Day One in Alto Cayma

Our first day in the community of Alto Cayma has been a mix of meetings and projects. The experience of being back in this community has been so exciting. It is amazing how many things have changed . . . and yet, how much has remained the same.

Our team has been split into a number of different groups. Some people are working on special projects like helping to build a sacristy for the Church. While others have been involved in the day-to-day routine of the community and the operations of the Mission.

These "day-to-day" operations include helping with the feeding program (on any given day about 800 people receive food from the Mission), working in the day care center (80 children are enrolled in a morning pre-school and an afternoon day care center; this allows very poor parents to leave their children in a safe and secure location while they seek work), accompanying the Mission's social worker on house visits to the community (every morning and every afternoon Maria, the Mission social worker, conducts visits to the poorest of the poor in this community of over 30,000 people), and working with the Peruvian healthcare team in the "brick-and-mortar" clinic.

This evening during the team meeting I asked a few people to share their first day experiences in Alto Cayma. One young man on the team told our group a very powerful story. He said that he had accompanied Maria to the home of a elderly woman. The "home" was really nothing more than a single brick wall with three thatched and woven mats. He said that the woman had recently undergone surgery for an undisclosed cancer. She lived alone, her husband had long since left her for another woman, and had little to no resources to attend to her basic needs.

He told the group how "painful" it was to listen to this woman tell her story - a story of life long suffering and continued struggle. He said that at one point the woman told him that the only thing she wanted in life was to be able to die in a "proper" home.

Listening to him tell the story, it was obvious how great the impact this home visit had been. Later in the evening I over heard our team member talking to other group members. He was telling them that he has, for most of his life, considered himself a "firm agnostic;" but the experience he had early in the day really pressed him. He said that at one point during the home visit he felt that there was nothing he could offer the woman. He felt that the plight of her life would not be dramatically changed by anything that he could do. He said that in this realization, a realization that the complexity of need in the world is almost beyond comprehension, he felt the only thing he could offer was prayer.

Our work in Peru is a slow and steady progression. I wish I could say that we were changing the lives of thousands of people - but I am not sure if there is any truth in that statement. I can, however, say that we are having a life altering effect on the people that join our teams. I can say that small, challenging experiences are making a huge difference in the lives of the Team Peru members.

Week Two Begins

Friday night was a fantastic group dinner with a welcoming celebration for our new team members joining Team Peru for week two of the campaign, and a farewell party for our team members headed back to the their homes in the U.S. Daniel did a great job in lining up a really nice restaurant for the team to enjoy a traditional Peruvian dinner with traditional Andean dances. It was, a great way to transition our experience.

Week two had us head from Lima on Saturday afternoon to Arequipa. We all got to our new hotel after a fantastic dinner with Father Alex around 7 p.m. Needless-to-say, the team was smashed and needed the "free evening" to get a well deserved rest.

On Sunday the entire team headed up to Alto Cayma for Mass with Father Alex. The Mass was particularly important for Lee and I - as our daughter Alex was Baptized by Father ALex. It was an amazing experience as our entire Alto Cayma "family" came to the celebration. Having worked in Alto Cayma for over a decade, HBI has created some really important relationships in the community. It was so nice to introduce everyone to our daughter and have them share in our celebration of her Faith.

Tonight we have another team meeting and will set the stage for the week. Come Monday morning, we will hit the ground running with a plethora of activities and opportunities for the group to get involved with. As always, we will be posting updates and pictures on the website and Blogspot.

Thank you, as always, for all of your support.

Days 2, 3 and 4

Our week has just flown by. From the exhaustion of our first couple of days to the delight of working together as a team, this week has been a huge success.

Tuesday and Wednesday we were in the South – the communities of Chincha (a different school than Monday) and Canete. The drive to our school sites took us anywhere from 2 hours to ninety minutes. The bulk of the kids we have been seeing are undernourished, stunted in their growth, and have a mouth filled with cavities – but they are, by in large, pretty healthy.

The bulk of the kids are pretty healthy – that does not mean all of them are. Some of the children we have met through this week are living in extremely difficult situations. We have identified a few children who we suspect are in homes with significant abuse and trauma. Our team of social workers and our staff lawyer are already developing a plan to advocate for their needs and their safety.

