Condors, colca, and canyons galore!

This past weekend we went on a fun-filled bus tour adventure to the colca canyon. We left early Saturday morning to make our journey to another beautiful place in Peru. Our tour guide (Pepe Pedro) was full of fun facts about every historic mark we passed on our way. We learned about the difference between llamas and alpacas (fyi, llamas tails are always up and alpacas tails are always down) :-). We took tons of pictures of the beautiful scenery! When we are able to post pictures (hopefully in the very near future!), you will get to see tons of pictures of the mountains, volcanoes, and wildlife. Everywhere we turn there are fantastic pictures waiting to be snapped!

Our bus driver and tour guide were nice enough to stop frequently for bathroom breaks (for those of us with weak bladders!) and for shopping :-) its so interesting because most of the ladies on the side of the road are selling the same things, but as soon as you walk towards them they will try to engage you and tell you why their product is the best... unfortunately none of us speak Spanish very well,and we don't understand their enthusiastic explanations! We were convinced to take a picture with a 3 day old baby lamb (for one sole!), but Mandy was more excited about petting a stray dog instead of holding the lamb... she loves her stray dogs :-)

After traveling a little further on verrryyyyy bumpy roads, we made it to Chivay to eat our tasty buffet lunch (including alpaca meat, quinoa soup, and other local favorites!). We filled up and then headed out to explore the market for an hour or so before heading to la calera hot springs. As you can probably guess from the name,they were EXTREMELY hot; its heated from the volcanoes! The pool was also around 5 feet deep or a bit more (many of us had to stand on our toes!), so we sure heated up fast! It was a nice time to just relax and hang out before heading back to the hotel to change for dinner.

Our dinner included a band serenading us as well as dancers performing traditional dances. It was all well and good until they asked some of our group members to join in...let's just say one of the dance's included Brittany and our friend Hans laying on the floor with an orange in their hands getting "whipped" by the locals... we had never seen or experienced anything like it (some may never want to experience it again! Haha). It was a very entertaining and interesting evening at say the least!

We then headed to the hotel (which had no heat!) to get some shut eye before getting up again at530 am to begin our Sunday. Today was spent traveling to the cola canyon to see the condors, eating some local cuisine, taking jumping pictures,and heading back to our hotel in Arequipa :-) we ate some dinner and played a few games, and now we're going to head to bed to get ready for another fun filled day in the clinic tomorrow :-)

Thanks for keeping up with our blog! Keep checking in to see whats going on and how God is working while we're herein Peru!!

Blog again with you soon!
Allie, Sara, Angela, Heidi, Mandy and Brittany

Making our way to Mollendo!

Yesterday (Thursday) 3 of the SRU students (Heidi, Allie and Mandy), 3 students from Arcadia, and Erin (one of the PTs, who we affectionately call "Mother Goose" :) ) made the 2- 2.5 hour bus trip to Mollendo, Peru. We filled up the van and took as many wheelchairs as we could fit to give to people in need in the city. The ride was very scenic, and we were excited to be working in a new place with people that were so eager for help!
We split into 3 groups and with the help of several local translators, we were able to fit all of the patients that attended that day with wheelchairs. It was a huge blessing! Some of the patients had no wheelchair or way to get around before we came (many had to be carried everywhere or supported by several people to walk very short distances), and others had "wheelchairs" crafted out of plastic lawn chairs and bicycle tires... The innovation in this country is absolutely amazing!
There were several mix-ups on the way (we could not find all the leg rests to the wheelchairs, certain chairs appeared to be "missing" due to mix-ups in the measurements), but we were able to all come together and fix every loose break and squeaky chair in order to give the folks in Mollendo the best MMI had to offer. Though at times we were very frustrated, it was incredibly rewarding to see the smiles on these people's faces after we got the wheelchairs fitted just for them.
Erin (the PT that was there with us) was actually interviewed 2 times for Peruvian TV stations while we were in Mollendo. A newspaper crew also came to cover the event. We didn't realize it initially, but apparently this event was a major deal and there were even 2 security guards on location with us the entire day to make sure that everything ran smoothly! It was a very interesting experience!
We made one house call to a gentleman that was unable to arrange transportation to the make-shift clinic that day, and it blew our minds to see his living condition. He was living with 2 other people in a very small, cramped house (we only saw one room, there may have been one more). He was elated to receive a wheelchair because before we saw him, he was unable to leave the house... He and his family were ashamed of his condition and did not want him to go out in public. But now that he has a wheelchair he feels more proud and is able to get out of the house. Again, it was such a blessing to be a part of something that was so important for this family! At the end of the day, we were able to take a peek at the Pacific Ocean, then made our way back to Arequipa. It was beautiful; a great ending to a very special day.
Today we worked in the clinic as we had Monday through Wednesday. It was a jam-packed day full of evaluations and wheelchair fittings. Though we were frustrated at times (we didn't realize we would have to be such good mechanics on this trip!), we were able to meet the needs of the folks we worked with today. Some appointments took 30 minutes and others took closer to 2.5 hours, but in the end (we hope!) all of the patients left satisfied. It is encouraging to know that our hard work is appreciated.
One thing that was different about today (other than the fact that we were missing half our team, as they did not return from their trip until about 4 pm this afternoon) was our prayer time at the beginning of the day. Monday through Wednesday we were able to hold a community prayer time together before starting patient appointments. We would gather everyone together (staff, PTs, PT students, patients) and the translator would pray in Spanish, one of us would pray in English, and then we would sing a song together. Unfortunately, we were unable to have that time with the patients this morning, as the owner of the hospital did not find it appropriate for us to pray in the main lobby of the hospital. The staff and PT/PT students were still able to pray, but by ourselves in the clinic. It was still a great time to focus on the Lord and to get ourselves in the right mindset to serve our patients, but it was sad that we were unable to have that time to pray with the patients as well. At this time, we are just praying for the owner of the hospital (as well as everyone we meet) to have open hearts to hear the Gospel. We prayed for each person that we would work with today or come in contact with in any way, and we hope that you will join with us and do the same!
Tomorrow we are headed on another adventure to the Colca Canyon... it is about a 4 hour bus ride, but we are excited to go on another adventure! We would appreciate prayers for safe travels and that no one would get motion sick (we've had a couple folks that haven't been feeling quite up to par!). We may not have internet tomorrow, so if we don't, we will give updates on the trip when we return Sunday afternoon/evening! Hopefully we will be able to post pictures soon as well! It is incredibly beautiful here, and we'd love to share some of the scenery with you :)

