Here's a short video about our festivities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4glJcARsD8
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Another Video
One of the brothers in the Sodalicium came to the Andes and filmed us for a few days. He's working on documentary and has produced this trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKxu2PiVlKA
Today, I'm writing a speech on teaching economics using a case study method in South America for an international teachers conference. I'll post the speech when I'm finished. Only 3 out of 10 pages done so far...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKxu2PiVlKA
Today, I'm writing a speech on teaching economics using a case study method in South America for an international teachers conference. I'll post the speech when I'm finished. Only 3 out of 10 pages done so far...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Back in Peru...
So, it's been a long time since I've blogged. I've been back in Peru for 3 weeks, but only back with a computer for the last week. Please take a look at a video we made for our mission trip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xYFFyELBw8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xYFFyELBw8
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A trip back to the shanty towns...
Yesterday I spent the day in San Juan where the poorest of the poor live. We traveled to the clinics, the schools, and the rehabilitation center. I went with a new friend that I met on Sunday. It's kind of a strange story of how we got connected:
A friend of mine from my freshmen year of college sent me an email a couple months ago when he saw that I was living in Peru. He told me his sister had a friend that was traveling in South America and would be making her way to Lima and that I should meet up with her and show her around. So after a few emails back in February, I kind of forgot about her until last week when another email populated in my inbox.
We decided to meet and grab some ice cream. We ended up finding out that we had quite a bit in common. She told me some interesting stories about how she had lived in East Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, Germany, and for the last 4 months traveling all around South America.
She was hoping to find some work doing something internationally in the health field. So, I immediately thought of the work that the CLM is doing in San Juan. In the past, she said, that she had worked with organizations that had ideological agendas that were hard for her to reconcile, even despite the good work that they were doing.
So I made a few phone calls and we arranged a trip with a Fraterna (a woman that takes a vow of celibacy and obedience and lives in a community of women) to go with us. She turned out to be one of the sweetest women I have every met. From time-to-time you come across people that just glow of joy and happiness, this was one of those women. Our faces hurt at the end of the day because of how much smiling and laughing we had done!
Anyway, so we spent the day with the poorest of the poor. We stopped in at some daycare centers and schools and played with the kids and had a ball. They teased me that I was a rock star because the kids loved me so much. I should have brought my camera, but I forgot.
We went around and saw all the projects that the CLM is doing, everything from preventative health care, to providing psychological care for families, to rehabilitation, to teaching them how to provide for themselves and learn new skills. With all of these projects, there’s a very strong sense of taking care of the entire person, a focus on the dignity and worth of each human life, from conception until natural death.
My new friend Alexis, I think, was quite impressed with how authentic this work was, without concern about ideology, or even about religion. Of course, there are icons, and we uphold the teaching of the Catholic Church, but we treat without question.
There were points on our trip where even I was overwhelmed by the incredible love and concern for people that the volunteers had, and how authentic and complete the spirituality driving the projects were, even though I had been there before.
At the end of the day, I came back to my room physically and emotionally exhausted. It’s amazing how seeing so much poverty can be overwhelming, but at the same time, so much hope for the good and love that is being sown.
A friend of mine from my freshmen year of college sent me an email a couple months ago when he saw that I was living in Peru. He told me his sister had a friend that was traveling in South America and would be making her way to Lima and that I should meet up with her and show her around. So after a few emails back in February, I kind of forgot about her until last week when another email populated in my inbox.
We decided to meet and grab some ice cream. We ended up finding out that we had quite a bit in common. She told me some interesting stories about how she had lived in East Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, Germany, and for the last 4 months traveling all around South America.
She was hoping to find some work doing something internationally in the health field. So, I immediately thought of the work that the CLM is doing in San Juan. In the past, she said, that she had worked with organizations that had ideological agendas that were hard for her to reconcile, even despite the good work that they were doing.
So I made a few phone calls and we arranged a trip with a Fraterna (a woman that takes a vow of celibacy and obedience and lives in a community of women) to go with us. She turned out to be one of the sweetest women I have every met. From time-to-time you come across people that just glow of joy and happiness, this was one of those women. Our faces hurt at the end of the day because of how much smiling and laughing we had done!
