Hello all. So much has been packed into this past week, it´s crazy. Kristin and I truly fontiering it, going where no student missionary has gone before! Pretty exciting.
On Monday and Tuesday we came down with watery, mucousy diarrhea. After telling the people we lived with, they promptly responded that it was because we were drinking “agua cruda.” In other words, they don´t drink that water until they´ve boiled it. So, we are now taking Metronidazol TID and chlorinating our water.
The people we live with are really very sweet, and when Mariza (the lady of the house) heard we weren´t feeling well, she whipped out her jungle remedies on us. She practiced some rock therapy, covering our bellies in rancid olive oil and massaging them with rocks for about 30 minutes, and then grabbing our heads with her oil covered hands and praying in a whisper for about 5 minutes. Then we were told to leave the oil on until it dried. She also had me drink some jungle honey for my sore throat and tried to give me some blood from a jungle plant, but that was where I drew the line. We have to have some boundaries!
We have begun our kid´s program and surveys, and today enrolled 11 families in the health program. At one of the homes the lady invited us to have a seat and enjoy some of the “refresca” she and another woman were drinking. The pitcher was sitting on the table and its contents looked like green slime, but we didn´t want to refuse. So, two tall glasses were poured, and I smiled and took a sip. And almost spit it out. I really don´t want to know what was in it, but I can tell you whatever it was had been rotten and fermenting for quite awhile. So, I´ve had my first alcoholic drink as a student missionary! What´s next?! Needless to say, I couldn´t drink anymore.
God is good, and it is exciting to be involved in His work. Please continue to pray for us and the participants in the program, as it starts officially this Monday.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Clinic Week
A lot has happened in one week. I am now a seasoned clinician after our first clinic. Ok, maybe that’s stretching it a little. I know longer shake in my boots at the thought of clinic, because I know what it involves and it’s not all that bad. Sunday we packed all our meds and supplies into the truck and headed to Los Brisas (sp?), a community about 20 minutes from Pucallpa. Clinic was set up as quickly as possible in a new house in the community. Dental took the campaign tent where evangelistic meetings were held at night, and Medical took the house. There were two rooms. The smaller one was the consult room for the doctor and OR for the minor surgeries we performed throughout the week. The other one was the pharmacy/everything else. We had five tables lining the walls and grouped analgesics, antibiotics, antihistamines, shots, creams, vitamins, and BP meds together for greater ease and fewer errors in dispensing meds. Then clinic began.
The first day was crazy because no one really knew what we were doing. We had to rely on Jenni a lot to explain meds and answer questions. But, by day two we had the process down pretty well, and every day improved more. Here´s the way our days went: Up at 6 to take down our tents which we set up inside the house and pack everything into the truck for safe keeping. Breakfast, worship, and then triage began. I took blood pressures and then headed back to help in pharmacy. Kristin took complaints, kid´s weights, and temperatures, sorting out people who only needed Abendazole for worms and vitamins from those who really needed to see the doctor. The rest of us (minus the dentist, Laura, Manuel, and Brent, who were in dental) were in pharmacy, filling prescriptions as patients filed out of the consult room. We also gave shots, pulled out stitches, and bandaged wounds. This week we also got to give a couple Lasix shots IV for sky high BPs and an IV for major dehydration. Medical alone treated 70 patients in the morning and 70 in the afternoon, and dental averaged about 50 patients a day. By the end of the day we were all exhausted, but the work was very rewarding. And it was evident that the people appreciated it and needed the medical attention.
