Day 22: Communion to the homebound and routine business

This morning Dean and I brought communion to 16 people in La Legua and the Hospice Center. We experienced all kinds of infirmities, especially the blind or near blind. The sun shines daily in the Piuran desert and many people develop cataracts because they do not wear sunglasses, which are something you do not buy when you are hungry.

I had the afternoon “off,” but not free. I prepared to preach at the evening Mass and to put all St. Monica donations for January together in a report for February food and gifts in Piura.

The end is in sight since we leave the day after Ash Wednesday. It is such a biter-sweet time and we leave people we love and return to people we love.

Photo: 99-year-old woman receiving Communion

Day 21: Visiting more sponsored families

Another enjoyment while walking from my apartment to the church was two parish security guards greeting me while they were walking to work. They were at the retreat that I gave at the drug rehab.

We visited ten more families today that are sponsored through St. Monica Parish in Edmond. We have quite a team. Dean and I are from St. Monica. Our driver, José gets us to the houses in the desert when there seem to be no roads at times. Marlit comes because she sees all the families weekly and knows where their homes are located. Jani also joins us because she is the best at both English and Spanish. She lived with her sponsors for a year in Wisconsin.

We pray before beginning our journey to the home. Once there we greet (hug and kiss) all family members and do some small talk. We then tour their home and look for needs that jump out at us. We then ask the family their opinion of their greatest needs. These families are the poorest of the poor in their own villages. While this is going on, Marlit takes photos. Then we take a couple more “formal” photos of the family to sent to the sponsors from St. Monica.

We end our visit with me doing a house blessing and then we re-kiss and re-hug as we leave. Most visits are very enjoyable. Yesterday I visited the family of my daughter, Andrea, who I have gotten to know over the last couple years. It was a very emotional visit for me because this beautiful young family had no roof on their house, no table and chairs, …. I am still dealing with my grief.

Photo: Cooking with charcoal or sticks

Day 20: Next to last visit to orphanage, more families, and a fiesta!

Today was Monday morning at the orphanage with my goddaughter and Dean Herzog. After doing liturgy of the word for them, they got their exam and did quite well on it. The oral group exam started out with “What is my name?” and built up to the first Bible question of “What is the Bible?” They needed a little coaxing on “Why are the gospels important” and “For whom are the gospels written?” They did real well on the last question, which this all led up to: “Are you in the gospels?” The chicas ended with personally finding themselves in next Sunday’s reading and then sharing their finding in a small group. Listen next Sunday and see where you fit into the gospel.

We visited five families today and think we can visit everyone’s family before we leave. The last visit was to Dean’s family. It was quite an eye opening for Dean and for me again!

After evening Mass we drove out into the dark desert trying to find St. Monica Chapel for the fiesta. It is dark because the village has no electricity. A portable generator had been set up and we were treated to local dances for an hour. We had to participate in most of them and got some good aerobic exercise. Dean and I got lots of attention because we represented all of the St. Monica Church parishioners in Edmond who are making this possible. Come to Piura and you can be the next representative. A “treat” during the fiesta was a rain shower. It slowed no one.

On the way back to the parish, Dean said, “This was the best day; I got to go to the orphanage, visit my family, and dance at the fiesta!”

Photo:Fiesta at St. Monica Chapel

Day 19: Fun, Sunday Masses, and Stewardship Fair

I’ve been feeling a little under the weather, but that all changed early this morning when three women a block from church started yelling “Hola, Diácono Lee, cómo está?” They gave me more Spanish than my brain could handle. I recognized one as the lady who runs the Hospice Center where I take Communion every week.

Then I experienced the Stewardship Fair in action after Mass let out. I was amazed at the crowd at the Evangelization booth. That booth is usually empty at home. In Spanish, the word “gospel,” good news, means “evangelio.” Maybe that is the connector in Spanish speaking countries. The Fair was a shoulder-to-shoulder event.

The ladies at the St. Monica booth mobbed me. Each village with a chapel also has a sign-up booth for local activities. I received a brochure that thanks St. Monica Parish for helping build the chapel and it also lists weekly activities of rosary, Bible study, and evangelization. St. Monica Parish families sponsor nine of their families.

