some fried pork and sweet potatoes. Even the birthday cake arrived for breakfast but we didn’t cut into it. It was truly a Banquet

Nancy Baily left Chincha on Tuesday with the same cold she brought with her from Canada. She tried hard to leave it here in Peru but really had no luck. I really hope she had a good trip home and that she gets over her throat problem soon. We kept Nancy busy visiting homes of new families for scholarship and delivering objects such as beds, cooking pots etc. to those who had been previously visited. Right up to the last minute Nancy was busy doing up food baskets for the sick and elderly which have been distributed as the week went on.

The house seems quiet with just the three of us here, but it seems that there is always someone ringing the doorbell such as a scholarship child bringing their letter of thanks, a SET teacher bringing their receipts and pictures of their purchases, a construction worker looking for his pay, a plumber looking to see the next job to be done, or maybe just someone who wants to talk and needs a listening ear.

Yesterday and today many have come to say good-bye and to send greetings to Canada. I find myself trying to tie-up the loose ends of many things and at the same time make a list for Sisters María and Gloria of things that need to be attended to as a result of unfinished projects. I am sure they appreciate my adding to their work load but they never seem to mind receiving unfinished tasks.

The morning and afternoon have come and gone. As the evening falls upon us the fourth birthday cake has arrived and many friends have come through the door to greet Sister María. We have cut into the second cake and the evening is young.

Fr. Murray Tardiff has been in my thoughts throughout the day. We had a mass said for him this morning and I couldn’t help but think of all he has done for our Mission in Peru. Fr. Murray was on the first Diocesan Pilgrimage to Peru and joyfully filmed most of the trip. When the group came to Chincha Fr. Murray concelebrated Sunday liturgy with Fr. Santiago and today as Fr. Santiago celebrated the mass I could picture the two of them together. Fr. Santiago was so short next to Fr. Murray.

I can hardly believe that Murray will not be at 200 Willoughby Crescent when I return home. He always showed such great interest in what was happening in Peru and faithfully would contribute to any new project that was underway. I have lost a great friend and a great supporter and the diocese has lost a great priest.

This is probably the last you will hear from me now until I return home. I will go to Lima on Sunday with Sr. María and Sr. Gloria as I have to be at the airport Monday morning at 6:30 am. I will fly as far as Toronto on Monday and then take a bus to Peterbourgh Monday evening in order to be at the installation of our New Leadership Team for (The Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Canada).

The following pictures are attached…

There is a picture of the breakfast group dancing with Sr. María on her birthday. Also a picture of Sam Leveque’s young sponsored child receiving the gift that was left for him. He sure was a happy young lad. The other is a picture of one of the nineteen SET teachers who purchased didactic materials for her nursery school with the help of project funds. All nineteen schools were repaired, painted and refurnished and all teachers were given the opportunity to purchase new didactic materials for their classroom thanks to a project funds approved from the “Luke 4 Foundation” through “Accesso International”.

I am also sending pictures of two children who are being attended to. One has eye cancer and is receiving chemotherapy. The other child has spinal bifida and we have purchased a carriage for her and some didactic materials so she can go to school.

Thanks to each of you who have asked to follow us on this journey through these e-mails. It is so nice to know that 112 Canadian friends of Peru have been with us in prayer as we journeyed through these pass six weeks.   Pauline

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Breakfast group dancing with Sr. Maria on her birthday.

Sam Leveque's sponsored child - Almeyda Guerra- receiving gift.  

SET teacher with didactic materials for her nursery school.

Child with eye cancer who is receiving chemotherapy.

Child with spina bifida.

Spina bifida child with new carriage.

March 8, 2013 - Sr. Pauline

Good Evening:

I guess you have been wondering what is happening in Peru. It has been a busy week since we returned from Lima.

Having been away from Chincha for a whole week there was much that had be done that had been put on hold while we were away.

Now coming to the end of the week things seem to be calming down and now we can see our way clear to project what now needs to be programmed for the next couple of months.

I have found myself giving this entire week to the new families for the scholarship program and the project for the SET schools.

Other years the children in the SET schools started a month after the other school children, but this year the Government wants the nursery schools to start at the same time as all other schools. We are fortunate that the clean-up and painting of the SET schools was done early as we started when the youth were here, many other areas were taken by surprise and found themselves unable to begin classes.

Nancy has decided to write about her experience of the week so I will sent this out now. Thanks for your interest and concern for what is happening here in Peru.  Pauline

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I arrived here last Tuesday after an uneventful flight.  Sister Pauline and Yvonne met me at the gate and I spent some time meeting the Pilgrims and seeing them off.   It was good to drive to Chincha in the daylight for a change.  There has been and continues to be an incredible amount of construction all along the coast, with some rather impressive condominium communities.
However, the very poor collections of “shacks” still exist on the bare sand dunes.