We saw some sad situations this past week as well. A few stand out. A lady came through with her kids, and was standing in line for pharmacy. I noticed tears in her eyes, and I wondered what had happened in the consult room. As she waited for help, Jenni filled me in on her situation. She has terminal liver cancer, and doesn´t have much longer to live. She has five little children. One is still breast feeding, but she can´t breast feed it, so it is lacking nutrition it needs to survive. We were able to buy the vitamin supplement the baby needs and give it to her, but it will take a miracle to stop the cancer. Another man came through who had had some type of colon resection surgery performed by a local surgeon. The doctor had simply left what was supposed to be a temporary stoma after the surgery, and now that mans intestines are literally hanging in a plastic bag outside his body. It’s horrible how a doctor who is supposed to make people better could leave someone like that. We are trying to raise money so he can have surgery performed to fix the stoma. We also removed a golf ball sized tumor from the head of a young man. It was just hanging off his head on his left temple, and it looked like a large melanoma. He took it to have it biopsied, and I don´t know the results. Even though it was nice to removed it for cosmetic reasons, it ´s sad to know that it could be cancerous, and if he had access to medical help sooner, it might have been prevented.
My favorite part of clinic was actually taking blood pressures. I got really good at taking them, which is a good skill to have (thank you Southern for that stupid nursing skills bag I never used in school – the BP cuff has really come in handy in the mission field). It was not as high stress as pharmacy, and I actually got to communicate and interact with the people more, which is what I enjoy the most. I felt like even though I wasn´t doing a whole lot, just being able smile and ask how they were doing was really nice. It was nice to see the different faces, ages, and poverty levels. It made me realize that no matter where you go or what people you come in contact with, everyone is alike in that we are all the children of the Lord and loved so much by Him. These Peruvian people are all hungering and searching for the love of the One who loves them more then they can comprehend, and they deserve all the love and kindness we can give them. They are no different then you and I in that respect, and I am learning to truly love them as a people.
Well, that´s all for now, folks. On to our next big adventure. Well, at least for Kristin and I. For the next six weeks we will be immersed in our Healthy Families program in the community where we did the clinic. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to grow everyday in our new jobs. God bless!
The first day was crazy because no one really knew what we were doing. We had to rely on Jenni a lot to explain meds and answer questions. But, by day two we had the process down pretty well, and every day improved more. Here´s the way our days went: Up at 6 to take down our tents which we set up inside the house and pack everything into the truck for safe keeping. Breakfast, worship, and then triage began. I took blood pressures and then headed back to help in pharmacy. Kristin took complaints, kid´s weights, and temperatures, sorting out people who only needed Abendazole for worms and vitamins from those who really needed to see the doctor. The rest of us (minus the dentist, Laura, Manuel, and Brent, who were in dental) were in pharmacy, filling prescriptions as patients filed out of the consult room. We also gave shots, pulled out stitches, and bandaged wounds. This week we also got to give a couple Lasix shots IV for sky high BPs and an IV for major dehydration. Medical alone treated 70 patients in the morning and 70 in the afternoon, and dental averaged about 50 patients a day. By the end of the day we were all exhausted, but the work was very rewarding. And it was evident that the people appreciated it and needed the medical attention.
We saw some sad situations this past week as well. A few stand out. A lady came through with her kids, and was standing in line for pharmacy. I noticed tears in her eyes, and I wondered what had happened in the consult room. As she waited for help, Jenni filled me in on her situation. She has terminal liver cancer, and doesn´t have much longer to live. She has five little children. One is still breast feeding, but she can´t breast feed it, so it is lacking nutrition it needs to survive. We were able to buy the vitamin supplement the baby needs and give it to her, but it will take a miracle to stop the cancer. Another man came through who had had some type of colon resection surgery performed by a local surgeon. The doctor had simply left what was supposed to be a temporary stoma after the surgery, and now that mans intestines are literally hanging in a plastic bag outside his body. It’s horrible how a doctor who is supposed to make people better could leave someone like that. We are trying to raise money so he can have surgery performed to fix the stoma. We also removed a golf ball sized tumor from the head of a young man. It was just hanging off his head on his left temple, and it looked like a large melanoma. He took it to have it biopsied, and I don´t know the results. Even though it was nice to removed it for cosmetic reasons, it ´s sad to know that it could be cancerous, and if he had access to medical help sooner, it might have been prevented.