At 10 a.m., the Peruvian family of Carol and Mark Mathison picked me up in their moto-taxi (see photo). I have maintained a relationship with them after helping build their house there years ago. I told them that I was under the weather and not eating much. But when Caridad served me a plate of ceviche, I couldn’t stop eating. Ceviche is the Peruvian nationally known food of raw fish pickled in limejuice. Maybe I like it because of eating herring based on my heritage. After lots of photos they dropped me off at San Jacinto for noon Mass. I found out later that no one from the parish had ever made that long of a ride in a moto-taxi – see photo. At that Mass the Peruvian families of my daughter, Andrea, and of my son, Chris, also greeted me.

Photos of the McKinney family baptisms and wedding appear in the sidebar link of “Photos and Movies.”

The day ended with an evening shower here in the desert.

What is in a monthly food package?

Sponsored families get a monthly package of food. This is the basis of the Family-to-Family program. The photo shows that list of food in the assembly area where the food packages are put together.

Here is the translation of the January list:

Arros, rice, 55 pounds
Leches, 10 small cans of milk
Avenas, oats, 2 bags
Aciete, cooking oil, 1 bottle
Fideos, noodles, 2 bags
Atunes, tuna, 2 cans
Gelatina, gelatine, 1 box
Semola, wheat flour, 1 package
Saco, a sack

Day 18: Chapel, baptism, wedding

This morning I helped Fr. Uhen celebrate the first Mass in the St. Monica Chapel. I extended to them the greeting from St. Monica Parish and they send their greeting and thanks back to you. I told them that we are all on large Catholic Church extending all the way from Los Polverines village to Edmond, Oklahoma. I said that the whole parish has helped with the building of the chapel and its new roof and that some individuals had provided for the 44 new chairs that were in the chapel this morning. I said that missionaries coming in June will present a painting of St. Monica, herself, and that we are working on getting them a framed crucifix for the chapel. Last, but not least, I told them that we will begin feeding their children (106) breakfast for five days per week.

Dean missed the ride to the chapel so he worked all morning helping build booths for the parish’s stewardship fair for Sunday.

I baptized 8 children at 5 p.m., two of who Bill and Linda McKinney are the pardinos. Then I assisted in the wedding of the parents at 5:30 followed by a nice reception I also assisted at the 7 p.m. vigil Mass during which there was a wedding. Fr. Joe also did wedding Masses at 6 and 8. What a busy guy!

Photo: Dean Herzog and his Peruvian family

Day 17: More missionaries and adventure at St. Monica Chapel

I woke up early this morning to a steady rain, which is a rarity in Piura. Having no rain gear I did not know how I would get to the parish without getting soaked by 5:45 a.m. to pick up Dean Herzog from Saint Monica Parish in Edmond. It stopped raining just long enough so that I could make a dash. After picking up Dean we returned to the airport to meet Becky Coyle and Stephanie Simpson at 7:20 a.m. They are from St. John the Baptist parish in Edmond. We will be returning together in February.

Yesterday some staff members moved the St. Monica Chapel to a nearby location because the owner who donated part of the land wanted money. The new site does not have a land problem. The chapel was reassembled without its grass roof and Dean helped put on a corrugated metal roof in the afternoon. The old roof would not have prevented rain from pouring through.

To see the big picture, Fr. Joe and I will provide the first Mass in the chapel Saturday morning. Then Monday night we will have a fiesta at the chapel. All of this is due to the generosity of St. Monica Parish parishioners. Muchas gracias!

Tonight was the last day of a novena to the Infant Child Jesus of Prague. Before Mass there was a mariachi band playing in the street outside the parish and Fr. Joe was dancing. A statue of the Infant was carried into church in procession.

Photo: Dean Herzog being greeted at parish at twilight.

Day 16: More visits to St. Monica families

See more photos via the link in the sidebar.

We visited more families today in both the morning and afternoon. This is not easy because the temperature soon gets to about 90 with 60% humidity. My jeans feel like they’ll fall off.

After lunch Marlit got all the photos sorted and emailed them to me; she’s downstairs and I’m upstairs. I put the photos together with a letter to the St. Monica sponsors and got them all e-mailed just before our afternoon visits. We have now visited 49 of 86 families.

