La Sierra - Cajamarca

Right now I’m in Cajamarca, a city in the mountains - 2750m - about 6 hours away from Trujillo by bus. I’ve been here a week now staying with a missionary family and joining in with their daily activities. Already I’ve had so many new experiences and tried more new food here than in the whole of my time in Peru so far I think.

The view over Cajamarca

One of my favourite things that I did this past week was going with two guys from the Church to a small village an hour away called San Juan. We crammed onto a full micro (combi) at 2.30pm and set off for the windy journey through the mountains. The landscape was so beautiful but sadly I didn’t take hardly any photos because there were so many people in the van. 

One of my only photos 

We arrived just after half three and spent our afternoon visiting some ladies in the village and working with the kids. I can’t describe how much love these two guys have for Jesus, it was such a privilege to watch them share this love with the people around them. There’s no Church in the village so when Hugo and Paul go every Friday afternoon it could be one of the only times the people hear about Jesus. They visit people who are interested in the Bible and just generally stop by to see how they’re doing. 

Walking down into the village

As we walked through the village the children came running. We played games with them and did a Bible story. We then headed back up to one of the ladys’ houses to have ‘Cena del Senor’ (communion), a time of worship and one of the guys gave small talk. Three ladies came and there was the three of us so in total we were six.

In the main square

Teaching the children

By the time we left the house it was almost eight and all official ways of transport back to Cajamarca had stopped for the night so we had to try and hitch a ride home. I found it really funny watching Hugo and Paul try and do this because not one car stopped. They then told me that if it gets passed half nine we would have to go and knock on someone’s door and ask to stay the night- and they weren’t joking because they’ve had to do this before. We ended up walking to a restaurant down the road where bus and truck drivers stop for dinner and the boys managed to sweet talk one of the drivers into letting us have a ride back in his huge chicken truck. Again they didn’t let the journey pass without sharing their love for Jesus and how we can have a relationship with him.

Hugo and Paul trying to hitch a ride

They have encouraged me and challenged me to have more faith and I am so thankful that God has given me these experiences.

“And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

  

Lima- The capital of Peru

This was an added bonus that I didn’t think I would have. The family that I stayed with in Pucallpa has an apartment in a beautiful area of Lima called Miraflores and they said I could spend the weekend there with them before I left to go back to Trujillo. I arrived late on the Friday night so we just had time to eat and then go to bed before our busy day tomorrow.

Miraflores

I woke up to the cheery voices of Abbie and Elijah singing a club song (that was then stuck in our heads the rest of the day) and then they took me out to show me the parks and the beach nearby. We walked about two minutes and we were on the cliff promenade that over looked the surfers and crashing waves. It was only 8.30am but the world was alive. Dogs and their owners passed us by along with many runners and early morning walkers. There were aerobic classes, dog classes and individuals exercising in the various parks along the cliff side, while others worked out on the exercise machines that were sporadically planted at different bends in the walk. It was completely different to the Lima that I was expecting. 

Abbie and Elijah on our walk along the coast

Count the number of surfers

   We got Maracuya smoothies after and then headed away from the beach into the center where we browsed through the Inka Market. I loved seeing all the different souvenirs but had to stop myself from spending all my money.

Smoooothies (Abbie feeling in cold)

Inka Market

We stopped for a delicious lunch at their favourite restaurant and then got a taxi to some famous water fountains. This was loads of fun, running through the water and trying to count the amount of parrots we could see. The day was nearly over, but it didn’t end until I saw the circle of fire in the air that was the sun setting, with parachutes blowing in the foreground from paraglyders having come into land.

Our amazing lunch

Water fountains

.. and again

And me with the fountains

Running through the fountains.. can you find us?

The paraglyders waiting to run off the cliff

My weekend had been amazing and I really appreciated how much kindness Cristina and her kids had shown me. I said another goodbye and then got a taxi across Lima to the airport for my 9.15pm flight. I had one more week in Trujillo before I left again to go to Cajamarca in the mountains.

Cristina, Abbie and Elijah :)

Saying goodbye to the place that captured my heart

Excitement and anticipation was what filled the air during my last week in Pucallpa. Gerzon and Karina along with the rest of the team had been working hard towards Thursday afternoon for about the last three weeks now. It was the afternoon where we would give out Christmas shoeboxes to 180 children- Operation Christmas Child. Precise planning and preparation had gone into this event so that it would run smoothly.. invitations had been given out (only club kids were allowed due to the restriction of boxes), choreography for the songs had been learnt, a mime had been practiced and each of us had our own role to play so the afternoon would run as planned.

