Leshmaniasis

(picture of the clinic and the grassy waiting room)

Yesterday I saw my second case of cutaneous Leshmaniasis. The young lady's disease that I saw yesterday was much more progressed than the first case. Her nose was pointed at the end like a witch's from the destruction of her skin by the protozoan parasite. She had a scar from a previous ulcer that had manifested about 20 years ago. This type of dormancy is characteristic of leshmaniasis. The woman was Quechua and didn't know any Spanish so there were three languages being translated in one 4x11 foot room. (Quechua is viewed in Peru as a poor person's language and was the language once spoken by the Incans.) In fact, this lady is a really good example of how La Fuente (Dr. Allen's clinic) is trying to serve and bring wellness back to the whole person, not just the biological part. So last night the nurses took her home with them and gave her food and shelter, but we're looking for a temporary home for her here in San Jeronimo while she receives treatment. She lives 5 1/2 hours away-- a four hour walk to the closest bus stop and a 1 1/2 hour ride into town. So there is obviously no way she can get the medications and attention she needs at home. So the mission of the clinic is to give a social, spiritual, physical, and emotional support to those who are the poorest and this poor lady really embodies that need. So remember to pray for this young woman and the clinic who is going to be receiving more patients like her who have no hope, save the kindness of other people and the grace of God.

Spanish word of the day: La Fuente which means "the fountain". This is the name of the clinic that I've been working at and I think it's appropriate because it is a small, beautiful thing that gives refreshment to those who come it.

Paro Hike and Play

Yesterday was a day of relaxation. Since Paro shuts every down in the country we decided to walk 2 miles to the Allens' house and eat their amazing lunch with them. They recently got a swing in their backyard so their house is the hangout place for the rest of the neighborhood kids. Yesterday, with everyone accounted for there were 15 people in their yard at one time. These kids are like American kids in energy level, need for authority, excitement at new toys, etc. The sad thing I observed yesterday, and I'd already seen it in Mexico when I went there in college, is toddlers being raised by their 8-10 year old siblings and/or cousins. The parents both have to work jobs just to put food on the table, literally just to have food to eat (very unlike both parents working in America), so the under 2 year olds are left to be raised by their very immature siblings. Since it is all kids and no parents Jeanine Allen is thinking about starting a semi-organized VBS so the kids can learn a little bit about the Bible as they play.



Our other activity yesterday was a hike we took up the mountains behind the Allens' house. It was beautiful. Here are a couple pictures. The landscape here is so much different than the US.

A Primer on Peru

Today was a good, normal day. It is our 7th day in Peru and I feel like we are getting used to being here. We both tried to learn a little bit about the country before we left. The best site that I found was from the BBC. The link is here for anyone to read in case you want to learn a little bit about this very unique place. There are also links on this page to news articles, weather, and a timeline. So here's a homework assignment because I like comments on my blog (and I need affirmation every once in a while): find something interesting about Peru and post it so everyone can learn from it.

Spanish word of the day: Paro. Although this is not the official Spanish word for a workers' strike welga actually is, this is what Peruvians do at specific times during the year. Tomorrow is a paro day for the transportation workers here in Peru so there won't be any buses, taxis, or even personal vehicles driven on the roads. All of the businesses shut down, so we won't have to do much work and maybe I can catch up on my journaling if I decide not to join the mob and burn some tires. Just kidding Mom.

Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed has two definitions that are relevant to me right now: 1. to surge over or submerge; engulf. 2. to present with an excessive amount. I feel both right now.

Definition #1 connotes something that is dangerous like waves crashing over a boat. This is the feeling I get when I start thinking in global terms about healthcare, social injustice, racism, consumerism, poverty, etc. Being here in Peru gives all of these issues that I've considered in theory names and faces. It's not that all these issues don't exist in the United States, but they are not nearly as apparent as they are here. Take for example Altiva Canas. This is a place that's about 15 minutes away from our apartment that Jasmine (the Peruvian nurse doing all the talking), Megan, and I went today to talk to some people about personal and social hygiene focusing especially on their children. One of the families we talked to today (a family of five) lives on 2 soles a day-- that equals about $0.70. The lady we talked to was 31 and looked about 45 and being the wonderful hostess that she was, she served us all she had to offer-- tea-colored water from the public well. We had to explain that as Americans we could not drink this water, but the nurse that we were with drank it down like a Dasani. All this to say, I'm overwhelmed with things to think about.