I am now the regular for benediction of the Blessed Sacrament before 7 p.m. Mass. Fr. did baptisms and confirmations this evening and 90% of the church was full on a Thursday evening.

Photo: a house blessing

Day 15: Another retreat

Today I lead a retreat for about 40 staff members of the parish. It went super well because I had practiced on the village social workers the weekend before. The staff members really needed the retreat because it was for people who spend a large amount of their time taking care of others. They appreciated the time away from work and being able to share their inner feelings with one another in depth. Fr. Joe capped off the retreat with a talk and I actually understood half of it. Maybe those old brain cells can be changed.

This afternoon Marlit and I tried to get answers for padrinos. We also got more information about the St. Monica chapel here and what St. Monica Parish can do to improve the chapel.

The Santisimo Sacramento Parish rocks day and night. As I write this there is a charismatic group singing in the church with beautiful voices. People have to be gone by 10 p.m. This is a center for social as well as religious life.

I preached my second Wednesday homily tonight using the story of David and Goliath (Go-lee AHT). After every Mass I spend about an hour with my Peruvian family. And I HAD to kiss the orphan girls before Mass again. Somebody….

Photo: a mule pulling a cart with a tank of water for sale. Crops are also transported this way.

Hasta Jueves!

Day 14: Clothes, more family visits, and a surprise

This morning we loaded up the van with big bags of clothing shipped here in the ocean-going container. As we would enter a village, the driver would begin laying on the horn while Freddy yelled out the door, “Ropa, ropa.” and blew a police whistle. That means clothing. Houses started empting out and old ladies could beat most of us in a 100-yard dash. There was already a line of people before we could get to the chapel. We prayed and then put a tarp on the chapel floor. We emptied a couple bags of clothes onto the tarp, and ten ladies were let in at a time to select seven pieces of clothing. After five minutes Freddy blows his whistle and the ladies have to leave so the next ten come in. Many kissed me on the way out offering their thanks through me to all of you who contributed the clothes. After two villages we headed back for lunch.

After lunch we visited some more St. Monica families. Since all January food is now delivered, we just talk to the families, find out with what their padrinos might help, and then I do a house blessing.

The surprise: Fr. Joe does benediction just before every 7 p.m. weekday Mass. Tonight he told me that I had to hurry up and get my alb and stole and do benediction of the blessed sacrament and repose it. He reminded me of how it goes and said a lady would help me. Somehow the order of events were different, Well, I didn’t have anytime to worry about benediction.

Anything a deacon can do can be done here.

Photo: ladies selecting clothes

Day 13: Orphanage and Family Visits

There was nothing unlucky about this day; they all are good here.

We went to the orphanage for Monday morning liturgy of the word and Bible study. I had to kiss all the girls, but I think you already know that somebody has to do that. I vested for the liturgy and wondered what we’d do about music. One girl plays a deep drum and the others sing like angels all part of the liturgy. It was beautiful.

I had to simplify the Bible study. My main goal was to tell them they are the disciples today and that the gospel is also written for them and not just the people 2,000 years ago. It was slow going answering questions because they are so shy. Well, I have two more weeks. I told them I am giving a test next week and they all listened up.

After liturgy it was time to dance. I talked them from outside to inside because of the heat. I managed to keep my dancing to a minimum. My goddaughter has a hard time fitting in because the orphans are a little older and well bonded.

This afternoon we visited five St. Monica families. I will write about the visits and e-mail the information and photos to the padrinos later today. Five doesn’t seed like a lot, but at 3 to 5 p.m. in 90-degree heat and 50% humidity, we couldn’t wait to get back to the parish.

Photo: my wife misses me very much.

Hasta mañana!

Day 12: Rest and grocery shopping

Today I had to be nowhere. I did manage to pickup a new WiFi network in my neighborhood so I could catch up on lots of computer things without going to church and using their WiFi network. They have two videos cameras so you may be able to pick me up around 5:30 to 7 p.m., Central time, at http://www.santisimo.org/.

