Pastor Angie's In-Spire-ations March 2018
“I have learned in life that even if there are difficulties, you have to fight very hard until you reach your goal.” ~ Maria (8th grade at Casa Chapi)
“Tell them thank you, for we are mothers who cannot read. Tell them to build more Casa Chapis. I would like that. I would like that a lot.” ~ Santusa, mother of a Casa Chapi student
Casa Chapi is a boarding school just outside of Chivay, the capital of the Caylloma province in the Arequipa region of Peru. It sits at 11,000 feet above sea level in the Colca Canyon. While this is a destination for people from all over the world who want to trek the Andes Mountains, it is also home to people who live in such poverty that I cannot find an adequate word. Poverty here does not even come close.
My first visit to Peru was in 2007. I’m not a big traveler and had only been out of the country once for a visit to the Holy Land. I headed out with Joni and Friends’ Wheels for the World Mission in Arequipa, Peru. It just so happened that there was an International Alpaca Fiesta taking place in Arequipa just 5 days after the Wheels trip ended. Much to my family’s (and even my own) surprise, I stayed on to attend the Fiesta. I was in Peru for a little over three weeks and I fell in love with the people and the breathtaking beauty of the country.
During the Fiesta, I encountered Quechua Benefit for the first time. Quechua Benefit has worked diligently WITH the people to determine needs and help THEM create solutions. The organization transitioned to a faith-based model several years ago and has now transitioned to a Helping Without Hurting model. Three new pillars were announced in 2017: Economic Empowerment, Education, and Preventative Medicine.
The mission trip to Peru is being planned for October 13-21, 2018. I was adamant with Mike that he NOT make busy work for us to do just because we want to go on a mission trip. I asked, “How can we create a trip in which we come to learn rather than arrive with the arrogant mindset that we Americans can change the world just with our presence?” Sorry if that sounds a little harsh, but I’m pretty passionate about that and he was very grateful. Our discussion led to something they have wanted to do for a while, but have not had the people resources to accomplish. The children who attend Casa Chapi come from remote villages where there is little to no exposure to other cultures or even a typical marketplace as in Chivay. They have not even experienced Condor Cross where the Andean condors fly, the natural hot springs that are such a treat, a trip to the market place to buy a new shirt and more. The teachers have wanted to build in field trips in a way that will give the children a cultural experience while exposing them to their own natural wonders. We will be those trial field trip guides! The beauty of this trip is that we not only get to experience these wonders ourselves, we get to see them through the eyes of children who live right there and have not had the opportunity to enjoy them.
We will be having an initial trip meeting on March 11th at 9:30 a.m. between services. If you are interested in joining us, please come to the meeting and hear more about it. I encourage you to watch this video about Casa Chapi before the meeting: https://www.quechuabenefit.org/what-we-do/casa-chapi/