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
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| Before wall repair |
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| After wall repair |
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| The Market |
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| Receiving new bed |
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