In watching the people walk down the street past my apartment I noticed some carrying tennis rackets. So, I got on Google Earth to check out the neighborhood and found a nice club two blocks away, four from the church. I’m living a real nice neighborhood in great contrast to the villages.

The 7 p.m. Mass was great this evening with a standing-room-only crowd. With the new side room added last year I’d say there may have been 1,500 people. It is a Mass to behold. The Edmond Masses are laid back by comparison. Before and after Mass, I talked to Caridad and arranged to visit her home next Sunday. Her husband drives a moto-taxi, so that makes things easy. I got kisses from all three of her girls. The padinos of this family are Mark and Carol Mathison.

After Mass I walked with my family to the supermarket. My cupboard was bare and I needed six things. I told them to pick out anything they needed. They said “no” and watched me put things in the shopping basket. They got the idea and started asking if they could buy things like soap, cooking oil, etc. I kept throwing other things like fruits, candy, etc. I don’t think they had ever been in a supermarket before. Armandina was worried that I wouldn’t have enough money and she didn’t know what that card was that said VISA on it. I love being here and spending money so that right hand does not know what the left is doing. At home I’m so much more conservative.

Photo: Caridad and her three girls Maria Lucia, Maria Fernanda, and Carolyn.

What does “poor” look like in the eyes of the First World?

• It’s living in a 400-square-foot, bamboo house with one bedroom, with two to three people in a bed, with parents and children next to one another, and perhaps a leaky roof.

• It’s having a throbbing tooth ache and waiting for the missionary dentists to show up next year.

• It’s sleeping on a bed with flies crawling all over you.

• It’s having mosquitoes feast on your children at night because you do not have enough money to buy an $8 mosquito net.

• It’s traveling to and from your farm on a two-wheel cart pulled by a donkey.

• It’s planting crops by hand in 85 to 90 degree heat.

• But, it is also seeing churches with standing room only on weekends.

• It is seeing 40 people at benediction each evening.

• It is seeing people walk past the church and make the sign of the cross.

• It is people who love you even if you are a tall, white Anglo.

Day 11: Retreat for 60 women ministers from villages

I gave a morning retreat at San Jacinto for 60 women who are village social workers. They volunteer for Santisimo Sacramento Parish. There was my plan for the retreat versus what actually happened. I teach, but have a hard time remembering, that there are God’s plans, the plans of others, and then my plans. What unfolded was my inept Spanish versus the women’s acceptance of the ideas I presented turning into a beautiful experience for all of us. We had lunch afterwards and they all wanted their picture taken with me. I told them that I was afraid to share them with my wife and they all laughed.

I was amazed at how many ministers came from families that St. Monica sponsors. I met the women from the McKinney and Robin families. I sat a table with three women from La Piedra who are sponsored by the Blacks, Hernandezes, and Tarmans.

This afternoon I baptized four children. Fr. Uhen is so happy to have me doing things that whenever I ask he just says “yes” and is immediately off to something else. I can’t believe how busy he is in a parish with one priest and no deacons, but a staff of 40. Do they work! The only day that it is hard to find the whole staff is Sunday.

I was deacon at the vigil Mass tonight at 7 during which there was a wedding. Fr. Joe also had wedding Masses at 5, 8, and 9. There are no deacons in this archdiocese; they sure need some badly.

Day 10: Curing the sick & driving out evil spirits

The most important thing I learned in studying to be a deacon is “be flexible.” This morning my goddaughter and I were already to visit more St. Monica families. That immediately changed to taking Communion to 25 people in San Jacinto. Five minutes later I was ready to go.

Was it hot today! One lady I visited is 99 years old. I had to yell the prayers of Communion at her. Many of the people were just old, but others had some kind on physical problem that prevented them from getting to church, like the lady with no legs. In retrospect, I was “healing” the sick.

In this agricultural area we saw just about every kind of farm animal imaginable. The poor farmers working the field hopefully could handle the heat better than I. My goddaughter hung on to me most of the way. She’s getting an awakening. She held my prayer book while I gave Communion. I also told her the English equivalent of every animal.

Late in the afternoon, I went to bless two houses where the inhabitants thought evil spirits were present. The whole house got copious holy water. I had to talk, through an interpreter, Matt, to one family who wasn’t letting me leave without lots of discussion. So, again in retrospect, I was “driving our” evil sprits. Is that what we disciples are supposed to do?

