To live with impoverished people in the remotest areas of Peru has always been Sr. Elmire's ideal apostolic field. After many years in Latin America, she currently works in Cajabamba, Peru. She opens her mission log book, where life's rhythm is as slow as a donkey's pace, in a decor of simplicity, not to say—poverty.
by Elmire Allary, M.I.C.

Living in the midst of the Andes people, gives me the opportunity to meet simple and loving folks. Daily, I meet peasants walking along beside their donkeys loaded with merchandise or fire-wood to sell in the city. In this part of the world, food is cooked over an open flame—primitive cooking methods still exist. Progress is slow. The small villages scattered in the mountains have no running water, no electricity, and no health-care services.

In such simplicity comes the unexpected

In the small town of Cajabamba, located in the Diocese of Cajamarka, life is a bit different. The decor remains simple; however, there is a touch of the post-modern era. Cell phones are beginning to appear—these compensate for the lack of telephone services. Publicity is luring people, creating superfluous needs when they don't even have the essential in their homes.

Sometimes, their simple way of life is astounding. I like to tell the story of my adventure to the City of La Paz… a short trip from Cajabamba. Six kilometers from our destination, the bus driver received news that fighting was actually taking place in that city. Without any warning, the bus driver parks the bus in a vacant field by the roadside and tells the travelers to look-out for themselves. Each one must find a way to reach his/her destination. As I was mulling over my next move, wondering how I could reach the city, a truck came by and offered me a ride to the bus terminal in La Paz. Here, I must always be prepared for the unexpected… and God, in His loving care, always provides the solution.

An endearing people

Last November, I accepted to be the Godmother of a 10 year old boy who was to be baptized in the Catholic faith; his grandmother is his guardian. After dinner with the family, I am given a gift of a live chicken and two live guinea pigs. Such poor people, yet so generous! They are discreet, isolated, often forgotten or ridiculed, but what dignity, courage and generosity they manifest in their great poverty. They are encouraged by their firm belief that the next generation will see better days. As I see these people living out their poverty with such courage, my faith becomes stronger—they help me grow!

The Andean people do not know their origin. Generally, in the Andes, the spoken language is the Quechua. The people living in Cajabamba speak Spanish. Internet tells us that the language of their ancestors was the CULLI, it was spoken in the North Sierra of Peru, much before the Incas invasion up to the arrival of the Spaniards. Today, the inhabitants of Cajabamba have completely forgotten their mother tongue, the CULLI and the Quechua. They neither have the physical traits nor the skin color of the Incas.

A life that is threatened

Cajamarka, is the region where terrorists bearing the name Illuminated Paths originated in the years '75-'80. Today they no longer exist but have been replaced by organized bandits who perturb the tranquility of the families. To protect themselves, the residents organized surveillance groups who, all night long, walk about the community armed with whistles, sticks, and whips braided out of oxen skin. The surveillance groups respect the human rights and have their own laws which have been accepted by the State. At first, women did not participate, but then they joined the groups, their role as "bumpers" destabilizes the bandits. Though chauvinism is current in these regions, women are always present to resolve the problems.

Standing together

The Church is not aloof to the existing problems afflicting small local communities. On the contrary, Christians stand together and are actively committed to defending the justice issues. There is solidarity between the folks of the city and those of the villages; they support each other and favor the development of the region.

In small villages, the people choose a catechist for the spiritual celebrations. His function is to prepare the children for the sacraments of Baptism and First Communion; he participates in all the reunions that take place at Cajabamba's Formation Centre. He is the right hand of the pastor and a local authority. The MIC Sisters help train the catechists and also the health care providers. Two Sisters who are nurses gathered the latter and with the help of a specialist in natural medicine, they studied how to utilize the natural resources of the milieu to relieve the many aches and pains… Here, doctors are very rare.

My pastoral oriented mission is to visit the people in the seventeen small villages adjacent to the City of Cajabamba. This population, entirely rural, does not exceed 400-500 inhabitants per village. When I arrive, they show much joy and greet me with a good cup of coffee. These moments of friendship are precious; our dialogues help me to know them better and share with them the issues that are at stake.

The MIC commitment consists in: Preparing the Sunday worship, teaching the importance of the sacraments, visiting the people in the villages, training the catechists and assisting them in their work, organizing youth groups, preparing weekly dinners for the elderly in need. We are currently three MICs: a young Peruvian, Sr. Carmen Tito, and two Quebecers, Sr. Louise Laberge and myself. We love this mission and thank God for being here; in spirit we live it with each one of you who encourage us in so many different ways. All our gratitude!