Tonight was a long night, so we only had the three leaders post. Every night we have the three leaders and two extra students post. This means that some will post early on, while others will be later in the trip. I apologize if your student hasn't posted yet, I promise they will have more opportunities towards the end of the trip.
- Mr. Blair
Andersen
Today we went to a Despacho, which was amazing. A Despacho is a spiritual ceremony with a shaman. The shaman talked about the sun, the moon, the planets, and glimpses into our future. Part of my glimpse into the future was that I would have a good profession (cardiothoracic surgery here we come). He also makes an offering to Mother Earth by each of us grabbing a package randomly, and then putting them all together. I grabbed a package that said my mother and father (shoutout to my parents) and grandparent(s) would guide my way into the future. He also gave us this special wood to rub on our clothes to rinse away the bad karma in our bodies. I never thought Despachos were real but I walked out with a whole new perspective on it.
Andrew
Hello everyone, Peru is great! Everyone is really nice and everything we do is fun and interesting. Today we started our service project. We ripped out weeds and grass to make a play area for a new class and we also picked up trash in the field. In addition, we brought in new chairs, tables, and bookshelves that are for the kindergarten classrooms. We purchased these classroom items with the money that we raised. My homestay family is really nice and the father is the local basket weaver. They are all very open to the fact that I don't speak much Spanish. I hope that everything is good back home! Peace out, Andrew
Zachariah
Today we wove baskets with the family that is my host family. This was nice because the three of us got to start weaving during lunch, so when everyone else came to our house later, we were able to help them with their baskets. The weaving was challenging because the sticks kept breaking and the pattern was confusing, although I still managed to make a cool-looking basket. The parents in my host family were very good at weaving baskets and were a great help. Many of us have not finished our baskets, but we will get to tomorrow. Mr. Blair had a lot of trouble and had some help from my host family. Overall, everyone did a good job on their baskets, finished or not, and we all had a fun time working on them.