The evening finished with kissing five girls from the orphanage. You can, too!

Photo of woman to whom I brought Communion. I added many new photos to My Gallery -- see side bar.

Day 9: Retreat for those afflicted by drugs

A wonderful beginning and ending also framed this day. In the morning I was walking form my apartment to church and a lady stopped and said, “Buenos días, Diácono Lee.”

Just before 7 o’clock evening Mass, I ran into a good friend, Caridad, whose house I had helped build a few years ago. She invited me to her house for a meal. She was ecstatic to learn that her padrino, Mark Mathison, is coming to visit in June with the St. Monica mission trip. We have an opening for the trip at group rates since one person just dropped out.

When walking home about 8:30 p.m., ten teenage girls ran up to me. They are from the orphanage that I visit on Mondays. They were out with the Sister who helps run the orphanage.

The middle part of the day was helping with a rehab retreat at the San Jacinto retreat center. My four-hour retreat part turned into 1-1/2 hours. At intermissions, the charismatic singers and dancers got all of us singing and dancing in place at 85 degrees. It was like to aerobics. Later in the day I returned to give a witness talk followed with liturgy during which I gave a homily. The men were greatly affected by the retreat and I hope that it helps them.

In the photo, Fr. Joe and I singing the gospel alleluia before I proclaimed the gospel.

Day 8: Communion to Homebound & Planning

This morning I brought Communions to 15 people in places I had never been before. One was way out in the “boon docks.” It is amazing how the church goes to the people when they can no longer go to the church. There are three people that made an impact on me. One was an old man who cried so hard afterwards. His eyes were clouded with cataracts, but he knew something special had happened.

There was a lady who I thought was totally disinterested in my being there. She, too, cried after I gave her Communion. She had had an accident and now could no longer see.

My best visit was the one where a baby was shared with me. That gave me hug time with out being with my grandchildren.

The morning began with an experience and ended with another that made my day. Walking from my apartment to church, a young lady passed me, stopped, and said, “Is that you Diácono Lee?” I was in jeans. She remembered me from somewhere. To be stopped on the street of Piura by a greeting in English…wow!

During lunch a different lady came up to me and thanked me in English for coming to Peru and serving her people.

I spent the afternoon in my apartment getting ready to preach at the 7 p.m. Mass. Also, I am getting together a retreat for tomorrow, which I will lead, preach, and give a witness talk. The translation of the latter is still not available. Come Holy Spirit….

Day 7: More Visits and Planning

This completes my first week of four. Time has flown and Fr. Joe wants to know if I can stay longer. I didn’t say no, but told him that “my boss” at home expects me back.

This morning we continued delivering food to St. Monica families and accessing their situation. The first stop was to a house 10 by 15 feet in size. The husband left with no support. The son has missed two years from school because of a brain tumor that has been removed. The family of three sleeps in one bed and has no storage. I will be giving a retreat to the staff soon and am beginning to think that I need it, too. I must keep reminding myself that the people in the villages who have been adopted were chosen because they were the poorest in the village.

The morning got better and our last stop was to a house that my wife, others, and I helped enlarge in the past. The mother opened the door; we immediately recognized one another and embraced. Those who were with us for the construction will recognize her as Vilma.

The rest of the day is paper work preparing for a 1-1/2 day retreat at the drug rehab center. I have to stretch out my part to four hours (come Holy Spirit…), give a witness talk, and close with liturgy. So I will be massaging English and Spanish words for a while.

Photo: a random delivery of clothes in a village

Hasta Mañana.

Day 6—Contrasts

This morning I went to the Orphanage to give a two-hour liturgy of the word / breaking open the word. We were too early so I had to give English lessions to the girls and then dance to music from a boom box. What I had planned got condensed to 15 minutes and it did not go very well from my standpoint, although the girls seemed to like it. The highlight was kissing all the girls goodbye. I am scheduled to visit the orphanage every Monday morning.

