Two Updates

Photo: Sunrise on the volcano

Photo: Basecamp - only 2,000 more meters to go

Photo: Put one step in front of the other

Photo: Before the start on the climb

Photo: Basecamp (at 15,700 FASL); AKA: The Moon

Photo: Team HBI on the summit (Ben, Karen and Wayne)

Photo: Summit - oh boy is it cold (and really beautiful)!

Photo: The summit Crater - otherworldly

Photo: The summit team

Photo: The Team

Photo: The long climb up to base camp

I am just back in the U.S. awaiting a connecting flight to Portland from LAX. Another sleepless night from intercontinental travel.

I am, in spite of my sleep deprived state, excited to report on two big HBI updates. First, the Conectando Arequipa group that developed from the January Arequipa Connect Conference is going great. HBI was an invited participant in a monthly meeting of the group - a meeting that included 19 organizational members from all over Arequipa. The group is moving steadily forward in their goal of creating a forum for collaboration and communication to better serve the poor and marginalized of Southern Peru. It was really impressive to see the commitment and interest on the part of the group to push forward the discussions and learning's from the January Conference.

My second update is a bit more personal. On Friday and Saturday of last week the HBI team (sans one of our core team members - no need to mention names) climbed "El Misti." It was . . . in a word - HARD! Okay, a bit more flowering language - it was really spectacular; with great views of the entire lower volcano range and a magnificent nighttime view of the lights of Arequipa and the southern celestial sky. Okay, seriously - it was really hard. And, it was a whole lot of fun.

A full update of the Alto Cayma Health care Conference and Training Symposium will be posted to the HBI Blogspot and the HBI Website in the next week. Thank you, as always, for your support of HBI.