Page 7 - FoC 2022 WinterFall Newsletter FB

Brian Berg
FALL/WINTER 2019
Vice Chair of FoC Board

Our recent board trip to Chimbote included several moments that
reaffirm our reasons for doing this important work. On October
21st, 17 of us converged with excitement on Peru, traveling from
Fargo, Twin Cities, Bismarck, Chicago, Virginia, and North Carolina.
For most of us, Covid resulted in a gap of at least 2 ½ years since our
last visit to this place that connects us. As we traveled from Lima
to Trujillo by plane and then to Chimbote by bus, I was struck again
by how different this place is from home; with towering sand dunes
interrupted by expansive corporate agriculture including blueberry,
asparagus, and sugar cane fields. I’m also conscious of how things
have stayed constant. This country was ravaged by Covid, but the
Peruvian people are remarkably resilient, and life seems to be going
on as usual. For many of our brothers and sisters in and around
Chimbote, this means living in extreme poverty. As board members, we are a diverse group that includes Catholics, Lutherans,
and Presbyterians, but we are linked by our ecumenical desire to live out our mission of service to the poor in this area of the
world.
As we continue this important work, we are beginning to explore
opportunities to impact broader communities while still continuing our
work with families and individuals through current ACAF programs. Our
pilot project for this effort is occurring in a small community about 5 miles
northeast of Chimbote called Cambio Puente. ACAF has been active in the
outlying areas of this small community for nearly 2 years, identifying needs
and impacting lives.
Water for cooking, drinking and personal hygiene is a critical need for those
living in extreme poverty. FOC is providing support for a project that will
bring water lines to families living uphill from the center of the community.
We met with community leaders who are working towards that goal, and we
are thrilled to be able to provide the final financial push to help them.
One of the highlights of the trip was attending a baptism mass for 30
children in Cambio Puente ranging from toddlers to early teens led by Father
Erasmus, the leader of the local parish and our own Father Tom Graner.
These families have so little, but the hope and faith that they display is remarkable. We continued to see these children
throughout the week and their smiles and laughter fueled our work.
We were able to spend time around the community kitchen or “comedores populares”. Sometimes referred to as a soup
kitchen, this community space is really a kitchen co-op that is shared by 27 families in the community. They take turns cooking,
and all pay a very small fee to belong. This type of community resource
has its roots deep in Incan culture and these “comedores populares”
are located throughout Peru. The building that houses this kitchen was
donated by our brothers and sisters in Prior Lake and it continues to
provide nourishment to this part of the community.
The literal translation of Cambio Puente is “change bridge”. We pray
that our movement towards a community-based model for FOC and
ACAF will yield a broad, transformational impact on the lives of the
people in that community. We move forward with hope that this
change in our approach will continue to bear fruit and will eventually
become the template for working in other communities throughout the
region.

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