Giving thanks...and thinking about goodbyes.

FELIZ DIA DE ACCION DE GRACIAS!!
(aka HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!)
I think I'm speaking for all of us when I say that yesterday was the most unusual but memorable Thanksgiving day we've experienced yet. While our thoughts and hearts often turned home to the states, thinking of our loved ones, we were truly blessed to have a wonderful Thanksgiving here, with friends that have become like a second family.

The first odd thing about Thanksgiving here is that no one here realizes it IS Thanksgiving, and thus everyone goes about their work or school day as normal. We definitely were all feeling a bit sorry for ourselves as we sat in classes, thinking about our families gathered together at home.
But after classes, the fun began! We headed over to the San Pablo's culinary school's kitchen and dining area for the evening. In addition to our whole Calvin group, we invited several faculty from the San Pablo, as well as a group of Peruvian friends, making a group of about 40 for dinner. What a wonderful evening it was.
Let me assure you, however, it was not without hours of preparation! We had a chef help us with the turkeys and mashed potatoes, but the rest was left up to us students. I think each of us has a new appreciation for our moms and grandmas who have slaved away year after year for this special day. Check out the pics from the evening.

Decorating for the party...with Volcano Misti in the
background as always!

We students made a poster of our many
blessings for which we are so thankful!

Making Bonkets, definitely a hit with the Peruvians!

Some serious turkey-carving going on. 

We shared an explanation about Thanksgiving with 
the group, complete with hats for dramatic effect;)

Good food and good friends.

Pies and pastries, the result of much labor and love!

A really special time during the evening was when we all took a few minutes to split into small groups and share things for which we are thankful. Many mentioned thanks for what a blessing this semester has been, for our wonderful host families, and for friendships that will continue to last even past these four months. I think I speak for each one of the group in saying that this semester has blown us away in so many ways. We ultimately give thanks to the One from whom ALL blessings flow.

I remember when I signed up at the beginning of the semester for a date to write this blog, looking at the week of November 25th and thinking it was so far away, at the end of our time here.

And here we are, nearly at the end.
How does one begin to think about saying goodbye to a place that we've come to call home these past four months? We've learned so much, grown so much, become so attached to so many.

I was reflecting the other day on how much we have have learned and grown, in ways both small and big! Check out this list:

After four months we've FINALLY gotten used to not throwing toilet paper in the toilet!  And not to forget to take the toilet paper BEFORE going into the stalls.

We've learned how to take combis to school or other activities. (Ok, there may be a few exceptions to this one, like Carmen and Megan who got lost for 1.5 hours on a random combi...)

Now we don't think twice about kissing others on the cheek when we meet, greet, or leave. (Watch out -we're so used to it, we may accidentally pull one on you when we get back;) )

We've learned how to get good bargains in the market, not gypped like the typical tourist.

We've grown accustomed to absolutely stuffing ourselves at about 1 or 2 in the afternoon and then eating a light meal late at night.

We realize that we no longer stress about talking to people we meet about the city - we easily converse with them without thinking twice.

We've learned about ourselves, our struggles, our strengths.

We've grown to appreciate all of you back home even more because we've been separated.

We've learned about God, his amazing creativity, his love, his beauty.

We've learned about each other and become a close-knit group that wouldn't be the same without one single person.

We've learned to make friendships across cultural barriers. And how rich and sweet they have been.

Our Peruvian families have become just that - family. If we thought we loved them in the first month, we really love them now.

And now we leave?

By talking with many people in the group, it's safe to say that agree that our emotions have been all over the place lately. Excitement. Sadness. Panic. Uncertainty.
One moment, as we daydream about reunions with friends and family; we can't seem to wait any longer. Christmas time beckons us home.
But the next moment, as we think about the goodbyes that must happen, a tight feeling fills our chest. We think about leaving this culture that we've grown to love and be a part of, and in a panic we think, "But i'm not ready to say goodbye."

