We hiked a mile down a misshapen, beaten-down path, crowded with jungle foliage, still not quite used to using our legs after spending too much time packed into the van. Eventually, the trees opened up to the captivating scene of a waterfall cascading down almost 200 ft in boulders and rock formations, hugged by a small, shallow pool of the clearest, turquoise water and floored with stones and pebbles of extraordinary colors and varieties. We entered the warm pool, fully clothed, and swam our way over to the base of the falls. Cautiously at first, daringly as time passed, we ventured to test the power, undoubtable by the roaring sound made by the collision to the surface. Probing the sheet of water, first with fingers, then hands, limbs, and finally entire bodies, we played with how long we could keep ourselves immersed under the flow. This recollection, along with many more during the time spent with friends and family that weekend, is forever imprinted into my memory.
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Q:Describe one moment or memory that you will never forget.
The weekend trip to the jungle. We- my sister, my Peruvian host family, our friends and I- all loaded up in a van with a couple machetes and a lot of excitement. After four hours driving south through the windy mountain roads, we arrived at our first destination- La Catarata de Bayoz en Chanchamayo.
Q: How has your worldview changed because of this experience?
This was the first of trip I took independently of any organization or of my parents. Therefore my paradigms were mostly influenced by the relationships I made with the locals. We divided our time between teaching in a school in the city, to ministering to a low-income suburb, to roaming the mountainsides of the small, rural villages. Connections were made in classrooms, living rooms, soccer fields, and potato fields. This trip helped change my view of the rural "poor"; since in monetary value they were of little value, they were defined by the flourishing of their lives- how much peace, joy, and love could come from what little means they had. In a plethora of ways, they were richer than anyone I had met. Blessings come in all shapes and sizes, but if I had to food, security or modern plumbing vs. an abundant, flourishing life, filled with family and friends- well, the choice is obvious.
Q: What was one thing that was hard or that you didn’t like?
This may sound cliche, but the language barrier was a challenge. At this point, I had travelled to three different Spanish-speaking countries on six different occasions, but spending a whole summer living in the language is a different challenge. For a short-term trip, it was a success if I could communicate ideas and questions by the end of the week. For a long-term trip, I was deemed the "translator" because I had the most previous exposure to the language, and so I had to meet demands such as communicating with a team of faculty members to discuss plans, ideas, and protocols. Understanding the host language is paramount to not only building relationships, but also to understanding your students when they ask questions or attempt sentences in English. I had to learn to think, speak, and eventually dream in Spanish before I could make this crucial connection, enabling better communication and a deeper appreciation for their learning difficulties as well.
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