Because I am here in March, and the children are back in school, I have had the opportunity to see the school system in action.   I visited and was very impressed with St Joseph’s Primary School. This is the parochial school right beside the church and the convent.  The school was destroyed in the earthquake and has since been rebuilt.  The building has many wide hallways which are open to the sky. Each classroom opens to the outside and there is space for many activities. But most impressive were the students in their classrooms.  Each student in their bright yellow t-shirt and brown shorts and working quietly. I think that we should have uniforms in our schools. Each teacher greeted me graciously even though I was unexpected. Among the teachers was Sister Gloria’s sister and among the students were several of her nieces and nephews who recognized me from visits to their homes.

I also visited one of the Colleges. Another well laid-out, very clean school. I was very interested to see the school and speak with some of the staff as I am sponsoring three students through this level of their education.  Well I guess I should say two students as one has just graduated from a three year course in accounting. I am very pleased with this but now, as at home the young lad must find a job. His sister is in her third year of accounting and his brother in his second year of computer programming and repair course.

Sister Pauline has been registering many new scholarship students and Janet and I have been visiting their homes to asses each situation.  By the way Sponsors are needed for some of these children so if you or anyone you know is interested Sister would be delighted to hear from you.
I accompanied Sister Gloria delivering three new sets of cushions for older persons confined to their wheelchairs.  They were very happy to receive these .The cushions were made by a lady who was given a sewing machine and necessities two year ago. This was from the monies raised by your donations at Sister Pauline’s request.   Lydia is making good use of this gift and helping her family. The first lady is 85 years old and lives alone. Very much alone it seems even though she cannot get around on her own. She has one friend who sets her up in the morning and returns in the evening to put her to bed.

Yvonne will be pleased to know that the wife of the old man who received the second cushion, has her double bed.  I took a picture for you. She is pleased.

The third cushion was for Rosa. Many of you have heard about Rosa being paralyzed when she protected her mother during the earthquake.  She is often bed-ridden and gets very bad bed sores.  I was surprised to find her in the kitchen, in her wheelchair, helping to make sweets from corn and put into corn husks to be sold.

I also went with Sister Maria to check on her construction projects as she had been away for a week with the pilgrims. Joel Chambi’s bathroom is now complete.  We are hoping that his Father will not allow the animals into it.    A house is being built for Sister Maria’s niece.  Sister checked on the progress of the wall and gave instructions to her workers.

I spent some time at the SET schools photographing improvements and new materials.

This morning I went to a wake.  A very young woman who lives not far from the convent died last night of kidney failure.  The bodies are not embalmed here. Because the lady was single she had a white casket.  The body was sealed in with a glass over the face and she will be buried tomorrow.  There will not be a funeral mass as there are so many deaths that  the priests cannot say a mass for everyone.

I have gone again this morning with Janet and Pedro to visit the homes of three new students and taken photos of their homes. It is not possible to describe to you the conditions under which most of the people live.  Even photos do not show it well.

I have visited Cathy Mahusky’s Family and delivered presents sent to them by Cathy.

Today is a holiday because of the grape harvest.  There is no school.  We will go out for lunch today.  This afternoon a mother came to Sister Pauline to register her son and to ask about possibilities for her five year old daughter.  This little girl has spina bifida and it is too late for the doctors to treat her. Her mother takes her to school every day in an old carriage. This evening we purchased a very strong stroller that should suit her size and help her back. She is very small and may not grow much more. We also bought a walker which may encourage movement with her legs.  She is unable to keep food down and so we purchased Ensure for her to try.  The Ensure is very expensive.

This is also the international day of the woman.  We will have to think of something special to do.
This is some of what I have been busy with.  I am enjoying my stay and hope that I am of some help.    It is very hot.

Talk to you later.    Nancy

Margarita

Rojas Abad

Romero Quintana

Shopping with teachers

Albino - Juan y Adela

DAY 12

Saturday, March 2, 2013

We picked up Joan, Denis, Lucie & Charles at the airport early this morning and made our way to our final destination, the Faraona Hotel in Mira Flores.  After checking in we had time for some light shopping/walking around and then on to the Brisas del Titicaca for lunch and a show.   Great music, great dances, great costumes, fantastic talent.  Most enjoyable time.

The day is now ending and we have only one more day in Peru. A sad thought, but most of us are ready to get back to our homes and our reality and share our experiences with our friends and families.

Tomorrow we will experience mass in the church at the nearby square and then lunch at a nearby restaurant and final shopping.

These are my final words as we will leaving for Canada on Monday morning, except for Sr. Pauline who will be staying on for another 2 weeks to finish up her work in Chincha.  Hopefully, she will have time to report on some of the projects that were started, but not quite finished.