So here is the contrast. After helping assemble food packages, we delivered five of them to the village of La Legua. The first four homes were absolutely poor. The forth home was also filthy to the point I could not figure out how to help them. The parents couldn’t even figure out what they needed or wanted. Thank God for house number 5. The mother knew me and couldn’t say enough nice things about her sponsors. I’m going to assemble some photos to show what poor is. You’ll never know unless you visit the Third World, which includes half of humanity.

On returning to the parish, I had a surprise meeting with the people planning the rehab retreat. I could be in trouble. I have FOUR hours to give my retreat. At the end of the day I am supposed to give a closing talk and then close with the liturgy of the word and a homily. Come Holy Spirit…

Day 5

I served as deacon at the beautiful church in La Legua, which I had seen many times, but had never entered. The church was packed and Mass was beautiful. Father picked up young children and walked around the church while preaching on baptism. I’ve learned that each church has a lectionary with a different translation, so I can’t get too prepared for proclaiming the gospel.

On the way back to Santísimo Sacramento, we stopped in the village of Los Polvorines and Fr. Joe drove the trails until he found the “right” one. He honked his horn and people came pouring out of their homes. He took all of his Green Bay Packers stuff out of the car and put some of it on the residents. (Fr. Joe has a church in Wisconsin that keeps him supplied.) Ginet took photos, which will be submitted along with a story to the newspaper in Green Bay showing the Packer following in Piura.

Evening Mass was an overflowing crowd. Again, Father introduced me and explained about deacons. I did multiple blessings after Mass. I get to sprinkle the people after Mass with holy water. They want to get drenched. It reminded me of Fr. Taylor with the evergreen branches.

Two scary things happened today. I was reading Spanish and didn’t know it. I thought it was English. I also found myself beginning personal prayers in Spanish. Is something finally coming together?

Tonight I showed my family my laptop. Google Earth blew their mind. The dad is very smart and saw the opportunities. He asked, “How much?” He was very disappointed with my answer.

Day 4: Reflection on Mass

In processing what had happened to me during Day 4, I thought of when I was distributing Communion at Mass. About 15 girls from the orphanage received Communion from me and I was getting very choked up.

Our mission group last year visited the orphanage twice. There are about 100 teenage girls there who are the face of Christ to visitors. They caused many of us to loose sleep the nights after we met them. After Mass we all kissed as a greeting, and two minutes later, we all kissed as a goodbye.

Somebody has to do this job. It could be you!

The photo is of my family from late last night.

Day 4: Masses, Baptisms, Planning

This morning began with being deacon at Mass in a little rustic chapel in a village with about 50 people. At the end, Father repeated the manger dismantling as he at done in the parish. Of course, my family was there.

Later I met with a 20-something psychologist who is setting up the rehab retreat. Al I have to do is my part and everything else will workout. Thank you, God!

I baptized five young children tonight to my great delight. Fr. Joe asked if I would because he has seven Masses today, five of which are weddings. After I heard that schedule, I couldn’t say no.

This evening I am serving at the main evening Mass and then crashing at home.

Last night I talked to my wife for free on an Internet phone at the parish. It is hard to believe how far, but how close Peru is.

And the photo...all the young children here love you and their parents aren't concerned. Somebody has to do this job!

Day 3: Communion to Home Bound...

Today I did communion services for 15 people in the village of La Legua plus two people in the Hospice Center that I had visited before. I was happy to learn that Manuel is not dying but that he just needed a place to mend. I visited a beautiful part of La Legua I had never seen before. It was an area with many trees because of an aquifer in this area of the desert.

Visiting all these homebound reminded me of how poor they are and in what primitive conditions they live compared to where I do. On the other hand, they are most beautiful people who have not fallen into some of the traps of our society. We each have something to learn from the other.

Fr. Joe and I had lunch with 20-some men in a drug rehab program named Vida Nueva (New Life). Father wants to expand my half-day retreat into 1-1/2 days. I think Ginet is going to help save me by getting another parish group to help. Pray for me because I am winging lots of this while having done some homework.

There is a great opportunity for Fr. Joe to add four more rooms onto the rehab center. They are semi-framed and $5000 is needed to complete them. Each room houses up to six men. Do we have any psychologists in the parish who could help complete this project through their contacts?

