Day 2: Welcome to Peru
Bienvenidos!
After 17 hours of travel, we finally arrived at the Lima International Airport, where we were greeted warmly by our Peruvian national leader Omar Leon Arias. Even at one in the morning, the airport was bustling with activity, honking cars, families waving signs looking for their members, and the flashing lights of nearby police cars. We were shuttled by the young CARP (Collegiate Association for the Research of Principle) members to our Peruvian headquarters. Driving through the streets of Peru for the first time, we were able to get a taste of its culture already. Crammed together in the van like sardines, going through downtown, we were introduced to the mouthwatering smells of Peruvian street food.
After a happy reunion with some of our CIG (Cheon Il Guk) Missionary members, we enjoyed a restful night's sleep in the beautifully prepared rooms. We awoke Wednesday morning to the gentle sounds of birds chirping and cars driving by the headquarters. Finally, we joined as one GPA (Generation Peace Academy) and CARP family as we ate a light breakfast of chicken sandwiches, bread with jam, and a delicious warm fruity drink. After only eating snacks and airplane food, having the first real meal was a blessing. Introductions were made across the tables as we began to get to know our international members. We truly felt like one family unifying together under God, greeting each other with smiles and hugs as if we had known each other for years instead of a few minutes.
Then we prepared to go and explore Peru on our first real adventure! Driving on the streets to the Museo Larco (Larco’s Museum), we were amazed by the fact there was so much greenery to see, parks, trees, and bushes with flowers, despite Lima being in a desert. The Museo Larco was founded by Raphael Larco Hoyle, a scientist who had made many archeological discoveries of ancient Incan and pre-Incan artifacts in the 1920s. Seeing history and the things people created to be so similar and different around the world was an amazing experience. It gave us all a broader perspective of the culture and people reading about their ancient cultural beliefs: sacrifices, burial practices, and even the jewelry created gave a beautiful expression of life thousands of years ago. You could see the creativity of God reflected in the many different forms of art, from pottery to woven tapestries and blankets.
Our day ended with seeing the open-air craft markets. “It was a good cultural taste,” said Joy Asahata, 1st Year Participant. It was an exciting experience to try and haggle the price down. The bright colors and fabrics bombarded our senses, making it very easy to lose all sense of direction. It was hard sometimes to reject and walk past a store with a particularly desperate vendor trying to show you anything to catch your eye and have you stop. They would remind us of ourselves, getting the attention of anyone to buy a print or even donate. With a haul of llama sweaters, keychains, and stickers, the souvenir shopping was a success for all those involved.
We’ve been traveling to Huaraz from Wednesday night into Thursday to see and enjoy more of God’s creation!
Generation Peace Academy
Anya Schneider
Blogger, Peru