Update: I used the translation service of Google. But as the result wasn't really satisfactory I had to manually improve it quite a bit. Don't say I didn't warn you. :-)

Jaén, 18. November 2001

Dear family and friends,

we have to start with a sad message:
On Friday afternoon around 2pm died our dear Pater Horst Knott SJ in Munich because of heart failure. We owe to him that we can be here in Jaén. He assured us after many applications and rejects of German development assistance organizations immediately that he will find a possibility for us. He introduced us already briefly thereafter to Lucho Tavara, and he organized also everything for us, so that our stay here at Radio Marañón would turn out positive for everyone. With his jokes and charm he accompanied us since May 2000. Although he was already ill for a long time, we don't know him differently than in a good mood and with a smile. For us this news came very unexpected. He always played his illness down and just one year ago he visited our INES colleagues in Honduras.

Horst has founded JEV (Jesuit Euopean Volunteers) and INES and thus accompanied many people during a certain time of their life. A central point in his life was his encouragement for faith and justice. And he also wanted to contribute to the renewal of the Jesuit orden in Germany.
We are very grateful for everything that he did for us and so many others and will always keep his relaxed view of life in good memory.

Back to Jaén:
A lot happened sind our last letter. But one after the other.

In the middle of October we had here a big festival: The 25th anniversary of Radio Marañón. There were festivities every evening: singing competitions, band competitions, a talent show and great fireworks. (pictures: Verbena and Abschlußabend ). During the day we offered workshops, which were obligatory for the radio staff. Invited speaker from Lima had come and even from Europe, in order to offer courses over journalism, program organization, public relations and management. These trainings were part of a Spanish project for fortifying the peace of the people from Peru and Ecuador. Many Ecuadorians came to Jaén and they attracted attention with their typical ropes (black short pants, black hat)

Of course the remodeling work in the radio wasn't finished in time (we didn't expect anything else :-). Too bad actually, but like always they have begun too late with the whole planning and particularly with the purchase of the materials. However, in the meantime everything is done and the new transmission studios are already in operation for quite a time.

Due to a donation we could buy and attach the signs in the radio at the most important places, so that our visitors no longer get lost so easily.

Since one week now we are again "seriously" at work. During the last weeks we had lots of visitors here in Jaén and travelled with them in the north of Peru (Trujillo, Chiclayo) as well as the capital of our departament, Cajamarca. Last weekend was likewise in the context of the Spanish project a border celebration in San Ignacio, approx. 2 1/2 hours from Jaén, close to the Ecuadorian border. Part of the Spanish project for the people communication between Peru and Ecuador is also that the six border radio stations involved (3 in Peru, 3 in Ecuador) make local event, this year for example singing competitions. Radio Marañón did this in together with the anniversary celebrations. The winners of these local eliminations were then sent to San Ignacio to participate there in the final elimination. The whole thing reminded us very much of a small Grand Prix. Not only the "singing quality" was rated, but also the contents of the song texts. The general topic was "Children of the One Same World" (Hijos De Una Misma Tierra).

Radio Marañón recorded the whole evening in San Ignacio using two of our computers to be able to afterwards distribute CDs of the event - mandatory for the Spanish project. Andy had carefully packed two suitable computers in boxes and we drove the radio jeep over the bumpy roads to the remote San Ignacio. On the way we had a flat tire so got a chance to practice tire changes. :-)

The celebration in San Ignacio was really nice, except for the rented sound equipment. San Ignacio is situated in the mountains on approx. 1500m altitude. Since meanwhile the rainy season had already begun and Hitalo didn't want to run the risk that it becomes a quite damp-merry event, the celebration was moved in the Coloseum of San Ignacio. This quite large hall (approx. 1/2 football fields) was crowded with spectators in the evening and everyone was in a good mood. Unfortunately however the sound was pretty bad. Since the radio unfortunately has no mobile mixer consoles, amplifiers and loudspeakers, we had to rent all this. It was the same sound team that also provided the equipment in Jaén. But now in San Ignacio, which was a really important event, which was also recorded and broadcasted live over TV, the singers could sometimes hardly be heard because of annoying feedbacks and turned off microphones. That was very disappointing and also created altogether a negative picture of this important event. Naturally that this will be projected on the staff of Radio Marañón. Too bad. The responsible persons in the radio are now seriously considering to purchase an appropriate own sound equipment for the radio, but like unfortunately always, the cash is missing. Perhaps next year.

