Peru...the fifth time.

So I cant say that I'm getting tired of Peru yet. With this being my fifth trip and all, it just keeps getting better. I sure cant compare trips because they are all SO different, and I definitely cant say I've liked one more than the other either.

This trip was very different than all the other trips for sure. We started out with a plan. We got on our boat the "Cielito Lindo" with a plan and purpose. Then God changed our plans. Same purpose. It took us two days on the Cielito Lindo to get where we wanted to be. We went up the Maranon river and then turned up the Chambria. I even got to drive the boat one day. Its harder than it looks in movies trying to turn that wheel! 


So, after two days of just chilling on our boat, we get to a village called Nuevo Esperanza. This was going to  be our second village that we saw on this trip. Our plan was to go up river a little more and visit "Washington's Village" for two days (drill a well and do dental and medical) then come down river and see Nuevo Esperanza for two days. Well... as we are at Nuervo Esperanza watching a local soccer game :) our Captain of the "Cielito Lindo" says that the water level in the river is dropping and that we cant go upriver or even stay here because we will get stuck.


So... we prayed for rain!


It didnt come. So we had to change plans. 

I guess when we were coming up river there was a village that asked us to stop and do clinics there if we had any time on our way home. Well, we ended parking our boat there the whole trip. The Village was called Dos De Mayo.


The well team was able to drill them two water wells. Dental and Medical did clinics there for a day and a half then we went up or down river on the speed boat doing "house calls." :) It was so neat! Since I was "dental coordinator" it was my responsibility to have all the supplies and to set up and keep the clinic running. With the help, of course, of the rest of the dental team. 

Dental team

Dental and Medical were able to see a total of five little villages those 4 days we worked. We got good at setting up and breaking down clinic. One village we went to was pretty much a "house call." We unload, set up in someone's little hut, and pulled two teeth. Then we packed up, loaded up and headed to the next place. :) It was great!

Drilling a well 

 God did great things on this trip. On the well crew we usually hire a few Peruvians that know what to do to help us drill wells. This trip we really got to connect with them. They stayed on the boat with us, ate with us, played cards with us, and worked along side us all day. Some of them didn't speak any English, but that didn't matter. Language may be a barrier, but its not a big one. At least not anymore for me ( I am getting a lot better at my Spanish, but sometimes I have NO clue what people are saying).


We are people that like the same things, laugh at the same jokes, give the same stupid looks, and act like we know what we're talking about. Even if we cant understand each others language we end up understanding each other through other kinds of communication. But this trip we were able to hear these tough guys cry, to share their heart. They aren't all christians either. I've been able to spend two trips with most of these same men and this has never happened where they shared their hearts.


One gave his heart to God. Its was awesome to be apart of. They add such an neat dynamic to our trip that it would not be the same without them.


Now the Chambria river is where an indigenous people group live. They are called the Urarina. This is who we came to serve. These people are very different than any people I've met. The women are very oppressed. When they come into the clinic they face the walls with their backs to us while their husbands face inward. This is the same why they are in their homes while they eat. They also believe in polygamy. So a man can have many wives. Women are looked at with no respect. They are the baby makers and home makers. Thats it. They have no social life like the husband does, they have no say in anything, they aren't respected or cherished. 

Its very sad. We tried to love on the wives as much as we can. They loved beads! Their status is shown by how many necklaces they wear. Some women have a ton! So we brought lots of bead to give them. They loved it. 



 God has long term plans for us to be there planting seeds. It may be awhile before we see change in the Urarina people. We go there, plant the seeds and then its the Holy Spirits job to change hearts. We will continue to go there and love on the Urarina people.