Team Leader Nate Jones reflects on the 2017-18 Peru July team’s experiences in Pucallpa.
We’ve been having an incredible experience in the village of Pucallpa (pronounced Poo-cal-pah) in the Amazon! Our team has been working hard and getting dirty removing mud from a landslide with the help of some of the men from the village. There have been some setbacks due to the land that is continuing to slide and rain that makes the mud super slippery, but our positive attitudes are motivating us to keep on working. Aside from construction, we have loved making connections with the kids, teaching them English during school, practicing Spanish on them, and playing soccer. Our business committee has been supporting the villagers’ businesses and helping them create business plans, and the health committee has had a fun time teaching basic health lessons, women’s and men’s health, and first aid. It’s also been fun getting to know the women in the village with our vocational projects, teaching them sewing patterns and making friendship bracelets for our Closing Ceremonies.
Outside of our hard work, we’ve made some unforgettable memories piranha fishing in the Amazon River and going on jungle walks, spotting giant tarantulas, and talking with our hotel’s resident parrot, Pedro. We miss our family and friends and can’t wait to share our stories when we come back!