One last entry from Peru.
Starting back on Thursday night... We had a late dinner and then presented Pepe and the frontline staff with some small gifts. Pepe also had some encouraging words for us.
We sat down for an exercise where we wrote positive comments about each other based on the experiences of this trip.
Then after we received our new Peru soccer jersies, we posed for one last full group shot.
The next morning, a chance to also present the cooking staff with small gifts.
Then on Friday morning we transition into tourists.
We start at the public square by the presidential palace.
A great chance for some small group shots.
Some interesting architecture downtown.
The palace area has a visible police presence.
If the coup had started today, I would have done my part for Peru.
See if you can spot the tourists in this picture...
Ron seems relieved that the hard part is now done.
After lunch it was off to the market.
Lots of stalls selling local Pervian products.
Bea is ready to shop some more.
Harold was done about an hour ago.
Lots of colour and interesting images around the market.
Money's spent, time to go.
The combination of setting sun and smog provide interesting lighting.
Back at the hostel for dinner and to kill time before we leave for the airport. A chance for one last round of group pictures.
It's been a treat for me to share the daily pictures with all of you. Thanks for all your positive comments and encouraging words on the blog.
Ron will hopefully find an internet connection in the airport for another round of comments.
Ok, I can't resist, one more picture from the airport. I saw this sign in the departure area. Given how some of us are feeling, my interpretation is that this sign points to the bathroom :-)
Ron Here now : )
When we arrived at the airport we were informed that our Lima -> Toronto flight is delayed. No telling yet whether this impacts our arrival time in Ottawa. Maybe Ron will tell you when he signs in.
So, thanks again John for our wonderful pictures of our day (except for the one where I’m sleeping standing up of course)
Today we were tourists. We woke up 1 hour later today, but it didn’t really matter in that everyone seemed to be up at the usual time. I seemed to have begun to suffer from the intestinal problems that others here have been going through. I was up from 6:00 am and it wasn’t fun. Happened the last time too. Kevin and Christopher and Jeremy all seem to have the same problems. Might be others too, but they aren’t divulging things at the moment.
I’m not sure if I mentioned that last night we gave gifts to our translators during our evening session. I hope they liked them. We gave gifts to our cooks this morning. They were very thankful. The HEAD WOMAN COOK as the team called her said some touching words to us. I am continually touched by the Peruvian people. They are a quiet people, yet full of love and kindness. Many have a sense of humor as well, that I can relate to at least. I think of Pepe, and Ines, and Christian and Isaias. All of them were such a joy to be around this week. They help make our week a special one. They are just as tired as we are, and yet they continue on.
We checked out of our hostel this morning and boarded the bus. We traveled downtown to the city square and took in some photo’s as John showed you. We toured the Catacombs and I was reminded again of the rich history of this country and religious history too. Cindy wasn’t feeling well so she sat this one out, but she has seen them before.
After the tour (sorry, not photo’s allowed) it was off to lunch. My stomach had stopped doing flip flops so I was able to eat something. Most of the team was looking pretty tired this morning, but we were doing ok.
The afternoon brought the highlight of the day (especially for Ashlyn). Shopping for some souvenirs at a market geared for tourists. Man, watching Ashlyn bargain was certainly a spectacle. She just loved doing this, and I think she could have been here all day long.
Many of us got several items for family and friends. There is just so much stuff in this market. The vendors love to bargain, and if you want to you can have a lot of fun like Ashlyn did.
After our shopping spree we went back to the hostel for our final meal. Everyone was looking pretty tired, and I’m not sure if we ate very much of the meal that was served, but that’s how it is near the end of the mission trip experience.
Some of the group took a final walk in the park by the ocean, and then it was time to load the bus full of our luggage and it was off to the airport. I drove with Pepe again, while the others took the bus. I will NEVER get comfortable driving in Lima, especially at the lower level that the car offers. The bus makes you feel king of the road, while the car is a whole different experience. Even Pepe doesn’t feel comfortable all the time.
We spent the time talking about Pepe’s and Erin’s upcoming wedding and how busy he will be up until that time. We talked about mission trips and what they do in the lives of those who go, and we acknowledged that our time was once again coming to a close. I will miss this man of God. He has a loving heart for his people and for those who come to his country.
