Church Services and Alpacas: Another Adventure in Juliaca

I went to Juliaca last weekend with SAMS missionaries Kym McDaniel and Kathy Decker.  It just so happens we are all Texas gals, so you know it was a good time!  Kathy keeps up with the blog/newsletter for the diocese and wanted Juliaca to write about the church there, so Kym and I went along.  You may remember Juliaca from one of my first blog posts - it's the city where we worked my first week in Peru that had the very intense 4 day city-wide strike.  Praise the Lord, this time we did not experience another strike.

A picture on the floating islands

Friday: 

We left a day early and detoured to Lake Titicaca.  It's the highest lake in the world and is HUGE.  We toured the floating islands - manmade floating islands where the only  visible technology is a solar panel.  Then we toured the Taquile Island an island with about 2,000 residents.  Life on that island is definitely like stepping into the past - WAY INTO THE PAST.  No cars and small paths instead of streets makes for a completely different life-style than we are used to. 

A group of girls on their way to school 

I made some new pals on Tequile Island

The sanctuary now

Saturday:

We woke up early on Saturday ready for a full day.  We had 3 services in 4 hours, the first of which was at the church so I had the opportunity to see the finished product of all the work we began in October.  The first was a service for people with disabilities.  Padre Luis has started this ministry for the disabled, and the little church was filled with faithful servants of the Lord all suffering from a number of disabilities -  blind to deaf, to amputees, to those confined to wheelchairs.  It was a very impacting and memorable service.  

The courtyard before

And after!

Kathy and I with the birthday boy.

Service #2 was held at the cemetery in Juliaca where a family had a memorial service for their mother who passed away several years ago, and service #3 was an 18th birthday party!  A family welcomed us into their home, into a little room that serves as a chapel inside their house.  We celebrated the Eucharist.  We made a toast, had birthday cake, and got to join in on the Peruvian tradition of shoving the birthday cake in the face of the birthday boy after making a wish.  

Peruvian tradition: birthday cake in the face.

After the three services we took the priests to lunch.  Afterward Padre Luis wanted to take us to an Inca Cemetery outside of the city.  We drove there and saw some beautiful sites.  I must say - I'm constantly amazed with Peru and the various different types of terrain, all so beautiful.  I'm constantly reminded of how good our God is.

An overview of Teriachi

Sunday: 

Sunday morning we traveled out to Teriachi, a working hacienda, outside of Juliaca where Padre Luis has a Sunday morning service every week.  The owners have agreed to let Padre Luis use the chapel that would be empty otherwise on Sunday mornings.  We arrived at 8:30.  The service wasn't until 11:30.  So what did we do?  Well, we played with the alpacas, of course.  The family that lives on the ranch and cares for the animals was excited to show us all their animals.  After playing with the animals the youth group arrived.  With still a couple of hours 'til the service, we began rehearsing for the Stations of the Cross, a small play, they plan to put on during Holy Week. And yes, I said we...

With members of the youth group during our rehearsal

I mentioned in my last post I am now an actress.  HA.  They have asked me to return to Juliaca and be in their play.  Just guess what part they want me to play….  Mary.  When I asked why they told me, "Because you look like her."  Hmm, I had never heard that one before.  But, I gladly agreed, and was excited that they thought of me and want me to be part of their production.

After our rehearsal, the service started.  The pews were filled and it was another great service.  Afterward the people came to the front and Kathy and I prayed for them individually and in families.  I would just like to add how grateful I am that God understands my prayers in Spanish, despite all of the grammatical errors I undoubtedly make. :)

After the service ended we were standing out front with everyone visiting and meeting the people, when a couple of alpacas wandered up.  Only in Peru do find yourself playing with alpacas after church.

Padre Luis giving the alpacas a snack

And here are some other pictures from the weekend: