Family needs to be sponsored

The Alberto and Hortelia Perez family needs you to sponsor them by providing $30 per month to help with their food needs. The parents are about 30 and have four children from 2 to 11 years old. Hortelia is four months pregnant. They do not have electricity and cook with charcoal. Alberto rents a motorcycle and earns about $2 per day. Contact Deacon Lee for more details.

Back home

The four of us returned home safely after a half-day delay in Lima due to an exploding volcano just north of Peru in Ecuador. I was very much missed by my wife and granddaughter who is nearing 3 years old. She told me, "Papa. don't ever do that again." I swallowed very hard when she said that.

There have been some very rainy nights in Piura since returning and I have great compassion for the many families I visited who had no roof, a partial roof, or an entire but leaky roof.

I have had time to reflect on the Santa Monica Chapel that our Edmond parish built and continues to support. The link summarizes the ongoing project.

Much remains to be done, yet we already have accomplished so much.

Photo of chapel.

Day 30: Rehab, orphanage, and out of here

This morning we had a early breakfast as a treat of the parish. We went to a nice hotel and I actually had scrambled eggs.

After a short interlude with my family, it was off to the drug rehab, Vida Nueva, where I did a liturgy of the word service. I preached on the day’s scripture reading where Jesus had to suffer and explained that this is part of the human condition. I left them in group discussions to go to the orphanage.

We met Fr. Joe at the orphanage where I helped at Mass for the orphans. I hope my lips are okay after all the kisses. We toured their facility, had cake and a drink and were then off to lunch.

Again, the staff treated us to a nice lunch. We are now packing our suitcases for the long trip home.

What a month! Would I do it again? You bet! But, my wife will have her input.

Peace!

Photo: a kitchen in a village

Day 29: Communion to home bound, food packages, and last family

This morning I took Communion to the same people in Palo Parado and San Jacinto villages. They seemed glad to see me again. I am still astounded by the time warp between here and where I live. Photos and words cannot do justice. You have to come and see yourself.

In the afternoon we took February food packages to St. Monica families. We not have the original $25 packet that contains less than the new $30 packet. The dollar buys much less here in Peru than six months ago.

We visited the last St. Monica sponsored family. A single mom and two children are living in a 10 x 10 foot house – a bedroom with one bed for the 25-year-old mom and her two children. The dad died.

The one Ash Wednesday Mass here in the parish was packed, with most pews filled an hour before Mass began. After Mass we discussed how someone who only has one meal a day fasts.

There may not be a Day 30 unless I write it on the plane.

Photo: taking a break with my goddaughter, Mileny, during food distribution

Day 28: More families and Mardi Gras

We finished visiting all families except for one we hope to get on Wednesday. Again, we saw families with almost nothing and some better off, but still very materially poor.

We leave Thursday evening and the day is already filling up. The guys at the rehab want to see me once more so I had to prepare a homily to go with the liturgy of the word. I could adlib in English, but not in Spanish.

Immediately after the rehab Fr. Joe and I are going to the orphanage for a Mass for the girls.

Last night was Mardi Gras for the staff. The meal was great and the fun was even better. The staff here is great and supporting and they do have fun.

I was late for the party because I had to help with marriage counseling with a family I know. Most of the Spanish flew by me, but I did get to say some things that I thought would help. Some new photos are available via the sidebar link.

Photo: a painting on the wall of the “narthex” by a famous local painter who died 18 months ago, but who trained others who use his technique.

Day 27: Orphanage and visiting more families

This morning Dean, my goddaughter, and I paid our last visit to the orphanage before heading home Thursday evening. We had liturgy of the word using next Sunday’s gospel reading about Jesus being tempted three times. I asked lots of questions and they again missed the one question I have been working on for a month: “Are you in the gospel?” They do know how to find themselves in the gospel and had many good answers of how to avoid temptation.

We were again treated to a good piece of cake. Dean and I relaxed while the girls played board games. Of course, we had to kiss our way in and back out. Come to Piura and test it out—I guarantee you’ll like it!

Fr. Uhen had lunch with us and tried to capture what was so successful about our trips so he can put it to use for future missionaries.

In the afternoon we visited five of the last eleven families sponsored through St. Monica parish. If you haven’t heard from us yet, you soon will. Again, we saw the good and the bad in terms of family needs. See my earlier post if you are challenged by what your Peruvian family needs.

Photo: inside of St. Monica Chapel – some needs are obvious

Day 26: Sunday, a day of rest

Other than serving as deacon at two Masses, this was truly a day of rest.