But then we also realize that in a sense, we'll never be ready to say goodbye. Because we'll always be leaving a part of our hearts here. We'll be leaving people, a culture, a country that we've grown to love. And because of this there will never be a time when it will be easy. That's just part of saying goodbye.
It's like the quote that says, "How lucky we are to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

We've got a week a half left in Arequipa. Amidst a week of finals and busyness, we hope to find time to slow down, enjoy relationships, soak it in, learn, reflect, and enjoy the precious moments.

What would we do without them?

Just a few weeks stand between us and our return to the states. This is a fact that we try not to dwell on these days, as it causes us a flurry of conflicting emotions. We are blessed to have many great things to look forward to upon stepping foot in GRR being greeted by family or friends, going home to celebrate Christmas, starting life back up again at Calvin, and (most importantly?) eating peanut butter to our heart’s content. However, the heartache caused by leaving behind our Peruvian families and friends, this city that has become our own, this enchanting country, and this once-in-a-lifetime experience is already beginning to taunt us.

I don’t think I am alone in saying that one of the biggest blessings throughout this experience has been the people. Based on some of my classmates’ posts, I am sure you have some sort of idea of how great our Calvin group is. We love each other, speak Spanish, worship together, struggle together, share adventures, try new things, and step out of our comfort zones together. You may have also read about the blessings that are our Peruvian host families. Each of us has had a distinct experience filled with mostly ups and a few downs, but hey, that’s what makes a family a family, right? Personally, my host family has added so much love, learning, and laughter to my semester and they occupy a very special part of my heart.

But finally, I would like to address a third category of people: our Peruvian friends. I am so proud to be a part of this Calvin group that has done an incredible job at opening up to relationships that cross cultural and language barriers. It is so easy to stick only to each other, as the very small non-Peruvian percentage of the university, but I can tell that a lot of us have definitely taken advantage of the opportunities to branch out. We have made friends through our conversation groups (students learning English with whom we have been paired to meet and converse in both English and Spanish), through the committee of students who welcomed us at the beginning of the semester by answering our questions and giving us tours, through classmates in our direct enroll classes, through flat out walking up to people playing ping pong in the lawn behind school, and through meeting all of their friends.

I’m not sure that many (or any) of these friendships were instantly comfortable or that we immediately thought we would grow to be bosom buddies. Just like any friendship, they take time and effort. So imagine trying to create a friendship in a brand new setting in a foreign country, and throw a different language on top of the mix, and there you have what we’ve been facing. I believe I can speak for many when I say that these relationships have definitely been worth the efforts on both sides (don’t forget the fact that the Peruvians have had to sacrifice and put up with our hesitant and broken Spanish and our unawareness of certain aspects of the culture).

Here is a tiny itty bitty glimpse of some things we have done together and ways we have been blessed in this area:

I spent a weekend with my friend Gabi in her hometown of Moquegua. I felt so welcomed by her family and friends there that I was sad to leave after just three days. She paints my nails, teaches me the salsa, and reminds me to wear sunscreen when I go away outdoors for a long time and to bring a “chompa” or jacket when I leave and won’t return before the sun sets. She has been such a blessing to me. I have learned so much from her, we have been by each other’s sides through many things, and I feel like I can tell her anything that's on my heart.

Hanna says, “One evening Anna, Hannah, and I went to Merengue's Pizza with our friend Joyce and her boyfriend. I'm guessing it was date night for them, but she completely accepted our invitation to do something that night regardless. They chose the restaurant, and we got to try fruit pizza with cheese and milk which was delicious, and also real hot chocolate. We had so much fun, and it was obvious they truly enjoyed our company (even the boyfriend, being with 4 girls).”

A group of Calvin and San Pablo friends spent a weekend in the coastal town of Camaná. They enjoyed many of the town’s anniversary festivities and a day on the beach.

Yocely and Irvin joined us on our excursion to Puno and Lago Titicaca and a number of Peruvian friends joined the group that went white water rafting.