Thank you to all of you who have given your support for projects in Chincha and in Lima.  Thank  you to our Peruvian friends for their patience, love and joy.  And thank you to our families for supporting us and understanding our “mission”.  Muchas Gracias and Buenas Noches.    Yvonne

Days 9 - 12, Joan, Denis, Lucie & Charles

Wednesday morning the Langlais family and I began our trip to Cusco with a short 55 minute flight that gave us a great view of the lush mountains and valleys that make up the area of Cusco. We were met at the airport by our tour coordinator and made the short drive to our hotel. The temperature was much cooler than in Lima and was a very comfortable 15 degrees. We had been warned that it would likely be raining most of the time we were in the mountains but that was not the case.

Cusco was declared a World Heritage site in 1983 as it was the capital of the Incan Empire that lasted from around 1200 ad to the 1500’s. The altitude in Cusco is over 11,000 feet so there can be some serious side effects for some people who visit the mountains. To counter this problem the hotel offered us coca tea, made from coca leaves, and is a remedy that has been used by the natives for centuries. Altitude affects everyone differently and some of us were quite short of breath as we climbed stairs or did any physical activity. Headaches and nausea are also very common symptoms. By the second day in Cusco we were all feeling much better.

Wednesday’s bus tour took us to the city center, where we had a tour of the Plaza de Armos that is in the city’s center.  Our tour guide was excellent and gave very detailed accounts of the Church of Santo Domingo that was built by the Spanish after they came to Peru and defeated the Incas in the 1500’s.  This Church, with vast amounts of gold and silver, was built atop an Incan Temple that was destroyed by the Spanish. We saw Incan ruins found in what is still the home of the Dominican Fathers. These ruins were preserved because the Spanish built around them and during the next centuries the Spanish foundations crumbled during earthquakes and the Incan foundations did not.

Next we traveled from Cusco to explore 4 major Inca sites. At an altitude of 12,139 feet (3700 m), the fortress of Sacsayhuaman boasts massive walls made from boulders weighing up to 200 tons each. Most of these boulders came from quarries over 6 km away over mountainous terrain. Slave labour was not used to do this difficult work. The Incan people paid their taxes to the government in the form of work terms. Citizens took their turns helping to push and pull the boulders needed to build all of the Temples and monuments built by the Incan people to honour their Gods.  The next stop was Q’engo, a major Incan ceremonial and ritual place. These sites, built to worship the sun, moon, and water were vast in size and were surrounded by the Andes Mountains. The high altitude made climbing to the top of some of these forts very difficult. The Temple built to honour the God of Water had a road small dirt road that reached the top so that climb was much easier than many others.

At every stop that the tour buses made, there were local mountain people selling everything from boiled corn on the cob to wind chimes and local handcrafted items. Some of the vendors had very aggressive sales pitches and it was very difficult to say no to them. I am sure that I have bought many more souvenirs on this trip than on any other that I have made. Apparently their persistence works!  Many of these women were in the local costumes of the Quechua people and they often had their children, also in costume, and lamas and alpacas present to add to the authenticity of the photo. They asked for a small fee, usually a dollar, to take a picture with them. The bright costumes were beautiful. Our stop at the huge market in Pisac was a favourite on all tour busses. This market was large enough to accommodate several tour groups at a time and we were able to watch a jeweler making silver ear rings in one of the stores.

Thursday’s bus tour took us several hours through the twisting mountain roads to reach the Sacred Valley. This valley is inhabited by a large community of people who still farm on terraces built into the mountains. Corn, potatoes, squash, and wheat were some of the crops that we saw growing in the area. The amount of farming that can be done using a terrace system is amazing. The contrast between the lush growth in the Cusco and the desert conditions in Lima was particularly evident in this valley. Our guide explained that the community owns all the surrounding farm land and when a young couple is married, they are given an allotment to farm for the rest of their lives. This land is not passed on to their children but returned to the community when they are no longer able to use the land to produce food. The homes are all low in the valley and the farming is done surprisingly high on the mountain sides.

The Sacred Valley is home to the ruins that were the Temple of the Sun. To reach the top of this site, you had to climb the side steps of a rather steep terraced mountain side. It was beautiful when you reached the top and could see the valleys that surrounded the mountain. There is much rain fall in the mountains and their fresh water, as well as water from springs found high in the Andes, is used for crop irrigation. The ancient ruins had evidence that a complex water system was used by the Incan people to reach high farming lands too.

Friday’s trip to Machu Picchu was, for all of us, the most spectacular part of our trip to Cusco.  The train ride usually takes around 3 ½ hours but our trip was complicated by the need to take a bus for the first part of the journey. A land slide had taken out the train tracks in one area and the train will not run there for some time.

The road snaking up to the historic site is very narrow and would not comfortably accommodate two cars meeting yet there are large tour busses going back and forth in an endless stream. It was quite a relief to reach the park gates.  Our tour began with a rather steep walk up to the fortress that overlooked Machu Picchu Mountain and the ruins of the communities built centuries ago by the Incan people. These ruins are one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the many pictures that are found in travel guides and history books cannot do them justice.

