Colca (cont.)

When you are approaching the cut-off from the main highway, you pass through some pretty dry terrain. (Well, actually, MOST of the terrain is dry!) As you continue on, though, you pass by seeps in the mountain side from snows higher up. In winter these freeze up each night as you can see. Although we are in winter, the sky remained cloudless and blue except over the peaks in places.

Visit to Colca Canyon

As Ron didn't have classes on Sat. due to a holiday, we took a two day trip to see the famous Andean condors. The road, which is the same one that you'd take to the mission site of San Felipe, is 90% dirt with terrible ruts and potholes. In most places it clings to the edge of the mountain sides with no shoulder or guardrail. In some places the edge (or entire lane) has sloughed off and you can look out the window and see straight down about a mile. Exhausted from what would be a 1 1/2 hour drive on a GOOD road, we found a little hotel in which to spend the night. Driving in the dark is NOT advisable! Sometimes you have to break for unexpected "traffic" as you can see.

COMFORT FOOD/NEW EXPERIENCE

James from the UK has been staying with us for a month. He is on the left side of the picture. On the right is Joel from the US. James was a volunteer for about a year in 2005. Joel is a short-term SAMS US intern. After a bout of illness, we fixed Mexican food to bolster Joel's spirits. James decided that the squishy green stuff (Guacamole) wasn't too bad! Joel had hoped to go with the Sagrada Familia kids today to see "Superman," but they went to an earlier showing. We are glad to have them both. Of course the kids at both Casas enjoy them, too!
Chao for now, Ron+

Visitors This week

This past week we had Suzanne, the SAMS-UK short-term missionary coordinator visiting with Pat Blanchard. Pat is our Lima person who works with short-term volunteers. Suzanne is scoping out how those volunteers need to be prepared. It was a delight to visit with them. Just a few minutes ago we had Mavis and Gail drop in. They are here for a few days doing some workshops at San Lucas school. Gail has informed us that a store in Lima has begun to carry DR. PEPPER!!!! Needless to say, one of us was thrilled! Guess who?????

Return to Arequipa

We returned Monday evening to Arequipa. Here are a couple of pictures. I believe we cross the mountains at 4800 meters or 15,747 ft. Up in that area there are always snowy patches and icy seeps on the hill sides. At this time of year I saw no flamingos, but did see black and while Andean Geese. This is, I believe, the only place where flamigos summer high up in an Andean lake we pass. Ron thought altitude stress was getting to him the first time he saw flamingos!

Tradition has developed here in these dry mountain patches to help the llama shepherd's dogs by tossing bread rolls out the car windows. When hungry, the dogs lay beside the road and wait for a car to honk as it approaches. The immediately stand at attention watching for someone to throw out a piece of bread. Sometimes they even catch the roll before it hits the ground! We were out when we stopped to take a picture and this pleasant puppy loped up hopefully!

Puno

A side trip from Juliaca was up to Puno on Lake Titicaca. On the floating reed island live the Uro indians. Here are some pictures of our visit, including an Uro school.

Juliaca Mission Post

Last weekend Padre Juan Carlos, Maria, Vicki and Ron, Joel, James, and Maria's folks, Federico & Angelica all loaded up in Padre's van and headed the 51/2 hours to visit the mission in Juliaca. A twisiting mountain ride, we were all ready to get to the house. It will be made to look a bit more like an church as time goes on. The Eucharist was celebrated about 15 minutes after we arrived and pleased the congregation greatly. Padre J C is only able to make it up there twice a month. Next followed a lengthy meeting for Padre Juan Carlos.

Juliaca is a bit cooler than Arequipa-and a bit higher. We all slept at the house- fully dressed (Vicki with gloves and muffler) under 3 or 4 blankets.

James Allen

James was a UK SAMS volunteer last year and is back for a month or so this summer. After teaching English here, James returned to England to add teaching to his math degree and is now asking God's guidance upon his future plans. I caught him here in a rare moment of leisure-reading a good Benedictine mystery novel. We are delighted to have James staying with us in the "penthouse."

Well, I know it looks like Ron is blessing the new sewer cap, but he was actually blessing the YARD! Juan Carlos is ready to sprinkle the next spot, but acolyte Jose is admiring the tree he planted!!


Joel, our short-term trainee is a hit with the kids. After a bout of tummy trouble (Inca Revenge???) he is back to his normal cheerful self! A big hit with the kids!

