Ica, Ballestas, and back to Y-Camp!

Everyone woke up at 6am in the desert. That´s right... 6am! (So parents don´t let your child fool you if they aren´t able to wake up in time for school). However, we were able to wake up to a beautiful sunrise on the giant sand dunes as we overlooked Ica. We all quickly packed our bookbags, sleeping bags, and other things and strapped into the giant dune buggies for our final ride out of the desert. Now that ride woke everyone up!
We arrived back in Ica close to 7am and spent the next couple hours changing clothes, eating breakfast, and hanging out in Ica one last time. Like many of the other mornings, we ate eggs and bread along with either a fruit drink, cafe (coffee), or te (hot tea). We all loaded the bus for about an hour drive to Paracas City and the Ballestas Isalands.
Although the smell when arriving in Paracas was hard to take in (imagine the combination of a water sewage plant and a really dirty trash can), the experience that awaited us was well worth it. The reason for the smell was due to the fact that the area specializes in making fish flour. We all then boarded a boat for a 2 hour tour (a 2 hour tour) around the Ballestas Islands. We were in awe of the picturesque landscape of the islands and the cascading waters surrounding them. We were thrilled to have a chance to come close to Peruvian birds such as the turkey condors, seagulls, and many more. One even felt the need to leave a mark with us and "accidentally" used the bathroom on Alejandro, one of our trip leaders. We also were able to see penguins, that´s right penguins, as they stood still for pictures on the rocks. Lastly, we were captivated by the sea lions as they sunbathed on the rocks, swam beside us, "barked" at us, and played with each other. It was a really cool experience to witness! Many took about a 15 minute nap during our return to Paracas. Lunch awaited us as we returned. Today is the beginning of the Peruvian holiday for Easter, so all meals revolve around fish. We had a massive plateful of rice and a different assortment of fried fish including shrimp, white fish, octopus, and more. After lunch, we spent the next hour looking through the local shops and everyone was able to make any final purchases since shopping didn´t appear to be on the agenda for the rest of the trip. We loaded the bus and then headed back to YCamp for the night.
On the way back to YCamp, about a 3 hour drive, we were able to make one more stop for shopping (the teens were happy that we were wrong earlier!) and other things at a local mall, Asia de Boulevard, near YCamp. Some of the teens had a chance to sit and eat at the great Peruvian restaurant known as Papa John´s. They did claim that the pizza was better than the ones made in the US. Others stopped in some of the other stores, which were more retail oriented as opposed to local shops. We also experienced a Peruvian super market for the first time as many stocked up on some snacks and drinks for the rest of the trip. We loaded back on the bus and continued our trip, although short now, to YCamp.
Arriving at YCamp, we re-oriented ourselves with our bunks and settled back in. Some took showers for the first time since leaving Lima two days earlier (it was tough to shower when we spent the night in the desert). Some couldn´t brave the cold water and are going for 3 days wihout a shower! The group also spent their free time prior to dinner by sitting on the cliff that overlooked the Pacific Ocean and yet another beautiful sunset. As this blog is typed, dinner is in 15 minutes and we look forward to eating yet again and the activities after dinner.
Sadly, we will be waking up to our final day which is still packed before our red eye flight back to the States. We will do our best to update our experiences between now and then prior to flying out of Lima. The internet connection makes loading pictures difficult, so please understand that we´re doing our best for that part too! Until next time...

Let's go to Ica!!

After a great night of sleep in a BED :-) at Y-Camp, we woke for a late breakfast, repacking our bags, getting dressed, and heading to our first meal at Y-Camp. We had a breakfast of pork and sweet potato sandwiches with plates of onions, cilantro, and lime juice to add. It was a delicious combination- which was a surprise for many. We also had some fresh juice, which we have come to expect and love at meals, coffee and tea- our favorites!
After breakfast we loaded up on the bus and headed off for some sandy, desert adventures in Ica City! After a few hours in the bus- a stop at a convenience store for some yummy peruvian candy, ice cream, drinks, bakery goods, and Inca Corn (like Corn Nuts in the states)- we arrived in Ica City. We had time for lunch- a choice of veggie salad (which was cooked but chilled broccoli, asparagus, beets, cucumbers, giant lima beans, avacados and more!) or a peruvian potato salad (sliced potatoes with a yummy sauce) and then pescado or pollo (fish or chicken) with veggies, french fries, and white rice- so much more food than we could eat!
After lunch we headed out for a little shopping in Ica... we bought you all tons of good stuff- well, mayyyyybe :-)... but we supported the Ica economy, buying tons of local fare. Some folks paddle boated, some walked the lake area, and some just window shopped. Everyone enjoyed the down time.
We met back up to load into Dune Buggies and headed off-road through the sand! Cheers and excitement filled the desert as our group felt like they were on roller coasters. We all got the chance to sand board many times (like snow boarding on sand, but laying down - so maybe not actually like snow boarding). This was definitely a group favorite, even though there were many wipe outs! We made a pit stop at a high dune to watch the sunset. It was a nice quiet time and a beautiful backdrop for many pictures. We sand boarded into camp at dusk.
Camp was a flat area in a valley surrounded by dunes looking out over the city. Words can't really describe the setting, but we have pictures to help! Our hosts began by serving us appetizers of taquitos, tomato sandwiches and more. We got a chance to walk around, try using the bathroom outdoors, and dance to music! A cookout of sausages, chicken, and veggies brought us all down by the campfire for dinner.

