Wednesday 12 October 2011
Bye Chile!
Ready to board flight no. 9 for the trip. We think it's a bit delayed so if you are making the trip to the airport on Friday it might be worth checking on the Sydney Airport website. Our flight number is LA801. Muchos amor x
On our way back.
Well after a great last day in Santiago we are about to board the buses to the Airport for the long trip home. Sadly we said goodbye to Ben Merrick this morning as he headed on his adventure into Europe. After some teary goodbyes went into the city and caught a cable car up one of the mountains that surrounds the city of Santiago. The views were wonderful. After a picnic lunch and a few photos we headed back down the mountain and back on the subway (a bit of a favourtie method of transport for us in South America by now) to pick up supplies from the Hiper Lida (think Kmart and Woolies but on steroids and joined into one) and then to pack.
Our flight leaves a little after 10:00pm here so hopefully that will mean lots of sleep and if not there are always the movies.
Thank you so much to everyone at home who has looked at our blog. We hope it has helped you feel in touch with what we were doing and we hope you have been able to pray intelligently after the requests and stories we have placed here.
One last prayer request is for safe travel and we will see you all bright and early on Friday morning. Don't be late to pick us up and bring big big signs cause that will make us feel like celebrities.
Lots of love
All of us on the South America Mission Team
Our flight leaves a little after 10:00pm here so hopefully that will mean lots of sleep and if not there are always the movies.
Thank you so much to everyone at home who has looked at our blog. We hope it has helped you feel in touch with what we were doing and we hope you have been able to pray intelligently after the requests and stories we have placed here.
One last prayer request is for safe travel and we will see you all bright and early on Friday morning. Don't be late to pick us up and bring big big signs cause that will make us feel like celebrities.
Lots of love
All of us on the South America Mission Team
Tuesday 11 October 2011
Beach Day!!!
We had to get up earlier than most of us would have liked to catch a 1.5 hour bus trip to Vina Del Mar to spend the day at the beach. The bus had the most amazing reclining seats and we all soon fell asleep to catch-up on the hours of sleep we had missed. It was like sleeping on a cloud.
Once we arrived at Vina Del Mar we started to walk in search of the beach. After only a few minues two dogs joined our group and accompanied us to McDonalds. We ate our incredibly cheap food while watching the sky because it was over-cast, windy and only 16'c. We were hoping for slightly better weather for our beach day.
We reluctantly left McDonalds and soon found ourselves swarmed with many new dog friends who were hoping to join our clearly dominent pack. The dogs became too much when we stopped for churros at the beach side stand. After eatring our churros we split up to try and loose the dogs. It worked mostly, accept a handful of our group ended up stuck on a ledge overhanging craggy rocks and the raging ocean, with a persistent doggy friend. The rest of us took lots of photos.
We had a debreif session then we tried to baptise me (Caitlin) but apparently it only counts as 3/4 because my hair didnt get completly wet, but it was too cold to go in completly and I was more or less dropped onto the soggy sand. It was very funny. And super spiritual. We videoed it:D This lead to running through Vina Del Mar to look for somewhere to change into dry clothing because it was still only 16'c. The locals thought we were crazy and we missed the bus home, but it's all G.
To celebrate our last night in South America we went to a restaurant where we got buckets of meat. It was good. There was half a chicken on top as 8 steaks on top of heaps of sausages and we ordered 6. It was very good.
We are all sad mission is coming to an end, but excited to go back home :)
Caitlin xxx
Once we arrived at Vina Del Mar we started to walk in search of the beach. After only a few minues two dogs joined our group and accompanied us to McDonalds. We ate our incredibly cheap food while watching the sky because it was over-cast, windy and only 16'c. We were hoping for slightly better weather for our beach day.
We reluctantly left McDonalds and soon found ourselves swarmed with many new dog friends who were hoping to join our clearly dominent pack. The dogs became too much when we stopped for churros at the beach side stand. After eatring our churros we split up to try and loose the dogs. It worked mostly, accept a handful of our group ended up stuck on a ledge overhanging craggy rocks and the raging ocean, with a persistent doggy friend. The rest of us took lots of photos.
