From Alene

Hello everyone!

From left to right: Katie, Mark, Pastor Georgia, Alene

It is good to be back home, although I do miss my new friends.  I had a good time visiting and traveling with you.  When I was asked if I had a good time in Peru the answer was very mixed. I received a blessing as I helped at the school.  I loved working with the children and getting to know some of the parents.  My heart goes out to the teachers and parents at the school. I had a great time site seeing and climbing Machu Picchu. I made it to the top!! All of the good, different food was great. But-- it is good to be home.

I will be leaving for Washington State on Monday, July 11.  My sister and brother-in-law are arriving here on Sunday.  We are going to take our time and site see along the way.  Our destination is Bremerton, Wa., where our brother lives. i ask your prayers for a safe trip.

May God bless each of you as you go about your daily lives.  And may you include Him in your daily lives.
                   Until we meet again,
                         Alene Simmons

A word of Thanks from Peru

Georgia, I thank you for the nice pen and the little and beautiful cowboy picture Denisse gave to me on your behalf this afternoon, it is a nice detail that I will remember while I live. Please, express my gratitude to Donna for providing me with a stretching session that muscles of my upper and lower limbs needed urgently. She made my day then!

Finally, thanks to you and all of your team for the extraordinary work you performed in favor of people with disabilities in my country, God bless you all ever.

Sincerely

Julio Chojeda Torres

--

Still praying

As we are home and still thinking about our dear friends in Peru, I find myself praying throughout the day.  For the child with seizures, or the parent with circles under their eyes from worry.  God be with our new friends your children and thank you for letting all of us serve.  Amen

Peace!

hello from Peru

We are leaving Peru at midnight tonight, so Thursday morning. We have had a great time! Working at the school was wonderful. I loved working with the kids & their parents. I hope I was half as helpful to them as they were a blessing to me. The sight seeing in Cusco & surrounding areas was beautiful & the chance of a lifetime. So much history here! I have missed my kids & family, but have had the chance to make many new friends. Excited to get back home & see everyone! Best wishes to all!!  Donna C.

´Prayer requests Peru Clinic

Dad with Cancer
Sergio seizures stop
Antoinette peace in her family and new friends, new job
Kory med reduction goes well and that the family has rest, love and peace.
Steffanie seizures stop
Erick sleep better
Andrea seizures to stop
Mercedes pray for all the moms here, staff and Lilliana that she will know God´s help, blessings on her father and mother.
Alavarez new meds will work

Joshua new meds will help
Daniela change in meds will work
Jerson change in meds will work
Claudia seizures will be controlled
Yurico new meds will work
Fanny new med plan will work
David will sleep
Karla new med plan will help
Juan new med plan will help
Hector his family will have peace
Diego healing and more calm, family asks for peace
Nishmal sleep and health improved
Carlo seizures stop, new med plan will work
Aaron med plan continue working
Valerie med plan will continue to work, strength for mom
Carlos sizures will be under control, help with med plan
Andres peace
Cristina New med plan will work
Liliana sleep better
Susana peace
Miquel peace
Huayta sleep better, seizures will stop
Aldrea sleep better
Claudia new med plan will work
Josthin sleep better
Fiorella peace
Bryant new med plan will work
Laura peace
Jahary peace
Eduardo change in med plan will work
Jhon peace
Daniel new drug plan will help
Marco pray for strength for Marco´s mom and family
Gonzalo new med plan will work
Valeria health of her whole family

These are all the prayers from Clinic.  Please pray for these persons and families.  Pray for us as we continue to travel.

The end to a great week at CASP

I asked for the opportunity to write today, since it was the last day of medical consultations at Centro de Ann Sullivan de Peru.  We were more efficient each day, so that each day we were able to see more patients thant the previous day.  First some thoughts about the school and staff, then the people and the patients, then me.

I am amazed by the school and its philosophy.  Their motto is ¨Make the impossible possible¨.  They believe in teaching parents on how to teach their children, so that their children, who society neither helps nor expects much from, can contribute to the home and society.  In many cases, they are successful in helping children and adults gain meaningful employment.  I love seeing how patient and caring everyone is with each other and the students.  Everyone really feels and acts as family.  I said yesterday to the director, Liliana, that I have trouble distinguishing between the teachers and the parents.  That is because the teachers love and care like parents, and the parents have become experts in teaching like the teachers.  It is a wonderful realationship that I think we all could and should learn from.