Jamie’s conversation partner invited her to join a group of friends to go mini-golfing and told her to invite others. So she invited a friend from class and Hannah B, and Hannah invited her conversation parther. Jamie says, “I love how it seems that here you can meet friends of friends for the first time and everyone just gets along and has a blast.” Jamie and Hannah had to swallow a little pride when one of the others who had never played before beat them.

Emily H says that her close friend “Azucena is incredible. She is the epitome of an optimist and showed me true friendship from the start. She is always very patient with my Spanish and loyal even on an off day. We have had many wonderful conversation and adventures together. I feel innumerably blessed by her trust even through everything with her mum. I am glad I was able to be with her in the hospital on the day her mum passed away. She continues to be an inspiration in the way that she has handled this enormous loss. I love her so much!”

Megan describes that she is “still just so overwhelmed by the amount of love and care they have to give. What's really been interesting this whole semester is viewing the different ways people convey their love. The peruanos do it in such a beautiful way. I have so much to learn from them!” 

Throughout the past few months, some of our friends here have become very dear to us. Through difficult times they are by our sides and we by theirs, we have fun and make great memories together, we laugh and cry together, we teach each other more than a textbook could, we have deep conversations, and we have learned the best ways to make each other tick. Through opening my heart to Gabi and the others here, I experience the best and worst part of the study abroad experience. We have no idea how we will say goodbye to some of these people. It makes my heart hurt just thinking about it. But they have enriched not only our semester in Peru, but also our lives as a whole.

It’s a wonderful thing, traveling and having connections in other parts of the world. But it’s even more wonderful to be able to call those connections friends.

Mt. Misti: we came, we climbed, we conquered, we collapsed.

This past weekend, me, 11 other classmates, and Neal (profe Bierling's husband) climbed Mt. Misti. This volcano is unavoidable from the city of Arequipa. If I walk to the university, the city center, a friends house, or just down the road, Mt. Misti is in the background. From constant sightings, I have gotten quite an appreciation for Misti and it’s beauty, but my appreciation for it’s immense size was amplified after climbing to the very top. 

At 8:30 am on saturday we embarked for our journey. 4 by 4’s brought us to our starting point at 14,000 ft.

From there, we hiked for about 2.5 hrs. till 16,000 ft. 

 Upon arriving, we bundled up against the cold and camped for the “night”. I put night in quotes, because we woke up at 1 am to summit Misti, so a night of rest wasn’t completely enjoyed. 

We climbed in the dark until about 5 am when the sun started to rise. As we stopped breathlessly for a rest, we turned around and were stunned by a sunrise above the far off mountains. Needless to say, it was a sight worthy of National Geographic.

Our climb continued for six hours. During this time we took the guide’s advice and thought about nothing, but our next step. Looking up towards the peak was prohibited, because to see the extensive and steep path was disheartening. Also, thinking about the time till the summit was discouraged, because usually the answer was in hours. So we trudged on an only let our minds wander as far as “breathe, breathe, step, breathe, breathe, step”. 

When we finally summited at 19,339 ft., we collapsed. The climb had exhausted us so thoroughly that we needed to recover before taking in the beautiful scenery and relishing the fact that we had, in fact, conquered the Misti. 

(Chichani)

(crater)

(our group!)

The view at the top was stunning. We could see the smoking crater, blue mountains in the distance, Volcanoe Chichani to the side, and Arequipa below. It was an incredible experience to be on top of the Mountain Misti that always towers over the city of Arequipa. I proudly state that our entire group summited. Some suffered from the altitude more than others, fighting nausea and pounding headaches, but each and every one reached the summit.

Overall, it was a very hard and long, journey, but I think that the majority of us would agree that it was worth the suffering. I quote from my dear friend Megan Rozeveld who stated it perfectly, “The best miserable thing I’ve ever done." 

I conclude this blog post with two questions:

1. Would any of us do it again? NO. 
2. Was it worth it? Yes. 

Social Healing

As you may have all guessed by the explosion of photos and giddy posts on Facebook, we have returned from our excursion to Cusco and we have been wonderstruck.