We had a debreif session then we tried to baptise me (Caitlin) but apparently it only counts as 3/4 because my hair didnt get completly wet, but it was too cold to go in completly and I was more or less dropped onto the soggy sand. It was very funny. And super spiritual. We videoed it:D This lead to running through Vina Del Mar to look for somewhere to change into dry clothing because it was still only 16'c. The locals thought we were crazy and we missed the bus home, but it's all G.
To celebrate our last night in South America we went to a restaurant where we got buckets of meat. It was good. There was half a chicken on top as 8 steaks on top of heaps of sausages and we ordered 6. It was very good.
We are all sad mission is coming to an end, but excited to go back home :)
Caitlin xxx
Monday 10 October 2011
Salvation Army School in Pudahuel
Today we started with a great breakfast (made by the salvation army college students) which included juice, yummy bread, bacon and eggs and with this we created a bacon and egg roll! Then we caught the subway from Ecuador station to Pudahuel, then had an interesting car ride to the Salvation Army School. When we got there we were introduced, shown around the school and then got straight into work. The work involved painting multiple walls in a creamy colour, doors in bright blue and window sills in white. They served us lunch which was a delicious spaghetti bologanaise. After filling up we finished the second coat and were on our way back home. Today was a great day of service and we all really enjoyed ourselves. We have made a new relationship in which we can build on in the future. Meg, Jess, Corrine and Meg took a detour with Bill to Lider (kinda like a wall mart) and found "Peanut Buttercups" which by the way are amazing!!! The rest of the team took the subway back home. It was a tiring day and we all are ready to come home and see our familys but dont want to leave at the same time. Debreiefing was filled with worship, testimonys from Sarah and Darryl and sharing expirences of the past 16 days. The days are flying by, only one day left and the next day we will be flying home.
From Si and Mi :)
(aka sarah and meg)
From Si and Mi :)
(aka sarah and meg)
Sunday 9 October 2011
Guinea Pig Claws and Dancing Bears
Sorry about the lack of posting over the last few days. It's been pretty hectic over the last 3 days and it's been hard to find the time/Internet connection to be able to post. We've safely arrived in Chile and everyone is loving the increased amount of Oxygen back here on sea level.
October the 7th
This was our last day in Cusco. Firstly, and most importantly, PERU WON THE SOCCER! We also went out to dinner and many of us had the privilege to try ridiculously small portions of Guinea Pig. However our day was primarily spent learning everything there is to know about the ancient Incas and the Spanish colonists. We went to Saqsaywaman, Qorinkancha, a Cathedral, a Monastery and several Incan temples/ruins.
Sadly the day was filled with Cusco's crazily changing weather which mostly consisted of rain. However we were well equipped with colourful disposable plastic ponchos (which made us look awesome). As excellent as our tour guide was I think that most of us did struggle to listen to him for the entire day and were pretty happy to have the afternoon off to do some shopping and buy presents for everyone at home.
As mentioned above we went out for the night to try the local delicacies and to watch Peru smash Paraguay 2-0 from the comfort of a local restaurant. Darry and I had a great time cheering for Peru in our newly bought soccer jerseys.
October the 9th
The 9th was made up of a surprise (for us) parade in Cusco, flying from Cusco to Lima and from Lima to Santiago. The parade was pretty amazing, we found out it was an annual parade we were just lucky enough to experience. James and the girls also had a lot of fun on the plane using the finger puppets they bought in Cusco to order drinks and dancing to the in-flight music.
We arrived fairly late in Santiago and the Salvation Army people we are staying with, were there with several buses waiting to take us to our new home for the next week.
We are staying here in the Salvation Army training base which has been awesome. Everyone is so friendly and keen to help us however they can.
October the 10th (Today!)
As it was Sunday today we went to the Salvation Army church to run their Sunday school. Once we arrived there we found out that they had also planned on one of our team members giving their testimony to the main congregation. Susanna stepped up to the plate and with the help of a translator and I was told she did a fantastic job.
