New Beginnings!

Hey everyone!!! SRUinPeru is back again with a new group of volunteers! This blog site will serve as a great way for everyone to check up on our progress leading up to the trip and for us to show you everything that we’re doing when we’re on our mission trip! 

A little bit about us:
We are a group of five physical therapy students who feel called to serve God by serving those in need, not only using our education but by serving others with compassion. In our search for ways to do just that, Medical Ministries International (MMI) has blessed us with the means to show the love of Christ to Arequipa, Peru by serve the under-privileged in the surrounding community for a two week service project. MMI is an organization that specializes in providing spiritual and physical healthcare to those in need around the world. Throughout the two weeks we will be in Peru, we will be working alongside a team of licensed Physical Therapists to treat people that otherwise may not get access to healthcare and rehabilitation. We will be evaluating and treating patients to help them increase their level of function and independence. We will also be fitting patients with much needed medical equipment that has 

been graciously donated to those who need it. Click here to find out more about our mission.

How can you help?
Although August can seem far away, we have a lot of preparing to do. The gears are turning but we could really use your help! We would appreciate your prayers so that we can have safe travels and make a lasting impact on the people that we will serve as we embark on this exciting opportunity. We also ask that you pray for the people of Peru that we will be serving. If you would like to support our trip financially we would greatly appreciate it. The trip will cost around $3,300 dollars per person including project fees and airfare so every little bit helps. The link previously included about our trip provides a breakdown of the expenses for the trip fees. If you want to join our team by helping in this way, you can make a tax-deductible gift via check payable to ‘Medical Ministry International’ and send it to MMI at the address below along with this slip:

Medical Ministry International
P.O. Box 1339
Allen, TX 75013-0022

You can also donate online by clicking here. This will take you to a general donation page on MMI's website. If you choose to make a donation in this way, type the name of the project "Arequipa, Peru 2 week project" and the name of the person you wish to designate the donation towards. You can type this in the text box that is headed "If you would like to designate this gift...."

We are also accepting donations of medical equipment that we will take with us and give to those who need it in the community of southern Peru. Below is a list of items that are needed with greater priority:

Pediatric posterior walkers and gait trainers
Adult wheelchairs that are in good condition or children's convaid
Special needs strollers
Children's sneakers
Orthotics
Forearm crutches
Baby wipes, school supplies, beach balls, children's vitamins
At this time there is less need for adult walkers and canes.

If you wish to donate any items, please let a member of our team know or bring your items to the PT building at the donation boxes. You can also email eba2411@sru.edu.

Thank you for joining our team and be sure to stop back and visit us on our blog! We will be uploading photos of the team and a video soon! 

God bless!

Top 41 Peruvianisms.... and a FB link to photos

In keeping with tradition, this year, with the help of a few Arcadia students, we came up with the top 41 Peruvianisms experienced on this trip... enjoy!

1.       Right is Wong, go left

2.       Stoptional signs

3.       Daddy Yankee –enough said

4.       Fernado Chicken’s

5.       Rules of the road are not rules in Peru, they are more like guidelines

6.       Peruvians are not in a hurry unless getting on or off a bus or plane

7.       Essential bus items: TP, plastic bags, wet wipes, and a good friend

8.       You can only flush the TP at the hotel

9.       When squeezing into a taxi, put your bags in the back because it makes you skinnier

10.   Llama tails point up and alpaca tails point down

11.   Maggie is the chocotejas master “Voy a llorar”

12.   Don’t start a conversation in Spanish unless you are willing to finish it in Spanish

13.   Take a chance and fly – someone will end up dead

14.   Never stick 3 white chicks and an Indian man together on a street in Peru

15.   Angela’s guide to speaking Spanish: add an “el” to the beginning and an “o” to the end of any English word and you will be speaking Spanish

16.   If you go to Peru, check out the man on Pichu Pichu, he may still be belaying

17.   Lawn chair wheelchairs are not all they appear to be

18.   A French movie, dubbed in Spanish, with English subtitles can still make you cry

19.   “Do you have a pen?” –Jodee

20.   Total curb count=6

21.   Ha Ha’s Christmas card is all set thanks to their photogenic natures and all of our cameras!

22.   Han’s had a little girlfriend that followed him around, until she met Sara and followed her around!

23.   Rabbit holes are dangerous because at the first sign of interest, the vendors will suck you in!

24.   Más pequeño wieners!

25.   If a meal doesn’t have papas, it is not complete

26.   Drinkable yogurt & fresh squeezed strawberry juice – life is good

27.   Midnight symphony in room 10

28.   If you lose your vasoline, just look in the AFO box

29.   PE, in fact, stands for Peru – not pulmonary embolism or personal equipment

30.   “Only one?...Oh yeah, he’s an amputee” (in reference to wheelchair footrests)