We arrived at the airport at 9:00 p.m. This began the long process of going through long lines in order to get to our gate. First it was checking in initially before the Air Canada check in gate. Then a line for the check in counter. I was randomly searched in that line. Check in and get rid of your checked luggage. Then up to the line where you pay your departure tax. This is where we had to depart from Pepe. We all said see you later, not goodbye, and entered the queues. It felt like waiting in line for a ride on a roller coaster at Darien Lake.
We paid the $30.25 us exit tax. Then its on to surrender your customs document declaring your goods purchased. Then it’s on through security, and finally you are through. The whole process took us 2 hours.
We now sit in the departure lounge awaiting our flight to depart. We’ve been informed that our flight is delayed 1 hour, which will make our connection in Toronto very tight. There is a chance we might miss our connection, so I suggest you call the airport first and see if you can find out if we made our connection or not (though I’m not sure you can get that information over the phone). If there are issues, we’ll try to contact you and let you know.
We are all very tired now. Some people are lying on the seats and sleeping (no dear, Christopher is not one of them. He’s playing cards, and seems to be doing quite well so far).
We hope to catch some sleep on the flight, but you all need to know that we will all be tired when we arrive in Ottawa. Please grant us the grace to hug you, talk a little bit about our experiences with you (by that I mean your families) and then allow us to get some sleep and really share with you our experiences on Sunday : ).
All in all we had a good day, but being a tourist can be tiring. It was good to be here, but it is now time to return home.
Stay tuned for Monday at which time there will be a final blog entry about the trip, with indications as to what will be coming regarding how we will be making this trip stick in our lives and how we can continue to share that with those of you who wish to continue to know.
Some things I noticed today:
Blessings to you, and good night. : )
Today we were tourists. We woke up 1 hour later today, but it didn’t really matter in that everyone seemed to be up at the usual time. I seemed to have begun to suffer from the intestinal problems that others here have been going through. I was up from 6:00 am and it wasn’t fun. Happened the last time too. Kevin and Christopher and Jeremy all seem to have the same problems. Might be others too, but they aren’t divulging things at the moment.
I’m not sure if I mentioned that last night we gave gifts to our translators during our evening session. I hope they liked them. We gave gifts to our cooks this morning. They were very thankful. The HEAD WOMAN COOK as the team called her said some touching words to us. I am continually touched by the Peruvian people. They are a quiet people, yet full of love and kindness. Many have a sense of humor as well, that I can relate to at least. I think of Pepe, and Ines, and Christian and Isaias. All of them were such a joy to be around this week. They help make our week a special one. They are just as tired as we are, and yet they continue on.
We checked out of our hostel this morning and boarded the bus. We traveled downtown to the city square and took in some photo’s as John showed you. We toured the Catacombs and I was reminded again of the rich history of this country and religious history too. Cindy wasn’t feeling well so she sat this one out, but she has seen them before.
After the tour (sorry, not photo’s allowed) it was off to lunch. My stomach had stopped doing flip flops so I was able to eat something. Most of the team was looking pretty tired this morning, but we were doing ok.
The afternoon brought the highlight of the day (especially for Ashlyn). Shopping for some souvenirs at a market geared for tourists. Man, watching Ashlyn bargain was certainly a spectacle. She just loved doing this, and I think she could have been here all day long.
Many of us got several items for family and friends. There is just so much stuff in this market. The vendors love to bargain, and if you want to you can have a lot of fun like Ashlyn did.
After our shopping spree we went back to the hostel for our final meal. Everyone was looking pretty tired, and I’m not sure if we ate very much of the meal that was served, but that’s how it is near the end of the mission trip experience.
Some of the group took a final walk in the park by the ocean, and then it was time to load the bus full of our luggage and it was off to the airport. I drove with Pepe again, while the others took the bus. I will NEVER get comfortable driving in Lima, especially at the lower level that the car offers. The bus makes you feel king of the road, while the car is a whole different experience. Even Pepe doesn’t feel comfortable all the time.