We worked off dinner by running up and down the dunes (a lot harder than it sounds!), a little sand wrestling, and staring in awe at both the million stars and lights of Ica City below! After a devotion about what we've learned and experienced, we set out sleeping bags to spend the night. In the words of Jinbo, "the sand is my bed and the sky is my blanket." Although there were no lights, the moon was bright and provided a great backdrop.
Energy was abounding, but with another busy day ahead, we went to sleep. The snoring echoed through the outdoors!

...and the work continues!

The days have been packed, so we apologize for the delayed blogging!
We woke up on Tuesday in Independencia. Some backs were sore since we all slept on the floor! After a light breakfast in the courtyard, we headed out for more work. We were pleased to see that the sizeable concrete/sand/rock mixture was pre-measured. The team immediately jumped in to mix, mix back, add water, and turn into concrete. We powered through the batch but right at the end, we realized that we needed more. Although we were exhausted after 2 full days of work and extra so since we pushed hard for the (so-we-thought) final scoops, the troops rallied and made a new mixture - then repeated the mix, mix back, add water, and turn into concrete process. Once again, the group really came together. After making 2 tons of concrete, we were thrilled to see the floor complete. We ended our time by presenting donated shoes and clothes to the community representatives. The group was moved by their appreciation.
Dirty doesn´t even begin to describe how we looked - and we were so looking forward to showers! We loaded the bus and began the trip back to Lima (this was only a 45 minute trip the first time, so everyone was counting down the minutes). Instead, we got to experience true Peruvian traffic for almost 2 hours! We made the most of the time while people-watching, listening to honking horns, and checking out the scenery. There was true excitement when we finally reached the Y.
The showers felt better than ever. Everyone had time to relax before packing up for another "trip within a trip." We packed the bags for 3 days at Y-Camp and Ica City. The bus was pretty quiet as we traveled to camp. We arrived late at night and used headlamps to climb into the beds! A good rest was had by all, only disturbed by excitement for the next day!

... And the hard work begins!

This morning started with toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and pineapple juice before a quick game of Ninja (or 5) while waiting for the bus to pick us up. We took a comfy bus ride to the district of Independencia where we began our work day. Independencia is one of Lima´s 43 districts, and is about 1 hour (depending on traffic) from the YMCA Peru in the Pueblo Libre district (where we´ve been). Independencia is one of the more impoverished areas of Peru. It was a sweaty, cementy, dusty job and without a ton of teamwork and peer encouragement, we would never had made it through! Our goal for the day was to finish pouring half of the floor in a community dining hall. We moved and opened fifteen 50-lb bags of cement, mixed it with thirty wheelbarrows of sand and fifteen wheelbarrows of rocks (all of which we shoveled in and dumped out). We mixed this massive pile of stuff with water and loaded it into buckets which we fireman chained up to the dining hall. We all got the chance to mix cement, fill buckets, pass full buckets, throw back empty buckets and drink lots of water! It was a successful day if we do say so ourselves. We will return tomorrow to finish the other half of the floor! After our work day, we returned to the community center (our home base for the night) to wipe ourselves down with some baby wipes (that´s right, no showers here), change our shoes and head to the mall for some dinner and Peruvian shopping! We had Bembo´s for dinner... which is a Peruvian Burger King of sorts. They have burgers with fried plantains and eggs, pineapples, doritos and guacamole, sausage dogs on top and some regular ol´ cheeseburgers. After picking up some delicious sweets (ice cream and churros are the current faves), we headed back to the community center for devotion and fun! Take a look back in the morning for pictures. We took so many that the camera battery died... but we wanted to keep you updated and let you know we are all having a blast! Thank you all for allowing us to spend this time together and with our new Peruvian, Colombian and French friends, and to serve the people here in Peru! Goodnight!

A day in the city...

