Seven FAQs

Many people have asked about our mission plans in Peru. These are the seven most common questions we’ve fielded. Jaclyn also answers another FAQ, “are you ready?” in this month’s team newsletter which should be out in a few days. If you haven’t done so already, you can subscribe to the team newsletter at www.teamarequipa.net .

1.       Where will you live? In a mud hut?

No, not a mud hut or in the middle of the jungle. Arequipa is a city of almost a million people. That’s about the size of San Francisco or Indianapolis and it has a higher population density (people per square mile) than New York City. For about the first six weeks we are staying with a Peruvian family in their home. Home stays help immensely with the language and culture acquisition process. After that, we plan on renting a two bedroom apartment.

2.       What is it like there?

Arequipa is a city with one of the fastest growing economies in all of South America. People from the rural areas are moving to Arequipa for jobs and opportunities. It’s a major hub of culture and economics in southern Peru. The city is about 7,500 ft above sea level. Andean mountains dominate the skyline. There aren’t many buildings higher than four or five stories because of the periodic earthquakes. In Arequipa you can find malls, movie theaters, banks, and department stores downtown, but you can also find cinder block houses with no electricity and no running water on the outskirts of the city. It’s a dry, mild climate. Temperatures stay between 50-80 degrees year-round. There are really only two seasons, the dry season and the rainy season.

 

Arequipa skyline with "Misti" in full view. Misti's peak is 19,101 ft.

 

3.       What will you do on a day-to-day basis?

Once we get acclimated, we will be volunteering in a medical clinic in one of the lower-income districts of the city. Our main push is preventative medicine. Because there are so many patients to see each day, the providers don’t usually have time to educate people about how not to get sick in the future. That’s where we come in. We’re starting with diabetes screening and education. There are also opportunities to work with schools doing health education and eventually we would love to do follow-up home visits for patients who visit the clinics. Our plan is to offer our services as “expert volunteers” and use this as an avenue for sharing the good news about Jesus. Our goal is to love our neighbors by providing exceptional healthcare and make disciples of Jesus along the way. Jesus’s model of discipleship creates exponential growth of the church.

4.       Who supports you? You know, where do you get your dinero?

Several individual families and a couple small churches support us financially. My (Jake’s) home church in Bonne Terre, Missouri is our official “sending congregation” that collects the funds and provides accountability and spiritual oversight. A Christian grant program called Project MedSend is paying our student loan payments.

5.       Will you have a car, or will you ride llamas?

We do not plan on getting a car. Public transportation in Arequipa is cheap and easy. City buses, or “combis” travel through all the main districts and one out of every two cars on the street is a taxi. If you’re willing to cram into a combi, you can take it from one side of the city to the other for about $0.30. Riding in a taxi is about 4-10 Soles ($1.50-$3.50), depending on how far you need to go.

 

 

6.       Is it safe?

Pick-pockets are more common here than in the states, but violent crimes are less common. Crime tends to follow the illegal drug trade and, based on what we’ve heard, Arequipa is not part of their route. Peru’s government is historically one of the most stable in South America and is not opposed to missionaries coming here. Of course we don’t know what will happen, but we rest assured that God is in control and that He has led us here. Is following God safe? Probably not by most people’s definition of safe. Is NOT following God safe? Absolutely not!

7.       Are you scared? What is your biggest fear?

Of course uprooting and moving into a whole new culture is scary. It will be tough, but we know God will be with us. The most overwhelming thing here in the beginning is learning the language. Although we have some Spanish background, we have a long way to go. Our biggest fear is looking back at the end and not feeling like we accomplished what we came to do. We need the prayers of everyone reading this. Please make it a point to pray specifically for our cultural adjustment and for receptivity among the people of Arequipa.

 

Panoramic view of the Plaza de Armas including the cathedral in downtown Arequipa. The city was founded in 1540.