After evening Mass, I took my Peruvian family out to eat. We swung by my apartment to show them where I live. The first comment when entering the apartment was “luz!” They just got electricity in their village last year and were surprised that every room had “light.”

In the kitchen and bathroom there was “agua!” Their village still does not have “water.” They wanted to have a glass of water from the tap. Everyone in the family had had an afternoon siesta, except the mom who had to wash clothes.

Life in the villages is hard.

Photo: taking communion to the homebound in the parish neighborhood

Day 25: House blessings and baptisms

I saw “house blessings” on my agenda this morning and thought, this is going to be a cinch. Surprise!

We drove to the large, relatively new village of Los Polvorines. It is divided into three sectors. We drove past Sector 1 and stopped in Sector 2. It was there that we began walking the desert paths between rows of homes for three hours. Was it hot! Sector 2 contains St. Patrick’s Chapel that Deacon Dennis Frazier from Oklahoma City helped work on last year.

Then we walked further south to Sector 3 where St. Monica Chapel serves the people. A few friends from this area welcomed Marlit and me. A little six-year-old girl held my hand all the way in case I got lost. Although this was a hot day it was exhilarating to see the smiles when people got their homes blessed.

Returning to the parish for lunch, Fr. Uhen was talking to what looked like another priest. He hugged me and said, “This must be the holy deacon.” He is the bishop of a near-by diocese. Originally he was from Chicago. We talked about the need of deacons in Peru.

I did five baptisms before Mass this evening. Some families give mementoes with the child’s name. I don’t think I can bring them all home.

Photo: Walking streets near St. Monica Chapel doing house blessings

The very poor

All families sponsored through Santísimo Sacramento Parish in Piura are poor. They were especially selected from others in their village because of their unique situations. Some of these families are exceptionally poor, many being from the remote, rural village of La Piedra. Some of these unique families are living in a 19th century environment.

Since St. Monica sponsors are selected randomly, why might you be a sponsor of a unique family?

Perhaps it is because of your compassion for another. Maybe it is because God has blessed you and now it is your turn to pass it on. Perhaps God blessed you with being a team builder; some families support a Peru family as a group of family members. Maybe God is calling you to “come see” in Piura, because words cannot describe the actual situation.

St. Monica Mission Team has an opening

About 20 people are going to Piura from June 13 to 22. A slot just opened at group rates and costs about $1700 round trip from OKC. If you are not in the OKC area, you can join us in Lima. You need not be a parishioner to join. Contact Deacon Lee at DeaconLee@cox.net for information.

Day 24: Taking Communion to the infirm and visiting families

First, a little background: Santísimo Sacramento Parish lies within the city of Piura, about one mile north of the southern city limit where the villages begin. Today Marlit and I walked the streets near the parish taking Communion to those who can no longer get to church. It took us about three hours to visit 16 people. The main topic of conversation was how hot is has been. Very nice homes are near the parish and some very poor ones that are imbedded. A couple people spoke English, several want me to return, and quite a few said “mi casa es su casa.” The Piurans are so welcoming to us “foreigners” who do not feel foreign.

We had lunch with the elderly at the Elderly Center and were welcomed with a bang. We passed out gifts from the TimeOut community at St. John the Baptist who weekly prays for their brothers and sisters in La Legua village. I met almost-blind “Old Man Guadalupe” whose house we build a few years ago.

Late in the afternoon we visited the remaining seven families in La Piedra. I am working on a reflection of why 24 families from St. Monica were randomly picked to help these Peruvian families who are so poor because of the remoteness of their location. God is providing an opportunity to us.

Photo: Rosary gifts at Elderly Center given by TimeOut of St. John the Baptist

Day 23: Visiting more families and distributing clothes

Suddenly things got very busy and there was little time to write or check e-mail.

In the morning we visited more families. The first was REALLY poor with a large family having little to sleep on. Some of you will soon get a write up on your family with photos. We only have 19 more to visit and I think we can get them all in.

For lunch, Dean and I took Malit and Yani to their favorite restaurant. Dean and I had ceviche (!) and the chichas had Milanese chicken. It was a treat for all of us.

In the afternoon, we drove to the most remote village, La Piedra, and delivered clothes. About 180 women showed up and we did not have time for all of the to select clothing. As we drove around the village announcing our visit, donkey-pulled carts raced home to tell the women of our presence. I recognized some of the ladies since St. Monica has 24 sponsored families in La Piedra (The Rock). Come on mission and find out why that part of the area is called “the rock.”

My family and I made our last rip to the supermarket. I don’t think that the mom has yet caught on, but her 9-year-old daughter sure has.

Photo: Searching for clothes

More photos via links in sidebar.