Ciao!
Allie

Up... to Juliaca

Buenos Noches!  It is hard to believe that the first week of the PT project is complete.  In the previous blog, Allie and Heidi mentioned us breaking into 2 groups and visiting 2 other cities.  Sara, Brittany and myself went with 4 others from our team and an extra translator to the city of Juliaca.  Juliaca is a 5 hr bus ride from Arequipa.  To save a few extra bucks,  the buses we took did not have any bathrooms.  For some, aka Sara, a 5 hr drive is no problem.  But, for others, not so much.  The bus ride there wasn't too bad and fairly uneventful, unless you can speak spanish and follow along with the soap opera on the tv.

Juliaca is 12,549 ft above sea level; Arequipa lies at 7,661 ft.  The changes in elevation causes headaches and higher heart rates, among other things.  Climbing up the stairs to get into the apartment where we stayed was a chore.. like we just ran a mile.  We arrived after dark so we weren't able to get a good perspective of the city.  I initially said "I feel like we dropped into a remote tribe in the middle of Alaska".  It was cold, slightly colder than Arequipa, everyone was dressed in multiple layers, and many of the roads are not paved.  We will never again complain about the roads in PA or OH.  We were picked up at the bus station from Luis, the priest, who was the pastor at the church where we would distribute the wheelchairs.  We were surprised to hear Shania Twain playing in the car, in English!  It was a little taste of home!  Dinner was prepared for us from the host family we stayed with, friends of Jodee's.  8 of us crammed into a 2 bedroom apartment with 5 other inhabitants: 3 on a bunk bed, 1 on the couch, 4 on "air mattresses" (that had holes) and the last 5 of the family in the main bedroom.  It was quite the slumber party.  Unfortunately, the hot water or heat did not come to the party.  Showers became kind of sparse and blankets became a necessity.