Here’s the thing about excursions, not only are we learning intriguing history and visiting stunning places, but excursions also provide social healing. As much as we all adore our Peruvian families, a part of us misses the daily social interactions with our peers that were so easily accessible at Calvin. After an excursion we come back feeling awed and refreshed.

Due to our trip lasting four days rather than two, we were rewarded with more free time to explore. As soon as we were let loose, we gallivanted around the city marveling at the toasty brown rooftops and beautiful colonial architecture endemic to Cusco. When I asked the other Calvin students what their favorite part of Cusco had been, many of them responded with memories of laughter echoing throughout our hotel, nights spent drinking hot chocolate in a discovered café, reenacting traditional dances from Sunday dinner, or devotions together in Saqsawaman. Each memory involved fellowship and was enhanced by simply being together.

On the day we were meant to journey to Machu Picchu we awoke to the smells and sounds of rainfall. Typical tourists we were not. Jamie commented, “I’ve never seen so many people excited to wake up to rain on a day they are going to spend touring outdoors. Michiganders will complain about the rain and the changing weather until you put them in sunshine for three months…then they rejoice.” So like the pluviophiles we all are, we donned our raincoats and happily skipped outside. As we took the bus up to Machu Picchu, the mummer of thrilled whispers gathered in the air. We gazed out the window at exotic mountains and foliage enveloped in wisps of clouds. Upon arriving, clouds hung thickly over the ruins shrouding them from view, but we trekked on. Together, we climbed the steep steps of Huayna Picchu, but stood disappointed at the top as a blanket of white blocked our view from one of the wonders of the world. Thankfully, just as we were about to head down, the clouds parted to reveal Machu Picchu. The company of my Calvin group made exploring and learning more about Machu Picchu even more incredible. Wonder is even more beautiful when shared.

When our group gathers together in one place laughter is a given, conversation swells, and we fill with giddy joy. This was exemplified when we were trapped on the train back to Cusco due to an unexpected rockslide. Most of the other passengers were annoyed and frustrated when the two-hour trip became a six-hour wait, but as Lori described it, our Calvin group was in “very rare form.” Very rare form meaning boisterous laughter, loud conversation, and four hours of card tournaments. I was slightly worried about the animosity of the other passengers as we filed off the train before everyone else, but one lady said to me, “I am glad someone could enjoy the trip.”

And we did. Not only did we enjoy the train ride, but also we enjoyed the excursion as a whole and we enjoyed one another. I am so thankful to grow and share wonder with each person in our Calvin group.

Community. Social Healing. Worship. It all runs hand in hand.

wonderstruck

pluviophiles

our community (and our wonderful guide!)

abundant laughter

preparing for worship

Learning from the Incas in a "Maravilla del Mundo"

This past weekend and throughout the semester really, we have learned so much about the Incas not only in the "Maravilla del Mundo" (Wonder of the World) Machu Picchu on our latest excursion but also throughout all of Peru. Normally, I’m not one for history, but the history of the Incas and the Spanish Conquest is so interesting that I can’t help but share it! In general, what impresses me the most is not only how advanced they were, but more so how much they honored their gods and beliefs. For me, that is where I learned the most. Although their religion was different, I believe God’s grace and truth were present in the Incan culture. 

Surrounded by fog on top of Wayna Picchu (the mountain that looks down on Machu Picchu)

On top of Wayna Picchu

While in Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we had the amazing opportunity to visit seven archaeological sites and learn the history of the Incan (and even pre-Incan) ruins. I would like to share some of what we learned at each site:

Pisak 

Originally, this was a pre-Incan site, but the Incas conquered it, and improved on it. (Unlike the Spaniards, they didn’t destroy when they conquered a town, but instead the built upon and added to what already existed.) The Incas had such a strong and impressive empire because they learned and improved on the achievements of those they conquered. (Our guide explained that the only two things that the Incas invented or discovered on their own was their perfect construction of walls and their terraces used to create micro-climates for their agriculture.)

