Local Young Woman Returns from 18 months in Peru

Lake Helen resident Chantri Waddoups returned this week from an 18 month Spanish-speaking mission for her church to serve the people of Peru and teach the gospel. Chantri, a senior at Southern Virginia University majoring in family and child development, served in the Lima east mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of 7 missions of the Church in Peru. She worked and saved her own money to pay for her mission. She is the daughter of Blake and Tina Waddoups of Lake Helen and has two brothers and two sisters.

Her impressions? �The people of Peru are humble, open, warm, extremely friendly, and eager to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. At first, she was deeply distressed with the extreme poverty of the country but by the end of her mission, she said you become used to it. Many people live in homes Americans would consider unfit for human habitation. The people make use of everything and rarely throw any food away. Her menu included �guinea pig, chicken feet and neck, snakes, and every other wild creature that could be caught to eat.�

Called a �gringa� or �American girl�, she learned early that bus routes have no specific stops. You flag down a bus to get on or signal the driver when you want to get off. When asked what she would treasure

most about her experiences in Peru, she said she would �no longer take for granted the personal freedoms and the opportunity for a good education in America. And I will always remember that in a place where they have so little and the government is so corrupt, the people pull together to help each other. People are kind and good despite what most Americans would consider overwhelming challenges.�

Would she go again? In a heartbeat! �You never learn to appreciate what you have or to understand how much God loves all His children until you give your own time and energy to serve others.� When asked how her life will change because of her experiences in Peru, she said: �I intend to work harder for a good education. I also plan to become actively engaged in promoting good government and ethics in public service. I have seen too much of corruption in Peru.� She returns to Southern Virginia University in January. She says she will be �an outstanding student who takes nothing for granted.