Anyway, so we spent the day with the poorest of the poor. We stopped in at some daycare centers and schools and played with the kids and had a ball. They teased me that I was a rock star because the kids loved me so much. I should have brought my camera, but I forgot.
We went around and saw all the projects that the CLM is doing, everything from preventative health care, to providing psychological care for families, to rehabilitation, to teaching them how to provide for themselves and learn new skills. With all of these projects, there’s a very strong sense of taking care of the entire person, a focus on the dignity and worth of each human life, from conception until natural death.
My new friend Alexis, I think, was quite impressed with how authentic this work was, without concern about ideology, or even about religion. Of course, there are icons, and we uphold the teaching of the Catholic Church, but we treat without question.
There were points on our trip where even I was overwhelmed by the incredible love and concern for people that the volunteers had, and how authentic and complete the spirituality driving the projects were, even though I had been there before.
At the end of the day, I came back to my room physically and emotionally exhausted. It’s amazing how seeing so much poverty can be overwhelming, but at the same time, so much hope for the good and love that is being sown.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Weekly Update
So, it's been 5 days since I've returned from Ayaviri and I have to say I'm a little depressed. I really enjoyed that place. There was something almost mystical about being there. I guess, I would describe it like being in a time machine and going back several hundred years.
You're in a small down, with a plaza and constant music. All the woman are dressed in traditional clothing and there are only a very few cars in the town. Most people ride bikes and a few have motorcycles. There's an open air market on Wednesday where people bring their lamb and cattle meat to be sold. Sunday is the day to do your shopping for other supplies, and there's constant huslte and bustle in the plaza.
Sunday also is the day where they parade in with several hundred people, organized by different groups (ie. schools, bands, organziations that care for the poor, and semi-professional organziations). The band plays the national anthem and they raise the Peruvian and Ayarviri flags.
The children of the town attend school, but have very little as far as supplies. Luckily, I was able to travel with Father Miguel and bring new backpacks filled with school supplies to 4 different schools. At the school that the community runs, I stopped into their English class and gave an im-promp-tu English lesson. Very few of them had ever met a Northern American, so it was quite exciting for them to see and hear my native English. At the conclusion of the lesson, I asked who wanted to come with me to the U.S. and they all raised their hands and a few of them ran up to me and hugged me not wanting to let go. It was a cute moment, but also one that made me thing about the differences in opportunity that we have just because of the place we were born and the family that we were born into. Which made me really think about the responsibility as Christians that we have to the entire human race to promote the dignity and worth of all human beings regardless of class or ethnicity.
Now I'm back in Lima, and I'm starting to look forward to going back home in 2 weeks. I haven't thought about home too much because everyday has been somethig new, but now that the time is approaching, I've started to get a little homesick...
You're in a small down, with a plaza and constant music. All the woman are dressed in traditional clothing and there are only a very few cars in the town. Most people ride bikes and a few have motorcycles. There's an open air market on Wednesday where people bring their lamb and cattle meat to be sold. Sunday is the day to do your shopping for other supplies, and there's constant huslte and bustle in the plaza.
Sunday also is the day where they parade in with several hundred people, organized by different groups (ie. schools, bands, organziations that care for the poor, and semi-professional organziations). The band plays the national anthem and they raise the Peruvian and Ayarviri flags.
The children of the town attend school, but have very little as far as supplies. Luckily, I was able to travel with Father Miguel and bring new backpacks filled with school supplies to 4 different schools. At the school that the community runs, I stopped into their English class and gave an im-promp-tu English lesson. Very few of them had ever met a Northern American, so it was quite exciting for them to see and hear my native English. At the conclusion of the lesson, I asked who wanted to come with me to the U.S. and they all raised their hands and a few of them ran up to me and hugged me not wanting to let go. It was a cute moment, but also one that made me thing about the differences in opportunity that we have just because of the place we were born and the family that we were born into. Which made me really think about the responsibility as Christians that we have to the entire human race to promote the dignity and worth of all human beings regardless of class or ethnicity.