Thursday began with us arriving to the church to distribute wheelchairs.  Most of the chairs were already assigned to patients through previous evaluations, so it was a matter of finding the chair, unwrapping it, adjusting it to the patient, and completing several paperwork forms.  The day went fairly smooth.  Some of the highlights included the awesome lunch prepared by Luis (who called his mom for the recipes and cooked for an army!).  Some patients already had "wheelchairs".  This consisted of either a white lawn chair attached to bicycle wheels or a series of metal bars attached to bicycle wheels that involved using a hand crank to move.  These patients were very happy to have chairs that they could function much better in.  We also had some arrive who were in need of a chair that didn't have one.  For instance, we had one gentlemen who was an amputee and arrived using 2 crutches, or another lady who came in walking on the outsides of her bare feet.  It was so great to see the expression on there faces after they got their wheelchairs.  The best story came from a lady who donated a child's stroller earlier in the day.  Well, another lady with a little girl in need of something for her daughter came in.  We didn't bring any kids chairs with us because we weren't expecting children.  So, the stroller that was donated earlier in the day ended up as the perfect fit for this little girl.  It was so cool watching how God provides at the exact moments.  Unfortunately, towards the end of the day, we had run out of wheelchairs and assistive devices and had to turn a few away.  However, Luis runs a disability program at the church and was able to speak with them on coming back at another time when more chairs could be brought over.  At the end of the day, as if we weren't tired enough or the altitude affecting us :), Jodee took us to see a statue of Jesus at the peak of the city.  We climbed a small "mountain" (about 20 min or so to the top).  Needless to say, we were lacking on O2!  We arrived as the sun was setting so we enjoyed a beautiful sunset overlooking Juliaca and the surrounding mountains.  Afterwards, we enjoyed pizza at the only mall in Juliaca and checked out Peru's version of WalMart, PlazaVea.  Before heading to bed after arriving back at the apartment, we played spoons with our host family (for those unfamiliar with spoons, it is a card game using spoons).  That was quite the event and included lots of laughter!

Then it was Friday and time for the 5 hrs back to Arequipa.  This became a very long bus ride.  One of the other girls in our group became very sick... and with no bathrooms and the driver speaking only spanish, it was a unique situation.  Tip: when traveling in Peru, travel with disposable wipes and toilet paper when one becomes sick and you need to clean up the bus.  Sara was also under the weather since Thursday, probably from the altitude, but not sure.  So, none of us were up to eating lunch on the bus, except Brittany.  We were all too happy to be back in Arequipa and the hotel for hot showers.  Also, tip:  Peruvians are late to everything, except when getting off buses or airplanes.  We weren't even  at the bus station yet and people were already walking to the front of the bus to get off.  When we did park, there was already a line and no one waited for us in the front to get off.  I had a Peruvian rider in the seat next to me by the window.  He was much too eager to get off the bus as he almost landed in my lap trying to get his stuff.

Well, that is the recap of the last 3 days in Juliaca.  Allie, Heidi and Mandy will blog about their time in Mollendo later.  Right now, we are relaxing and playing some games.  Tomorrow, we are scheduled for an overnight tour of the Colca canyons and other places.  Stay tuned for our recap of those events!
Please pray for our health for the rest of the trip and the others on our team.  Several of us, probably half of the team, has come down with some sort of illness.  Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

Angela and Sara (for moral support and added comments :)


*We are sorry for the inconvenience but we are experiencing technical difficulties and are unable to upload pictures at this time.    

Let's Get Physical, Physical!!

Hola Amigos (Hello Friends)!!!

We apologize it has been since Sunday that you last heard from us – internet connection lately has been in rare form. Needless to say, the past couple of days have been filled with lots of adventures! A typical day consists of a Peruvian buffet style breakfast which always satisfies our American taste buds. Allie has tremendously been enjoying the drinkable yogurt they serve every morning. After breakfast we have our team’s devotions in which we rotate people who lead the discussion of their choosing. This morning we talked about how we all possess different gifts and how we use them together to be effective for God’s kingdom. Then we pack ourselves snuggly into the van and always somehow survive our 20 minute route through crazy Peruvian traffic.

Once we arrive at the clinic, the real adventures begin. We never know what tasks will lay ahead of us. Some of us may be scrambling around for wheelchair parts to assemble a chair for a patient arriving in the clinic. Some of us are teaching patients and visitors health topics such as correct lifting techniques and nutrition. It is really neat because after we educate them, Kathy (our translator) will tell the gospel to them using the colored bead bracelets. And while we are Spanish-speaking challenged, the smiles, appreciated handshakes and kisses are evidence to us they are thankful for us for sharing this wonderful message of God’s grace to them.

If we are not busy manufacturing wheelchairs, we are with the patients. Every patient is a mini adventure in itself J. We see lots of children who are coming to us with spina bifida and club feet who are in dire need of orthotics and physical therapy. We are also seeing many kids and adults who need special assisstive equipment because they cannot afford them. I wish we could frame all their smiles as they receive these devices – you cannot help but smile and be filled with joy as you see the difference it has made in their lives.

We have also been able to go to the “downtown” the past two nights to explore some of the sights of Peru and do some shopping. We are about a 20 minute walk from one of the market squares in Arequipa that has lots of things up for purchase; there are llama key chains, pipes, machetes… and other much more normal items haha J. It has been really interesting trying to talk to the vendors and bartering for souvenirs… some of us are much better at it than others! And tomorrow marks a very special day here; the city will celebrate “Arequipa Day,” which marks the day they gained their independence. There have been lots of concerts, a circus, and other wild activities that people have been coming in droves to see. It is wild! Fortunately, we will be working outside of the city tomorrow (some of us will be at a city called Juliaca, while others will be in Mollendo) distributing equipment to folks in need, so we will miss some of the madness!

