Piñal, Sombras, y el Torre

Two weeks down - two weeks less to look forward to. I´ve settled into the routine of life at AMOR Project´s main site, Km. 38 out from Pucallpa. I´ve spent my time working with the lampa, a large hoe, digging up the types of grass that grow big and hard to cut around the two rought houses and paths, building sombras, tin roofs to stick out above the windows so rain won´t blow in, making beds, hauling chainsaw-cut boards out of our selva (forest), and keeping up with the basic necessities of life. That means a couple hours each day of shared meal prep/clean-up with the other SMs and Peruvian fellows that live with us. We have to keep pretty sharp tabs, since not soaking beans overnight ahead of time or similar small catastrophes can severely push back mealtimes! Those are fun times - with several different scopes of responsibility and schedules, times around meals are the prime opportunities for fellowship, reporting and sharing on the day´s happenings and future plans, and enjoying a little bit of the ease of English communication.

The team I´m working with is great - everyone has a good sense of humor and is wiling to adapt. Without that, we´d be stuck! Between having between 7-10 people in a small house, and the shifting needs of life where detailed advance planning means expecting that most details will change. Everyone pitches in when there´s work to be done too, from washing dishes to changing monkey diapers (though that one is definitely Kaitlin´s specialty!).

Before I go much farther, I should introduce the team. Jenni heads the team, and has been working and living in Peru for several years. She spends much of her time traveling and keeping the paperwork and logistics flowing for the different aspects of the program. Edwin is the Peruvian man-of-many hats, working at Km. 38 in whatever building/maintaining project is up for the day, and teaching us gringos how things work. His young wife, Nidia, and her little brother, Luis, 10, live with him in the second house on site.

Mauro is my roomate, a 17-year old Peruvian, working on building things at Km. 38. Brent and I work with him and Edwin most of the time, except during the campaigns about every 6 weeks, when we will be doing dental work.

Tara and Kaitlin teach English and music at several little schools around Km. 38. Emily and Kristen spend their time following up on past campaigns with a program called Familias Saludables, helping families to develop better health habits. Since most of the campaigns are quite a way from Km. 38, they live with area families or in a hospedaje (hostel/basic apartment) near the area they´ll be working in for that particular period. Laura is the media/communication/photography person, developing fundraising material for AMOR Projects and being an extra body to fill in wherever needed.

Life at Km. 38 is quite basic. Water and plumbing were installed just before this set of SMs arrived, with the last group hauling water 250 meters from the well and using a primitive pit toilet. This year, we are definitely living in luxury. There is no electricity, so after supper by the light of a couple candles, bedtime comes early. A very good thing, since breakfast takes time to make from scratch, and needs to be ready by about 7 am to get Tara and Kaitlin to school on time. Internet and phones happen once every week or two, when we all come into Pucallpa by taxi or the project pickup for some reconnection time. Speaking of which, it´s time to head back and my internet time is up! God bless!