Machu Picchu

Cathedral in Cusco

Breathtaking

We can't be sure,,,

On Wednesday, Alisha and I flew to Cusco, Peru to visit Machu Picchu.  Cusco is a cute town with cobble stone streets and beautiful cathedrals.  We stayed at Loki Hostel, which was the last place for two Mormon girls to stay.  They cater to the backpackers and have a bar open until 2:00 a.m.  Unfortunately, our room was right next to the bar (which plays horribly loud music), so we didn't get much sleep before visiting Machu Picchu.  On Thursday, we work up at 4:30 a.m. and left for Machu Picchu.  It was quite the journey to get there.  From our hostel, we took a taxi to a bus to a train to a bus to Machu Picchu.  (Hopefully that makes since.)  It was a bit odd, but we finally made it to the mountain at 9:30 a.m.  We had a guided tour for two hours and our tour guide did a fantastic job explaining the history of the ruins.  It is quite fascinating to see how people lived and the hard work that they put into the ruins. We were able to stay in the park for about six hours.  There was so much to see and so many pictures to take. (They don’t do it any justice either!)  It was a remarkable experience to be there and I am so grateful I was able to go.  There were many great people we met along the way, which has been one of my favorite parts of the whole trip.  If you have the opportunity to go to Machu Picchu, go!  It is an experience you will never forget.   

Andes

 Soccer Team

 Jorge, Alisha, and me at the zoo.

 Lahuaytambo, Peru 

 Living Room

 Kitchen/Laundry Room

 Bedroom

 I'm a little taller than Peruvians. 

Cute little neighbor

It’s been a fun and eventful week here in Peru!! On Monday, all of the volunteers and coordinators played soccer at the park, which was a blast.  A few ward members were kind and entertained us a few days this week.   One sweet family in the ward had us over for lunch and another member took us to the zoo.  Over the weekend we were able to visit a small village in the Andes.  It was, by far, the most humbling experience I have ever had.  We hopped on a bus Friday morning and five hours later played with the local kids at school.  We were put into groups and stayed with families.  These sweet people have only basic necessities.  Their house has dirt floors, no stove, no refrigerator, and electrical wire is wrapped round the beams of the house.  We were able to make a delicious dinner, (well, except for the goat hair.) with the family. I slept on a make shift bed with sheep skin patches for padding.  For breakfast we ate some goat, soaked in its blood (and of course goat hair), potatoes (one of which had a worm in it), and other vegetables.  Needless to say, I didn't eat much breakfast.  Later, we were able to help the family with their morning work, which was a long hike down a mountain to some trees and organizing wood so they are ready to load on the donkeys.  It is insane to think that people actually live this way and to see how giving they are when they don’t have much.  I am reminded on a daily basis that I have an abundant amount of blessings that I should never take for granted.  This was definitely a remarkable experience that I will never forget. 

Peruvian Life

Finishing the mural with the kids hand prints. 

I can't believe I've already been here a week! I am falling in love with the Peruvian culture.  Everyone is extremely nice and helpful.  Yesterday we went to the LDS temple, which is an hour bus ride from where we live.  As we were waiting for the bus, people asked us where we were going and made sure we knew what bus to take.  Thankfully, with the little Spanish we know we were able to understand them.  Peruvians are a very welcoming and friendly people.  We are always welcome with a kiss on the cheek and men almost always give up their seat on the bus.

During the week I was able to work with some girls ages 10-13.  I brought sidewalk chalk, so we spent the morning playing games and drawing pictures.  It's fun to see how loving they are even if I don't speak the same language. I was also able to volunteer at another orphanage that has kids from new born babies to 9 years old.  I was able to help a "mama" with babies from 5-8 months old.  They are absolutely adorable.  One of the orphanages had their 20th anniversary celebration on Friday.  Peruvians definitely celebrate big!  The kids put on a show, they had singers perform, a lot of dancing, and lots of food.  We were able to help clean up the yard and playground equipment prior to the celebration.  A few other volunteers painted a beautiful mural on the wall, which we will finish with the kids' hand prints.

I'm loving life in Peru!  The church members have been more than kind to us! A brother and his mom walked us all the way home, even though we don't live near them.  Another brother invited us over for lunch this coming week.  I tell you they are amazing! I'm exciting for what this week has in store!  

  

Hola!

Here we are with Camilla after church. 

                      San Miguel is the district we live in.

                                  Miraflores

La Punta

On Friday, I flew to Peru with my roommate, Alisha. We are volunteering at an orphanage for four weeks. We are staying with a host family and 18 other volunteers. Our host family has been so kind and welcoming. We were able to go to church with them on Saturday night. It was quite different from what I’m used to, but it was great to see how others worship. They dedicated the first hour to fathers and had them play soccer, in honor of the World Cup. I swear I can hear a T.V. or radio with it on at all times.

When we left the airport I spotted an LDS Chapel, so we walked down there on Saturday to see how long it would take us to get there. Luckily we ran into the Elders and they told us when church started. When we got to church on Sunday, a sweet sister, Camilla came right up to us after sacrament and invited us to Sunday school. During Sunday school we met George and he translated the whole lesson for us, which Camilla also did during Relief Society. I am amazed how kind and loving they were to us. It makes me realize that I need to be better and serve others more quickly. It was also amazing to see that the church is the same where ever you are! I knew it would be, but I was able to see it for myself.

Today, we had orientation and toured the different orphanages where we will get work. It was exciting, but also heart breaking to see the condition these children live in. I felt like they were all in prison. They were beyond excited to see us and ran over to welcome us there. There were a few orphanages with children and adults with special needs. They too were so excited to see new visitors. We also got to meet some girls that have been victims of abuse. They were so sweet and wanted to get to know us, even though we don’t speak Spanish. I’m excited to start working with them tomorrow!

It has already been a humbling experience meeting the few kids we met today. I am truly blessed in a tremendous amount of ways.