2012 Cusco, Peru

Mission Report

The mission began with a flight to Lima, Peru where our group spent the night in order to wait for our next flight the following day to Cusco.

We arrived and settled in to either our hotel or hostel. Coca tea was given to us in order to help fight off altitude sickness. It was quite good and is made from cocaine leaves. We spent an entire day setting up our work location in the municipal building as well as sorting and organizing glasses that the students and optometrists brought with them in to our inventory.

We served 1,800 people in four days! That was about 425 patients a day for twelve hour days. We had a great team and the people of Cusco expect us to come back next year if possible.

The weather was very cold with four shirts needed at once to keep warm. The glasses needed the most were those with high cylinder prescriptions.

My most fond memory from the trip: I put glasses onto a young girl with crossed eyes and I saw her eyes pull forward! It made my day, my trip!

Submitted by Bob Boeding