My favorite part of clinic was actually taking blood pressures. I got really good at taking them, which is a good skill to have (thank you Southern for that stupid nursing skills bag I never used in school – the BP cuff has really come in handy in the mission field). It was not as high stress as pharmacy, and I actually got to communicate and interact with the people more, which is what I enjoy the most. I felt like even though I wasn´t doing a whole lot, just being able smile and ask how they were doing was really nice. It was nice to see the different faces, ages, and poverty levels. It made me realize that no matter where you go or what people you come in contact with, everyone is alike in that we are all the children of the Lord and loved so much by Him. These Peruvian people are all hungering and searching for the love of the One who loves them more then they can comprehend, and they deserve all the love and kindness we can give them. They are no different then you and I in that respect, and I am learning to truly love them as a people.
Well, that´s all for now, folks. On to our next big adventure. Well, at least for Kristin and I. For the next six weeks we will be immersed in our Healthy Families program in the community where we did the clinic. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to grow everyday in our new jobs. God bless!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Firefighting and Earthquake
A lot of excitement has happened in the last couple days. We did feel the earth quake that I´m sure you all heard about, but it was nothing where we were. Pretty cool to feel it, though. It happened while we were all sitting around the dinner table getting ready to eat supper. We started praying and all of a sudden it felt like the house was moving. By the time the prayer was said it was gone, but everyone was like, did you feel that? And then as we were still trying to figure out what it was, another one came, and we could see the walls and doors moving. Weird. Then it was gone. Manuel had a little radio that he listened to and started telling us how bad it was and where it hit. Crazy. We wanted to go do relief work, but it would be too much right now, and we don´t really have the skills to do search and rescue.
The same day the quake hit we did a little firefighting. The Peruvians had used their burn method to clear the land, only it was really windy, so the fire spread quickly, and was headed toward one of the buildings. We didn´t have water at the time either, so we used boards to beat out the flames in the grass. Thankfully no one was burnt. The Dr just thought it was hilarious to watch me fight fires becauseI would beat the grass in front of me that wasn´t burnt on my way to the fire to scare away any snakes that might be escaping from the flames. :) So after we saved the building and a lemon tree we thought our day was done. Until after supper Kaitlin noticed flames way on the edge of our land. So, we all loaded into the truck with a few shovels and headed in the direction of the fire. We got there just in time. The flames were only about 6 meters away from a house that a little old man was house sitting for. The roof was thatch and the entire building was wood, which would have gone up like kindling. We woke him up, and he seemed totally unconcerned. He told us Jesus was coming soon, and he wasn´t worried about it. He said it wasn’t going to keep coming toward the house! Needless to say, both Jenni and Manuel tried convincing him that he needed to be more aware, but he didn´t care. We threw dirt on the flames and got them out.
I have been running since midnight last night, and I am so tired, hungry, and thirsty. Kristin and I went into Pucallpa last night with Jenni and stayed in a hostel so she could show us where to buy all the meds we need for clinic. It took us until almost 1am to make the list and all. I was so tired because my body is used to going to bed at 9! Then we got up early this morning and went to 5 pharmacies to get prices, then returned to four to get meds. Plus we had to take out and change money. Thankfully all the pharmacies are on the same strip, but it still made for a ton of running around. I am looking forward to Sabbath - the last restful one for awhile I´m afraid, because on Sunday we start our clinic and 6 weeks of health/kids programs. Every Sabbath I think we´ll be helping the bible workers. And today isn´t over yet. We still have to go pick up all the meds with the truck and pack for clinic back at km 38. Where are the peaceful days?? It’s nice though, because I feel like now we´re finally doing what we came here to do.