Pisak

This site contains the only known cemetery of the Incas. There are thousands of bodies buried in the wall of the mountain, but sadly all have been sacked by grave robbers, so now what’s left are thousands of holes in the side of the mountain. 

All the holes are the tombs. Imagine the Incas lowering down the side of the mountain by ropes to get to the tombs...

The most interesting part of this site was the story that went along with it. To talk with their god, the Incan priests used what they considered “connectors,” but what we consider drugs. With these connectors, they climbed up the mountain to receive instructions from their god. As our guide explained, you have to imagine the combination of their state of mind with the strong winds on the top of the mountain. They interpreted the sounds of the wind as the voice of their god, and many times the instructions they “heard” were to build another construction of some type. 

In Pisak

Climbing around in Pisak
Photo Credit: Neal Bierling

Pukapucara

This site was a pre-Incan fortress, but once conquered by the Incas conquered, it became a control for Cusco. This is where the Inca trail to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley starts.

Pukapucara

Q’enko

There are three areas of this site that represent the three worlds that the Incas believed in: that of the gods, the living and the dead. In the area of the dead, which is a natural cave, the Incas had a table where they performed mummification. This table is naturally so cold that it preserved the body to be mummified for about a month. According to our guide, if you were to lay on the table for 30 minutes, you would die of hypothermia. What’s eerie about this table is that it’s significantly colder than the rock of the cave itself, and according to our guide, they can’t scientifically explain why. (Most of the group touched the table, and it was definitely colder than the rest of the cave.)

Mummification Table

At the entry of this site was a big rock formation in the shape of a frog. The Incas gave offerings to this rock, asking the gods for rain because they believed that the frog talked to the gods. (Frogs start to croak in rainy season...) In general when they wanted to ask the gods for something (rain, change of season, etc.), their first offering would consist of food and plants. Then they would wait about twenty days to see if the gods answered their request. If that offering didn’t work, they would sacrifice a llama and wait another twenty days. If that didn’t work, they would resort to their last option: a human sacrifice. This wasn’t something that happened often in the Incan culture; like I said, it was last option. However, as our guide explained, from their perspective, human sacrifice was often successful. Suppose they went through the normal motions, waited 20-30 days after each offering and then began to perform the ceremony of the human sacrifice (which took about a month). That would take a matter of 3 or more months. By that time, the climate will have changed naturally, so the human sacrifice was “successful.” 

Saqsawaman

Often called "sexy woman"(just say it aloud 3 times), this site is thought to be another temple for the sun god. This incredibly large construction was originally about 60 feet just considering the outer and lowest wall. Today, we can only see about 20 feet of it because parts of it were destroyed, but most of it is still buried underground (due to the efforts of the Spanish to hide it). 

Saqsawaman

Sexy Women in Saqsawaman
Photo Credit: Emily Harrell

Qoricancha

This was the temple of the sun god. Surprising to us, Qoricancha was more important to the Inca empire than Machu Picchu. We learned how to tell the difference in importance of Incan buildings by their construction: the more accurate and precise the Incan construction, the more important the site was.

What perfect construction and alignment of the stones!

As part of the Spanish Conquest, a catholic church was built on top of Qoricancha. This was the Spanish’s way of showing power and imposing their catholic religion. Since much of the Incan construction was very hard to destroy, they built on top of it to cover it up. However, the Incan construction is anti-seismic, so after a earthquake in 1950, much of Qoricancha was uncovered

when the Spanish church fell and the Incan constructions remained standing.

The "Legos" of the Incas. To have such strong walls, the Incas used the idea of legos: where there's a niche, there's a protrusion to match it.

Throughout the trip, I was continually shocked by the destruction done by the Spanish. There is so much they could have learned from the Incas, but instead the decided to impose their own ways, including their religion. Our guide explained that their way of forcing Catholicism on the Incas was to first forbid them to talk of certain things, such as a religious temple or a belief, and after something has not been spoken of for say forty years, a culture forgets the truth of its existence.

