So we´ve just got back from being thrown in at the deep end - we have just spent Thurs-Sat out in the countryside with the youth from the church on a holiday camp. Needless to say, it wasn´t quite what we expected...Our accommodation was a country mud hut - literally all mud; floor and walls (and yet more mud when it rained). We were lucky enough to have a loo though - a most precious little long-drop a short walk away. We had to have a detailed explanation on our first night of how exactly to tackle the bathroom - the trick was to arm yourself with a torch, somehow stay on the narrow path without falling into the large pit next to it, and then somehow fight off the hungry cow that would try to suck you to death before finally reaching your destination and not falling into the hole. And then hopefully you hadn´t forgotten your loo roll.
The poor boys probably had it worst off though - their accommodation was the tiny upper floor of our mud hut, too small to sit up and too dusty to breathe pròperly! We were literally praying the ceiling wouldn´t collapse...Added to this was the fact that we were practically smoked out of the hut in the morning by next door cooking breakfast!
We took part in lots of sports, games, English lessons, dances and we also helped hand out magazines in the village as part of the church´s work in the countryside. Everyone had a good time and it was a great session of bonding with the youth and leaders of the church we´ll be working with. And there´s nothing like waking up to a beautiful Peruvian dawn in the lush green hills, followed by a quick donkey ride before breakfast :)
Love, Alice C & the Peru team