Chris Lefke

Chris Lefke3 July 2007PERU MISSION TRIPThis new mission trip program to Peru was an amazing opportunity to experiencea different culture, a different way of life, and a new way to experience yourself throughthe people around you. When I was given the opportunity to go on a mission trip such asthis, I was very excited. Just the fact that this trip would be the first time I would leavethe country made it an adventure, but also the fact that it would be a mission trip made iteven more of an adventure.This trip was absolutely amazing, starting with the first day of the trip. On thefirst day of the trip, we boarded the planes in Cincinnati and headed off to Newark, NewJersey to get on our flight to Lima, Peru, just this experience was thrilling. Runningaround the airports with Mr. Benedetti and Mr. Delgado was quite an experience in itself.The flight from Newark, New Jersey to Lima, Peru was shorter than I had originallyexpected, and the flight was very enjoyable for me because I sat next to a very nice guyfrom California who liked the same music as me and was into a lot of the same stuff, sowe talked about music, movies, and lots of other stuff the entire flight. When the planelanded in Lima, Peru, Magally Lisa and the driver from Santa Maria were there to meetus as we arrived, this was a welcomed sight. The hospitality of the Peruvian peopleimpressed me from the minute we arrived in the airport. Overall, the first day in Peruwas enjoyable even though all we did was get settled in at Santa Maria.The first week in Lima was an absolutely amazing experience. Almost everymorning we would all get into Carlos’ van, Carlos was our driver who we hired to driveus around, and we would go down to Hno. Thomas Helm Marianistas school in Callao.At this school kids would go in the morning to play, work on school work, and get a goodmeal everyday. When we would go to Callao, we would play with the kids down at theball court, which is down the street and to the right inside an alleyway entrance. Wewould also work with the kids in the classrooms drawing, talking, or working on smallprojects. Also in this first week we would visit Maria Reina, which was my favorite

place to go, because it was where all my friends I made in Peru went to school. When wewere at Maria Reina we would socialize, well, for the first week and a half I was the onlyone who actually talked to and hung out with the girls and guys who were our age, whichis part of the reason why so many of them have invited me to come back to Peruwhenever I want.Then during the first week in a meeting Mr. Benedetti and Mr. Delgado askedwho would like to stay with a host family over the weekend, and I was the only one whosaid I would like to do so. So when they took us to Maria Reina so I could go stay withmy host family, they got 3 other families to commit to hosting 4 other Moeller students,so Aaron Delgado, Zach Kaylor, and Andrew Boerger all got to stay with host families.And I luckily was selected to stay with Daniella Palma, she is now one of my really goodfriends, which was great. Over this weekend I did everything imaginable with Daniellaand all of her friends, even Daniella’s boyfriend Mannolo took me around Lima one daywhile we were both waiting for Daniella to finish up a school project. That weekend issomething I will never forget for the rest of my life, it was the most fun I have ever had in3 days, and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.At the end of that weekend, I went to church with Daniella and her family. Thiswas a really cool experience to see and hear a mass completely in Spanish. Daniellawould tell me what to do throughout the mass which was awesome, because she becamelike a sister over that weekend and we became really close. In that mass I got to bring upthe gifts with Daniella for the Eucharist, which was a great experience.The last week of the trip was fun for me as well, but nothing topped the weekend Ispent with the Palma’s. During the last week of the trip we continued to go to Hno.Thomas Helm down in Callao, as well as going to Maria Reina, the highlight of my days,to work with the kids and play with them. In this week we also were getting prepared forthe Marianist Convention that was to take place over the weekend at the school where wewere staying, Santa Maria. The Marianist Convention that we were getting ready forsounded like a really amazing experience to me when we heard about it, and I was reallyexcited. When the Marianist Convention started and all the students and teachers fromthe different Marianist schools in Peru started to show up, I was astonished by how manyMarianists there are in Peru. The whole experience of the Convention was outstanding to

me because although I knew only a small bit of Spanish, I felt accepted and at home withall of the other people there.The entire mission trip to Peru was an experience that will stay with me for therest of my life and I will always cherish the people I met while in Lima. The work wedid with the children in Callao who went to Hno. Thomas Helm was actually moremission work that doing physical labor because we actually affected their lives, not justtheir surroundings, and I am very proud of this fact. Also socializing and working withthe kids at Maria Reina was another example of how mission work isn’t just physicallabor, because we affected their lives and I know for sure they all affected mine! Goingto Peru changed my life, not just for the short term, but for the long term. And beinginvited to go on the trip next year as an assistant is an amazing opportunity for me, and Iaccepted the offer with open arms. I can’t wait until I can experience the love of Peruagain.