Where We Work: PERU

Do you have a sense of adventure and a desire to serve in Latin America? Would you like to live a simple life style close to the people and share you faith and talents with the poor? Would you like to work on a pastoral team and live in a small community with other lay missioners? If so, we would like to invite you to consider joining us in our new mission work in Peru.

We are looking for dedicated folks to join current lay missioners in the shantytown of Alto Trujillo on the northern coast of Peru.

Alto Trujillo: What's it like?
On the outskirts of the large city of Trujillo in northern Peru, thousands of poor families have come to the desolate sand hills overlooking the city in a search for a place to live. This hillside town which is named Alto Trujillo is often described as a pueblo joven (a young town). It is an urban slum, a desert-like hillside where thousands of poor and desperate families have come to build a home and find work.

Many of the families have left their hometowns in the mountains or rural areas in search of a better life. They have left the places where they had family ties and a sense of identity and community to come to a barren hillside where there are no trees or shrubs -- not even a blade of grass. There they build little houses of adobe bricks and begin a long struggle for the basic necessities of food, water, latrines, transportation, and above all, a job.

There are signs of despair up and down the dusty dirty roads of Alto Trujillo. Men turn to alcohol and youths gather together in gangs to assault and steal from the weak.

But there are signs of hope, too, as women plant flowers outside their doors and leaders organize the community to press the government to provide the basics of water, electricity, latrines, and schools. The church is there, too, helping with soup kitchens, a school for handicapped children, chapels, and plans for new job training programs. There are signs of hope, too, in the children - ever resilient - laughing and playing games in the dirt streets and climbing the hills of sand.

There are two Comboni priests, Fr. Graz and Fr. Max, who have requested lay missioners to come and join their pastoral team. There are also religious sisters who have come to establish a new school and who would welcome the collaboration of lay missioners.

What Kind of Work Would You Do?
We would like to establish a team of at least 3 lay missioners who would be part of the pastoral team working here. They could work in education, youth organizations, job skill training, community organizing, health care, sports, and pastoral work with catechists and religion classes. There would be work in the soup kitchens, centers for handicapped children, the Fe y Alegria School which the community sisters are beginning.

What Kind of Candidates Are We Looking For?
We are looking for candidates with some skills and experience in the following areas:

• Basic skills in Spanish (The new lay missioners will have 3-4 months of language school in Cochabamba, Bolivia before beginning their assignment in Peru.) 

• Some experience working with parish and/or community groups

• Skills and talents in education, health care, job training, parish youth ministry, community development, or working with handicapped children.

What Does The Comboni Lay Mission Program Provide?

• Preparation: We provide a solid 14-week preparation for mission program at our Center in LaGrange Park, IL. It includes classes and workshops in mission theology, skills for cross-cultural living, area studies, methods of popular education, communication and team building skills, mission spirituality, and community.

• Language Training: New lay missioners assigned to Peru will have three months of Spanish and Latin American Studies at the Maryknoll Language Institute in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

• Orientation and Ongoing Support: A Comboni priest working at the mission site will serve as a mentor and advisor for the lay missioners. The lay missioners will also be part of a pastoral team made up of missionary priests, sisters, and local lay leaders.

• Room and Board: Housing is provided for the lay missioners, along with a monthly stipend for personal expenses and for food. (Approximately $100 for personal expenses and $100 for food expenses.) The lay missioners also receive an annual allowance of $300 for professional growth, retreat, and vacation expenses.

• Health Insurance and Other Benefits: Lay missioners are provided health insurance and transportation to and from the mission site in Peru. Upon successful completion of their three-year contract, they will also receive $1800 for relocation expenses.

How Do You Take the Next Step?
If you would be interested in serving as a lay missioner for three years in Alto Trujillo, Peru, please take a look at our Requirements for Admission. If you think you meet the requirements, fill out the Preliminary Form and we can begin to discuss the possibilities.

See other site descriptions: Guatemala, Kenya

Images from Alto Trujillo:

Read a reflection by Ralph and Theresa May, our current lay missioners in Peru, here.