Hey. Dave here.

We finished phase 1 of our mission - Culebras Valley. We came back to Huarmey in the most uncomfortable bus that any of us had ever taken in Peru. There were sheep in it AND the floor was covered in feces AND it was really crowded AND the roof was really low AND a urine/feces mixture was dripping through the ceiling AND there was little ventilation AND it was terrible.

The good news is that we did a great job of the part of our mission that involves figuring out what projects will be useful or necessary in the future and how well the current projects are performing. The bad news is that we lack most of the know-how necessary to fix the systems that aren't working. We can identify problems well! We just can't fix most of them.

My spanish is improving. The most stressful part of this trip for me is trying to communicate with people here. I understand that the most important part of what we're doing is forming a connection with people and talking with them to learn what life is like for their community and how it might be improved. That's why it's so stressful. It's really crucial and it's really hard! We had very good experiences in Huanchay, Raypa, and Huayash talking to posta workers, school teachers, and mayors. Quian is another story. Jeez.

Anyway, I felt like our readers deserved some insight into what's going on, so I've provided you with the bare minimum - an impression, if you will.

-Dave