The whole area is surrounded by soaring mountains that are covered with thick jungle layers. It was these layers that protected the sacred city from the Spanish. Years before the Spanish came, the Emperor moved everyone from Machu Picchu to hide and protect the city. This exodus was the reason that the Spanish did not find and destroy this site as they did all the other Incan cities that they found. Indeed, the area was so well hidden that except for a few local farmers, no one knew about the “lost city” until 1911.

Our tour included a trip to the huge sundial atop one of their observatories. This dial was used to measure the passage of time during the year, not the day. They used the sun and the Southern Cross constellation to measure the passage of time. As with the Mayans in Mexico, these ancient people were able to build Temple windows so that the sun would shine on an alter on the exact day of the winter and summer solstice.

The entire experience was like none other. Our day passed far too quickly and if you ever get the chance to tour Machu Picchu, plan to spend more than one day in the area. There is much to see but it is very hard to concentrate on the historical aspect of the tour when you are surrounded by the unparalleled beauty of the Urubamba Valley.

Saturday morning we packed out things and headed back to the airport to fly back to Lima. It was really interesting to hear about the trip that Yvonne and the Sisters made to the jungle area while we were in Cusco. The only scheduled event Saturday was a dinner show that featured traditional Peruvian music and dancing. The costumes were very spectacular but the athletic abilities of the dancers made the show amazing to watch.

Saturday night was very quiet and most of us started to gather our things and pack to go home. The Sunday Mass that we attended was the children’s Mass and featured the youth choir. They were very good singers and the Parish was glad to have them back after their summer vacation. The school year begins here tomorrow. Our very own Charles and Lucie were the gift bearers at Mass.  We had lunch together and then went our separate ways to shop for the last of our souvenirs that we will now try to fit into our suitcases.

The trip has been an experience of a life time but I think all of us are ready to go home tomorrow.  Peru is a country of beautiful landscapes contrasted by the deep poverty on the dusty hills of Manchay and El Agustino.  I often think of Bishop Tomasi’s request as we parted last week when he asked that we not forget his people here in Peru. Already I am thinking ahead to projects at home that could raise money to help the poor here. The many projects that are running here can only be continued through donations from Canada as well as charities and individuals from around the world. The thought that has plagued me throughout this Pilgrimage is that most of those responsible for the projects here and in Canada are not young. Who will carry on their work when they are no longer able to do so?  That I believe is where we should focus our prayers.  Please keep this mission work and all of those who are responsible for it in your prayers.

Thank you for all your prayers and support throughout this Pilgrimage.

Good night and God Bless.   Joan

DAYS 9 - 11 - Yvonne and Srs. Pauline, Gloria, and Maria

Wed. – Fri. Feb 27-Mar 1 – IQUITOS (pronounced EEKEETOSS)

We arrived at the airport nice and early so that we could all get checked in.  Joan, Denis, Lucie & Charles heading off to Cuzco and Machu Picchu in the mountains and Sr. Pauline, Sr. Gloria, Sr. Maria and myself to Iquitos in the jungle.  We will wait to hear about the Cuzco trip once they get back to Lima tomorrow.  We will be leaving this evening for Lima and staying overnight and picking up everyone tomorrow morning.

We have some free time this morning (Friday), with just some walking around the town and window shopping!

As we flew out of Lima you could see how the city sprawled in a huge bowl surrounding the Rimac River and surrounded by the foothills of the Andes Mountains.  We soon left the starkness of the desert and when you could see through the clouds, everything was green below us with a long river snaking its way through the jungle.  As we were close to landing you could see huge flooded areas as it is the rainy season here.  Even the end of the runway was flooded!  We were met by our driver and a tour guide and were informed that it had rained all night, but now it was hot and just a bit cloudy.  We made our way to the airport and quickly sensed that this city of ½ million people was unique to itself, as every other city we have visited in Peru is.  This city has its own smell, its own feel.  The little motokars here are unique to themselves and are known as the “Iquitos Mosquitoes”.  The sound of the street is different (motokars and motocycles roaring constantly).  The buses are open with just a front and rear window!  Visitors have indicated how surprised they were that not more scooters and motorcycles were in use in Lima and Chincha – well they are ALL in Iquitos!!  Thousands of them are parked along the side of the streets (the seats covered with cardboard) and thousands whizz by on the street.

We were taken to our hotel and as we had not planned a tour today, the guide convinced us to go on one with him.  We hopped into a couple of mosquitoes and headed thru town.  We arrived  at the crowded market near the wharf and made our way over a  number of boards (partly covered with water) to a restaurant for lunch.  Three rivers come together at Iquitos to form a huge lagoon or lake and then continue flowing as the Amazon.  After lunch we hopped on to a boat that took us across the lake and down the Amazon to Fundo Pedrito – a privately owned ‘conservation area’.  Here we saw piranha, alligators, turtles, paiche (a HUGE fresh water fish) all being fed by our guide.  There were birds in the area and bats and the flora was wonderful with the huge Victoria lily pad and flower being our favourite.  Back in the boat and on to another private ‘conservation area’ (apparently there are quite a few along the Amazon).  Here we saw a brown wooly monkey, a toucan, two anacondas, a sloth and a ‘prehistoric’ turtle – we were allowed to handle all of these animals (except for the monkey, who would not let us come near him).  It was pretty awesome!  This family had suffered damage to some of their homes due to flooding and were in the process of rebuilding.  It was getting pretty dark as we headed back to the wharf and our hotel and we enjoyed the quick sunset along the way.

