We spent our last weekend in Peru on the beach at the Union Biblica retreat center, about an hour and a half south of Lima. It was a beautiful place to reflect on the past three months and to prepare for our homecoming. We were delighted to…
Our retreat included presentations from each student on their final project. We heard about a wide range of topics related to Peru: Translational problems and patient care in the medical mission setting Disability services in Chimbote Single mothers and their children in Chimbote Multilingual education in Peru The effects of…
In Ayacucho's Plaza de Armas Ayacucho is one of Peru’s most historically significant places. During the 6th century A.D., when the Wari civilization ruled much of Peru, its capital was located just outside of what is now Ayacucho. Twelve hundred years later, in 1824, Peru’s struggle for…
with Sister Patricia at Fe y Alegría school Tucked in the mountains and surrounded by fields of flowers, Tarma is known as the “Pearl of the Andes.” That moniker may be a little grandiose for this unassuming town of about 52,000 residents, but it certainly communicates the…
outside La Merced This time of year—winter—Limeños who tire of cold, overcast, drizzly weather can find some sun in the Peruvian jungle, or selva. The closest point, La Merced, is an eight-hour bus trip along steep, winding roads. On the journey there, travelers get a view of…
The coastal city of Chimbote is not for the faint of heart: According to the Pan American Health Organization, at least 45 percent of the city’s residents live in conditions of extreme poverty. The international aid organization CARE reports that the average Chimbotano only earns about $300…
From planting trees to performing ultrasounds to practicing English with students, the Peru SSTers jumped right in to the service portion of the semester. They just wrapped up week #2 on service and have gracefully transitioned into their new environments, each student getting to know a new host family, a…
The cajón performance To mark the end of the first half of the semester—and the completion of the students’ time in Lima—we gathered at the Good Shepherd Cathedral hall on Friday night to celebrate with our host families, language professors, coordinators, and other friends of the program.
Overheard one morning last week: a conversation between SSTers about the food from home they were missing the most. Barbecue topped the list for a couple of students. Fortunately for all of us (but maybe especially for them) our lunch plans that day involved heading south…
Today we had our own version of Match Day, when the SSTers learned where they would be going for service and what they would be doing. The energy level was high as each opened an envelope revealing information about the next six weeks. Without further ado, here’s the lineup:…
