We spent our time up there reflecting on the concept of radical love and goodbyes. Even though our time here in Peru is not as long as we would like, we have begun to form relationships that we know will make for difficult goodbyes—from the women at the parish to the two year old we wave to as we leave every day. Much like the rest of our trip, we did not only focus on service and charity; our main priority was to accompany and understand the population we are serving.

We spent an hour exploring Iglesia de San Pedro de Andahuaylillas, fondly referred to as “El Templo” by the locals. This famously stunning church sits over the ruins of an Incan temple, reflecting the changes brought by Spanish colonization. Around the entrance to the baptistery, there is an arch which contains the phrase “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” in Latin, Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, and Puquina. Puquina, unlike Quechua (which is still commonly spoken), is a dead language which was only spoken by Incan nobility. In this church, there are several references to Indigenous culture, from paintings made by locals to original languages written throughout the church.

We then broke into three groups to learn the crafts of the local people. The groups spent their time learning to weave bracelets, make silver jewelry, or work with a local painter to paint El Templo. This gave every student an opportunity to learn something they might not normally get to. Along with this, many students participated in the killing, boiling, skinning, and gutting of guinea pigs that some ate for dinner.

At 3 pm we split into our after-school placements. Seven of us went to Urcos, a twenty-minute bus ride away, to accompany kids ranging from ages 6 to 13. Although the language barrier was extremely difficult, we communicated through dancing. We exchanged dances and bonded over music, although few words were exchanged. We could still make each other laugh and enjoy being together without always knowing what the other person was saying. These moments helped us understand that accompanying someone can be as simple as being present and willing to join in.

Since it was Ashley’s birthday, we sang her a song and these preteen girls gave her gifts—although they did not have much, they were some of the most generous people we have ever met. This reminded us of the widow’s offering in the Bible. While the wealthy gave large amounts from their abundance, a poor widow gave two small coins, which was everything she had to live on. Jesus recognized her sacrifice and that generosity is about more than how much someone gives. The girls’ willingness to share what they had to celebrate Ashley reminded us of this lesson. Between the dancing and the birthday celebration, we experienced how much love people can share even with few words. These are the connections that will make saying goodbye so difficult. We all exchanged bracelets and hairclips and even phone numbers.