Into the New Year

The New Year is now well underway, and I am still in a mild state of disbelief that I’ve already been in Peru more than 16 months. Even more astonishing is that come November or December I will be returning home, and although that seems like a lengthy passage of time, I am constantly reminded of how quickly that time will go by. Already, I can see the events that will break up the time I am able to spend in Collón. More Quechua classes this month and next; Carnaval in Cajamarca; Semana Santa in Mancora; my parents visit in June; friends visiting during Fiestas Patrias; Close of Service Conference in August. The end is so close I can taste it, and this simple fact is making me once again evaluate my service, the influence I am having here, and the influence here is having on me.
My biggest preocupation is the normal one, when I leave will I have done anything I am proud of in my site? The fact remains that Collón is a difficult site to work in, especially as an environmental volunteer, and so what I’m really concerned about is simply making an honest effort this year to get something accomplished. This isn’t to say I didn’t try last year, I did, but last year was a time of becoming accustomed and adjustment. Last year also involved a lot of travel, and although this year seems like it will be quite similar, I’m hoping that the time I spend here in site will be more productive.
I do have a lot of reason to hope that this will be the case. Unlike last year, I have counterparts to work with this year which makes an enormous difference. My Healthy Homes project is already in the works, the surveys are ready and the first house visits will be next week, and I am presently working with (not separately from) the teachers during summer school. I even had a meeting recently to design a plan for development in Collón and 32 leaders of the community came and participated. Needless to say I was taken completely by surprise at such attendence and am taking it as a good sign for the year, although I’ve learned enough not to be too optimistic.
Personally, my life continues to be well. The holidays were a little tough as this is my second year away from home, but I spent the New Year’s in Lima with great friends and I continue to feel completely supported and loved by the volunteer ‘family’ here in Ancash. I even got to see an old friend a couple weeks ago. Sarah Terpstra, who sang with me in the Concert Choir at Maryville College, and who is now working here in Peru with the Presbyterian Church, came with some of her friends to Ancash and we had a fantastic couple of days in Huaraz and visiting the beautiful Llaca glacial lake.
Now, I am looking forward to this weekend when I will be going to the baptism of our taxi driver’s daughter, and the following day to the baptism of another volunteer’s younger brother. The following weekend will be more Quechua classes, hopefully helpful this time, and the weekend after that, Tyler (a volunteer who went home last July) will be coming to visit Ancash and we will spend the weekend with him (there is a regional meeting, Ancash prom, and the Super Bowl). After that, it will be off to Cajamarca for Carnaval which I will tell you more about later.
This of course means that I will again be spending time outside of site, which is difficult for me because I am really trying to stay in site as much as possible right now. But I just don’t know what I can do to change that fact. I should be able to stay in site almost the entire month of March though, and most of April excluding Semana Santa.

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