It’s complicated

No, not the movie, although I do hope to see it.  It’s processing our trip to Peru that’s got my brain and my heart all twisted.  Peru is the sixth poorest country in the world.  The city where we stayed and worked is the poorest city in the country.
Chimbote.  It’s about seven hours north of Lima on the Pacific coast.    The city is about 400,000 people in the middle of the San Luis desert.  The wind—and the dust—are relentless.  The people are beautiful beyond words.  Simply, we went to serve the poor in Jesus’ name.  Nothing is solved or resolved; the scope of the poverty is enormous, and we are only one drop of relief, one brief moment of eased suffering, of hope.

Days One, Two, and Three were primarily devoted to construction and re-building existing “houses.” Before, home of Manuel y Isabel, Luz, Anna, y Manuel Jesus

The old house has been torn down, and the new estera house is near completion.

Anna in her new room with her toys—all of them.

Our medical team worked all day everyday in the indigent care hospital and in a free clinic they set up each afternoon.

Our helpers, las architectas, Sayudi y Brenda

I was blessed to be able to take these two 16-year-old girls shopping for school supplies.  When I invited them to pick out something “fun” for themselves, they asked if they could get rice for their families  instead.
I guess it’s not so complicated after all.