Ollantaytambo

This archaeological site is named for an Incan military general: Ollantay. Ollantay was a commoner during the time of the Incas. Ollantay, unlike most commoners, had the chance to talk with the noble class, and during his time amidst the noble class, he fell in love with the daughter of the emperor. When the emperor found out about this, he said either Ollantay had to forget about the woman or he would be put to death. Ollantay chose death, and due to this the emperor changed his mind and allowed the couple to get married. Their wedding took place in Ollantaytambo, and “tambo” means place of rest, so literally, Ollantaytambo means place of rest of Ollantay. In another way, it is and was a place of rest for anyone on their way to Machu Picchu because it’s on the way to Machu Picchu. 

Ollantaytambo

As I mentioned earlier, the commoners were separated from the noble class, so they could not enter into Ollantaytambo. One interesting section of Ollantaytambo was used to communicate between the commoners below and the nobles above. Several people would sing into individual niches in the wall to lead the people below in a religious ceremony. It was like their own form of a megaphone. (We tried it, but it wasn’t quite the same without the full construction.)

Trying Out the Incan Megaphone (Yes, we are singing into the wall...)
Photo Credit: Neal Bierling

Ollantaytambo was a great loss to the Spanish conquest. It was decorated with gold and silver, but when the Spanish came, they stripped it away. Moreover, they ordered a carving of a Spanish face in the wall on the mountain opposite Ollantaytambo. They told the Incas that it was the face of their god Wiraqocha and that they were his messengers, so that the Incas would obey them. Ollantaytambo became a sacrifice to conserve Machu Picchu. Had the Spanish not stopped in Ollantaytambo, it’s likely that they would have made it to Machu Picchu. However, once the Spanish arrived in Ollantaytambo, the Incas sent a messenger along the Inca trail to warn those at Machu Picchu of the Spanish. On receiving the news, they hid the Inca trail, so that Machu Picchu would not be found. 

And last, but not least....

Machu Picchu

This was originally a religious refuge. There are various temples throughout Machu Picchu, and the whole complex as a whole is stunning due to its complexity, construction and size. 

See the tall mountain in the back? It's called Wayna Picchu and we climbed it!

Machu Picchu from above on the mountain Wayna Picchu

Eventually, Machu Picchu is going to close for a year to restore Machu Picchu. Interestingly enough, our guide explained that there exists an archaeological site that is twice as big and just as beautiful as Machu Picchu, but it’s only accessible on foot by a 4-5 day trek. Our guide explained that there are problems with the Peruvian government concerning tourism, and this was one of them: that they haven’t developed the tourism to this newer site. (Think back to the fact that most of Saqsawaman is still underground--That’s because the government won’t fund its full excavation.) Additionally, they won’t fund many new excavations, even though almost every one conducted uncovers something new. 

Within Machu Picchu

While in Machu Picchu, I think it’s safe to say that we were all awestruck. Not only was it the creation of the Incas that was amazing, but also the creation of God that surrounded it. Just think, the God that made humans, including the incredibly intelligent Incas, has created wonders so much bigger and greater than Machu Picchu. We (or at least I) tend to think that religions like that of the Incas were so different from ours so much so that they almost bordered on madness because all their customs seem illogical to us. In reality, they have several similarities with Christianity. There’s a Incan myth that says the sun god sent his two children to the earth to make order and govern the bestial humans that existed on the earth. Sound at all familiar? It has several parallels with our creation story. Moreover, the Incas did so much to please their gods. They built structures of over 60 feet with rocks weighing a matter of tons using only a system of ropes and ramps! It makes me wonder: do I give as much effort to worship my God? Although we differ in many beliefs, I think we can admire some of the truths found in the Incan culture. Much of what they did, they did out of their faith; almost every section of their life was directed by their beliefs. I think many times it’s too easy to keep God in one section of our life, but I would like to do as the Incas did, making him the main character, so that His works may be seen throughout every section of my life.  

On top of Wayna Picchu inside its ruins