31.   When building a wheelchair, make sure you build it right side up

32.   You never know when a circus can turn into an igloo and then a taco

33.   Starting the day with prayer and song

34.   “ah-uno por favor”

35.   Americans think Peru changes seasons throughout the day but Peruvians will wear 3 pairs of socks regardless

36.   You will look immaculate each day if your name is Lilia

37.   No te llamas physical therapist!

38.   “Don’t ask questions, just let it happen.” –Brittany as she eats ketchup from a bowl

39.   Street performers in Peru really do perform in the street

40.   Don’t worry when you have to cross an intersection, the walking man on the street light will tell you how fast to walk to cross safely

41.   TODO ES POSIBLE!

 

 

Also, here, you can find the first album of our Peruvian pictures.  I believe they consist mostly of the clinic... enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10101020080712428.1073741846.55715819&type=1&l=903cfd550e

 

Safe Arrivals

Praise God for a smooth transition back to the United States.  After doing some last minute shopping/site seeing in Cusco Monday morning, we boarded the first flight out of Cusco to Lima.  Then, Lima to Miami and finally to Pittsburgh.  We landed Tuesday morning welcomed by family and everyone's luggage.  We couldn't have asked for better travel.  God allowed every flight to be on time (both the airline and our group to make the flight), smooth flow in and out of immigration and customs, and everyone's luggage to be on the belt in baggage claim.  Now, after a few days of recuperation, laundry, and adjustment, we head our separate ways to begin our first clinical rotation.

I think I speak for the entire group when I say we had an amazing time and hopefully you as readers observed that while following the blog.  While there were some ups and downs with sickness for some, God's will was carried out and many world's were changed for His glory.  We also got to experience His amazing creation.  We truly serve an amazing God and we are extremely blessed.

Although the trip is over, there are a few things we would like to get posted in the next few weeks.  Be on the lookout for a post on the top "Peruvianisms" we as a team put together of the best experiences/tips of the trip.  Also, we are going to try to get as many pics posted online as we can (between the 6 of us, I believe we are up to almost 2,000 pics).  I believe there will be a facebook photo album and the link will get posted on the blog for all to see.  Or, call up the person you know and invite yourself over to get first hand details and photos of the trip.

Thank you to all of you for your support and encouragement along the way since the planning began until its completion.

Angela



Macchu Picchu



Macchu Picchu

Hiking in the jungle forest... while singing "In the jungle, the mighty jungle"

The peak to the left.. we hiked that.