Sunday school also went really well with all the kids being really excited about having Australians come to visit them and we all had a great time singing and dancing, while barely understanding anything they were talking about. Fortunately there is a couple from America working with the Salvation Army here who have been able to translate for us and have been keen to show us around the local area. They have been so nice to us showing us around and teaching us about the unique culture here in Santiago.
Everyone is doing really well health wise and seem to be having a great time. Sorry again that's it's been a while since the last post and hopefully you'll hear from us again tomorrow!
Ben
Quotes
"Pigs are red"
"I love transport"
"Aren't typhoid and yellow fever the same thing?"
"Is that a fire hose?"
"I used to be one of those fish with legs... but now I'm at the furry rat stage of christian evolution"
For parents and friends, we'd love it if you'd like to guess who made each quote in the comments
October the 7th
This was our last day in Cusco. Firstly, and most importantly, PERU WON THE SOCCER! We also went out to dinner and many of us had the privilege to try ridiculously small portions of Guinea Pig. However our day was primarily spent learning everything there is to know about the ancient Incas and the Spanish colonists. We went to Saqsaywaman, Qorinkancha, a Cathedral, a Monastery and several Incan temples/ruins.
Sadly the day was filled with Cusco's crazily changing weather which mostly consisted of rain. However we were well equipped with colourful disposable plastic ponchos (which made us look awesome). As excellent as our tour guide was I think that most of us did struggle to listen to him for the entire day and were pretty happy to have the afternoon off to do some shopping and buy presents for everyone at home.
As mentioned above we went out for the night to try the local delicacies and to watch Peru smash Paraguay 2-0 from the comfort of a local restaurant. Darry and I had a great time cheering for Peru in our newly bought soccer jerseys.
October the 9th
The 9th was made up of a surprise (for us) parade in Cusco, flying from Cusco to Lima and from Lima to Santiago. The parade was pretty amazing, we found out it was an annual parade we were just lucky enough to experience. James and the girls also had a lot of fun on the plane using the finger puppets they bought in Cusco to order drinks and dancing to the in-flight music.
We arrived fairly late in Santiago and the Salvation Army people we are staying with, were there with several buses waiting to take us to our new home for the next week.
We are staying here in the Salvation Army training base which has been awesome. Everyone is so friendly and keen to help us however they can.
October the 10th (Today!)
As it was Sunday today we went to the Salvation Army church to run their Sunday school. Once we arrived there we found out that they had also planned on one of our team members giving their testimony to the main congregation. Susanna stepped up to the plate and with the help of a translator and I was told she did a fantastic job.
Sunday school also went really well with all the kids being really excited about having Australians come to visit them and we all had a great time singing and dancing, while barely understanding anything they were talking about. Fortunately there is a couple from America working with the Salvation Army here who have been able to translate for us and have been keen to show us around the local area. They have been so nice to us showing us around and teaching us about the unique culture here in Santiago.
Everyone is doing really well health wise and seem to be having a great time. Sorry again that's it's been a while since the last post and hopefully you'll hear from us again tomorrow!
Ben
Quotes
"Pigs are red"
"I love transport"
"Aren't typhoid and yellow fever the same thing?"
"Is that a fire hose?"
"I used to be one of those fish with legs... but now I'm at the furry rat stage of christian evolution"
For parents and friends, we'd love it if you'd like to guess who made each quote in the comments
Thursday 6 October 2011
And the Adventure Continues
So, today saw us up bright and early for the start of our Machu Picchu adventure, and although 6:30am may not have been when most of us would have liked to be up, there was a tangible excitement among the group in anticipation for the days activities.
7:30am saw us at the train station at Poroy, from which we embarked upon a three hour train ride to the town of Machu Picchu (or Aguas Calientes). Thus ensued much ´oohing´and ´aahing´as we whistled past gloriously highy mountain ranges and saw the heart of Peru´s agricultural centre, with many fields filled with corn crops. Streams turned into rivers as the landscape changed into deep valleys and ravines, in which we caught our first glimpses of Incan ruins struin over a few hillsides. As well as enjoying the scenery, many energetic games of cards and Uno were played to while away the time, often ending in playful banter and the slapping of tables =)
Due to a little hold up on the train, we arrived at the town of Machu Picchu around 12:30, and were treated to a lovely buffet lunch at Totos. The boys seemed very excited about this, but they were not the only ones to tuck in heartly when we saw the spread that was provided for us. Among salads, bread and vegetables many of us tried Alpaca meat (some unknowingly ;-) ) and were also treated to traditional music by a band playing such hits as La Bamba and There´s only one Che Guvera on the pan pipes and guitars.