Definition #2 connotes something that is lavish and wonderful like the presents you got for Christmas as a kid. This is the feeling I got as we walked around the mountains of Machu Picchu. I'd love to describe everything we saw when as climbed the steps made for tiny Incan feet but I'd have to write a poem or a song and I don't have the time or confidence for that. This resort in the mountains was fit for a king, but it did more than suggest that he wasn't the true master of his domain. The Rockies or Appalachians are not apt comparisons to the sheer 2,000 foot precipices in the Andes. Here, the clouds kiss the peaks and leave them white with snow and glacier. The world is beneath your feet and it feels like heaven is closer than it has ever been. In this case, the 422 pictures that we took do a much better job than my words can. Overwhelmed is how we felt.

Spanish word of the day: el cielo. It means "the sky" and "Heaven". At Machu Picchu you can understand why the Spanish used the same word for both.

A Good Day

(San Jeronimo has doorways that rival beauty and uniqueness of The Shire.)

It's kind of late for me right now and Meg's already headed to bed so this one's going to be short. Today, we mostly hung out with the Allen family in the afternoon. This morning I went to the clinic and saw what we think is cutaneous Leishmaniasis (a tropical disease transmitted by a sandfly) and Megan helped the girls with Math, reading, and writing. Today was fun and relaxing especially going into downtown Cusco, a very old colonial city, for dinner and eating some really good food that only cost us 79/S which equals about $26.33. Tomorrow morning through Sunday night we are going to be in Agua Calientes and Macchu Pichu climbing one of the most famous mountains in the world so don't expect any updates then. Anyway, everything is going very well and we miss y'all. Pray for our safety and endurance as we climb. It isn't very dangerous but it might be grueling. We'll bring back plenty of pictures.

Spanish phrase of the day- No urinar. A sign posted in the hospital in Cusco telling people not to piss on the floors. It has come to the city folks attention that many campesinos (people from the countryside) are not familiar with the funny porcelain apparatuses that we call toilets so they prefer to just urinar right there on the floor. I think we should all take a moment of silence for the unsuspecting victims who have slipped on human urine in the hospital hallways of Cusco..... Good night.

Megan's First-Ever Blog Post:

Well, we're back at the apartment after our first full day in Cuzco. Today Austin worked in the clinic (which is just a half-block from the apartment where we're staying), and I hung out with the doctor's wife and three daughters. We went to visit the lady who has the five baby lambs and watched her bottle feed them. She also has four children, two pigs (one is pregnant), a little kitty cat, several large chickens, and a half-dozen little baby chicks. The girls had so much fun playing with all the baby animals. I made friends with a baby chicken who took a liking to standing on my foot. After lunch (we eat lunch with the whole family every day -- it's the big meal), Austin and I climbed up the mountain behind the house with the two older daughters and their neighbors, a little girl who is about 8 and a little boy who is about 5 or 6. Of course my Spanish is...not so good, but we had a lot of fun with them.

According to Austin, here is the Spanish phrase of the day: "Toma un photo!", spoken by the little neighbor boy (pictured above) who loved smiling for the camera among the Incan ruins and his friends. His biggest smiles came when he looked at the pictures of himself -- so exciting!

San Jeronimo

(image from ih3.ggpth.com of where we landed in Cusco today)

Good evening everyone! I'm sitting in San Jeronimo, Cusco, Peru (city, district, country). Meg and I landed in this mountainous area at about 11am this morning after about 20 hours in 4 airports and 3 airplanes. We got about 5-6 hours of sleep last night and I have a feeling that we are going to sleep well tonight, although last night wasn't altogether terrible thanks to the neck pillows, acetazolamide, and our 2 hour nap in Lima. It's about 6:15 pm right now (Central time here too) and it is pretty much completely dark. You see, not only is it winter down here but it's also surrounded by mountains so the sun goes to bed a little bit earlier than it does over the Gulf of Mexico. Like Dad and I found out a few nights ago, the temperature swings about 40 degrees Fahrenheit each day from about 70 in the day to 30 at night. Pretty chilly for an apartment without any heat. Well, today has been really good: we ate a siesta lunch with the Allens (the missionary family) and played with their three daughters who are very cute and smart. After that Meg hung out with Jeanine Allen and her girls while Will and I meandered on the streets of St. Jeronimo. I got some some good pictures in the town today I'll try to post them soon as long as I can figure out how to sync our new camera with the old Mac. Well, that's about all I've got for now so we'll try send updates as often as possible.

Spanish word of the day: la oveja- the sheep. The word was used in reference to, Jenny you'll enjoy this, the woman that the Allens know who is tandem breastfeeding her infant child and, yes, her one of her infant sheep. To put any worries to rest this is not a normal practice so don't think all Peruvians are like this, but we thought that this was a great story to start the trip off with. I guess you gotta do what you gotta do to keep everyone one going even if it means trans-species nursing.