Thursday, March 10, 2016

Thursday was a day full of sunshine, service, and steep hills. The group got up early in the morning and headed to Becky’s house in taxis. After a little delay, we finally arrived ready for our track workout for the day. We ran through narrow dirt paths and rocky terrain before we reached the steep hills. We were even stopped by some cows, but they did not bother us too much. The view was beautiful and we could see the whole city of Arequipa. 

After our run back to Becky’s house, we took public transportation to Ciudad de Dios, where we did service work, including gathering rocks and jackhammering concrete. This area is very run-down, but it was great to see another side of Arequipa. Lunch consisted of “Limonada Asada” made up of beef, peppers, onions, and rice. The special treats were guinea pig and chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies.

After lunch, we walked around the neighborhood to gather some kids to participate in the track clinic we had planned. We actually got a better turn out than expected. The kids’ enthusiasm was great and contagious. The track events included the standing long jump, follow the leader running, stretching, running drills, and shuttle relays. It was great to see the kids excited to learn a new sport and for the Messiah athletes to interact so well with the children. While in Ciudad de Dios, we were very honored to serve God by interacting with the kids and work on the church property in the city. Although not everyone could speak Spanish, we all made attempts to communicate His word in meaningful ways.

After the day at Ciudad de Dios, we took a bus back to Becky’s house where we had empanadas for dinner. We loved trying the authentic Peruvian food throughout our trip, and this was no exception. Dinner also consisted of devotions in which we shared where we saw God that day and how this trip will impact when we return to the United States. After a long day, we headed to bed to be ready for another fun day in Peru.