A seemingly odd collection of people: seven Kent students, two teachers, and the Kent yoga teacher’s family of three all had the amazing opportunity to go on a service trip to Peru this summer. The group flew out soon after graduation, landing in Cusco on June 9, unsure of what to expect in the nine days to come.

The group stayed at an albergue in the middle of Cusco. Albergue means “hostel” in Spanish, and this one was home to about twenty kids ranging from elementary school students to high school students. The kids come from tiny rural towns around Cuzco that don’t have easy access to good education. The albergue makes it possible for these children to have a place to stay in the city, while they attend one of the city public schools. When everyone got together in the evenings, the kids tried their best to communicate in English, and the Kent group with them in Spanish.

Everyone was excited to get to work on the big project of the trip: repainting the entire dining room and its high ceiling. Each person contributed to the project by sanding, edging along the many corners and windows, and rolling paint onto the walls.

The cooks for the albergue provided an amazing lunch every afternoon, lunch being the biggest and most important meal of the day. Everyone stuffed themselves with giant Inca corn, quinoa coated chicken, and potatoes. The group got a couple hours off after lunch to rest, read, or play soccer with the kids.

After a few days of painting, the students and teachers got a break to go visit Machu Picchu, one of the most amazing sights in the world. Pictures cannot compare to looking out over the ancient city, struggling a little to breathe at the high altitude and attempting to protect a granola bar from a friendly alpaca.

Students got to run their hands along the stones, impeccably placed by the Inca centuries earlier. The yoga teacher on the trip, Judy, said she felt “a spiritual presence” as soon as she stepped through the entrance gates. Whether the experience was spiritual or not, the sight was definitely impressive and wonderful.

On the second-to-last day, the group took a trip out to a small town about two hours from Cusco. The bus wound its way through the hills surrounding the city, rounding corners to reveal some views almost rivaling Machu Picchu. Once in the town, the group separated to build three mud stoves in different houses, allowing the residents to cook easier. Volunteers cut metal rods or stomped in the mud to mix it around. Once the stoves were complete, each person had the chance to try guinea pig and potatoes cooked in the ground. The residents of the town were very welcoming, and even the members of the group with no background in Spanish were able to communicate “please” and “thank you” and a couple comments or questions to the town’s residents, none of whom spoke fluent English.

Everyone was devastated to leave, having made such strong connections to many of the kids in the seemingly short week. A few people starting tearing up along with the woman running the albergue as she thanked the volunteers for their hard work and love for the kids under her care. It was truly the trip of a lifetime.