The infamous jumping picture



Spice Girls and Britney Spears in the Sacred Valley

Friday was our last day in the clinic. On the way there we all chatted about the most memorable parts of the trip... we were up to about 31 things that were either jokes throughout the trip or "'life lessons"' we learned during our time in Peru... so everyone will have to stay tuned to future blogs to see what the list says! We were able to see a couple of patients in the morning, then worked on cleaning up the clinic and getting everything organized until lunchtime. After we got back to our hotel, many of the members of the group went exploring/shopping in Arequipa for the last time. Our friends Hannah and Hans were the first to leave Friday afternoon, and then the rest of the students left at around 7pm to catch our bus to Cusco. It was an amazing two weeks working with the MMI crew, and goodbyes are always tough after spending so much time together. But we all decided it was just a ""see you later"" rather than an official goodbye, and are hoping to keep in touch with our new friends!
Our bus ride was suprisingly comfortable and we all slept at least a little bit. The seats reclined 160 degrees and there was a leg rest that made the seat feel even more roomy (such a pleasant surprise!). With the exception of a few people barfing during the 10 hour busride, all went very smoothly! We arrived in Cusco a little before 6 am on Saturday morning, and were picked up by our tour guide shortly after. He took us to our hotel in Cusco to get some breakfast (where we met some funny new friends from England, Scotland, and Texas!) and to store our luggage before going over our itinerary and getting ready for the day! We made our way around the area to see some different lookout points and snap some pictures. We were also able to visit an animal refuge shelter that housed a bunch of different kinds of critters (llamas, condours, wild cats, turtles, etc.) and learn about how the animals were saved and the process it takes to release them back into the wild. We fed some baby deer and got to hold a parrot, which was pretty cool! A lot of the wild animals had been kept in cages and captured illegaly, so it was interesting to hear their stories and to learn about the refuge that was giving them a second chance... it really hit home because God is always there to save us and help restore us if we just cry out to him for help. What a beautiful picture!!!
Our tour guide took us a couple more places in the Sacred Valley (including some AMAZING Incan Ruins in Ollantaytambo), and affectionately (we think!) began calling us the Spice Girls and Britney Spears... we are not really sure why, but to hear a grown man call us that was pretty funny every time! We dont have access to a computer with a place to upload photos right now, but hopefully we can get some pictures up either later tonight or tomorrow! Once we are back we may also try to post a bunch of our pictures that we couldnt put up before OR post a link to one of our Facebooks when we have all the pictures uploaded 8)
We took a train over to Aguas Calientes last night after supper, and got checked into our hotel to rest up for our excursion today. Then this morning, we got up at 5 am to get ready to go to Machu Pichu! It was raining a bit this morning, but it didnt bring down our spirits! We treked through some of the ruins on our way to our 7am hike (where we met our OT friend Karen from the MMI trip!) and began to hike up Huaynapicchu. It was absolutely beautiful, though the fog was thick and we werent able to see to the bottom. It took us almost 2 hours to get to the tippy-top, but once we were there we felt very accomplished! (and also very exhausted!) It was a challenging climb, but all 6 of us were able to make it up to the top. Fortunately, Brittany was feeling better today (yesterday she wasnt feeling so hot) and didnt have any problems on the hike. Though it rained on us quite a bit during our journey up the mountain, it was still amazing to see what we could and just be thankful for Gods creation... He is such an amazing artist!!! Again, cant wait to share pictures when we can upload them! We also wanted to give a shout out to last years group and especially Becca... we struggled getting up some of the steeper parts of the climb, and cant fathom doing the same thing with a prosthetic leg. That is absolutely incredible!!!!
We explored the ruins for a while longer before getting ready to head out to catch our bus back to Aguas Calientes. Unfortunately, the guards were strict and though not everyone followed the arrows that were a guide to lead folks through the ruins, the guards made sure we did! We took the roundabout way, but we eventually made it back out to have a snack before catching our bus.
Now we are just hanging out for a few hours before hopping on the train to Cusco (our last stop!), having a rest, and flying back home tomorrow&Tuesday. Thank you so much for reading our blog so far, and we will try to post pictures soon! It has been absolutely amazing to see how God has worked in us and through us during this trip, and all of us have felt his hand in our planned (and unplanned!) adventures. I feel so fortunate and blessed to have had this opportunity to come to Peru and to explore a bit more of Gods creation with 5 amazing friends! Words cant even express how awesome this experience has been!
We felt led to share these verses this afternoon to close our blog entry. Psalms 61 (2 -4) says > ""From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever, and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.""
Adios!
Allie

Midnight Symphony

The last two weeks seem to have flown by, and today we found ourselves at our last full day in the clinic… what a bittersweet day! As always, we saw a plethora of different kinds of people from a few months old to 80 years young, and worked as a team to determine the best way to treat each patient.

 One of my favorite patients of the day was an older gentleman that had been in an accident about a year ago. After the accident he had to get an amputation of an entire leg (a hip disarticulation). Since the accident he had been almost completely dependent on his caregivers; he hadn’t been able to stand up (his daughter had to carry him everywhere), bathe himself, or do many of the things we take for granted each day. Initially he just told us that he wanted a wheelchair so he could have some more freedom, but once we started talking to him and seeing what he could do, we knew that he was capable of functioning at a higher level. Working together with Sara and the OT, we were able to teach him how to transfer with a standard walker from his wheelchair to another chair or bench, give him a reacher to help him put on his clothes, and give him a tub bench so he could take showers instead of just a sponge bath every couple of days. He was very agreeable during our appointment, but I didn’t realize how thankful he was until the very end when he started crying and praising the Lord that he would have the ability to help care for himself now… Even though we didn’t speak the same language, I knew what he was saying before the translator relayed the message. I just felt so blessed in that moment to be here working with people that don’t expect a lot, but are so incredibly grateful for everything they do get. This man really touched me and I was just overwhelmed with the knowledge of how good God is and how amazing it is that he can use such a broken person like me to help other people. I feel so fortunate and so blessed to be in an occupation where I can impact others (and they really impact me as well!). This mans attitude of thankfulness was so refreshing and encouraging to me.

