New Link for our Blog

WE HAVE RENAMED OUR BLOG!

 

Please click on the link below to access our posts for a history of our involvement. Our committee is now called Connecting Hearts and Hands With Peru

 

Here's the link:

http://connectingwithperu.blogspot.com/

 

From Guatemala to Peru...What Next?

In 1992, St. Paul Parish was one of the first Catholic parishes in the Milwaukee Archdiocese to establish a sister parish relationship in Guatemala. We were involved with a parish in the colony Juana de Arco in  Zone 18, Guatemala City. Thanks to Len Grassmann, our pastoral associate at that time, and Sister Marietta Hanus from the School Sisters of St. Francis (SSSF),  for helping St. Paul Parish nurture that relationship for 20 years. As the violence kept on increasing in Guatemala, there were concerns about the safety of our missionaries traveling to Guatemala.. Sister Matilde, who had worked in the SSSF Development office in Guatemala City, was moving back to Peru and no one was taking her place. We wanted to continue our relationship with the School Sisters of St. Francis (SSSF) in Milwaukee. We asked Sister Matilde where our parish was most needed. Without hesitation, she said, "St. Clare School in Paita, Peru".  Sr. Matilde and God led us to Paita, Peru in 2013 and that's how it all began.

Our annual involvement:

• 2013 - Three delegates travel to Paita, Peru to gather information of the needs in Peru
• 2014 - First Medical mission trip
• 2015 - Milwaukee School of Engineering tested the city water and installed 25 Berkey water systems.
• 2016 - Second medical mission trip

What next? Sister Monica, director of St. Clare School, has given us several suggestions. 

• There's a great need for dental care. Many of the people have decayed and abscessed teeth. In order for a dental team provide services, dental chairs and supplies must be acquired and sent to Peru prior to the team arriving. We hope to acquire these necessary supplies and form a team for a trim in 2018. 
•  Walking with the students at St. Clare School - The students would like to have visitors. This visit will build relationships.
• Continue providing clean water to those with contaminated water

Our medical team is planning a trip to Peru in 2019.

Monday - Day of Departure

Our last day in Peru was Monday, June 20. After Charlie and Miranda completed the water system training, we took a rented van to Catacaos to look for souvenirs. This small city is just outside of Piura. We only had about 30 minutes and it was a rush going from store to store trying to find something for our loved ones. (Feel free to click on the pictures to see all of them full-screen.) 

 

Catherine and Lisa in Bus

Oliva, Lindsey, Elena and Cathy occupying the back seats.



Linda...doesn't she look tired!

Cathedral in Downtown Catacaos

Emily in small shop

After we completed our shopping in Catacaos, we traveled back to Piura, to eat at Longhorns. Good food, good drink, good company...

 

 

Waiter Taking our Order

The Toast



Deep-fried Appetizer

Catherine Ordered a Cold Salmon Appetizer

Lindsey - Hamburger and Fries

Sister Matilde



Sister Monica Ordered a Traditional Dish
Lomo Saltado

Salad

Sister Paul
Baked Potato and Beef

Sweet Bread over Hickory Grill
Hmmm good!

Pasta with Pesto Sauce

Emily was the Last to Receive her Food



Leaving Longhorns



After lunch, we headed to the airport. Cathy V. had to prove ownership of a suitcase that was lost in Lima and then found again in Piura. Thank goodness we were able to recover the suitcase of donations. We were short some of our supplies needed during clinic but we'll save these for our next clinic in three years.



Good bye! (Cathy holding her claimed suitcase.)

Dr. Bob, Charlie, Miranda, Catherine, Emily and Deb left for Lima after 5pm on Monday and Linda was on a different flight and left after 8pm. The five that were left behind in Piura were going to stay in a hotel and fly to Cusco on Tuesday morning. Their destination - Machu Picchu.

 

Catherine and Emily - Piura Airport

Charlie and Miranda - Piura Airport

Linda and Dr. Bob - Piura Airport

Entering LATAM (LAN) Airplane for Flight to Lima

 

Real time Photo of Airplane on Runway

  

Real time photo of Airplane Taking off

Real time Photo of Airplane in Flight to Miami



Catherine and Emily

 

Excellent Airplane Food
(Tomato and Mozzarella Salad, Flan, Beef Stew and Rice) 

Getting Ready to Land in Miami



Emily and Catherine in Miami Tram

Miami Airport





Downtown Chicago



O'Hare International

The six people that traveled  together through Miami arrived at O'Hare around 9:30am on Tuesday morning. Glad to be home!!!!


Submitted by Deb Passino

 

Drinking Water and Water Purification Classes

In Paita, Peru, water is obtained from the Piura River, about 35 miles from Paita. The water plant chlorinates the river water, just as Milwaukee chlorinates Lake Michigan water to provide Milwaukee County with drinking water.

 

Piura River Provides Water to Many Municipalities

 

River Water is Treated by the
Water Plant in Piura

 



Map of Water Plants in the State of Piura



In May, 2015, St. Paul Parish and Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) installed 25 water purifiers in Paita, Peru. After one year of trialing the Berkey Purification Systems, Sister Monica asked for more systems because the people feel it's easy to use and maintain. Each system will provide 6,000 gallons of purified water for each family receiving a system.

 

St. Paul Parish had enough money in their budget to provide another 50 systems. Thanks to all of our donors who made this possible. Each system requires two buckets and covers, two Berkey filters, and one spigot.

 

Supplies Needed to Assemble a System

 

In our community here in Wisconsin, if we need supplies, we get in our car or truck and drive only miles down the street to pick up our supplies. The sisters do not have it that easy. First of all, they don't own a working vehicle. They own a 1984 Bronco and it hasn't worked in years because parts are unavailable. The buckets were purchased at a bucket supplier in Piura, Peru, about 38 miles from Paita. The sisters had to hire a driver and rent a vehicle large enough to transport the 100 buckets pictured below. 

 



100 Buckets and Covers

What do we do with 100 buckets, 100 covers and 50 water Berkey filters?  That's where Miranda S. came into the picture. Miranda, Charlie's daughter, asked if she could take over this project while in Peru. Before she left for Peru, she investigated how the system worked, how to make each system and modified the instruction that existed from the team last year. Deb P. worked with Miranda and Emily D., our two very enthusiastic and over-achieving youth, to drill holes, assemble, clean, and test each system. They also had to correct any problems they discovered. For example, several buckets had hairline cracks, those buckets were defective and had to be replaced with working buckets.




Counting the Inventory of Buckets and Covers

Miranda Drilling Holes into
 Buckets and Covers




Emily Labeling Outside Buckets

Miranda Cleaning Buckets
After Drilling Holes

Miranda Inserting Filters and
Testing Each System 



Assembling One System

After all systems were assembled, tested and working properly,  Miranda and Charlie trained 38 people on how to assemble and maintain each system. There were three training sessions on Monday, hours  before leaving for our drive to Piura to take our flight home. Charlie also trained each group on basis skills to prevent cross-contaminating food and water, washing hands, how to use chlorine and iodine to clean food and water, etc.

Forty-three systems were promised to families in some very impoverished communities. After these families receive their system and use them for a short time, a community representative will follow-up with each family. Sister Paula heads this project and works directly with the leaders in the community. For those that didn't make it to training, Sr. Paula or the leaders will train those not attending the training. There are seven systems that will be given to other families in the future.



 

Charlie and the First Training Session

Mother and Baby at Training

Charlie and Miranda

Thank You!

"We Appreciate These New Systems."

Muchas Gracias!

Submitted by Deb Passino