On Friday morning, we left for Kawai, a retreat center two hours south of Lima. We had time to share our stories, reflect on what we have experienced, and to prepare for our return home. Students also presented the interview-based research projects that they completed on service. We heard about migration to Lima from rural areas, a local population’s thoughts on government, how the natural world shapes religious practice, cultural colonization, opinions on climate change, and many other topics. In between the presentations and group sessions, we had plenty of time for playing soccer and volley ..read more

Early this morning, students began converging on Casa Goshen laden with suitcases and stories to swap. Weary travelers from Ayacucho and Arequipa arrived first, after a long night on the bus, followed by their friends from Chincha a few hours later. The students from Cusco landed shortly after and by 2:00 pm, all members of our unit were accounted for, and enjoying some brunch, turning in assignments and catching up with their unit mates. The rest of the day was spent repacking, visiting Lima host families and resting at the hostel. In the evening, everyone returned to Casa Goshen for their fi ..read more

Bryce, Sharada, Jehan and Yejin are living in Arequipa, the second-most populous city in Perú, with just over 1 million inhabitants. The city of Arequipa is located in southwestern Perú, between the coastal desert and the Western Andes. It is surrounded by three volcanoes and is a popular tourist destination because of its beautiful natural scenery as well as its many colonial structures made of white volcanic stone called sillar. Bryce is building a website for Policlínico Vásquez, a private clinic that has been a long-time partner of Goshen College’s service program. Sharada is assisting wit ..read more

Christian, Evan, Joe and Matthew are completing their service assignments in and around the city of Cusco. The Cusco region is located in the Andes of southeastern Perú. The region’s capital city of Cusco, which sits at just over 11,000 ft., was once the capital of the Inca empire and is a major tourist destination. Incan stonework still be seen throughout the city and outlying areas, blended together with Spanish colonial architecture. Christian is living in San Jerónimo, on the outskirts of Cusco, and is working in his host family’s carpentry business. Evan and Joe are living in the town of ..read more

Ben and Gabe are living and working in the district of El Carmen in the Chincha province. The province of Chincha is about three hours south of Lima in the department of Ica. It is located in the valley created as the foothills of the Andes begin to descend into the Pacific Ocean. It is known for its agriculture, especially its vineyards and wineries, and as the heart of Afro-Peruvian culture in Perú. Gabe is working at the Centro Cultural Amador Ballumbrosio, an organization working to promote Afro-Andean music and the cultural life of El Carmen. Ben is working at Centro de Salud El Carmen, a ..read more

Nick, Jen, Bobby, Ming and Evan are living and serving in Ayacucho, a region in the south central Andes. The city of Ayacucho, also known as Huamanga, is the capital of the region and is famous for its 33 churches, as well as its elaborate Holy Week celebrations which attract thousands of visitors from across Perú each year. It is also one of the poorest regions of Perú and was one of the hardest hit by the Shining Path insurgency in the 1980s. Nick, Jen and Bobby live within the city limits of Huamanga, and Ming and Evan live about 45 minutes away, in the smaller town of Quinua. Nick and Jen ..read more

Our group spent the last week of the study portion in Cusco and the surrounding region known as the Sacred Valley. This region formed the heart of the Inca Empire which flourished in Perú from around 1400-1533 and extended along the Pacific coast of South America from Chile to Ecuador. Today, it is home to the thriving city of Cusco which sits at over 11,000 feet, as well as stunning ruins, Spanish colonial architecture and majestic mountains surrounding it all. We had amazing weather all week, with sun and blue skies every day. Day 1 Our first day we took it easy, giving our bodies a chance t ..read more

This week, we wrapped up our studies with our final lectures, student speeches and Spanish classes, and we looked ahead to the service portion of SST, which is just around the corner. Not only that, we also hosted a party! We had our final lectures and language classes on Monday and Tuesday.  On Monday, we heard from Rebeca Rivadeneira and Roger Márquez about the Shipibo-Conibo culture of the Amazon. Roger is a member of this indigenous group and he and Rebeca have worked for many years as missionaries with the Shipibo. In addition to giving us insight into the cultural values of the Shipibo c ..read more

We took a look at some very challenging topics this week, including healthcare for the poor, the educational system in Perú, and the history of violence and conflict. We spent the first part of our week studying the Terror Times — the period of conflict between revolutionary groups and the state which took place in Perú from approximately 1980-2000. Felix Reátegui, a professor at Catholic University of Perú and member of the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, talked to us about the origins of the conflict, and gave an overview of the main actors and pivotal events. He also explained how ..read more

Photo credit: Miguel BallumbrosioWe read, danced, sculpted, painted, and drummed our way through our third week in Perú.  From ceramics to the cajón peruano to poetry, we explored the rich cultural heritage of the arts in Perú. Monday Our week began with a visit to the offices of Manos Amigas, a fair trade organization that distributes products created by Peruvian artisans to foreign markets. Their largest customer is Ten Thousand Villages, and many of their products can be found in the Ten Thousand Villages store in Goshen. Manos Amigas operates according to 10 principles set out by the World ..read more