We started packing up this afternoon when we got back from the clinic, since tomorrow is our last day in Arequipa. We didn’t get much time to be sad though, because we went out for an AMAZING dinner with the team at Señor Carbone (a buffet-type steakhouse). It was a great time to just hang out with all of the folks we got to know so well over the last two weeks and celebrate our time together.

We have so much to be thankful for! This experience has been unlike anything I could have imagined, and I have learned so much! God is good all the time, and I feel so fortunate for the gift of his grace and glad for the opportunities he gives to let us serve as his hands and feet. As Psalms 100 says: “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Thanks for your continued support and prayers! :-) We look forward to blogging again with you soon!

 Hasta luego!

 Allie

Mandy hard at work!

Sara, Karen and I with one of our favorite patients of the day.

Heidi, Hans and Hannah looking at something on the floor apparently. Maybe feet?

How we felt tonight after gorging on dinner!

Friends: Me, Heidi, Angela, Katie

More Pics!! Yay!

This is a wheelchair that some patients in Juliaca and Mollendo came in.  They are made by a company in Peru.  Resourceful but not practical!

On top of the hill in Juliaca at the Jesus statue

Today, a little girl wondered into the clinic room.  We aren´t sure who she belonged to, but she came right up to Angela as if they were best buds!

Heidi working with others from the team (Heather, Lady and Katie) on adjusting a wheelchair for a boy with CP exhibiting severe extensor tone.

Mandy stopping for a pic at the entrance of our hostel during our Colca Canyon adventure

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Brittany hard at work making splints for a lady with severe arthritis

It´s Heidi´s birthday today!!  Last week was Allie´s too!

Sara, with another little girl who wondered up without a parent in site.

Allie hard at work on adjusting a wheelchair for a patient.

Just some pics for now so you can see what we are up to.  Also, some have asked about trying to comment on the blog posts.  You should now be able to comment without too much hassle.  Good night!
Heidi and Angela

Worlds, Wheelchairs ad Wonderful treats!

Buenos Noches Amigos,

We have finished day 2, week 2 of the PT clinic here in Arequipa.  Both days have been very busy with administering wheelchairs, fitting braces, eating baked goods, and changing the world of many people.  Lets get to the sweet stuff, the baked goods.  One of the PT's on the team who lives here in Peru has been baking and bringing snacks every day.  Yesterday, it was amazing coffee cake.  Today, it was banana muffins.  Wonder what the last 3 days have in store!  The food we have been eating has been coming from a local restaurant.  While the meals are usually good, they tend to be the same thing of chicken, rice, a potato, and veggies.  Today, we had rice at lunch and dinner.  But, hey, we're in Peru on a missions trip.  At least we have food on the table!!  We have had some opportunities to eat some treats in the plaza.  Mandy enjoyed Burger King yesterday.  Brittany has enjoyed some fresh crepes.  Most of us have enjoyed the ice cream at the local shop.  In case some of you wondered, they didn't have Klondike bars  ;), but the ice cream flavors they had were quite tasty!!

The clinic has been filled with one life after another being changed for God's glory.  While the wheelchair may be a pain to clean or adjust to the patient, it never gets old hearing "gracias" with feeling a handshake and seeing a smile at the end of their session.  The people come with so little.  To be able to give them something to make their quality of life a little better is amazing.  Some patients just need an encouraging word in a time of sadness.  In one case today, we had to tell the mom of a 2 year old that her daughter had developed a form of autism and she may not progress from her current condition.  And sometimes, it's us who needs the encouragement when a patient doesn't seem grateful for their wheelchair or when a patient's past medical history is so overwhelming and we wonder how they are where they are today.  I think we have all experienced a variety of emotions and stories that has changed our perspective on life and PT.

We were able to get some pics up.  The first 2 are from the Colca Canyon that we blogged about last time.  The last 3 were taken in the clinic today.  There was supposed to be a 4th pic of Allie in a room full of patients (imagine her there!) but technical difficulties interceded and we will get that up later.  Between the 6 of us, we will have a boatload of pics that we hope to share on the blog through facebook when we get back to North American internet and more computer connections!

Goodnight family and friends,
Angela