The next day we were picked up at 9:30 by tour guides and whisked off to the same wharf area to take a boat across the lagoon again and down the Amazon.  We were told that the river had risen 4 feet in the past week alone!!  We let our hands skim thru the water and refreshed ourselves in the morning heat – 30+ degrees with a humid ex of probably 40+!!  The lagoon has a lot of growth and branches, etc. floating in it, but the actual Amazon river is quite fast flowing and mostly clear of debris.  We encountered other boats and we could see a few fishing canoes amongst the reeds.  We passed by a refinery where large tankers were waiting to be loaded.  Soon we arrived at the Amazonas Sinchicuy Lodge (you can spend a few nights here if you wish, but we had chosen to stay in Town).  This is a very ‘woodsy’, ‘camping out’ type of place – electricity only for a couple of hours in the evening, but all other comforts available, but in an ‘adventurous’ way!!

After a delicious lunch we again got into the boat and went a short distance to a location where we could have walked to during the dry season.  Here the Yaguar (pronounced Jaguar) tribe put on a demonstration for us of face painting, dart blowing, crafts and dance.  This is their way of keeping their traditions alive.  They actually live in their own village a short distance away, and live a simple life, as do most of these people who live along the Amazon.  We all got to blow darts at a target and surprisingly enough most of us were very accurate!  Then it was back on the boat to a village – Santa Maria del Ojel – to experience the art of sugar cane squeezing and making a fermented drink with lime juice in it.  Then on to the house of the Shaman.  This tradition is passed down thru the generations and still in practice.  He told us about all the people he had helped in different ways and explained all about the plants and roots he uses.  His favourite was his ‘follow me, follow me’ potion which he would make up for people who wanted to have someone fall in love with them, or to bring them good luck!!  Again, these people live a simple life as a picture shows their home – no beds, just hammocks and not much other furniture.

The day is drawing to a close and we head back across the river and lagoon, thru the market area and back to our hotel.  As we sit down to a light dinner at the hotel café, it starts to rain.  Bubbles form on the small pool in the courtyard of the hotel as we enjoy some local dishes.

We arrived in Lima a little late on Friday, but Pedro was waiting for us and we drove to the Sisters’ apartment for an overnight stay.  Yvonne

Dancing with the tribe

Iquitos

Friendly sloth

Gloria and anaconda

Inside of a typical jungle home

Iquitos

Iquitos

Iquitos

Iquitos

Iquitos

Main transportation on the Amazon River

Pretty face of a sloth

Tucan and I

DAY 9

Greetings from Iquitos and Cuzco


Tonight we are divided into two different part of the country. Joan, Charles, Lucie and Denis are in the mountain area of Cuzco and Yvonne, Maria, Gloria and I are in the jungle area of Iquitos.

You will probably not hear from us until Saturday when we come together again in Lima.

Pauline

DAY 8

This was our last day in Chincha. I will not miss the intense heat of this city but I will miss the people who are here. The Sisters and their Associates and all those who have passed through this Convent, and there have been many,  are some of the most kind and hardworking people that I have ever met.

Our group had a few scheduled stops today before we left Chincha. Our first stop was a tour of Manchitas School. This school was built with funds raised by Sister Pauline’s niece Jessica and her friend Lana from Opeongo High School in 2008.  It will house 12 – 15 youngsters who are aged 2-3 years old. Maria Martinez, the teacher, proudly showed us many of the new supplies that her students will use next week when school starts. Many items were still stored in her home or in a locked closet as she was afraid things would be stolen. There were cracks in the wall where someone had tried to break the thin walls and see what could be removed from the school.

The second stop was at a family home that had recently received financial help to build a bathroom.  Yvonne had raised funds for this project in her home community of Renfrew.  The estimated cost of installing all the septic, plumbing and bathroom fixtures would be about $1,200.00 dollars. On our way home we made a quick stop at the “poor man’s” hospital or the state run public hospital. We went there to make a rather strange request. We wanted to get a copy of the list that a surgery patient is given before they go in for their operation. We were all amazed to learn that before an operation can be scheduled, the patient is given a list of medicines, bandages and even syringes that must be bought and shown to the hospital before a scheduled surgery can be performed. This was a bazaar list and would be unheard of in many countries.