Learning the song choreography

All the children waiting for the afternoon to start

The Team

The kids started arriving at 2.30pm handing their invitations over at the gate so that we could start on time at 3.30pm. The invitations only specified that the afternoon was going to be exciting and different so as the kids came in, it was a guessing game of what was to come. The giving of the shoeboxes was the last thing of the afternoon and I’m not sure who was more excited- the team because we knew what was about to happen or the children because it was time for their big surprise. Every child was given a shoebox and then on the count of uno, dos, tres they were ripped open. Excitement, joy and cries of mira (look) filled the room. I can’t explain what it was like to be on the end of watching children receive these boxes but I know that now when I hear of shoebox appeals at home I will view them in a completely different way.

Discussing their new toys

So excited about their gifts - MIRA

Patty with her new present

Me with some of the other leaders

Friday came too quickly. Cristina and the kids (the family I was staying with) left on the early morning flight to Lima for spring break and I was joining them later on that night to spend Saturday with them in Lima before heading back to Trujillo. I spent the morning packing the final things into my case and memorising the breathtaking view that was just outside my window. I helped serve the kids lunch and then it was time for my goodbye. The children surrounded me, clinging onto any part they could reach and nearly knocking me off my feet every few seconds. We took a big group photo and then individually each of them gave me a hug. I was supposed to leave for the airport at 2.15pm (flight at 3.30pm, airport 20 minutes away) but this was when the hug giving started. They said thank you for coming and then in their best accents shouted bye as I ran back to the house to get my stuff. This was the hardest part, turning my back and running, knowing that I might not see them again. (I hope this isn’t true).

Foto, foto

Group picture :)

Saying my last goodbyes

Giving out Scottish tablet

I didn't want to let go

Pucallpa has taught me to believe in a bigger God, to be willing to serve Him with joy in every way that He asks and to be grateful for everything that is my life.

Si me siento bien..

I don't even know how to start describing the last three weeks in Pucallpa but I think I can say that they've been some of the best of my life. I have experienced too many incredible things to write about them all so I'm just going to choose one or two things to focus on. The first is working with all the leaders and the kids in the various clubs and groups. All the children want is for you to show them your love - they want hugs, they want to take your hand and they want you to play with them. It makes me so sad to know that a lot of them are not looked after the way they should be. We had loads of fun together though.. making sheep, playing games, doing homework and taking lots and lots of photos. It was amazing to work along side the leaders and teachers as well and watch them all give the glory to our God every day. I have learnt so much from being a part of the team during these past weeks and God has once again shown me how great he is.

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
Psalm 19

Awansa club games

Homework club

I think I forgot to say this earlier but I actually managed to change my flights and stay on an extra week. One of the many bonuses from doing this was being able to go on a youth camp with one of the local Churches. Before I went however I wasn't very keen and I think part of this was just the not knowing of what was to come. I had been given a list of things to take.. my own bowl, cup and spoon for the meals, old clothes (I didn't have any), a black t-shirt (I didn't have one), a mattress to sleep on, a mosquito net.. and so the list continues. Anyway when I arrived I think the first thing I heard was a girl screaming 'tarantula'. As you can imagine, that just made me even more excited, not. Anyway, we all got set up in the small sunday school room where we were sleeping and then headed out for dinner (with our own plates). Chicken neck soup was on the menu for tonight. Mmmm.

Mine and Karina's bed

Later on we had a time of worship and a talk. We all had to wear our black t-shirts and glue white paper crosses onto the front of them. This wasn't just so they looked pretty but so that when you walked into the Church where fluorescent lighting had been set up (yes I was in the jungle) the only thing you could see were crosses everywhere. The worship band was all in white with green crosses so the contrast in the room was so cool. At the end of the night we were split into three teams for the whole weekend so every activity was a competition.

Who can make a pyramid of cups the fastest?

All the girls with our cross t-shirts on

Saturday's activities: an obstacle course at 6am, fishing for dinner, volleyball with water balloons, a treasure hunt in the surrounding village, eating our fish we caught, decorating the tables, worship, a talk and games and finally sitting below the stars and sharing the best memories of the weekend. This last thing we did was probably one of my highlights because it was amazing hearing how God spoke to different people throughout the time away and hearing all the different things everyone was thankful for.

THE OBSTACLE COURSE

Which team has the most balloons left when they finish?

I didn't know what I was letting myself into..

Sliding into a trench

I tried hard to keep my head above the mud 

I call this the tarantula tunnel

One of the many obstacles  

Our team- Luchadores por Cristo

After we showered and became clean..

Fishing for dinner

The fish we caught 

So excited about the box of treasure (food) we won in the treasure hunt 

My dinner.

"Tu eres digno, Tu eres santo, Tu eres rey de toda creación"
"You are worthy, You are holy, You are king of all creation" 

Alabanza Senor..