The same day the quake hit we did a little firefighting. The Peruvians had used their burn method to clear the land, only it was really windy, so the fire spread quickly, and was headed toward one of the buildings. We didn´t have water at the time either, so we used boards to beat out the flames in the grass. Thankfully no one was burnt. The Dr just thought it was hilarious to watch me fight fires becauseI would beat the grass in front of me that wasn´t burnt on my way to the fire to scare away any snakes that might be escaping from the flames. :) So after we saved the building and a lemon tree we thought our day was done. Until after supper Kaitlin noticed flames way on the edge of our land. So, we all loaded into the truck with a few shovels and headed in the direction of the fire. We got there just in time. The flames were only about 6 meters away from a house that a little old man was house sitting for. The roof was thatch and the entire building was wood, which would have gone up like kindling. We woke him up, and he seemed totally unconcerned. He told us Jesus was coming soon, and he wasn´t worried about it. He said it wasn’t going to keep coming toward the house! Needless to say, both Jenni and Manuel tried convincing him that he needed to be more aware, but he didn´t care. We threw dirt on the flames and got them out.
I have been running since midnight last night, and I am so tired, hungry, and thirsty. Kristin and I went into Pucallpa last night with Jenni and stayed in a hostel so she could show us where to buy all the meds we need for clinic. It took us until almost 1am to make the list and all. I was so tired because my body is used to going to bed at 9! Then we got up early this morning and went to 5 pharmacies to get prices, then returned to four to get meds. Plus we had to take out and change money. Thankfully all the pharmacies are on the same strip, but it still made for a ton of running around. I am looking forward to Sabbath - the last restful one for awhile I´m afraid, because on Sunday we start our clinic and 6 weeks of health/kids programs. Every Sabbath I think we´ll be helping the bible workers. And today isn´t over yet. We still have to go pick up all the meds with the truck and pack for clinic back at km 38. Where are the peaceful days?? It’s nice though, because I feel like now we´re finally doing what we came here to do.
Update 2
Hey Everyone,
A lot has happened since I last wrote! Here’s the latest:
We took a trip down river about two hours to a Shipibo Village along the Ucayali River. The village makes money off tourists by making beautiful beaded jewelry and Shipibo clothing. We played a futbol game with the kids and were amazed by their skill – they kicked our butts! The children are very sweet, and love having their picture taken. They swarmed Laura, and had to look at every picture she took. As we left, a little girl shyly placed a beautiful bracelet she had made into my hand, as a gift. It was so sweet. I will definitely be getting some souvenirs there before I leave.
We had a new experience right here at km 38 last week too! We have some sheep that eat our grass to keep the land fairly clear, and one morning before we let them out of their little pen a ewe gave birth to a little brown lamb. It was so cute! The miracle of life is always so wonderful to see, and it amazes me how tender animals are to their young. The lamb is growing quickly and enjoys jumping around and exploring every little tuft of grass. This morning while Mauro was painting the sheep’s hooves with violet (it keeps the parasites out and kills the ones that are already in their hooves making them lame) I discovered that the lamb is small enough to fit through the fence as well.
This past weekend we traveled up the Ucayali to Masisea, a town about 4 hours from Pucallpa by boat. That was an interesting experience. We arrived Friday afternoon and played a game of futbol with the kids. It’s a very good way to make our presence known (we always have a large audience), and shake the stereotype all Americans get: stuck up, rich, and above interacting with the natives unless absolutely necessary. Then we had a meeting to welcome in the Sabbath a home that the brand new church there meets in. The church was planted only a few weeks ago, and this was their first Sabbath without the Bible workers there.
Next day we had church service and then it began to rain. We were supposed to leave for the boat back to Pucallpa by 1pm, but the rain never let up. So, we settled for plan B. The next boat would leave at 5am. We hadn’t slept very well anyway the night before, between the techno blasting from club a few houses up through the wee hours of the morning, and the roosters who started making noise at 1am. So, getting up at three to catch the moto to the river was fine. Except for one thing. At 3am there really are no motos making rounds in Masisea. So, four crammed into the one driven by our hostel owner, one rode with Domingo, the Bible worker, who had brought his motorbike, and Jenni, Tara, and I waited in the dark for a moto. It was a little unsettling, but we did our best to blend in, and finally a moto came for us. Next came the bumpy, slippery ride down the very muddy road to the river. When we got there we paid our driver and started walking what we thought would be a few feet to the river. Only to discover he had decided the road was too muddy to go farther, so we had to walk the rest of the way. Now very late for the boat, we hurried along as best we could in the dark, and came upon the motorbike, with Domingo and Margy. They had wiped out on the road and were waiting to be towed. Thankfully in the end it all worked out and we all made in onboard about two hours later, thanks to the nice boat driver who waited for us all. Not like transportation in the US!