Juana and Columbina  made us a  very delicious traditional Peruvian lunch of chicken soup, rice and a beef dish that is rich with tomatoes and onions. We packed up the van, said our goodbyes and began our tip back to Lima. The drive back to Lima was very calm as traffic was not the nightmare that we had experienced on Friday’s journey to Chincha. We even saw large tracts of land that had been planted with seedling trees in hopes of improving the landscape and providing root systems to help stop erosion.

I take away many thoughts and impressions from Chincha.  From Padre’s visit yesterday and the schedule that I have seen the Sisters follow during the week; it is quite clear that their work is deeply valued in this Valley. The obvious respect that the people show the Convent Community could only be the result of years of service and love.  The doorbell rang constantly here as people came and went seeking advice and help. They are welcomed and respected and always assisted in one way or another. There is a limited amount of funds to go around and people cannot always be given what they are asking but help is always offered in one form or another. As Sister Pauline is only here for a month or two each year, there is much to be done with the scholarship program, the funding for senior’s homes, home improvement and all the many projects that the Sisters of St. Joseph maintain here in Peru.

Sister Maria went about her duties very quietly but thoroughly. She is responsible for the Convent and all that running a 16 bedroom house entails. Her work in the Parish is focused on outreach programs for the families who are trying to improve their homes and are working with a State that is quite unsympathetic to their needs.

Sister Gloria appears and disappears at all hours of the day and night for meetings next door at the Church.  She is responsible for many groups and Ministries and has people young and old to attend to. The enthusiasm and joy that she puts into her work is awe inspiring. Her life story is a mixture of tragedy and profound Faith that is so common in Peru. As I mentioned last night, her Mother was widowed and left with a young family to care for. It was a daily challenge just to put food on the table. Sister Gloria told us that in order to make money she and her brother would climb on to city buses and sing and entertain them as they traveled around the city. Her brother played the spoons or whatever he could find to use as an instrument and the young Gloria sang traditional songs.  They asked the passengers to give one sole, a Peruvian dollar, and said that amount of money would not make the children rich and it would not make the people poor. Sister Gloria was 6 years old at the time.  When she was 8 years old she left her family home and went to live and work in a home to help care for a baby.  Education was a priority for her even at that early age. When the family did not give her the opportunity to go to school she found work with a family that would allow her time to go to school and work. She is certainly not ashamed of her early beginnings. The night we traveled to El Carmen we were finding the trip rather long and she stood on the step of the van and gave us as sample of her “routine” including the sales pitch with the promise of “passing the hat” later on.  Her singing was simply beautiful and the traditional songs told of a longing for her beautiful Chincha. In typical Sister Gloria style, when I took her picture after the song, she told me that the photo would cost two soles extra!

Good night and God Bless.   Joan 

New school items

Foundation for bathroom

Building materials

Juana & Columbina

CSJ Convent

Growth in the desert

Sr. Gloria singing in the van

DAY 7

Monday Pilgrim Journal

Breakfast was a blending of two worlds. Charles and I made French toast, Sister Gloria fried Peruvian bacon and Sister Maria fried good old Peruvian eggs. We are still unsure which came first, but we have seen a lot of chicken and eggs here in Peru!

Our first trip of the day was to Pesco, a small fishing village just south of Chinha. The drive to Pesco was an interesting study in local agriculture and irrigation. We saw cotton fields, tangerine orchards and huge fields of asparagus. Sadly the area between the fields and the highway was covered with tons of garbage and debris. Apparently after the 2007 earthquake, much of the rubble was simply taken out of the city and dumped along the highway.

The Sisters and Yvonne did not accompany us on our boat as they had been on the tour before. The rest of us boarded a large tour boat that held about 40 passengers. We went to Ballestas Island to see several types of birds and a colony of sea lions. Sister Pauline told us that several times each year, men come to the rock cliffs and rappel down collect the bird droppings. These droppings are bagged and sold as fertilizer.  The highlight of the trip for many on the boat was a stop at the Candelabra.  This is a geoglyph, or a design engraved in the stone, on the side of a sand/rock cliff. This particular design is about 120 meters high and is a very good example of the carvings that are found in the Nasca area of Peru. These are ancient and rather mysterious designs that are important archaeological features, and therefore tourist attractions, in this area of Peru.

The boat tour was followed by an excellent lunch a local, beachside restaurant. Some of the group dined on Cerviche, a Peruvian dish that is marinated raw fish.  As it is Lent, I won’t mention the Peruvian beer or the Pisco Sour drink that is made from Pisco liquor, lime juice and whipped egg white.  There were a few minutes after lunch that were set aside for souvenir shopping and Lucie and I made the most of it. Pisco had many small market stalls with shell jewelry, purses and other hand crafted items.