Last night we met as a team to outline our plan for helping the “cases” identified over the week of outreach clinics. Over the next week, while the team heads to Arequipa – Alan, the Union Biblica schools worker, and Daniel, HBI’s staff lawyer, will be meeting with the teachers and the families of the children we have identified. Their goal will be to conduct a thorough assessment of the needs of the children and their families and then prepare a well-crafted plan of support and advocacy.

We have just starting our last day of clinic. In fact, as I type this message – our team is scrambling around seeing patients, helping with health education, and preparing medications. This has been an absolutely fantastic week that has been all the more special because of the phenomenal work of our volunteer Peruvian and American team members.

I will be writing more in the next couple of days. And, as always – thank you so much for all of your support.

Making a Difference

I wonder some times . . . are we really making a difference. I wonder if the amount of work that goes into preparing for and exciting an outreach campaign is really the best use of our resources. And then something like this afternoon happens.

We were busy today. The school where we conducted our outreach was again in the town of Chincha - some two hours from the Union Biblica Camp Kawai. When we arrived at the school (a very poor school in a community that was strongly impacted by the coastal earthquake in the winter of 2007) the director and her administrators had set up a reception tent and convened all of the elementary classes into a reception. We were greeted with music, speeches of appreciation and excitement and rousing rounds of applause from 500 of our newest 5-8 year old friends.

After our celebration we quickly got down to business. Our task for the day was a rather big affair - we needed to see as many children from the morning school "shift" (in Peru, many of the rural and poorer community schools will hold multiple academic shifts during the day to accommodate all of the children who require instruction) before the afternoon group showed up. We were, in so many words, in a big hurry.

As the day progressed we went through a few rounds of chaos - but eventually settled into a very nice rhythm. Late in the day I was called to help with a patient in another part of the school. While I was gone, my colleague from Union Biblica (Mr. Billy Clark - a fantastic young man, but that is a whole other story) started to talk with one of the last parents waiting in line with their children. She was a young woman, perhaps not older than 28 years of age. She told Billy a story that would become the focus for all that we are trying to do.

The young woman told Billy about the 5 children that she was taking care of. She told him that her sister had abandon the kids. She said that her sister had led a very chaotic life - and ultimately had 5 children with 5 different men, but now wanted nothing to do with the kids and left them for her to take care of. She was overwhelmed and did not any idea what to do.

We recognized that the needs of this "family" were great. Dr. Bob Gehringer, HBI's project director and the campaign's medical director, along with Billy and Alan Alcouser from Union Biblica, met with the young mother at the end of the clinic. They later retold much of their meeting to our group this evening.

The story, as best they could understand, goes something like this - no longer interested in caring for her children, the mother of the 5 kids one day left all of them with her sister. She had, as the sister told Billy and Dr. Bob, been irresponsible with the children's care for a long time. The sister described emotional, physical and suspected sexual abuse to our team. She told them that the children had recently been struggling with emotional outbursts and problems in school.

She told told Dr. Bob and Billy that she had been trying to work with the government to get the necessary paper work to take over custody of the children - but had run into issues because none of the children had a birth certificate or a Peruvian identification card (similar to a U.S. Social Security card). The sister told Billy and Bob that she was unable to get the proper paperwork completed on the children to retrieve their birth certificates because all of the children had been born in different hospitals under different men's names. Without the proper paperwork - the children could not be enrolled in a new school (they are having a significant amount of troubles at their current school) or be eligible for state funded health insurance. Without the proper paperwork, the children had little options for a future. The young woman was frustrated and had come to the end of her rope.

Today, when Bob and Billy were telling us about their meeting with the young woman, they both remarked (on more than one occasion) how much they felt like the young woman really just needed someone to talk with. She really needed to speak to someone that would listen to her story. Billy said that the woman told him that she had told her story many times - but always felt like people were not listening to her or did not care.

The reality of the situation is that without a caring Aunt, these children would more than likely be on the streets. The reality of the situation is that without a little bit of help, the family might completely fall apart. Our goal in working with the family will be to help to advocate for their needs. We will start by having our partners from Union Biblica meet with the young woman again to completely document her steps for seeking custody of the children. We will use the skills and talents of HBI's lawyer, Dr. Daniel Bueno Rojas, to help legally advocate for the children.

We do not know how this story will end. Our hope is that we can be receptive to the needs of the children and the young woman and help to advocate in a meaningful and proactive way. Our goal is that we will prevent any further harm to these precious lives.

