After an emotionally exhausting Monday, we were ready for some sleep in order to prepare ourselves for the work ahead. Everyone awoke on Tuesday determined to make a difference, although not without questions about the rumble that was felt at 4:48am. Yes, most of us experienced our very first temblor (EARTHQUAKE) deep into the night. The strong Peruvian quake started 49 miles below ground level with a 4.6 magnitude. Many of the boys slept right through it, while almost every gal in the ladies' dormitory was up to discuss. Others simply incorporated the shaking into their drowsy dreams. This trip is certainly an adventure every step of the way!
With so many people in our group, we had to divide and conquer to accomplish this epic task. From repairing homes to teaching children to helping at the prevention center to cooking in the soup kitchen, there was an assignment to match everybody's strengths or push them outside their comfort zone. We split up into teams based on needs and interests. Then, it was off to work!
House Numero Uno (Mark, Mike, Dot, Eileen B., Jack, Maeve, and Emmett)
The first family to be helped consisted of a mother, father, and four children. The mother and possibly one child are infected with AIDS while another child has special needs. The father was not around during the day as he was working outside the home. The project was to transform the bathroom into a bedroom for the boy with special needs. According to the Peruvians, Jack was "muy mal" or very bad at hammering (again...we are stepping out of our comfort zone). Because certain materials are expensive, it was time to get creative when building. Bottle caps are used like washers as the nails are hammered through the estera, a type of material used to build walls. What an ingenious idea; we will forever view bottle caps differently. The group also spent time reading books to the girls, and Dot even showed them some photos of her home in Seattle. The children were fascinated by this and kept some of the pictures. This hard-working group finished the project in one day allowing the boy to sleep in his own room for the first time and another family to benefit from their work the next day.
House Numero Dos (Colleen, Jim, Anne, John, Erin, Liam, and Charlie)
The second family consisted of a forty-year old woman with three children ages 19, 16, and 6. Sadly, the woman was abandoned by her husband. The oldest daughter worked at a hotel as a small source of income. The lot was rather large considering other houses we have seen, but it was in desperate need of new estera and a roof. The entire home was receiving a makeover so the demolition began right away, making this a three day project. Our team had four locals guiding us as we recalled Spanish vocabulary words for construction such as sierra (saw), martillo (hammer), clavos (nails), and escalera (ladder). Just like the first group, we used bottle caps as washers when hammering nails into the estera. Additionally, we spent hours threading alambre (wire) through the estera. There was a bit of a tiff between Sosa (the man in charge) and his crew of local Peruvians. Apparently the estera was upside down, so he got upset, left, and we continued to work. There was work to be done, so that is what happened. Quite different than jobs in the States, right?!
Soup Kitchen (Maggie, Suzette, and Mary Brigh)
While part of the group built houses, another crew worked in the Soup Kitchen at the parish compound. Maggie, Suzette, and Mary Brigh made soup for 107 families. The soup consisted of pig hearts & lungs, potatoes, and rice. Some brave souls (Maggie) even tasted the pig heart and lung...what a trooper!
Kindergarten (Bil, Kassy, Emily, and Eileen R.)
In Chimbote, school is only half day for all grade levels. The younger children go to school in the morning and the teenagers go to school in the afternoon. Although their educational experiences may be lacking in some ways, it is brilliant that the start times are divided in this way. Developmentally it makes more sense for young children to begin school in the morning and older children to begin later in the afternoon. Kassy came prepared with many activities for the kindergarten classes such as making pinwheels and singing. Bill even pretended to be the pig during her rendition of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."
Prevention Center (Bill, Mary Brigh, Suzette)
Alcohol and drugs are certainly a problem in Chimbote, so the Friends of Chimbote mission have created a prevention center for the children whose parents are affected by such demons. The children at this center have absolutely no resources, so our volunteers had to get creative. Bill, Mary Brigh, and Suzette couldn't find any balls for the foosball table, so they used bottle caps instead. The foosball table consisted of figurines attached to boards with rusty nails. Someone found a jumprope, which made for some great fun. The children at the center continued to ask our volunteers for various items, so Bill and Mary Brigh literally gave the extra shirts off their backs.
*High of the Day*
The title of this post mentions giving "the shirt off their backs;" the theme of the past 24 hours. After Mass on Monday night, a gentleman was standing outside the church. This man looked somewhat familiar and we realized that we had seen him the night before, but with a great deal of facial hair. The man was now clean shaven and in dire need of new clothes. Without hesitation, Mike took the Dominican University (shout-out to Eileen B) t-shirt off and handed it to the gentleman. He was very grateful. The next night (Tuesday) was our Memorial Mass, so the church was filled with people. One man in particular stood out; the man with the Dominican University shirt. For most of Mass he stood to one side, but then joined everyone hand in hand for the "Our Father" and sign of peace. This man was also the very last person to leave our toast after Mass. Fr. Jack told us later that this was the very first time this man has walked inside the church for Mass and participated in a parish event. What an amazing transformation to witness!
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