VISIONS: Peru High School Service Program

Hello prospective Visions participants. My name is Sierra O'Brien and I am a sophomore from Lexington, Kentucky. I am writing this because I want to do my part in making everyone understand just how amazing a Visions summer is. I went to the month long Peru trip, which was the second, and hopefully not the last, Visions trip I go on. Throughout my time in Peru I made some truly life long friends, people that I still talk to daily. All of the participants are so talented and, I believe, will change the world. Aside from the people that I had the pleasure of living with, I had such amazing and immersive interaction with the locals we worked along side. They have impacted me in ways that I only hope I could give them a fraction of. Visions excursions and daily life taught me to look outside of myself and severely adjusted by priorities. If it wasn't for my time in Peru, I have no doubt, I wouldn't be the same person or be working to solve problems internationally and nationally. I highly recommend Visions as a way to spend your summer. I promise it will change your life forever.

Leading up to the trip, I was very nervous. Visions was great about responding to all of our emails and questions immediately and their travel agent was very easy to work with to book flights. All of the information about the trip was easy to access and very clear. After being met by leaders and the rest of the group in the Lima airport, we were soon on our way to Cusco and then on to home base. Everyone was shy at first but after warming up we couldn't stop talking. Everyone became so close over the next two weeks and the friendships I made on this trip are some of the most impactful of my life. We are all still in touch. Everything about the trip was great, but there are so many similar organizations that I had trouble choosing before the trip. But what sets Visions apart is the full immersion you are able to experience. They keep your phones and devices for you. This was my first break from technology--and it felt great. It seemed daunting, but I'm so glad they did. Without any distractions you really learn to appreciate all the little moments. This isn't a tour, there is lots of service with the same consistent projects. You really get to see the impact you've made. And the food--many travel groups offer Western foods to students, but Visions really encourages you to try the local cuisine. Peruvian food is delicious and there is always a wide spread of dishes for dinner, even for the picky eaters. In addition to the service, you get to see quite a few ruins and hikes, not to mention the fun weekend at Machu Picchu. Somehow we did so much without ever feeling over-booked. The workshops were fun, and the pick-up soccer we played was a highlight. The time exploring the town was so fun and the independence was perfect. The leaders were all great. Fun, good-natured, and took everything in stride. But my favorite part of the trip was by far spending time with the other students on the trip. We made everything fun. I think there's something about being sore, tired, bug-bitten, covered in cement, and so much more that really brings you together. I absolutely recommend this trip to anyone looking for the experience of a lifetime.

Visions Peru was a wonderful opportunity for my teenage children and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants their teen to have a real community service experience in Latin America. What appealed to us was the fact that Visions advertised itself as "not a teen tour" and this was definitely true! The kids really worked hard and felt themselves to be part of the Urubamba community and made a real contribution in the form of an addition to a pre-school. In addition to the daily building projects, there were interesting afternoon programs that ran the gamut from pick up soccer to beekeeping to jewelry making and more. There were also lots of amazing trips in the Sacred Valley that gave them a broader sense of Peru. As a parent, I think Visions did a great job of balancing work and fun and safety and independence. The staff was young, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable about Latin America and were great role models of young people making unusual choices in their career and life paths. All in all, I have no complaints and am really glad that my children had the opportunity to participate in this valuable program.

The month I spent with Visions in Peru flew by in a flash. Every day was action packed and we never had nothing to do. Whether it was hiking through ruins, hiking to magnificent sights(Machu Picchu, Puto Cusi), working at los canales(the canals) or el pronoi(the preschool), participating in los talleres(workshops), or simply spending time with the great company I had with be on the trip. This experience would not have been nearly as memorable had I not had such wholesome, and multidimensional people there with me. The group dynamic I shared with the fifteen other students on the trip was incredible and amplified the memorability of my experience. However, the visions leaders on the Peru trip also played an instrumental part in ensuring everyone on the trip had the best experience possible. I remember how in the first couple of weeks following our arrival, a large number of students got sick due to the drastic change in environment. The leaders did an excellent job of quickly healing the sick, and making sure they could still fully experience the fun activities they had worked so painstakingly in the weeks prior to our arrival to organize. Additionally, the time I spent without technology was beautiful. Without technology, more interaction occurred and as a result I got to know everybody fairly quickly and form wonderful lifelong friendships. Another effect of the absence of technology, was the appreciation I was able to obtain for the beauty that surrounded me. I was in the middle of beautiful mountains, touching a sky unblemished by pollution, a sky so clear that one could so clearly see the stars every night, a sky so clear that you could see the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy, a sky so clear that if you stargazed for long enough, you were sure to be greeted by a shooting star. The poignant Peruvian sky is something that I deeply missed upon my return to New Jersey. Overall, this experience has taught me appreciation for my surroundings, the value of teamwork, leadership and has left me with unforgettable memories for me to carry with me and share with others for the rest of my life. I thank Visions from the bottom of my heart for making such an experience possible for me.

During this amazing service trip we had two projects: Building bathrooms for a school in Urubamba, and mixing concrete for agricultural canals in the nearby town of Yanahuara. Not only were the staff and participants absolutely amazing but I also learned so much about the culture and people of Peru, along with gaining a new perspective on how I can implement everything I learned into my life in the united states.

VISIONS is very clear about its goal. Community service. This is what I had really wanted to do, so I really enjoyed it. If youre not looking for intense work though, I would say that VISIONS is probably not for you. That's not to say that the days were long, hard, and I wanted to go home. The work sites were often fun. We got to know many community members and I could often see the difference we were making. After the workdays and on the weekends we would do lots of other fun things including touristy things, workshops with community members and just enjoying being in another country. By the end of the trip I had made lots of good friends and amazing memories. Also, my Spanish improved a lot!

Visions gave me one of the most amazing summers of my life. I made so many friends and also felt as if I became a part of the community. At first I was nervous about traveling to a country so far from home for a month without knowing anyone, but I was quickly welcomed by the warm staff and friendly community members. Although the work felt labor intensive at times, all together the group was very successful in building an elementary school bathroom and 13 canals in over the span of 3 and a half weeks. The trip was a great opportunity to experience another culture and improve your spanish. But I have to say the best part of the trip was the social aspect. I met so many unique kids from all over the United States, and together we bonded and became so close in such a short period of time. Visions gave me an experience of a lifetime and I hope to do another program next summer.

I have to say that this was the MOST AMAZING summer I have ever experienced. I made great connections and relationships, created ineffable memories and had amazing experiences. Surprisingly, many of the friends I have made on this trip are closer to me than some of my friends that I have known for 12 years. I miss them so much and I cannot wait until our reunion!Although I loved shopping at the local markets, my favorite times were sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the beauty of Peru and talking in Spanish to Nico, our driver. He, as well as our cooks Neyda and Maria, Ishmael and local workers. If participants use their time wisely and practice Spanish, they will have the best experiences, like I did! We miss Peru so much that my friend and I hope to work as counselors in the future!