After this we took the short bus trip up to Machu Picchu, by which time we were eagerly anticipating the adventure we were about to take, and also ardently praying that the rain would stop. Which it did, praise the Lord.
Getting to Machu Picchu and seeing it for the first time was surreal. Something that so many of us have seen in photos and posters was there, living and breathing before us. We had a very enthusiastic tour guide, who filled us in on all the theories, facts and fantasies about this ancient ruin. As we saw temples, gates, aqueducts, fountains, houses and more, many of us were struck by the precision, knowledge and understanding that this ancient civilization had, down to every 36 sided, perfectly fitting, block of stone. The way the sunlight hit the mountains around the site, the way the verdent green almost shone from the centre of the town, the way the clouds floated lazily through the valley was simply the most amazing sight to behold. If a soul does not sing at such wonders of creation and creativity, I´m not sure for what else it would.
The tour ended with some rather unobliging, camera shy, llamas, who seemed to do everything in their power, including jumping up stone stair cases, to elude our camera ready grasps. Many team photos later, we left for the long trek back to Cusco, which once again contained many heated games of cards and Uno, though less ´oohing´and ´aahing´ due to, well, the night.
Tomorrow we set out to conquer the city one tourist site at a time, shall inform you all of how that goes. Once again, thank you for your constant prayers and thoughts, they mean the world to us.
Love and blessings,
South American PHCS mission team
xo
7:30am saw us at the train station at Poroy, from which we embarked upon a three hour train ride to the town of Machu Picchu (or Aguas Calientes). Thus ensued much ´oohing´and ´aahing´as we whistled past gloriously highy mountain ranges and saw the heart of Peru´s agricultural centre, with many fields filled with corn crops. Streams turned into rivers as the landscape changed into deep valleys and ravines, in which we caught our first glimpses of Incan ruins struin over a few hillsides. As well as enjoying the scenery, many energetic games of cards and Uno were played to while away the time, often ending in playful banter and the slapping of tables =)
Due to a little hold up on the train, we arrived at the town of Machu Picchu around 12:30, and were treated to a lovely buffet lunch at Totos. The boys seemed very excited about this, but they were not the only ones to tuck in heartly when we saw the spread that was provided for us. Among salads, bread and vegetables many of us tried Alpaca meat (some unknowingly ;-) ) and were also treated to traditional music by a band playing such hits as La Bamba and There´s only one Che Guvera on the pan pipes and guitars.
After this we took the short bus trip up to Machu Picchu, by which time we were eagerly anticipating the adventure we were about to take, and also ardently praying that the rain would stop. Which it did, praise the Lord.
Getting to Machu Picchu and seeing it for the first time was surreal. Something that so many of us have seen in photos and posters was there, living and breathing before us. We had a very enthusiastic tour guide, who filled us in on all the theories, facts and fantasies about this ancient ruin. As we saw temples, gates, aqueducts, fountains, houses and more, many of us were struck by the precision, knowledge and understanding that this ancient civilization had, down to every 36 sided, perfectly fitting, block of stone. The way the sunlight hit the mountains around the site, the way the verdent green almost shone from the centre of the town, the way the clouds floated lazily through the valley was simply the most amazing sight to behold. If a soul does not sing at such wonders of creation and creativity, I´m not sure for what else it would.
The tour ended with some rather unobliging, camera shy, llamas, who seemed to do everything in their power, including jumping up stone stair cases, to elude our camera ready grasps. Many team photos later, we left for the long trek back to Cusco, which once again contained many heated games of cards and Uno, though less ´oohing´and ´aahing´ due to, well, the night.
Tomorrow we set out to conquer the city one tourist site at a time, shall inform you all of how that goes. Once again, thank you for your constant prayers and thoughts, they mean the world to us.