While there is much more to say, we can only say thank you for your continued prayers. We are having a blast being used as God’s physical therapists on earth and as Allie quoted earlier “I am just so happy being here.” J We look forward to bringing you more news from Peru in the coming days J. Ciao!

-Heidi and Allie

On Fire for the Lord

Early this morning the rest of the volunteers flew in from Lima (yay for safe travels!) and after breakfast we had our first experience at a Peruvian church. It was an amazing time of worship! We recognized a couple of the songs from the US, which was helpful when we were trying to figure out what the heck we were saying (at least we felt like we knew a little bit of what was going on!). There was also a slight misunderstanding at the beginning of the service when I was wearing my MMI polo and one of the worship leaders asked if I could help translate the service… he quickly learned that I don’t really speak Spanish and moved on to our group leader, Jodee. She was much better equipped for the job J The message that the pastor taught encouraged us to all be on fire for the Lord, and not to be lukewarm in our faith. We jumped around in the Bible a lot, but one of the passages that stuck out was from Revelation 3: 15- 16, which states: "15.  I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other! 16.  So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth." This sermon was so relevant, and such an encouragement to be on fire for the Lord!  It was an amazing experience hearing God’s word in another language and worshipping with people from another country. It’s crazy because at first glance, we seem completely different from the Peruvian natives; different foods, different customs, different language. And yet, they are seeking God’s will and trying to learn as much as they can about Him, just as we are. God is so good!

After church we traveled to the hospital where the PT clinic is located. We spent the afternoon cleaning and sorting equipment, and preparing for the rest of the week. Some patients will be returning this week for equipment that they were fitted for (wheelchairs, orthotics, crutches, etc.) while others will be new patients that we are evaluating. It was amazing to see how many donations the clinic had collected, and to try to match them with patients we would be seeing in the coming days! There are a lot of crutches, wheelchairs, canes, etc. (thank you all so much for your donations!!!), as well as many various odds and ends that didn’t quite have a home yet (random wheelchair footrests, crutches without their match, etc.). All the while we searched through the warehouse and prepared the items, we kept praying that God would provide the appropriate equipment for the people that needed it, and that each person’s needs would be met. It is amazing to see how God provides! As we were preparing for an outreach (that will take place Wednesday and Thursday) we had certain dimensions we were looking for to fit wheelchairs to these patients, and were blessed to find that we had (pretty much) the right equipment for each person! It was awesome.

We came back to the hotel for dinner, and have all been hanging out ever since. Tonight we’ve been getting to know the other team members by playing some crazy games and trying our hands at drawing… let’s just say that some of us are not very artistic and should keep to PT. J

So far we have been having an absolute blast on this trip!! We’re excited to continue to learn about each other and hone our PT skills, as well as learn more about God and his amazing faithfulness! We are so grateful that everyone made it to the project safely, and eagerly anticipate beginning our “PT work” tomorrow. There’s a pretty full schedule at the clinic, and we should be working with patients from 8am to about 4:30pm. This week there are 3 PTs on staff for us to pair up and learn from in the clinic, so we will rotate between working with each of them. There are many other jobs for us to do in the clinic as well, so there will never be a dull moment! Jodee told us that patients were very excited to come in and receive PT while we are here, so we are all praying that we will be able to communicate with them effectively and give them the care that they need. We would appreciate your continued prayers as well! We feel so blessed to have so many people that care for us back home, and could not have come here without the support of our friends and families. Your prayers and donations are greatly appreciated, and will definitely impact the lives of the folks receiving care here. So thanks again!

Allie

Living on a Prayer, Part 2... Literally!