We spent the time talking about Pepe’s and Erin’s upcoming wedding and how busy he will be up until that time. We talked about mission trips and what they do in the lives of those who go, and we acknowledged that our time was once again coming to a close. I will miss this man of God. He has a loving heart for his people and for those who come to his country.
We arrived at the airport at 9:00 p.m. This began the long process of going through long lines in order to get to our gate. First it was checking in initially before the Air Canada check in gate. Then a line for the check in counter. I was randomly searched in that line. Check in and get rid of your checked luggage. Then up to the line where you pay your departure tax. This is where we had to depart from Pepe. We all said see you later, not goodbye, and entered the queues. It felt like waiting in line for a ride on a roller coaster at Darien Lake.
We paid the $30.25 us exit tax. Then its on to surrender your customs document declaring your goods purchased. Then it’s on through security, and finally you are through. The whole process took us 2 hours.
We now sit in the departure lounge awaiting our flight to depart. We’ve been informed that our flight is delayed 1 hour, which will make our connection in Toronto very tight. There is a chance we might miss our connection, so I suggest you call the airport first and see if you can find out if we made our connection or not (though I’m not sure you can get that information over the phone). If there are issues, we’ll try to contact you and let you know.
We are all very tired now. Some people are lying on the seats and sleeping (no dear, Christopher is not one of them. He’s playing cards, and seems to be doing quite well so far).
We hope to catch some sleep on the flight, but you all need to know that we will all be tired when we arrive in Ottawa. Please grant us the grace to hug you, talk a little bit about our experiences with you (by that I mean your families) and then allow us to get some sleep and really share with you our experiences on Sunday : ).
All in all we had a good day, but being a tourist can be tiring. It was good to be here, but it is now time to return home.
Stay tuned for Monday at which time there will be a final blog entry about the trip, with indications as to what will be coming regarding how we will be making this trip stick in our lives and how we can continue to share that with those of you who wish to continue to know.
Some things I noticed today:
- Cindy not feeling well, but smiling through it anyway.
- Wilma helping Sam with his sore arm by giving a complimentary physio treatment.
- Wilma helping the female cook with her bad foot. An angel of mercy that woman.
- Seeing all the blood shot eyes today and all the blank stares of some very tired, but happy people.
- Continuing to meet Wilma’s smiling face in the queue lines at the airport. Made the drudgery of that time much easier to handle.
- Hearing Ines say how much she enjoyed our group because we were such a free group and were such fun.
- Driving to the airport and thinking about this country and all its issues and struggles and how so many people desire to see change for the better and the love of Christ flow from within it.
- Watching all these tired people and wondering how this trip has changed them inside. How they will be different because of their experiences here, or will they? I know they made an impact in the lives of those they met, but I hope they were impacted as well.
Blessings to you, and good night. : )
7 comments:
Hello Everyone,
Just checked all the great pictures and read about the happenings for Friday...The Lord has truly blessed your week ...I pray that you have a chance to sleep on the plane .... after packing six weeks of living into six days of life with the Lord's help. A tremendous job well done by each of you !!!
God bless and safe journey home.
Val
Hi to all,
You will all be at the airport now & we are praying for a safe flight and that you will all have a good rest. Thankyou so much for the daily happenings and pictures it has been so interesting. I was so happy to see the posting for today.
May God bless & keep you all.
Only eternity will reveal the out come of what you have accomplished for Jesus and the difference in these peoples lives. Love you Ashlyn - Grandma J.
To all you tracking the flight: According to the Air Canada website their flight "Left the gate at 02:03. Estimated time of arrival: 11:01." So I will be surprised if they make their connection. But I don't know how to check if they make the connection or not. Does anybody know? But if they don't make their connection there are flights every hour Toronto to Ottawa, so we shouldn't have to wait too long.
Peter
Suggestion: first one to hear whether or not they made the connection can post a new comment.
The flight they were supposed to be on (8840) actually left 5 minutes earlier than scheduled, so I doubt they were on it. Flight 8842 arrives at 2:10 and 8844 at 3:10. I am guessing they will be on one of those.
Peter
good job team,
it is tons better to be at home waiting than at the airport...
now ' i guess' that we have ' to guess' if they come at 2 or 3?
gord
they have arrived ON TIME
see you there
gord
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