I think I will write a small book about advice on Peru when I get back. I’ve come up with two entries already:
1. Don’t inspect your surroundings, wherever you are, because chances are, you’ll see things you really didn’t want to see! For example, I used our outhouse at the hostel in Masisea and began to look around. Hanging a few feet above my head were huge spider skeletons caught in webs (when I say huge I mean 3-4 inches wide). As I stared at them I realized if those spiders were dead, then something much larger then them was eating them! And I really didn’t want to see whatever that was!
2. Never complain about what you have, because it can always get worse. For example, I was rather shocked by our transportation from Pucallpa to Masisea. For some reason my idea of public transportation by boat was a bit different then the real deal. I had envisioned a clean, roomy, fairly new boat with a bathroom. Not so in Peru. Our boat was old, rickety, very dirty, and smelled like rotten meat. Boards on the floor covered some of the water and other liquids that were sloshing in the bottom, and everyone piled their belongings, including trees, live chickens, bunches of green platanos, and cases of Inca Cola (a local soda) on top. If you have to pee between the plentiful stops between villages along the route, if you’re a guy or child you’re lucky and pee over the side (children also take care of other business over the side, which I was unfortunate enough to witness on this trip), and women bring pee basins (pee in the basin, then dump it over the side). While all this was rather uncomfortable, the trip back was much worse. The boat was half the size with the same amount of people, and the roof was so low I couldn’t sit up straight. Plus, we got a boatload of smokers. Lots of fun, especially after getting up at 3am to get to the boat, only to sit there waiting to leave for three hours!
So, my adventures continue. This Sunday if the strike doesn’t happen we will be starting our first clinic. Please keep us in your prayers. We’ve been doing inventory of our meds, and it’s tedious, but now we’re ready to buy what we need and finish up preparations for the clinic. Feel free to email me with questions or just to say hi! emilym@southern.edu. God bless!
A lot has happened since I last wrote! Here’s the latest:
We took a trip down river about two hours to a Shipibo Village along the Ucayali River. The village makes money off tourists by making beautiful beaded jewelry and Shipibo clothing. We played a futbol game with the kids and were amazed by their skill – they kicked our butts! The children are very sweet, and love having their picture taken. They swarmed Laura, and had to look at every picture she took. As we left, a little girl shyly placed a beautiful bracelet she had made into my hand, as a gift. It was so sweet. I will definitely be getting some souvenirs there before I leave.
We had a new experience right here at km 38 last week too! We have some sheep that eat our grass to keep the land fairly clear, and one morning before we let them out of their little pen a ewe gave birth to a little brown lamb. It was so cute! The miracle of life is always so wonderful to see, and it amazes me how tender animals are to their young. The lamb is growing quickly and enjoys jumping around and exploring every little tuft of grass. This morning while Mauro was painting the sheep’s hooves with violet (it keeps the parasites out and kills the ones that are already in their hooves making them lame) I discovered that the lamb is small enough to fit through the fence as well.
This past weekend we traveled up the Ucayali to Masisea, a town about 4 hours from Pucallpa by boat. That was an interesting experience. We arrived Friday afternoon and played a game of futbol with the kids. It’s a very good way to make our presence known (we always have a large audience), and shake the stereotype all Americans get: stuck up, rich, and above interacting with the natives unless absolutely necessary. Then we had a meeting to welcome in the Sabbath a home that the brand new church there meets in. The church was planted only a few weeks ago, and this was their first Sabbath without the Bible workers there.
Next day we had church service and then it began to rain. We were supposed to leave for the boat back to Pucallpa by 1pm, but the rain never let up. So, we settled for plan B. The next boat would leave at 5am. We hadn’t slept very well anyway the night before, between the techno blasting from club a few houses up through the wee hours of the morning, and the roosters who started making noise at 1am. So, getting up at three to catch the moto to the river was fine. Except for one thing. At 3am there really are no motos making rounds in Masisea. So, four crammed into the one driven by our hostel owner, one rode with Domingo, the Bible worker, who had brought his motorbike, and Jenni, Tara, and I waited in the dark for a moto. It was a little unsettling, but we did our best to blend in, and finally a moto came for us. Next came the bumpy, slippery ride down the very muddy road to the river. When we got there we paid our driver and started walking what we thought would be a few feet to the river. Only to discover he had decided the road was too muddy to go farther, so we had to walk the rest of the way. Now very late for the boat, we hurried along as best we could in the dark, and came upon the motorbike, with Domingo and Margy. They had wiped out on the road and were waiting to be towed. Thankfully in the end it all worked out and we all made in onboard about two hours later, thanks to the nice boat driver who waited for us all. Not like transportation in the US!
I think I will write a small book about advice on Peru when I get back. I’ve come up with two entries already:
1. Don’t inspect your surroundings, wherever you are, because chances are, you’ll see things you really didn’t want to see! For example, I used our outhouse at the hostel in Masisea and began to look around. Hanging a few feet above my head were huge spider skeletons caught in webs (when I say huge I mean 3-4 inches wide). As I stared at them I realized if those spiders were dead, then something much larger then them was eating them! And I really didn’t want to see whatever that was!
2. Never complain about what you have, because it can always get worse. For example, I was rather shocked by our transportation from Pucallpa to Masisea. For some reason my idea of public transportation by boat was a bit different then the real deal. I had envisioned a clean, roomy, fairly new boat with a bathroom. Not so in Peru. Our boat was old, rickety, very dirty, and smelled like rotten meat. Boards on the floor covered some of the water and other liquids that were sloshing in the bottom, and everyone piled their belongings, including trees, live chickens, bunches of green platanos, and cases of Inca Cola (a local soda) on top. If you have to pee between the plentiful stops between villages along the route, if you’re a guy or child you’re lucky and pee over the side (children also take care of other business over the side, which I was unfortunate enough to witness on this trip), and women bring pee basins (pee in the basin, then dump it over the side). While all this was rather uncomfortable, the trip back was much worse. The boat was half the size with the same amount of people, and the roof was so low I couldn’t sit up straight. Plus, we got a boatload of smokers. Lots of fun, especially after getting up at 3am to get to the boat, only to sit there waiting to leave for three hours!
So, my adventures continue. This Sunday if the strike doesn’t happen we will be starting our first clinic. Please keep us in your prayers. We’ve been doing inventory of our meds, and it’s tedious, but now we’re ready to buy what we need and finish up preparations for the clinic. Feel free to email me with questions or just to say hi! emilym@southern.edu. God bless!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Update 2 Postponed
Hey,
I wasn´t able to get my jump drive to work on this computer, so i´ll have to wait to put my up`date on here til next time. Bummer. I´m doing well. God bless!
I wasn´t able to get my jump drive to work on this computer, so i´ll have to wait to put my up`date on here til next time. Bummer. I´m doing well. God bless!