Sometimes it is really hard to know if we are making a difference. Sometimes I wonder if we are using our resources to their greatest extent. Today I know that everything that we have done this week is worth it. I know that we are making a difference.

Thank you for your support.

Chinch Alta Day 1

Sunday, VERY, very early in the morning - the team arrived at Union Biblica's Camp Kawai. After a few hours of sleep we rounded everyone together and got our group organized for a full day of clinic preparations and a "trial run" clinic with the Girasoles boys. By the end of the first day (with only a few hours of sleep) we had completely organized our inventory of medications and supplies, participated in a Church service with the boys at the Casa Girasoles (there are over 45 boys at the home this year because Union Biblica has merged their house in Lima with the Kawai Girasoles house in Mala), and conducted a clinic. It was a full day.

The team worked together magnificently. We were really very smooth and efficient - all things considered. Especially in light of our 4-hours of sleep. It is an understatement to think that everyone's eyelids were open at the first team meeting on Sunday night.

Sunday night was a well deserved rest. Monday morning came rather quickly and we started our day with breakfast at 6:30 am. Our first full day of school outreach was in the town of Chincha, an almost 2-hour drive from the Kawai Camp. We loaded the buses and packed our team into the tight space and tried to catch as much sleep as possible in our commute.

The school in Chincha was just off of the town square. In spite of our long commute (and a bit late start) we managed to get the clinic started at 9:30 am. The first few hours were mayhem - with children and their parents everywhere. The day quickly settled-in and we found a good rhythm for working together.

In just under 6-hours of clinic we saw over 150 children - many of whom were attended by a physician and a dentist. The team was great. Our massage therapist never stopped. She, TJ, was the favorite stop for all of the teacher; even if they were a bit unsure about massage therapy when they first got on the treatment table, by the end of the first minute of treatment - the snoring was a dead giveaway that they were really happy with the care they were receiving.

Our team of dentists, two Peruvian and one North American, were busy right up until the time we boarded the bus to head back to Kawai. This, in spite of the fact that we left a valuable piece of equipment for the dentists back at the camp - and had to have a taxi drive the equipment the 2-hours to our school outreach site.

The medical team, a mix of Peruvian and North American providers did awesome. We had a few wrinkles to start out - but thanks to the direction of Dr. Bob Gehringer, we quickly smoothed things out.

It is a huge understatement to say that everyone was extremely valuable. This is a great team and we are already working together with a clear purpose. Tomorrow we are back in the town of Chincha - but in a different school. Look for team photographs and more stories on the HBI participant Blog and in this Blog post in the coming days.

For now, I am off to bed. Tomorrow is another VERY early morning and really full day.

Thank you for all of your support.

Camp Kawai

Sunday, VERY, very early in the morning - the team arrived at Union Biblica's Camp Kawai. After a few hours of sleep we rounded everyone together and got our group organized for a full day of clinic preparations and a "trial run" clinic with the Girasoles boys. By the end of the first day (with only a few hours of sleep) we had completely organized our inventory of medications and supplies, participated in a Church service with the boys at the Casa Girasoles (there are over 45 boys at the home this year because Union Biblica has merged their house in Lima with the Kawai Girasoles house in Mala), and conducted a clinic. It was a full day.

The team worked together magnificently. We were really very smooth and efficient - all things considered. Especially in light of our 4-hours of sleep. It is an understatement to think that everyone's eyelids were open at the first team meeting on Sunday night. Sunday night was a well deserved rest.

Monday morning came rather quickly and we started our day with breakfast at 6:30 am. Our first full day of school outreach was in the town of Chincha, an almost 2-hour drive from the Kawai Camp. We loaded the buses and packed our team into the tight space and tried to catch as much sleep as possible in our commute.

The school in Chincha was just off of the town square. In spite of our long commute (and a bit late start) we managed to get the clinic started at 9:30 am. The first few hours were mayhem - with children and their parents everywhere. The day quickly settled-in and we found a good rhythm for working together.

In just under 6-hours of clinic we saw over 150 children - many of whom were attended by a physician and a dentist. The team was great. Our massage therapist never stopped. She, TJ, was the favorite stop for all of the teacher; even if they were a bit unsure about massage therapy when they first got on the treatment table, by the end of the first minute of treatment - the snoring was a dead giveaway that they were really happy with the care they were receiving.