An interesting thing happened soon after we got home from the trip to Pisco. I head drums, loud music, and horns blowing and assumed there was a parade going by. I looked out to see the festivities and discovered that the large group of people passing by were carrying a bright red casket in the procession. Now, I have seen some very unusual things during the past week but this was a surprise. I asked Sister Gloria if this was a parade and she said no, a person is dead. Indeed, this is how Peruvians send off their loved ones. There is no Mass as there are about 12 deaths each day in this Valley so the family places the dead relative in the casket, has a procession that is a celebration of their life and walks to the cemetery. There is a small chapel there where the burial prayers are said and the casket is placed in above ground niche. As you might imagine, I had a few questions about this process so Sister gathered up our group and we drove quite a distance to the cemetery. There were stalls with dogs, people selling flowers and food and a large crowd was still gathered there from the evening burials. Apparently there is a half hour time slot set aside for each family and then the next family brings in their loved one. It was quite a learning experience.

We finally had the opportunity to meet Padre Santiago who is the Parish Priest for Fatama Parish and recently was asked by the Bishop to be responsible for Santa Diamingo Parish as well.  That leaves him caring for over 75,000 people and 3 parochial schools. He looked very tired and said that he finds much of his time is now devoted to administration rather than working with and visiting his people. He gave us a brief history of the current funding situation at the senior’s home that we visited last night. He thanked the Sisters for their hard work in the Parish and particularly the work done within the senior’s home. Padre expressed his appreciation for the people of Canada and all the donations that they have given to the people of Peru.

Sister Gloria’s Mother invited us to her home for dinner tonight. Many of Sister Gloria’s family gathered to greet us and welcome us.  In spite of a language barrier, it was quite clear that she was delighted to have us visit. The matriarch of Sister Gloria’s family is a strong woman who raised a large family on her own in a country where no assistance is given to widows or the poor. She worked and instilled a strong work ethic in her family and a Faith that has served them well. When she wanted to have us come to visit, the family worked together and took time out of their busy lives to do as she asked.  A second table was brought into the dining room and we all sat together and enjoyed a delightful family dinner that was prepared by one of Sister Gloria’s nieces who hopes to be a chef.  She definitely has a talent. This was a heartwarming visit complete with family stories and all the fun that is part of that dynamic. Unfortunately, while we were there they received the sad news that one of the family had lost the baby that she had been carrying. Again, the Faith that is so ingrained in the fabric of the people of Peru was evident. The baby’s father came to see his family and greeted us warmly. When we offered our condolences, he said that he was Thankful for his three healthy, living children. God has asked much of the people of Peru but He has also given them great Faith. Their faith in such adversity is an inspiration.

Good night and God Bless.  Joan

Charles, Lucy, and Denis

Joan

Fish meal

Sea lion

DAY 6

Sunday started off with the church bells tolling a half-hour, quarter-hour and on the hour before each mass (3 this morning and 1 this evening).  After a breakfast of pancakes, we attended the 11:30 children’s mass.  As we entered, Sr. Gloria was front and centre with her mike and everyone was standing and singing, clapping and just filling their hearts with joy (I’m sure that this helps the smaller kids settle down for the actual mass too).  This went on for a good 10-15 minutes.  After mass the scholarship children were invited to come to the front and get their picture taken in their uniforms.  There must have been over 150 children!!  Denis, Charles and Lucie, and Joan, were meeting their sponsored children for the first time and they came over to the house for more pictures and gifts.

We had lunch in a nice restaurant where everyone got to try some Peruvian Sangria.  The wine was a Malbec/Merlot, the mix was a small bottle of cream soda, and the bottom of the jug was a layer of canned mixed fruit!! – enjoyed by everyone.

We returned to the house and packed bags for the nursery school kids.  The bags were made from donated material brought down by us. We gave yardage to Sr. Maria’s sister, Lydia, a seamstress, and she came the next day with a couple of dozen bags sewn up!  Each packed bag consists of crayons, play dough, a puzzle, colouring book, story book, top and shorts, white socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, small towel and a toy – 25 full bags in total.  We now have to find a BIG bag to put all these bags in, together with a dozen more of each item (extras) and get them to Jorge at Caritas Lima to distribute in El Agustino!!  We hope we can be there when the kids receive them, but not sure if we will have time next weekend.

We gathered a number of items to take with us and readied ourselves for a visit to the seniors’ home here in Chincha.  This home was 10 years in the building and finally opened in 1997.  Sr. Pauline was one of the founding members.  The Foundation looked for someone to run the place and an order of brothers took over for a number of years.  Just recently an order of sisters based out of Korea have taken over (nothing is signed at the present time for a permanent stay).  We were met by the sister and visited the seniors as they were sitting down for dinner.  There are 25 residents; 8 women and 17 men.  We left a number of gifts and asked the sister for a list of needed items which can be delivered at a later date.  We had a nice visit with the seniors and I remembered one or two of them from our visit in 2006.

On our way home we stopped at Grocio Prado for ‘picarones’ (homemade donuts, with syrup similar to maple syrup).

Back home and a quiet evening (maybe) –you just never know what might happen unexpectedly!!