The afternoon was spent loading the van and then delivering furniture and clothes to some families. The van is really on its last legs and I am very happy that we will soon be shipping the parish a new one.

After evening Mass, Fr. Joe, Ginet, and Marlit cooked dinner for my Peruvian family and me. We had turkey, the turkey that had been in the manger the evening before. ☺

Next week I will be taking my goddaughter along to expose to some of the ministries that I am helping with. She is very excited to help. She is 9 and hangs on to me like one of my own children, which she really is.

Day 2: Food & Hospice Center

Marlit, Darwin, Victor and I took food packages to 17 families in La Piedra. We assessed each house for needs and took a photo of those who were home. Finally, I blessed each home. I will share the photos at my Gallery site where you can download any photo that you want: http://gallery.mac.com/deaconlee Later I will privately share our findings with the sponsoring families, padrinos. My godson, Cristopher, is at the right.

We also visited the Hospice Center and met a lady dying from breast cancer and a man dying from prostate cancer. I helped walk him around the center as he sang and joked. Each got a blessing.

At my first Mass, Fr. Uhen introduced me saying what deacons can do. They must have all been listening because even kids have been asking me for a blessing.

Today at lunch I had Peru’s famous dish of ceviche: fish in limejuice. It was so good that it may become a new diet.

After Mass this evening I helped my Peruvian family make their first movie. I will post it soon. We started at 8 this morning and got done at 5:30 with a siesta intermission. It was a GREAT day!

Day 1: Greetings

Day 1

I arrived in Piura at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday after a traveling for too long. When I got to baggage, the first friendly face I saw was my goddaughter, Mileny. Her Mom and Dad were right behind with her brother, Cristopher, my godson. The parish staff showed up so early to greet me.

They set me up in an apartment two blocks from the parish, which is too nice for a temporary bachelor. I could not sleep so thought I’d sneak over to the parish. As I entered the door, a crowd of St. Monica sponsored families greeted me – I had to kiss them all before they’d leave. The crowd also consisted of people from the village of Los Povorines where we build the chapel last summer. All of a sudden the long trip was in the distant past. See my Gallery for photos of families holding signs so I could identify them. I remember the Lee and Tracy families being there. I got to inspect the scars from a heart operation on a little girl whose long stay in a hospital in Lima was provided by St. Monica parishioners.

The staff greeted me with a nice lunch today. I soon had a fiesta in the 90-degree heat.

This evening the Mass liturgy was beautiful, bringing tears to my eyes as I sat with my family. The Mass was standing room only in a church that holds about the same number as St. Monica. After Mass, the animals and statues were given away to parishioners during a standing room only crowd. The statues were returned after many people touched them. What a beautiful faith the Peruvians have! My family and I had dinner together after Mass.

Ready to Go!

I'm packed and am leaving early tomorrow morning. I really got packed today when Fr. Uhen's mother brought me a huge suitcase and many things for Fr. Uhen. Assuming all flights go as planned, I will arrive in Piura VERY early Wednesday morning.

I spent the day with my granddaugher, Anna, and hope that I don't have withdrawals. 

June 13-22 Mission Trip

Those wanting to go to Piura in June will be meeting Sunday, January 6 at 2:30 p.m. in St. Stephen's Room -- in St. Monica's Parish Hall. This will be our second meeting to prepare missionaries for the trip.

So far, we have 18 people from St. Monica and one from St. John the Baptist who are planning to go. Anyone is invited.

In Peru for a Month?

What could one possibly do in Peru for a month? I suggested a few ideas to the pastor, he suggested a couple more, and then ended by saying "and there is so much more." I know there are surprises headed my way. Here are the things that I do know about.

• Visit 85 St. Monica-sponsored families and determine their needs (bless houses)
• Do a retreat for the staff
• Do a retreat for 70 social ministers from villages
• Do retreat for 15 men at Vida Nueva (drug rehab)
• Lead lectio divina based on upcoming Sunday readings
• Bring Communion to the homebound
• Baptize
• Teach 12 baptism classes for children 8 - 14
• Investigate water system in Piura and villages
• Teach goddaughter about English and computers

I don't think that a month will be long enough, but I will have my first family waiting for my return.