The parents have an inner confidence and strength that is remarkeable and wonderful to witness and feel.  So many come from humble situations, but they have the same desires, worries, fears that you and I have for ourselves and our families.  From a medical standpoint, I know there is so much that could be done or should be tried to improve these children´s lives, and I often became frustrated in my unfamiliarity with the names of medications that are used here in Peru (it is not uncommon for names of medications in different countries to be totally different to those we use in the United States, even if the medication is exactly the same).  Also limiting was knowing that some medications are prohibitevely expensive or that some simply weren´t available in Peru.  Many individuals have been taught fears about certain medications or quantities of medication that we know are safe from use in clinics back home but it takes time to reteach and reassure that we can do so so that the health of their child can improve.  There is a particular need to develop a comprehensive strategy of education, counseling-training, and medications to help with inteferring behaviors associated with autism.

Finally, me.  I came to Peru with the expectation that I could give someing back to God for all the blessings he has given me, particularly to opportunity to study and learn medicine and to be in a position where I can travel and do service such as this.  That certainly was the case here.  But I didn´t expect that so quickly I would form a bond of friendship and family with everyone here -- staff, parents, patients, and my fellow VIM Peru team members.  It really has been an experienced that touched me deeply, perhaps because brought to the surface feelings similar to those I had as a missionary in Argentina 20 years ago.  I certainly now look forward to being able to return to CASP and continue to help in this small way those patients we were able to help this week.

I close now with the same scripture that I wrote in the guest book of CASP earlier this afternoon:  "Inasamuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  (Matthew 25:40)

Chau, que Dios les bendiga a todos que han sorpurtado a nosotros aqui.  Le agradezco a Dios que yo tuveira la oportunidad de servirle en esta manera.

Dr. Darcy

Clinic Day!

The week has flown by.  Each morning we get up and walk the farthest was Wednesday we walked 3.5 miles and went and seen the ocean.  Today as I wait for my team members to walk down to the ocean together perhaps one last time as some leave late tomorrow for home, I give thanks for each one and the gifts they have shared.  Here are just a few:  Donna giving therapy to the children, adults and especially the moms, Darcy listening and paying attention to each parent no matter how tired he is, Mark allowing the children to lead him, Katie taking pictures and helping serve the parents visiting for father´s day, Sharon dancing with the children, Cathy helping lead the dentist in the field to 90 children, Alene listening to a mother´s heart and crying with her, Judy listening with her heart as a mother shares the story of her child´s death, and Georgia taking the time to find the funny, beautiful part of each child no matter how ill, trying to make their lives to be more than the seizures that impact their lives.

Thank you all for praying today,
God´s peace to you.

Team work

On a walk

Working together for CASP

Clinic day again

Today we have seen already many children and adults with different abilities.  Many come with different concerns but the common blessing is to share as parents, doctors, and friends what concerns we have.  There are many prayer requests.  We would like for you to know we will be posting them soon so you can see them and pray for all of them.  One mom in particular I would like for you to pray.  She only gets 2.5 hours to sleep in the evening.  She has to care for her 3 children, alone, and one of them who goes to school here takes about 2 hours to get here and 2 hours to get home.  She asked for just prayers for her children,but she also needs our prayers.  Peace to you, Pastor Georgia

June 14 & 15

Welcome from all of us here in Lima.   Yesterday and today we were very busy.  Dr Krueger has seen many patients, and they are so greatful to have him here for treatment.  Donna has been busy with physical therapy with both children and their moms.  Today she had a couple of men in the class as well.  Katie and Mark have been busy helping with the children as they go to the park for picnics.  They are so much fun to have with us on our mission trip.  Sharon has been very helpful in the music department with instuments she brought with her.  The children love it.  Cathy helped set up the pharmacy and teach how to do blood pressure checks.  Today Cathy went to a very poor part of Peru to assist with dental evaluations.  Alene has helped in so many areas like the pharmacy, physical therapy and also helped Judy with inventory of the school property.  Judy has been busy doing inventory with the help of Mark, Katie, and Alene.  Judy has worked on inputing the information on a spreadsheet for the school.  Georgia has been so busy with the patients doing paper work to help Dr Kruger.  Georgia has also done two presentations for the parents on how to care for oneself as caregivers.  Tonight Dr Kruger and Georgia did a question and answer session in the auditorium for the families.  We had a very good turn out and again the families were so greatful to have us here.  The people we have met with here are so loving and caring, they make us feel very welcomed.  Our hosts Gladys and Raul have been wonderful to take us to and from the school and also feeding us.  They are so much fun to be with.  Lilliana Mayo is the founder of the school and what a wonderful person she is.  All of the school personel have made our time here so rewarding with the help they give to us.  The children here are remarkable with all they have accomplished.  They are truly a blessing to all of us.

