Retreat

The students gathered for several days after returning from their service locations to present their research projects, reflect on their time in the provinces, spend time in worship and prepare for their return to the United States.  Our retreat center, Kauai, lies along the coast a short distance south of Lima.  The weather was unseasonably warm and we savored the chance to be together before semester’s end.

While on service, each student chose a research topic and conducted a series of interviews to learn more.  During the retreat they presented what they learned.  The titles of the presentations will give some insight into the breadth of their learning:

• Dancing in Peru
• Refrescos  vs. Chicha (two types of juice drinks)
• The Church of San Miguel
• Folk Tales of Chanchamayo
• Ashaninka Traditional Dress
• Practices of the Evangelical Pentecostal Church
• Tourism and its Purpose in San Francisco
• Cheese Preference: A Reflection of Culture
• NGOs and Reforestation in San Francisco
• Sugars, Sweets and Postres: Do Peruvians Even Like Desserts?
• Ashaninka Law
• Impressions of Outsiders
• Yanesha Stories
• Children’s Songs and Games
• The Cycle of Ponaphnora (First Menstruation)
• Children’s Games
• Deaf People in Peru
• Clinic or Hospital?
• From Start to Finish:  Peruvian Coffee
• Artisans in Tarma
• C-Sections and Super-Sized Medicine