Peru - Day 3

Our third day in Peru was a Sunday so we were able to attend church.  There were actually several wards and branches to choose from in the city of Puno.  We ended up going to the nearest chapel at the best time.  We couldn't have picked a better Branch to attend  in my opinion.  I have a great love for Spanish wards, ever since my mission, and I was thrilled to be able to attend one again.

Our group is large and we made up half of the congregation.  Kristen Moore played the piano and several of our boys blessed and passed the sacrament.  It was so wonderful to be there.  The members welcomed us with open arms and kisses on the cheeks.  Sacrament meeting was so inspiring.  The Bishop got up to speak at the end and he shared one of the most humbling and powerful testimonies I have ever heard.  To paraphrase, he talked about how he could tell some of us understood spanish and that he wanted us to know that he too has a testimony of the same Gospel that we do.  That they believe in the same things.  He then said that they may not have much in their lives but they are truly a happy people because they have the church and the knowledge that it brings.  I can't do it justice with my words but the spirit was so strong that I couldn't help but cry as did many other people.  These people literally have nothing, temporally speaking, and yet they are sincerely happy and at peace.  I was so touched.

Afterwards, I was able to attend primary.  There were about 12 kids total in the whole primary and they met in a tiny room.  I was there for the lesson and I was so amazed at the knowledge these young kids had.  They are just like my primary kids at home with such an enthusiasm and love for the gospel.  They knew the scriptures and the Articles of Faith and the answers to every question they were asked.  They impressed me and I was once again struck by how the gospel makes us family and how we are all striving for the same goals in this life.

I also attended Relief Society and once again felt the sisterhood that the gospel brings us.  What a cherished experience it was to be there.

Later in the day we had the opportunity to do one of our service projects.  Our group had collected and sorted all kinds of clothes to give away.  The plan was to give clothing and buy food for some of the struggling members.  We had an alloted amount of money for this project and we went to a small store to purchase the food items.  We sent the men in our group into the store to help Hernan buy and carry the stuff.  We bought as much as we could with our budget and when the men saw how little there was going to be, they all pulled out their wallets and started giving more money to Hernan to purchase even more supplies.  I was impressed by our group and their desires to give selflessly inspite of the fact that they had already donated so much.

I took pictures of us in the store with Missy's camera.  I must state now that on our last day in Peru, Missy's camera was stolen.  We figured that we would share pictures upon our return so we also took turns taking pictures.  It is sickening to think that we lost so many memories in those photos.  So I am just saying now, that unfortunately some of our adventures, won't be documented with photos.

Anyway, back to the store.  We bought so many supplies that the store didn't have it all in stock.  So they sent workers out to other stores to pick up the stuff.  I noticed this the whole trip.  It was like everyone was one big co-op and if they didn't have something they would go to their friend next door.  Way different than in our society.

We then met up with the Bishop from the ward that day as well as another Bishop and a Bishop's wife.  They were going to direct us to the member's that needed our help.

I mentioned earlier that Puno is surrounded by hills and the higher you go up the poorer the people are that live there.  So naturally we went up into the mountains.  We were in a large charter bus and to say we stuck out like is sore thumb in an understatement.  The bus could only go so high before we had to get out and hike the rest of the way.  This was especially challenging considering the lack of air and I felt it.  But getting out and walking sure gave you a sense of how people lived.  The adobe houses (if you could call them that) were crudely built and a sewer reminants were flowing out of pipes onto the dirt road.  The smells are hard to describe but they were not pleasant.  People everywhere would poke their heads out to see what this group of Americans were doing.  Kids would follow us and they were quickly rewarded with candy that our people willingly handed out.

This little boy was playing with a small rubber tire.  He would roll it down the hill and with the way he giggled you would have thought it was the best toy in the world. 

The streets were small and one group of people had a volleyball net stretched across the road.  We had to pay them with candy to temporarily take it down so our bus could pass through.  Everywhere I looked was something new to see.

We visited 7 different families that evening and into the night.  We delivered clothes and food to the most humble of people and in the most dire circumstances.  They all cried, including the Bishops, out of gratitude.  By our standards we didn't do much and yet too them it was huge.  Many didn't know how they were going to get food for another month.  Most of them had such sad stories to tell.  One guy was taking care of his aging mother that couldn't walk.  He was supporting them both by driving a little combi around town (the little taxis, so to speak, that is pulled by a bike).  He was hit by a car and could no longer use his legs, yet still had to support them both.  This was just one example of the challenging lives of these members.

Most of the homes were a square room with blankets on the dirt floor for a bed.  They had makeshift stoves and no running water.  Yet in almost every home we saw a picture of the Prophet on the wall or something else from the church.  It  seemed so out of place and yet reminded me that they were still doing their best to follow the gospel.  Amazing.

By time we got to our last home, it was dark and Hernan was feeling quite nervous.  As we were delivering our things, a fight broke out right in the street.  There was a drunk guy and he was yelling.  He was also punching anything that came into his path, including women and children.  The women were crying and begging him to stop.  It was scary and dangerously close to us.  Hernan quickly herded us out of the area and we made a run for the bus.  It was a sure reminder that I wasn't in Saratoga Springs anymore.

Overall it was a truly humbling day.  I was reminded of all the blessings I have in my life and how much I take for granted.  I don't know why I was born when I was to a good family in America that has the gospel, but I am so grateful for it.  And my blessings keep expounding with my own little family, extended family and friends.

And to top off the day, Hernan had a laptop that he let me borrow and I was able to ge online and live chat with Roger.  It was nice to reconnect with my reality after such an emotional day.