Team Building and Peruvian Meal

Day 2- Mesa de Piedra
Today was our first full day in Peru and we had fun! Our day began with a simple breakfast of fruit cheese and bread. We all enjoyed the Banana-Apple combination which looked a lot like a banana but was sweeter. We drove to the district of Cienaguilla which is on the north side of Lima in the foothills where we were promised sun but the clouds never parted. That did not slow us down though and several rounds of soccer, some ping-pong, a horse back ride and playing a Peruvina game call Soba . Soba requires the throwing of slightly heavy and thick coin shaped pieces through holes in a board for various point amounts. The best shot is through the mouth of a brass frog in the center of the board.
All these activities made us very hungry and the Mesa de Piedra kitchen had just what we needed. WIll Funk won the ordering prize for Cuy (guinea pig) prepared in the deep fryer and served "en toto". Nate Hoffman came in a close second with the grilled goat. Colin Sweeney did well with the rabbit and both Meg Sweeny and Will Burroughs loved the crawfish. Trout, ceviche and roasted chicken were done local style and very good. I was very happy with my anticuchos (marinated cow heart skewer) which I accompanied with Chicharon (fried pork), one of my favorites from Costa RIca.
Special award of achievment goes to Edward and Theresa for their selection of Pachamaca, a mixed grill of sorts that starts by sealing the ingredients in a stone oven for 30 minutes then finished on the grill. By sealed I mean they pack mud around the openings! It is served in a claypot. The sweet potatoes and oversized corn were also amazing.
While we did have our bathing suits and the pool looked inviting, both the lateness of the hour following the last soccer match and the long drive home compelled us to skip the pool. Our guide Susan, bundled up in her, was more than happy to herd us to our waiting coach. A really great time in a wonderful place.
The youth are really coming together as a team and I am very excited as we begin our work. At reflection tonight we each shared our hopes for the impacts from our mission trip and to a person they centered on leaving a lasting personal impact on the people whose lives we touch in addition to making physical improvements to their facilities. Padre Edward concluded by asking us to think about how God had in some way guided each of us here. Tomorrow we will visit our work site at Jesus el Salvador, meet some teens from the local area and with them visit the ruins at Pachacamac. I know it seems like all we are doing is playing but we really are ready for work and the team is very excited to begin. Stay Tuned!