Peru Trip - Day 4

The day began very early with Tony asking me to help him get out of the tent. I asked why, and he told me he was about to get sick again. Tony had been throwing up last evening, but made it through the night pretty well. I was already awake, so it wasn't a big deal to get up, so I got out of the tent (with ice all over it) and took pictures of the silhouettes of the mountains across the valley. We were on the black mountains, but across the valley were the white mountains covered with snow. By 6:30, one of the men got on the PA system and told everyone it was time to wake up. Most of them missed the beauty of the sunrise, but some didn't sleep so well, so I guess it makes sense that the did not get up early.

After breakfast we packed up and headed for the hills. We were told that the morning held a down hill hike, but that we would end up going to 12,000 feet by the end of the day. I took many pictures along the way, and the group was amazed with their early morning progress. It was neat looking back across the valley at the place where we started the journey getting further and further away, but we still had no idea where we were going. It was all up to Ade. After a couple hours of walking, we made our way to a small school. We were able to give Bibles, candy and sing for the students. Six of the students we met were Gladys, Nissa, Maribel, Janet, Fredde and Alex. We were able to spend some time playing frisbee and ball with them. Both the team and the students had a great time.

Shortly after the school, we started walking again – heading straight up again. About 11:30, some of the team were beginning to struggle and needed to eat and drink something for lunch. Especially Tony, who hadn't really eaten anything since yesterday evening. As we looked at this mountain, Ade said we could stop at the top – believe me, it was a difficult trek up the hill, but the team made it. We settled in for lunch, and after a long break, we resumed the walk. Finally we crested this large mountain top, and we could see the burro's below and the men unloading them. It is amazing how quickly this boosts the spirit – at least there was an end to the walk in sight.

As we arrived at the camp site, we began to set up. The sun was scorching. Many of the team members did not realize how much they had been burned – not severely, but enough to be annoying. After the tents were set up, many wanted to settle in for a brief siesta, but the tents seemed well over 100 degrees. We sat in the shade.

Eventually some of the children from the area began to come by. I met 2 kids and let them take pictures with the camera and listen to my ipod (I know Kendra, it's your ipod). Anyway, they really enjoyed hanging out and seeing themselves on the camera and the computer. The team played soccer, football, frisbee, tennis balls, etc with the other kids that came. They really had a great time.

At dinner we did a “hi-lo” time sharing the highs and the lows. Most of the team appreciated playing with the children at the school and here in the village. Thomas' highlight was leaving the trail to visit a man at his home to share a Bible with him – it really was moving watching this man sit and read God's Word after he received it. The beauty of God's creation was another common thought regarding the high point of the day. The lows of the day basically had to do with head aches, not feeling well in the morning, not sleeping well, etc. Nothing of real huge significance.

Following dinner, the teens and I played Mao while the video was showing, and then we had the opportunity to share God's word again with the people. This team really is doing a great job, and I am looking forward to a great day tomorrow – we are heading back to Huaraz after stopping at the “hot springs”.