Love and blessings,
South American PHCS mission team
xo
Wednesday 5 October 2011
Elim Orphanage, Cusco Day 3
In typical South American fashion, Jeremy arrived an hour later than scheduled to accompany us on our second day spent at Elim Orphanage. Today we had the priviledge of meeting some of the orphans at Elim, after yesterday hearing about how many of them came to be orphans and the many wonderful ways that Jeremy and his mum aim to raise them with core Christian values. So it was great to have that extra understanding whilst getting to know them.
It was a productive day, as the boys worked up a sweat whilst cleaning the bathrooms as well as the biggest mix master known to man, which required at least 3 guys to lift. Meanwhile the girls swept up the dust in several rooms. The amount of dust in the air wasn´t great for those already suffering from a lack of oxygen due to the altitude, and it was predicted that tissues may be an interesting colour tonight.
After a morning spent hard at work, we were rewarded with a lunch prepared by the orphanage. The fried cauliflower in the main meal was well received by all, however the jelly for desert not so much, being more of a liquid consistency. It became a challenge that was accepted by some, as Susanna and Sarah battled it out to see who could eat the most, Josh was egged on by the kids who were cheering ´´come on George!´´ (they seemed to struggle to pronounce his name properly) and in Darryl´s words, ´´took one for the team´´ and ate both his and Meg Gough´s. Nevertheless, we were still greatly appreciative of the thought and effort that the cooks put in.
Following lunch we sayed our goodbyes and then navigated our way back home. Our afternoon adventure entailed a trip to the artisan markets, which included our very exciting first Peruvian llama sighting while travelling along the cobbled streets. The theme of llamas seemed to be recurring as many of the boys bought their second llama beanie at the markets, happy to settle for the price that they were offered, while the girls bargained for the lowest price possible on anything that caught their attention. Somewhere along the way Susanna, being an attraction of attention in South America, was also offered a ´´llama´´ to hold by a random lady in the streets. The ´´llama´´ got a little comfortable and ended up relieving itself by emptying its bladder on her. Turns out the llama was actually a lamb and the stench that was left on Susanna´s sleeve was not at all worth the experience.
Now bed time is nearing as an early night will be necessary in preparation for a big day tomorrow - Machu Pichu!
Adios!
Andrea
It was a productive day, as the boys worked up a sweat whilst cleaning the bathrooms as well as the biggest mix master known to man, which required at least 3 guys to lift. Meanwhile the girls swept up the dust in several rooms. The amount of dust in the air wasn´t great for those already suffering from a lack of oxygen due to the altitude, and it was predicted that tissues may be an interesting colour tonight.
After a morning spent hard at work, we were rewarded with a lunch prepared by the orphanage. The fried cauliflower in the main meal was well received by all, however the jelly for desert not so much, being more of a liquid consistency. It became a challenge that was accepted by some, as Susanna and Sarah battled it out to see who could eat the most, Josh was egged on by the kids who were cheering ´´come on George!´´ (they seemed to struggle to pronounce his name properly) and in Darryl´s words, ´´took one for the team´´ and ate both his and Meg Gough´s. Nevertheless, we were still greatly appreciative of the thought and effort that the cooks put in.
Following lunch we sayed our goodbyes and then navigated our way back home. Our afternoon adventure entailed a trip to the artisan markets, which included our very exciting first Peruvian llama sighting while travelling along the cobbled streets. The theme of llamas seemed to be recurring as many of the boys bought their second llama beanie at the markets, happy to settle for the price that they were offered, while the girls bargained for the lowest price possible on anything that caught their attention. Somewhere along the way Susanna, being an attraction of attention in South America, was also offered a ´´llama´´ to hold by a random lady in the streets. The ´´llama´´ got a little comfortable and ended up relieving itself by emptying its bladder on her. Turns out the llama was actually a lamb and the stench that was left on Susanna´s sleeve was not at all worth the experience.
Now bed time is nearing as an early night will be necessary in preparation for a big day tomorrow - Machu Pichu!
Adios!
Andrea
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