photos and story compiled by MaryMichael Hough

This summer Natalie and Francesca Shilati, their parents, and other STA students and moms went on a mission trip to Piura, Peru which is located south of Lima. Here, they stayed at a missionary called Parroquia Santissimo Sacramento where the Shilati’s uncle is the head priest.

After five years of wanting to travel to Peru and volunteer with her uncle’s mission, senior Francesca Shilati finally found herself posting on Facebook and searching for other STA students who were interested in joining her on the trip.

“I was amazed because I thought it was going to be hard to get 10 people to go and then we ended up getting 30 [people],” Francesca said. “I just couldn’t believe the trip was actually going to happen.”

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The Shilati’s were also very interested in meeting a family that they had adopted from Peru. According to Francesca, once a month they send money which provides the family in Piurra with food and clothing. Many of the STA families were able to meet the family that they sponsor while in Peru.

“My adoptive family had just had a baby and they named him after my dad,” Francesca said. “That just showed me how much what little we send really affects them and how present we are in their lives.”

On July 6, the group arrived in Piurra where Santissimo Sacramento parishioners welcomed them with a mass and fiesta. The next day it was time for each girl to choose where she wanted to volunteer that day. According to sophomore Natalie Shilati, their choices were delivering food and clothing to sponsored families, working with farmers, building houses, delivering communion to the sick, going to the all-girls orphanage or going to a vacation bible school to play with children and teach them english.

“Building the house was definitely my favorite [activity to participate in] because it was the most rewarding,” Francesca said. “Just to see this family walk in to something that I had helped build was unreal.”

Sophomore Colleen Deruyter agreed that building the house was difficult but seeing the family’s reaction was the best part.

“When we were done [building the house], the family came to see it and they were all crying and just so grateful of this house that we had literally built from tin and bamboo,” DeRuyter said.

DeRuyter also enjoyed the day the girls were able to take 30 poor children from the local village, Monte Castillo, to the beach for the first time.

“Right when we pulled up to the beach all of the kids got so excited and ran straight to the water,” DeRuyter said. “We all just felt so blessed to be able to share that experience with them.”

According to Francesca, the children at the vacation bible school were fun to play with and very excited to have the girls there.

“The kids would look at you like you were a celebrity,” Francesca said. “One day I worked at the school and all the kids wanted my autograph.”

Natalie, Francesca and Deruyter all agreed that the trip was enlightening and they are looking forward to going again soon.

“It was life changing,” Francesca said. “I’m already working on getting a group together for next summer.”