Experiencing snow and a chance to go tobogganing were among the firsts for a young Peruvian woman during a recent visit here.
Milagros Rojas, grew up in the Casa de Paz orphanage, located about a 12-hour drive south of the Peruvian capital of Lima. Now 21, she works in the orphanage, while raising her seven-year-old son, Angel.
For the past seven years a group of Mapleton residents, members of Drayton United Church, have been making annual visits to Casa de Paz to build relationships with the residents and staff of the orphanage and the surrounding community.
Heather and Dean Clemmer are among those who have made the trip; Heather four times, while Dean joined the mission, generally for 10 days over the March break, for the first time last year.
Heather says the Clemmers elected to invite Milagros to visit them in Canada because “we thought if she could come here and experience the church and the way we live up here, that would be good.
“She’s been there (at Casa de Paz) the longest and she’s one of the older ones,” she added, noting that Milagros’ proficiency in English made the trip easier for her.
Milagros took extra schooling on weekends to learn English and hopes to attend university to study psychology. She was quick to accept when offered the chance to come to Canada, “because Heather invited me and I wanted to see the snow.”
See it she did. Snow fell overnight on the day of her arrival.
“I couldn’t wait for her to wake up on her first morning here,” said Heather.
Despite the mild weather (by Canadian standards) this region has experienced during her month-long visit, from Dec. 18 to Jan. 18, Milagros says it’s the coldest she’s ever experienced.
“We have cold, but not like here,” she notes.
During her stay, various church members have taken Milagros on sightseeing trips, including a visit to Niagara Falls and an elevator ride up the CN Tower in Toronto.
For Milagros, her visit here was her first trip outside Peru, where the government is very strict about granting visas to its citizens.
“We were very excited when she Facbooked us and said she got her visa,” notes Heather.
Heather said a date has not been determined for the next mission trip, but that a team is making preparations to return to the Peru.
Generally about 23 church members participate in the trip, providing a Vacation Bible School at the orphanage and missions on the street. They also offer a food program in the community and sometimes run a spa day, giving local women a chance to get their hair cut and their nails done.