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
My Peruvian Life
Hola! Como esta? I am doing very well, and keeping busy learning many new things everyday in my new home at km 38 in Peru. It’s called km 38 because it is 38 km from Pucallpa, the nearest town on he map. However, it is only 4 km from Campo Verde, a little village where we buy a lot of our food. In Peru buying food is very different from the States. I think most are familiar with farmer’s markets. They are the US equivalent to the grocery shopping options here. It makes it fun, because you can barter for things and the fruit and veggies are seasonal, so there’s pineapple, mango, and papaya seasons. Here a dollar is equivalent to three soles, and things in general are much cheaper then in the US, making it kinda nice for poor SM’s like me! We spend about five soles a day on food for each person here, and we eat very well; at least relatively. Ansley was here the first couple days and we ate like kings and queens, but we have had some trouble figuring out how to cook so well. Her cooking spoiled the Peruvians we live with, and working on watery oatmeal and a small banana doesn’t go far in the hot sun. But, we’re learning quickly, and the meals are improving. As is our Spanish! Praise the Lord, I can see progress, slow but sure, even since the first couple days. I understand a bit more and communicate pretty well, broken and incorrect though it may be. Margy, a Peruvian who is a good friend of Jenni, is living with us and giving us daily practical Spanish lessons, which are very helpful. I’ve also been making flashcards of the never-ending verbs.
So, now that I have shared bits and pieces of my life in Peru, let me give you an over view of what is going on over here (Down here). Arriving here was not such a culture shock as I was expecting. I think attitude and flexibility has a lot to do with adjusting to new surroundings and culture. I am really enjoying experiencing all the new things Peru has to offer. We (Laura, Tara, Kristin, Kaitlin, and I) arrived late (1 am) Tuesday night in Lima and stayed in a youth hostel. We were in a rickety old two-story building with damp drafty rooms and large statues throughout the vaulted hallways. I also noticed some rotting skulls with hair still semi-intact behind some glass next to the desk as we were checking in. Evidently it’s some Incan thing.
The next day we flew to Pucallpa where Ansley and Carly, the two SM’s, picked us up in the project truck. We loaded our many bags into the back and headed through town to km 38. That was fun! The traffic in Peru is insane, especially in the city. Drivers are generally very good, because they have to be. In the city there are many one way streets, and on any two way road there are no lanes. Motos (motorized rickshaws), bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, taxis, and combis (buses) all wind their way to wherever they’re going. The horn is just as important as steering, as it is used almost constantly to get people and traffic out of the way. Pedestrians have no rights in the road, so watch out!
The next few days were spent settling in, learning our way around Campo Verde and Pucallpa, and getting to know the group. Brent, the only guy here so far arrived Friday. We have four Peruvian friends who live with us. Manuel, Edwin, Mauro, and Nitia. Edwin and Nitia are married. Nitia is 17 and Edwin is 30. Quite an age difference, but it is common here. Mauro is 17 too, and Edwin’s brother. They are all a lot of fun, and we have a great time trying to communicate and laughing.
We also have some pets. Lola and Cheva are our watchdogs and Joey the cat prowls the house for cock roaches. We are thinking about getting el mono (monkey) because there are many for sale in Pucallpa and they are fairly cheap (50 soles), but we’ll see.
Sabbath we attended the little iglesia (church) at the end of our drive way. It’s small, but the people are very nice. At the afternoon meeting I had an experience with the common bathroom scenario in Peru. Most poor families have a building with boards covering a pit that they move aside when they use the bathroom. I like to call it the squat and pee method. Needless to say, it takes a special talent that I don’t have.
When we arrived we had only a pit with a toilet cover over it and maggots in the bottom and a bucket shower surrounded by a tarp, but within a couple days we had a beautiful bathroom and shower attached, curtesy of our Peruvian friends. We even have a homemade toilet paper holder! It took me a few days to learn to put my toilet paper in the trash can. Here the sewage system can get stopped up very easily if you don’t.
Anyway, on to the present. We have started going over our job descriptions and responsibilities, and are now working on planning and preparation for the clinics and health/kids programs. Yesterday we went swimming in a lake down the road, but I couldn’t stay in for long. I kept thinking about alligators and piranhas. We’ve also made a trip to the Natural Park, like a zoo in the states. The animals were in small cages, which was sad, but it was really neat to see the big cats and el monos. And, one thing is for sure. We gringos and gringas make a commotion wherever we go. I feel like a celebrity here! Children, guys, and really everyone watches and follows, trying to talk to us. We took pictures with strangers at the park who wanted to take pictures with the Americans. I thought afterward I should have charged some soles! We were interviewed by a local TV station as well.