Some house blessing pics

Well, I thought I'd lost all the pics, but recently found them. So, here are some from the Sagrada Familia house blessing. The Casapia family began coming to the church when Juan Carlos had one of the kids in school. She brought the rest of the family in. Now one of the aunts is a houseparent at Sagrada Familia. Here you see the grandparents who are now starting to come to church.

Seminary Classes- Another round

This week Ron started another round of seminary classes. On Tuesday afternoon he is teaching the 3 Certificate II students a course on Marriage and Funerals (Strange combination, don't you think?) and on Wednesday he is teaching them Hospital Visiting. He misses Joyce Neth's being here to do that one!

Then, on Saturday morning he does classes for 5 Certificate I students- first Church History, and second Liturgics. Seminarians lead Morning Prayer in between the classes at 10 a.m. Later, at 4 p.m. he does a second class for Church History for 6 more students.

Please pray that these students will be able to complete their courses without the many causes that keep them form finishing the course. We so need trained workers for the vineyard.

Here Piggy, Piggy. Here Piggy, Piggy.......

Today was a good day and we were thrilled to have an invitation to from one of the San Lucas teachers for lunch. They had invited a few other, too, and Padre Juan Carlos and Maria took us all up to their home. The first thing to know about Peruvian culture is that you are supposed to eat EVERYTHING on your plate or the host is offended. Helping make our large portions in the US look like a child's plate here. Lunch lasted from 1 to 4 p.m. Our first plate was a large dinner plate with 2 1/2 inches of potatoes and cheese. I was somewhat surprised when the second plate came out. They had been saying we were going to have "rabbit." Now I know that they sometimes call guinea pig (cuy) "rabbit." They had slaughtered some of their precious animales to share with us. We went out to see the "herd" of 50 or so cuy in back. There are four clasifications here- smooth, whorled-up to 7 whorles or what I would call "cowlicks," curly, and long-haired (look a bit like a Yorkie!). Actually, there is a new bigger strain newly developed and they are being marketed in Japan! Here is an example of a before and after shot! We found the cuy to be tender and somewhat like chicken. The dish had a wonderful aroma, too. The family members were so gracious and considerate hosts. We ate as much as possible, but still couldn't finish our plates. It was a wonderful visit and one we will remember.

House Blessing of Sagrada Familia

Sunday, July 2, at 3:00 p.m. keep us in your prayers as we will do a house blessing for the new home. The house parents were exhausted from getting the place ready. Thank you, Tios and Tias!!

Celebration!

On the way back from Justina's, we encountered a bunch of donkeys piled high with a type of brush that grows in the highlands. The mountain people used it for fuel. Apparently it is time for an annual festival when highlanders bring their animals and the brush down to an old church not far from our house. After a religious ceremony, the brush is burned and an all night bash begins. I just heard a bunch of fireworks so that must have been the start of the party. Juan Carlos said he used to see 40 or 50 donkeys at a time coming in when he was young. We saw about a dozen this evening.

Justina´s Birthday

Thirty minutes after Vicki got home from Via Ecológica, we headed up with Juan Carlos and Maria for an impromptu birthday celebration. Having much to do, I was hesitant to go. Justina´s home is much like Carlos and Vilma's. Our housekeeper, Naty, had gone over to her friends today and helped her prepare a "caldo" or soup. Of course it had potatoes! But, it also had chicken. I saw feet and innards saved for another occasion so they must have killed one of her own birds (I only saw one other chicken) to have meat to add to the soup. I suspect Naty had taken the cake, too. They had just put up the food and Naty said thatJustina had been crying as no one had come to eat with her on her birthday. That was all she wanted-someone to care. She was thrilled when we arrived. We just ate and visited and enjoyed Justina´s gentle smile. Justina was a favorite of Mama June´s. Kindred spirits who loved freely and enjoyed fellowship. Thank you, Lord, for not letting me miss this opportunity!

Neighbors

Carlos and his sister Vilma helped us out today, too. Vilma cleaned the water holding tank before the new delivery. You´ll see the home they are sharing behind them. They come from a family of 10 kids. The black tank in the background is ours and Carlos has let us keep things on their property under the watchful eyes of their dogs! Go to the poor outskirts of town if you want to see neighbors helping neighbors. A powerful learning message for us.....

Sharing in Community Life

Today Ron began giving final exams at 8 a.m. Vicki left with a group from Cristo Redentor and the kids from Sagrada Familia and they headed up to Via Ecológica to stack a few more stones to mark the borders. The final size of the property is 6300 square meters. It will take about $9,200 to put up the 3 meter high perimiter wall! Pray for that as it is a BIG amount for here. We´ll show you some of the pics.