And they’re off! The wake-up call was well before dawn to get to the airport on time. Eleven SSTers departed for O’Hare via Miami (three others stayed in Lima for a few days) on a 7:55 a.m. flight. Flying and driving time should put them into Goshen before…
After saying goodbye to their host families, friends, and service sites in Arequipa, Ayacucho, and Chimbote, the Peru SSTers reunited in Lima and boarded another bus to travel 90 minutes down the coast to Kawai, where we had our closing retreat. Each of the students presented a final project,…
In the Plaza de Armas In 1540 Spanish conquistadors in southern Peru settled in a mostly sunny spot—shaded at times by the nearby volcano, El Misti—that, for centuries before their arrival, was home to indigenous Aymara people. Today that settlement is Peru’s second largest city, Arequipa, with…
Tucked away in the Andes of south-central Peru, the city of Ayacucho has the distinction of being one of the country’s most historically significant places. The first signs of human settlements in Peru are nearby—archeologists date them to over 15,000 years ago. Fast forward several centuries to the 6th…
Most travel guidebooks give minimal attention to Chimbote, highlighting the north-coastal town´s ever present fish smell. ¨This roguish port town is not a tourist destination, and there´s little to do,¨ is Lonely Planet´s assessment. It´s true that much of the reality here is bleak. According to the Pan American…
On Wednesday of our last week in Lima, we had our own version of Match Day, when each SSTer learned where they would be going for service, what they would be doing, and who their new host family would be. The energy level was high as each opened an…
Manco Cápac, Mama Ocllo, the sun god Inti, and the cast of thousands To mark the special occasion of our despedida—our host family thank you and service sendoff party—Lima was graced with a few unusual raindrops and, more significantly, a beautiful rainbow that seemed to end right…
On the road to somewhere interesting! Our travels around Lima took us to three interesting places in the last week: La Inmaculada is a primary and secondary school run by the Jesuits, a Catholic religious order. The school has two distinctive facilities on campus: a zoo…
Preparing a pachamanca feast Our week began with two lectures focusing on the indigenous peoples of Peru. First we heard from Mennonite Pastor Jose Manuel Prada Bernal on how the oppression of indigenous peoples continues to this day, as many have been forced off of their land…
Ready to set sail! One of Lima’s more impressive features is the city’s extensive park system. After a morning of delivering water to households that lack plumbing in Villa El Salvador, we visited the nearby Parque Huascar. This beautiful park is situated in one of…