Mark's Travels

The first flight to Atlanta was a bit ruff, I sat next to two women from Switzerland who kept me company during the filght. When we got off the plane at 1:45 we had tell 5:30 till our next flight I felt somewhat quezzy in the stomach but then Georgia bought me some chewable tablets which calmed my stomach. Georiga, Katie and I then ate lunch and waited until our other members arrived. On the second 7 hour flight to Peru suprisingly it went pretty well, I sat next to a woman from Peru who spoke no english but I knew enough to get by. I watched two movies on the plane, Gulligers travels and The Green Hornet, somewhat of a dissappointment but it passed the time. When we landed in Peru and got all of our luggage I luckly got a green light it was basically 50/50, Raul then drove us to our hotel and we went straight to sleep. In the morning Georiga told us breakfeast at 8:00 so me and Darcy came down at 7:45. No one else from our group was their. They accidentaly set their alarms one hour off and didn't come down to eat until 8:30. End day 1

Today's pictures June 13 2011

Katie, Mark, Georgia, Alene

Juani, Georgia, Joshua

Team on our way to work

Tempe & Montana

Kids at CASP

Mothers of CASP greeting the team

Meet Katie!

Hola! I'm Kaitlin (Katie) and this is my second trip to Peru! I am 16 years old and going to be a senior this next year! I play the alto saxophone and flute in the high school band, and am a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Looking Forward: I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know all of the team members and the people in Peru! I'm also excited to expand my Spanish as I am going on four years of formal Spanish, and attending classes at the college level.

Favorite Song: My favorite song is "Con te Partirò" a duet by Andrea Bocelli and Sara Brightman! Why? I LOVE ITALY! I am obsessed with anything Italian! The male singer in this duet is Italian ♥ but he is blind! Andrea Bocelli is a big inspiration to me because he doesn't let his condition stand in the way, and is an amazing singer. I also love the female singer in this song because she played Christine in the original Phantom of the Opera! (My FAVORITE musical ♥)
Why I am going:

I am going to Peru to serve God and the people of Peru. I want to reflect not only my country but myself in a positive light, while I am away. I am also going to learn their customs, culture and their language.

Meet Alene

My favorite scripture verses are so hard to choose from but guess 1 John 4:19 & John 14: 1-6 would be the pick for the moment.  I don't have a favorite poem, but I always like "The Village Blacksmith" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  As far as a favorite song "Never Alone" and "By and By" in the Broadman Hymnal (We Baptist use that book). I am excited now, getting more so as the time draws nearer, about going with the group to Peru. I still wonder just what I
will be doing but am willing to help where ever I am needed. I will work hard to be an asset to the group and pray that the trip will be fruitful and safe. It is always interesting and exciting to meet new people and see new places.  Love, Alene

Meet Dr. Darcy Krueger

The most exciting thing I am looking forward to Peru is that it will be the first time I am returning to South America since I served a two year mission in Argentina when I was 19.  I want to go because I loved serving others then and I believe God has blessed me with the opportunity to learn medical skills and expertise and this is a way I can show Him my gratitude and give back to others. 

My favorite song is "I am a Child of God".  I don't think it is well known outside LDS circles but it is easy to learn and I can bring both English and Spanish versions to share if anyone is interested.

DK

Getting Ready

By now we have received our packing lists and are checking it over carefully.  One thing to note that Peru in June is winter!  You will need winter clothing for the temperatures and plan for the average high of 66 and average low of 59.  Normally we would think this temperate to be very moderate and rather nice, however you must remember you will be traveling from very warm and hot weather.  Your body will need to adjust.  I recommend a layer approach with a jacket for the evening.

What I usually do is go to my closet and drawers and put my winter clothes that I am ready to give up and take them to Peru.  Then I go to the goodwill or garage sales to buy the rest.  This way all my clothes can stay in Peru! 
Peace!

Georgia

Ready Set Peru!

Planning has been in the works and people have stepped forward.  This next week I order tickets and pray that all that we are sent to do will be accomplished.  Many times people wonder if they should go or not.  Here is what I know if you heart is excited at the thought of going somewhere and you are willing to serve at whatever is asked of you to do...you are ready!  With God's grace, joy and love we are going to Peru again and pray you can to!

Peace to you Pastor Georgia