Buenas Noches……………………  Yvonne

Scholarship children

Charles and Lucie's child

Joan's child

Bag contents

Packing the bags

Preparing the bags

Seniors eating

Seniors receiving gifts

DAY 5

Weekend Pilgrim Journey

Sister Pauline had said that Saturday was to be a day of rest and recuperation and that is exactly what we needed. Lucie is much better and my own stomach issues have improved too. It is very hard on the system to be in such intense heat and to be exposed to different foods and all that travelling in a foreign country entails.  Sister Gloria says that we needed to come to Chincha to be healed.

This morning, our group divided into two groups to get some personal shopping and some mission shopping done.  The Langlais men went to a supermarket to pick up some things that they needed and commented that the prices were good compared to Canada and found that the money exchange process was easy to navigate.  Charles spotted some quail eggs in the market. These small eggs are commonly eaten here in Peru and we have had them often. He decided against bringing any home though as he feared he would have to peel them after they were cooked!

Yvonne, Sister Gloria and I went to a market that sold everything from raw fish to cell phones. Our job was to pick up items to pack into bags to send to the Wawa Wasi (nursery) School in Lima.  We bought puzzles, crayons and colouring books and some items of clothing for the little ones at the school. I found the heat, combined with the market smells, did not agree with my queasy stomach and asked Sister Gloria’s brother to drive me home.  I felt badly to leave but I thought it was best for everyone.  Yvonne and Sister Gloria  brought home bags of things to divide among the children. I wish I could be there to see them receive the gifts but that will happen at a later time.

Dennis and Pedro delivered some beds and mattresses to families that are part of the sponsorship program. Dennis says that they assembled 4 beds for elderly people who were very glad to have a new, clean bed. He noticed that all the beds were similar to the ones here in the Convent. They are basically a wood frame with slats across the centre to support the straw mattress.  He was impressed by their appreciation for all that they had been given.

Walter and Ricardo are two school teachers who are working as carpenters in the summer. They were constructing bamboo houses for the program and came to take us to the homes so we could see their progress. It was very impressive to see the “before and after” of the living conditions in these families. Their homes had been woven reed mats and the roof consisted of tarps, vinyl table cloths or whatever they could find.  The new homes are made from a flattened bamboo wall board that is nailed to sturdy bamboo poles. The roof is made from bamboo pole supports and more flattened bamboo and then a heavy plastic layer that is held down with a layer of mud. There is even electricity in these new homes. The families were so proud and wanted to show us all through their houses and have us see how neat and tidy everything was.  There is one more home to be built for that family and their extended family and that will be done next week. The pregnant woman who will be in this new home told us yesterday that she was very excited to be moving before the baby comes.

Our evening outing was one that Sister Pauline planned. One of the associates suffered a stroke recently and is bedridden. Yvonne and Sister gathered some things together and we climbed into our van and headed out to the rural farming village of El Carmen. This community is built in a fertile area that has acres of cotton fields, corn and other crops.  At Theodora’s home, she invited us into her room and proudly showed us the progress that she had made in a very short time. She was able to lift her left leg and squeeze a ball in her left hand, neither of which she could do last week. The interesting thing that both Yvonne and I noticed was that when she spoke , the left side of her mouth moved very little but when she laughed, which was often, her whole mouth moved.  This remarkable woman who worked her whole life in the cotton fields was the one from the Parish who took care of the sick and helped the Priest by preparing the Altar and taking Communion to the sick. She lives with her older sister who is a diabetic and lost a leg because of her condition. While her sister was sick Theodora carried her, in her arms, to Mass. Her sister, Emilia -told us before we left that she was blessed to come from a family that gave her great Faith. It is so hard to imagine that these women count their blessings but they do each and every day.   Joan

El Carmen consists of descendants of African slaves brought over to work the cotton fields (similar to the situation in the U.S.).   Last time I was here, we visited the Hacienda that still stands as a reminder of those days gone by.  You can visit the underground chamber where the slaves were put in chains and as you walk around the grounds you can feel the despair that was these people’s lives.   When you drive into El Carmen, everything is very different from the other districts of the Chincha Valley.  There is less traffic here and I feel a peacefulness  as we drive through the square, compared to the busyness of all the other areas.  The streets are cleaner, less cluttered as if a totally different lifestyle is followed here.  There is ‘quiet’ as we drive down the streets to find the right house.  As we visited with Theodora in her bedroom (she is forced to stay there by her family – if she had her way she would  be visiting the sick in her neighbourhood!!), I could see what a strong woman she was, not just physically, but mentally.  She is a hard working woman with a strong will, just like her ancestors.

A previous visit to this area was also a unique one for me.  We were invited to a home so we could enjoy some authentic entertainment by the local youth.  Their dance was different from the typical in Peru and we thoroughly enjoyed the show and interacting with them afterwards.  Everywhere we go, we are treated with respect, politeness and joy and everyone appreciates our visits.  It does the heart good to be around these people who share their smiles and joy with us.  Yvonne

Before wall repair

After wall repair

The Market

Receiving new bed