Four students are serving in the Selva Central, the central section of the rain forest that lies in the eastern foothills of the Andes. Elevations here range from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, with rolling hills and luscious green vegetation. Ashley is volunteering at a school for special needs children…
Just say, “Yes”! This could be the motto for the three students serving in Ayacucho this term. Saying yes when asked to try something new has opened doors for each student and addressed real needs for the people they work with each day. Marta is volunteering at Vidas Health…
Three students are volunteering in the city of Huaraz and the nearby village of Tarica. At over 10,000 feet above sea level, these communities are nestled between the Cordillera Blanca (White Mountains) and the Cordillera Negra (Black Mountains). The views are magnificent, the sky is a clear blue each…
Before leaving Lima for service, we threw a big party to thank our host families, language instructors and coordinators for all they have done for us over the last 6+ weeks. Then we spent one more afternoon together, sharing and praying and preparing for the six weeks to come. …
Eduardo Arroyo is an authority on ethnic diversity. In a provocative lecture entitled, “The Cholification of Peru,” he described the major ethnic groups — andinos from the mountains, criollos descended from the Spanish and cholos from the mountains who have migrated to Lima. These and many smaller groups comprise…
The students have left for their six-week service assignments and are beginning work in Huaraz, La Merced, Ayacucho and Acopia. The directors’ visits to each location will commence next week. In the meantime, we’ll post photos of our final activities in Lima. After our return from the Andes, the…
Machu Picchu is counted among the seven wonders of the modern world and widely regarded as the most popular international tourist destination in South America — no wonder given its impressive architecture and majestic location. We spent an entire day here, beginning with a tour of the first part…
We had a chance to learn about the Inca culture by visiting three impressive archaeological sites as well as the home of a family living in a stone structure that predates the arrival of the Spanish five centuries ago. Sacsayhuaman contains huge stones that archaeologists believe were cut and…
Spring has arrived in the Southern Hemisphere. Up in the mountains, flowers are in bloom and grasses are changing from gold to green. Insects are emerging, birds are singing and sheep are grazing in the midday sunshine. Visitors to Peru typically travel to places like the Sacred Valley of…
Where are they? The mountains are stunning, but something seems missing. The only forests we see are swaths of eucalyptus planted on the hillsides near each village and town. Though quite useful for firewood or supporting the roofs of adobe houses, these invasive plants imported over a century ago…