Now I'm back in Lima, and I'm starting to look forward to going back home in 2 weeks. I haven't thought about home too much because everyday has been somethig new, but now that the time is approaching, I've started to get a little homesick...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Some Easter pics and a school update
Here are some other pictures from the Easter celebration:
Inca Kola...when 2 liters just isn't enough...
My pal David:
So I started playing basketball with some of my students about 2 weeks ago. It was surprising how excited they were to have me out there. It was depressing to think that I'm 10 years older than them though!
Inca Kola...when 2 liters just isn't enough...
My pal David:
So I started playing basketball with some of my students about 2 weeks ago. It was surprising how excited they were to have me out there. It was depressing to think that I'm 10 years older than them though!
On Tuesday they were doing some drill races in their PE class and the coach asked me to join them. So, of course being a high school kid, you want to race your teacher who hasn't picked up a basketball in probably 9 months. The school's best player, of course, wanted to test me. So we faced off.
The first drill was based on dribbling speed. Damn. I haven't dribbled a ball in forever, let along sprinted anyway. It was neck and neck, but he pulled away at the end and clipped me by a second or so. Instead of being domoralized, I started to talk a little trash about the next drill, which now included layups.
I got out there, and now with a little muscle remember under my belt from the up and back dribbling, my skills were a little sharper. We went back and forth, up and down the court 4 times and I just barely edged him out to win. We were now tied and the students were starting to get into the competition.
The student complained that I bumped him while shooting the last layup, which was true, but come on, this is basketball not golf. So the tie breaking match was set. Not to be outdone by his old teacher, my student knocked the ball away from me on my first layup. The students booed him for his obvious cheating, but I didn't give up. I ran and got my ball, made the layup and raced back to make the basket right before he did.
Victory.
Now I need a gatorade...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Peru wins...
The worst taxi service in South America!
POR LOS SUELOS. Servicio de taxis es el peor de Latinoamérica. A diferencia de Buenos Aires, Bogotá o México, nuestra ciudad tiene la flota más desorganizada de la región. 210 mil unidades sin taxímetros y en pésimas condiciones saturan a diario las calles.
Basically, Peru has the most disorganized transportation system in South America. There are over 210,000 taxis without meters. What that means: you have to negotiate before you get in the cab. There's a solid 30% gringo tax that you most negotiate down...every time.
This is a typical cab: average fare is about $/10 or $3 for 30 minutes
Here's a microbus that is about the length of a suburban and can fit 25-30 people: average fare is about $/1 or $0.30 for a 15 minutes ride.
Oh the motortaxi:
POR LOS SUELOS. Servicio de taxis es el peor de Latinoamérica. A diferencia de Buenos Aires, Bogotá o México, nuestra ciudad tiene la flota más desorganizada de la región. 210 mil unidades sin taxímetros y en pésimas condiciones saturan a diario las calles.
Basically, Peru has the most disorganized transportation system in South America. There are over 210,000 taxis without meters. What that means: you have to negotiate before you get in the cab. There's a solid 30% gringo tax that you most negotiate down...every time.
This is a typical cab: average fare is about $/10 or $3 for 30 minutes
Here's a microbus that is about the length of a suburban and can fit 25-30 people: average fare is about $/1 or $0.30 for a 15 minutes ride.
Oh the motortaxi:A view from inside. Spacious, safe, and luxorious...
Friday, April 10, 2009
Holy Thursday
So, I got a little taste of how Peruvains celebrate Holy Thursday tonight:
We went to Mass at a church that holds 800, but packed in around 1500! Loved it! More pictures and festivities to come over the next couple of days.
Most importantly...Jesus is coming soon...get ready and prepare your hearts!
We went to Mass at a church that holds 800, but packed in around 1500! Loved it! More pictures and festivities to come over the next couple of days.Most importantly...Jesus is coming soon...get ready and prepare your hearts!
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