'The Mountain'

In addition to the micro-enterprise project linked to the church, there is also a project (or rather a project in development) based at ‘The Mountain’. Americo, our pastor, had a vision before he came to Cusco 12 years ago, of having a ‘prayer mountain’ where people could go for retreats and prayer and where they could also do social action projects. About 6 years ago, after much prayer and searching, the church was able to purchase literally ‘a mountain’ – this is a large area of mountainside (50 hectares) just outside Cusco.

On Saturday, Pastor Americo and Mary took us up to the mountain where they have now built a large, adobe-brick house. They lived in this house for a while as a family (they have three sons – 13, 10 and 7) but have recently moved out so that the house can become what it is designed for. The house is comprised of a large, long room which could function as a dining room and lounge, two large dormitories, an office, a kitchen and bathroom. Here the plan is for churches in Cusco to use it as a retreat, conference and youth centre and also to attract tourists to use it. At the front of the house is a large covered patio area which is to be developed into a kitchen and dining room area for a children’s feeding programme and Bible club, reaching out to poor families in the area.

Pastor America and Mary have ideas to raise guinea pigs (not for pets!!) and other animals on the land above to help to sustain the project and, at some point in the future, to build a children’s home on land further along where there are some flatter areas for games and sport.

The purchasing of the land and the building of the house seem quite miraculous. Another amazing thing that has happened is that the house has a water supply. There is no mains supply in this area and this caused quite a problem at first. Water for everything had to be bought and carried up the long, rough track to the house – expensive and time-consuming. The Pastor prayed for a resolution to the problem and amazingly he found water springing up through the ground a little way above the house. He had built the house just below a fresh water spring and this now provides a constant, clean water supply!

We think it is amazing how the micro-enterprise project led us to the church and that the church also has this project which is so much in line with our ideas before we came out here. Having now seen the mountain we have all sorts of ideas that at some point we hope we can discuss with Americo and Mary and see how we can be involved.

In addition to the picture God gave us years ago about working alongside people in a place associated with birds of prey, more recently in my Bible readings he has seemed to highlight ‘mountains’. This fits in well with our desire to help the poor as here the poorer people live in the mountains. It seems an amazing ‘coincidence’ that this project is situated in a place known as ‘The Mountain’!

One thing that has been challenging us is how tourists might see real Christianity in Cusco amidst all the incredibly interesting and stunning historical Catholic and Inca sights and sites. Many visitors to Cusco are interested in the spiritual aspects of the place, but they only really get to hear about ancient Inca beliefs and the mixed Catholic-indigenous practices. It is interesting that our Pastor is asking the same question and seeking to use the mountain as part of the answer - a place where they can learn about biblical Christianity and see service to the poor in action. Our vision is that people return home transformed in their own lives and with the desire to make a difference to those less fortunate.

Inti Raymi

The latest, and probably most spectacular, festival we have seen in Cusco is ‘Inti Raymi’. People come from all over South America to see it and tourists from all around the world often time their visit to Cusco to coincide with it. Here is an explanation and some photos:

‘The " Inti Raymi" or " Sun Festivity" was the biggest, most important, spectacular and magnificent festivity carried out in pre-Hispanic times. It was aimed to worship the " Apu Inti" (Sun God) also known in certain sectors as " Apu P'unchau" (Day God). It was performed every year on June 21, that is, in the winter solstice of the Southern Hemisphere, in the great Qosqo's Main Plaza. In the Andean Mythology it was considered that Inkas were descendants of the Sun, therefore, they had to worship it annually with a sumptuous celebration. More over, the festivity was carried out by the end of the potatoes and maize harvest in order to thank the Sun for the abundant crops or otherwise in order to ask for better crops during the next season. Besides, it is during the solstices when the Sun is located in the farthest point from the earth or vice versa, on this date the Quechuas had to perform divers rituals in order to ask the Sun not to abandon its children.’

‘Nowadays, the Inti Raymi is staged annually in Saqsaywaman, the day of Saint John, that is, on June 24th. That same day is also the " Indians Day" or " Peasants Day" in Peru. The Inti Raymi was established in the Qosqo's festivity calendar since 1944 thanks to enthusiasm of Cusquenian Dr. Humberto Vidal Unda.’
(www.qosqo.com/qosqo/festivit.htm)

The festival starts at the site of the Sun Temple, near the town centre. We went to watch the procession as it went from the Sun Temple up to the Plaza de Armas and found a good spot on a side road where we could see well. It is useful that we are taller than most Peruvians!

There were people dressed in the costumes of an Inca army, various men and women carrying offerings of maize and coca leaves, lots of musicians, the Inca queen (carried on a platform) and finally someone playing the part of the Inca himself.

At the Plaza de Armas the procession stops for a ceremony and then continues up to Sacsaywaman, the Inca ruins above Cusco, where more ceremonies and dances take place. We were at church while the ceremony was taking place in the plaza, and then went up to Sacsaywaman later to see some more. Apparently it cost $80 for a seat in the grandstand, but we (and most of the population of Cusco) could see quite well for free from the surrounding rock outcrops and hills! Sammy walked several miles and climbed up several hundred steps as it was difficult to find a bus or a taxi with between 100 and 200,000 people in Cusco!

A tourist leaflet explains the ceremonies and gives a Spanish translation of the Quechua ‘order of service’. Here are a few bits I’ve translated into English!

My sun, my father!

With much joy we greet you,

Greet us with your light

My sun, my father!

My sun, my father!

You give strength to the whole world

Have compassion on us with your heat,

My sun, my father!

Powerful sun, only father!

Fountain of warmth, provider of happiness.

We salute you with joy and worship you on your day of celebration.

God of the day!

Burning sun!

Oh father, supreme being! Oh Sun god! Oh god of Lightening! Oh Feline god of the Stars! Oh Mother Moon! Oh Mother Earth! Oh Ausangati, Salqantay, Wanakauri, Pachatusan, Saqsaywaman! (all these are mountains/high places) Be always young, never grow old! Give us peace; let our people multiply and let everything always increase! Let us have food and hunger disappear forever!

Ceremonies include:

Coca leaf ceremony

Chicha ceremony

Sacred fire ceremony

Llama sacrifice

The whole event is very much a re-enactment in contrast to festivals such as Corpus Christi which have real meaning for people. Some people do have some of the beliefs associated with Inti Raymi but it seems to be more of an event for tourists than anything! Probably some evangelical churches would disapprove of their congregation going along but ours had no problem with it.