Although I may feel like a celebrity, our living conditions are quite rustic. We have no electricity and sleep on hard wooden bunks. But it is home, and I have adjusted to it for the most part. It’s all part of the experience. That’s it for now, I will write more next time about what my nursing and teaching responsibilities are over here, and the new stories as they develop.
So, now that I have shared bits and pieces of my life in Peru, let me give you an over view of what is going on over here (Down here). Arriving here was not such a culture shock as I was expecting. I think attitude and flexibility has a lot to do with adjusting to new surroundings and culture. I am really enjoying experiencing all the new things Peru has to offer. We (Laura, Tara, Kristin, Kaitlin, and I) arrived late (1 am) Tuesday night in Lima and stayed in a youth hostel. We were in a rickety old two-story building with damp drafty rooms and large statues throughout the vaulted hallways. I also noticed some rotting skulls with hair still semi-intact behind some glass next to the desk as we were checking in. Evidently it’s some Incan thing.
The next day we flew to Pucallpa where Ansley and Carly, the two SM’s, picked us up in the project truck. We loaded our many bags into the back and headed through town to km 38. That was fun! The traffic in Peru is insane, especially in the city. Drivers are generally very good, because they have to be. In the city there are many one way streets, and on any two way road there are no lanes. Motos (motorized rickshaws), bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, taxis, and combis (buses) all wind their way to wherever they’re going. The horn is just as important as steering, as it is used almost constantly to get people and traffic out of the way. Pedestrians have no rights in the road, so watch out!
The next few days were spent settling in, learning our way around Campo Verde and Pucallpa, and getting to know the group. Brent, the only guy here so far arrived Friday. We have four Peruvian friends who live with us. Manuel, Edwin, Mauro, and Nitia. Edwin and Nitia are married. Nitia is 17 and Edwin is 30. Quite an age difference, but it is common here. Mauro is 17 too, and Edwin’s brother. They are all a lot of fun, and we have a great time trying to communicate and laughing.
We also have some pets. Lola and Cheva are our watchdogs and Joey the cat prowls the house for cock roaches. We are thinking about getting el mono (monkey) because there are many for sale in Pucallpa and they are fairly cheap (50 soles), but we’ll see.
Sabbath we attended the little iglesia (church) at the end of our drive way. It’s small, but the people are very nice. At the afternoon meeting I had an experience with the common bathroom scenario in Peru. Most poor families have a building with boards covering a pit that they move aside when they use the bathroom. I like to call it the squat and pee method. Needless to say, it takes a special talent that I don’t have.
When we arrived we had only a pit with a toilet cover over it and maggots in the bottom and a bucket shower surrounded by a tarp, but within a couple days we had a beautiful bathroom and shower attached, curtesy of our Peruvian friends. We even have a homemade toilet paper holder! It took me a few days to learn to put my toilet paper in the trash can. Here the sewage system can get stopped up very easily if you don’t.
Anyway, on to the present. We have started going over our job descriptions and responsibilities, and are now working on planning and preparation for the clinics and health/kids programs. Yesterday we went swimming in a lake down the road, but I couldn’t stay in for long. I kept thinking about alligators and piranhas. We’ve also made a trip to the Natural Park, like a zoo in the states. The animals were in small cages, which was sad, but it was really neat to see the big cats and el monos. And, one thing is for sure. We gringos and gringas make a commotion wherever we go. I feel like a celebrity here! Children, guys, and really everyone watches and follows, trying to talk to us. We took pictures with strangers at the park who wanted to take pictures with the Americans. I thought afterward I should have charged some soles! We were interviewed by a local TV station as well.
Although I may feel like a celebrity, our living conditions are quite rustic. We have no electricity and sleep on hard wooden bunks. But it is home, and I have adjusted to it for the most part. It’s all part of the experience. That’s it for now, I will write more next time about what my nursing and teaching responsibilities are over here, and the new stories as they develop.
Friday, August 3, 2007
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