Where to begin following last evening's blog.  Just shortly after midnight, we discovered our flight to Lima would be delayed one hour due to health concerns (from what we could understand).  While some of us were able to crash on the floor in the airport, the rest of us were not so fortunate (the starbucks at 11 pm may have been a factor). Finally, the time came to board and true to their word, we departed the gate at 2am.  Unfortunately on this flight, we were unable to all sit together and the fluency in English was becoming sparse around us.  This flight included a dinner at 3:30 am.  Heidi and Angela missed this yummy event because of heavy eyelids.  The food was rather enjoyable and included chicken or ravioli, but quite odd at 3:30 am.  Following this, everyone was able to catch a few zzzz's for a couple hours or so.  At. 6:45 am, (central standard time in US terms), we arrived in South America.
The Lima airport was not what we expected.  Busy does not begin to describe it.  Keep in mind we are an hour later then originally planned. First, half of us had to use the restroom before the immigration line.  The bathroom trip took us a little while as there were only 2 stalls.  Quick Peru tip: toilet paper does not get flushed.  You must throw away.  We challenge you all to join us at home over the next 2 weeks. :)  Now, off to immigration and customs lines, which probably took close to an hour to get through.  Then, it was time to find our next flight and check in.  This line also took some time.  However, we made good use of our time by conversing with the American's from Indiana and meeting another couple whose daughter is a DPT from Philli.  His advice was to not pick up guys at bars and to not only tell your parents, after paying for 6 years of school, to "stop doing that" when asked about pain.  Well, we checked in with an hour till departure.  We walked up to the next floor only to find the security line to be a mile long (at least).  Thankfully, our friends from the previous line saved us a spot and let us jump in.  This was the quickest security line ever as most people did not take their shoes off.  We made it through and to the gait with 5 minutes left until reported boarding time.  This flight was slightly delayed but put us safely in Arequipa before noon.  Praise God that all of our luggage arrived and we were picked up by MMI and whisked away in the crazy traffic of Arequipa (where traffic patterns are only suggestions) to our hotel.

Brittany had a slightly different schedule.  After landing in Lima, her connecting fllight to Arequipa was later in the day.  She was able to shop a little while getting to know the airport well.  She even attempted to order food in Spanish.  She made it to her flight and landed in Arequipa on time and with all of her luggage then joined the group at the hotel.
Despite this long trip, God was working mightily in response to prayers.  There were a couple other things that could have set us back further.  Mandy found a gun shell casing in her pocket of her jacket in Miami from a previous range visit.  This was not caught in security.  Also, Heidi was missing the baggage customs form in Lima.  The guard was sure she and Mandy were sisters and of no harm and let them and the group through.  Finally, having met the American couple in the check in line was perfect as they were the answer to getting through security quicker.  Romans 8:26-28, 31 says, "In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Sprit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.   What then shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?"  How evident was this in our travels today!  Hallelujah!

Pics below: Mount Misti, the only active volcano in Arequipa; mountain range at dusk from a rooftop terrace at our hotel; sky view from airplane

Living on a Prayer

Ooh, we're half way there.. halfway to Lima, Peru that is.  As we sit in the Miami airport on a 5 hour layover, we contemplated our highs and lows of today.
Sara: highs - 1. made it on our first flight and nothing was delayed. 2. Allie waking other passengers up with her laugh; low - having a wet back from carrying her backpack through the Miami airport
Mandy: highs - 1. Flying above the clouds and taking in the view. 2. Falling down the escalator, starting us off on the right foot.  Low - Attempting to get Angela a straw at McDonalds, after 9 pm, from 3 non- English speaking hostile women. To then discovering Angela already had a straw. Then getting 10 nuggets in her bag instead of a number 10. 
Brittany: highs -1.Miami airport has steps to use instead of using escalators. 2. Viewing rainbows in the clouds from the airplane.  Low - the annoying sound while sitting at J7, waiting for 1 am to roll around (I I I I I I......)
Heidi: highs: - 1. Because of her coffee addiction, requesting coffee on the airplane.  Because she was the only one who wanted it, they didn't have any.  As a result, she received multiple packs of snacks, worth 12 US dollars.  Coffee does wonders even in its absence.  2. Viewing the smoke stack clouds from the airplane.  Low - lingering, non-faultering flatulence (aka, fart), possibly from the sleeping girl Allie woke up from laughter.
Allie: highs - 1. Did not get lost/separated from the group in the airport.  2. Waking up the sleeping beauty behind her on the plane.  Low - when Heidi dropped her free nuts and she could no longer partake in them.
Angela: highs - 1. When half of the group showed up at her apartment and the trip officially began.  2.  The airplane take off.  Aka, Sara's least favorite.  Low - walking in circles trying to figure out the layout of the Miami airport.  Then, realizing we had to exit the terminal only to pass through security once again to get to the next concourse.  In the TSA process, having her bag manually searched, asked if she was lying, only to find the culprits were 2 decks of cards.  Go figure; wonder why the Pittsburgh airport didn't stop her?!?!?!

For those of you concerned with our safety, we have numbered ourselves 1-6, calling out our number consecutively in Spanish so that no one gets lost. 

And, we are only half way there...  

Psalms 108:4 & 5 - For great is your love higher than the heavens.  Your faithfulness reaches the skies.  Be exalted oh God above the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth.

(Will try to get more pics up later!)