We enjoyed sleeping in this morning, but once we were up we sure did get going! Breakfast consisted of egg and cheese sandwiches with Papaya juice. We then loaded up and headed into downtown Lima. Traffic here is fun! With Paco as our tour guide, we checked out many churches. This was especially neat since it was Palm Sunday. We even saw the bishop at The Cathedral. We saw the San Fransisco Catacombs, which were erie yet filled with history. We also got to go into the Peruvian version of the "White House" to view Machu Picchu artifacts. After finding a place to change dollars into soles, we spent lots of cash in the local market! A few highlights include helado (ice cream) and churros, souviniers made from alpaca, and bartering. Following what seemed like a game of Frogger crossing streets to get back to Paco's van, we headed back to the Lima YMCA for lunch. For lunch we had Fried Rice and Tequenos with more papaya juice. We grabbed six donation suitcases and headed to the orphanage to play with the kids. Yesterday the local YMCA staff led all of the games, so today we took over and did all of the programming for our day at the orphanage. We all paired off with another member of the group to lead games and songs for the kids. With the help of the YMCA staff we played a multitued of classic playground games like Cross the Ocean, Cat and Mouse, Upper Deck Lower Deck and Duck Duck Goose. We also sang a song in Spanish that Torrey taught us at one of our meetings prior to leaving and a few others like Boom Chicka Boom and You Can't Ride in My Little Red Wagon. After playing with the kids for about two hours, we had to say goodbye for the last time this week and head out. Sadly, we were not allowed to take any pictures with the children, so we took a group picture outside of the orphanage.We took a short break when we got back to The Y to play Ninja and then had Tallarines Saltado with Papaya juice for dinner. We also had a side of aji brought out for us to spice things up a little and add a bit of flavor. Following dinner we headed upstairs to learn to salsa. The class was amazing, whether you had two left feet or looked like you had been dancing for 20 years, everyone had a great time. After some free time for basketball, showering, or more ninja, we closed with devotion. Let's hope for good sleep since we head into Independencia for hard work tomorrow!

We made it to Peru!

After a full day of travel which included Josey being invited to TSA's secret room, movies on the plane, dinner in the ATL airport, bonding time stuck in a tube (aka the plane) - we set foot in Peru and made it through customs to meet our Peruvian friends around 1:00am. After a short drive to the YMCA, we called it a night! Our Saturday began with an orientation by Paco - the CEO of the YMCA Peru and International Programs Director. He introduced us to our staff, volunteers, and support for our week: Laddie, Karen, Lucia, Zoe, Ardy, Erika, and Felice! We learned a little more Peruvian culture, some smart travel tips and some expectations for the week. After a breakfast of eggs, toast, coffee, and OJ - we headed out for the Arco Ibis Orphanage. As we arrived at the orphange, 25-30 kids came running out to greet us. We sang spanish songs, danced, turned tons of cartwheels, played futbol (soccer), raced cars (don't worry - they were toy cars!), colored pictures together, played balloon games, did caterpillar relays, and had a ton of just plain old fun. The smiles on the kids' faces when we arrived was priceless - the only thing better was when we told them we'd be back on Sunday! The languages of love, friendship, and laughter are interpreted easily in any language - and it was the reason for our successful day today. After the orphange we spent the afternoon walking around the parks in Miraflores, had a delicious lunch filled with Ceviche, Causas de Congrejas (Crab Causas), Pulpo (octopus), Inca Kola, Lomo Saltado, Aji Sauce, and so much more - too much to name. After lunch we spent time shopping, taking a double decker bus tour of Miraflores, walking through El Parque de Amor, and saw some ancient ruins of the Incans. After a rest time at the YMCA, we ate dinner of Lomo Saltado con papas fritas y arroz (french friends and rice). After dinner, we joined into a drum circle with the YMCA's proleaderes program. The program is the Peruvian version of Leaders' Club. It is a leadership club that is focused on fellowship and service; teens spend the first three years as proleaderes participants and volunteers within the YMCA. Their fourth year of the program they become leaders (or advisors) for the program. There were over 100 Peruvian teens here for the program. As we joined into their drum circle, we fit right in. We spent the evening at the water park - which is a landscaped park with HUGE fountains. We watched a show of fountains timed to music with lights and lasers, walked through a 100 foot water tunnel totally dry, ran through a fountain that got us totally soaked, then headed back to the Y for devotion. We had a fantastic first day - totally blown away by the love shown to us by both our YMCA hosts as well as the kids at the orphange. You would've thought that we'd all known each other for years. Looking forward to the second day at the orphange, the downtown city tour, and salsa dance lessons... Stay tuned, check out the pictures, and check back in for another update!

... and Away We Go!

Welcome to the adventures of the Go Global Mission Trip to Peru! We begin our actual travels tomorrow morning, however it has been several months in the making! Between collecting school and art supplies and shoes to donate to the orphanage in Lima and the community of Indenpendencia, Skyping with our Peru YMCA hosts- Paco and Laddie, talking about what to pack, customs forms, and taking some time to get to know each other, we have had some busy times over the last 4 months.... and now, the time has come for our adventures to begin!

We will do our best to regularly share our experiences with you over the next 9 days- so follow all the fun- but also know that our primary focus is service and growth- and cannot guarantee a daily update.

We are 18 excited travelers (14 local high school teens and 4 advisors) who all share a connection through the YMCA of the Triangle Area. From personalities, interests and age, to travel experience and YMCA program experience- we are a varied group- and it makes us more fun than you can imagine!

We would love for you to keep us in your prayers during our trip. A few prayer requests would include:

• Safe travels (to and from Peru as well as throughout the week)


• Good health for the entire group


• Open eyes and hearts to best serve each other and all the people we encounter


• Understanding and empathy that would allow us to fully experience the culture, people and adventures in Peru


• Strength of our team and making deep connected life-long relationships


• Opportunties to share and love on children, adults and families in Peru, as well as each other.

We would love for you to share our adventures over the next week- so stay tuned and we'll see you in Peru!