Our team of dentists, two Peruvian and one North American, were busy right up until the time we boarded the bus to head back to Kawai. This, in spite of the fact that we left a valuable piece of equipment for the dentists back at the camp - and had to have a taxi drive the equipment the 2-hours to our school outreach site.

The medical team, a mix of Peruvian and North American providers did awesome. We had a few wrinkles to start out - but thanks to the direction of Dr. Bob Gehringer, we quickly smoothed things out.

It is a huge understatement to say that everyone was extremely valuable. This is a great team and we are already working together with a clear purpose. Tomorrow we are back in the town of Chincha - but in a different school. Look for team photographs and more stories on the HBI participant Blog and in this Blog post in the coming days.

For now, I am off to bed. Tomorrow is another VERY early morning and really full day.

Thank you for all of your support.

The best chicken in Lima

Last night the team went to get Pollo a la Brasa.

You must know - I have had Pollo a la Brasa all over Lima. As many of you are well aware, I consider myself to be an "arm chair" expert on Lima and Lima eateries. Well, the place we went to last night Don Tito's (also known as Mario's - but no one knows why . . . given that the original owner's name was Don Tito) is the absolute best.

The famous Peruvian culinary expert, Gaston Acurio, names Don Tito's one of the best places to get this uniquely Peruvian delicacy in all of Lima. The flavors, the quality of the chicken, the size of the French Fries portion - all of these conspire to create the perfect meal.

So the next time (or the first time) you are in Lima - I suggest a trip to the neighborhood of San Borja for the fabulous Don Tito's Pollo a la Brasa.

A day in Lima

After 18 hours of travel - I made it to Lima. Needless-to-say, I am beat. Tonight I will get a full nights rest in preparation of a really full two weeks ahead.

Today was spent organizing our supplies and readying for the teams arrival on Saturday. Thankfully, HBI's trusted staff of Ben, Daniel and Karen have been busy going all over Lima to get supplies and nail down our last minute details. They have done a fantastic job ensuring that we are ready to make the most of the next week.

One thing has really got my mind preoccupied . . . on Wednesday of next week my two little ladies will be joining the team in Peru. Lee and Alexandra are flying down (thankfully in FIrst Class) to spend a full week in Peru. They will join the team in Kawai with HBI and then we will fly together to Arequipa. This is super exciting for me - as I really miss them so much.


In addition, Alexandra will get to meet her name sake (Father Alex) in Arequipa. We are all really looking forward to this meeting and the time that we will get to spend together.

Tomorrow I will post a few photos from our teams first day in Lima. You get to see what goes into the "behind the scenes" planning for a two week medical, dental and social outreach campaign. For now, be rest assured - the work does not ever seem to end.

Thank you for all of your support of HBI and the people of Peru.

Packing Complete

We are done! At least with the packing. Now for the hard part. Off we go to Peru. We are leaving this week - with various people arriving at various times. We will make certain that everyone is kept abreast of the team's exploits!

Check the BlogSpot regularly for updates and photos. Thanks.

One week and counting

Our team will be arriving to Peru in one week. This weekend has been a whirlwind of activities and shopping trips. We have had last minute supplies to purchase, money to wire, and plans to finalize. Tomorrow we pack the extra bags of supplies and confirm travel plans.

I am off to a conference in Seattle on Monday morning and will be returning to Portland on Wednesday night . . . just in time for my very early flight to Lima on Thursday.

The next few weeks promise to be an exciting and life altering time for many of our trip volunteers. We are bound to encounter many challenges - but also experience many triumphs. By the end of the two+ week campaign - everyone will be changed.

Please stay up-to-date on our whereabouts and group adventures at the HBI BlogSpot.

As always - thank you so much for all of your support.

And away we go

Only a few more days and the first of our team will be headed to Lima to plan for the Team Peru 2010 outreach trip (the team arrives in Lima on Saturday, June 19). Our teams, yes . . . that is right, I used the plural - as we will have one team in Kawai working on our SAVE Children project and one team in Arequipa working with Father Alex and the Elohim school in Mariano Melgar.

Anyway, our teams will be busy from day one. We plan to have our SAVE outreach clinics, help with construction projects, hold "grand rounds" instruction lectures for medical providers at the Maria Madres Clinic and work with our in-country partners on a number of other programs and projects.

We will be updating the Blog regularly (yes, it really is true!) and have plenty of photos to keep you amused.

Until then - thank you for supporting HBI and the poorest people of the world. We can make a difference and we are making a difference everyday!