Besides that we don't run out of work :-). Our director Paco is on "Tour of Europe" during the whole November and December in order to promote the radio and to secure project funds for the next years. Just before he left he fired the just recently (in May) hired administrator Pedro, because he operated too unreliably and Paco feared that he would create even more problems during his long absence from the radio. So, now - next to the normal daily training of the two other woman employees in the administration - Heidi also has to administer the many projects of the radio, as well as to keep the administration as a whole running. This does not correspond at all to the general idea of our "mission" which is that we don't take over any responsible jobs, but Paco determined it in such a way - at least until he finds a successor for Pedro in January. That isn't exactly few work, especially since there is to regenerate and correct a lot with the projects that Pedro so far administered. Fortunately Hitalo helps her now who takes care of the concrete handling and also writes the reports, so that Heidi only has to worry about the accounts and budget monitorings.

On Thursday evening (15.11.) Paco was in Munich and met our families! A strange imagination for us: Paco there alone and in the snow - and we here sweating in his radio. ;-)

He won't return to Jaén before the middle of January. Although he has been living in Peru for over 25 years now, he is actually Spaniard and wants - for the first time again in many years - to spend Christmas with his family.

Andy is still struggling with his fosterling Jinmy and continuously changes his mind whether he should look for a different successor or should nevertheless further try it with him. Unfortunately he quite often does stupid things. He did learn a lot and already can do a lot by himself, but he has no selfinitiative at all - i.e. only does what Andy tells him. How will that be when we are back in Germany? Additionally he prefers to play around instead of really acomplishing something. Well, a few times already Andy was very close to have him fired, but where do we find a better one??? Often times it's just small things, like looking for a spare part downtown, inquiring with the Courier whether the long awaited package is finally there, or keeping our ToDo list up to date etc. Paco does not like the situation either. He is afraid of the time when Jinmy has to maintain the computers all by himself. Since a few years the radio depends pretty much on the PCs.

Concerning Juan we are making progress. Paco talked with him again before his departure and gave him his okay to start buying. Beforehand he had made a plan and a cost estimate with Juan and the architect of the jesuits, Brother Arsenio. According to this plan Juan now bought almost everything and is already beginning to work. Paco must have also said to him that he wants to use his new bathroom when he gets back in January :-). Juan took that very serious and intends to really be done be then. Since he will probably do a majority of the work by himself (he a very skilled craftsman) it probably will take a while however. We already offered him our assistance, but since he always works during the day while we are at work in the radio, our help will probably be limited to the weekends.

From your donation funds we now already paid (via Hermano Arsenio) the bought materials. Thanks to all of you again in his name, although he does not know nothing of that at all, hehe. Since - thanks to your generosity - there still remains money, we decided to alos pay him his electricity bill, with which he was highly indebted because of the long illness of his wife who died two years ago. We are now thinking whether we shouldn't also pay him (as a Christmas gift) the new installation (again around 370 Soles, 100 dollars). In his house there still are all lamps and cables. The money from the donation fund would be enough, but we first want to find out whether he can bear the associated monthly costs. We don't want "to present" him a load. Let's see.

In September while Heidis brother Roland, Andys cousin Christine and a good friend of us Ralf were here, we wanted to visit the hot springs of Jaén, down at the river Marañón. Since our visitors also wanted to meet Juan and his family we just loaded the whole family into the radio jeep and drove off - except Juan who had to work in the radio. They had never been so far (40km) outside of Jaén. We found the springs to be so hot that we just dunked our pinky toes and then immediately went into the cold river for cooling. Others, above all older people and probably sick people, actually bathed in the natural basins without melting. The later the afternoon the more busses with people arrived from near towns in order to bathe in the hot springs.

For the children the river was an enormous experience. Beforehand they didn't admit that all of them couldn't swim - as we had already imagined. Probably they feared that they may not come with us otherwise. So we were pretty busy to keep our new friends over water - even within the shallow area of the partially fast moving river. But we had very much fun with them. Logically none of them wanted to leave the water anymore :-). Ralf and Roland were the two "base stations", while Andy gave swimming classes and I took care of the mongoloid Milan Cruz, who didn't let go of me while in the water. Yes, we had really great fun! (see pictures)

When we wanted to drive home they were all very disappointed, but as soon as we finally had them in the car or on the back area (we were 5 adults and 6 children!) it soon became very quiet and we had a bedroom on wheels. :-)

Juan was very grateful that we made this trip with his children possible, but we had to promise him that we would take him with us the next time, too. Unfortunately he just has too few time for his children, since he is always working (night watch in the radio and during the day likewise in the radio garden work or other small jobs with additional payment).

Last weekend we brought him our drained lemon tree (as firewood), which we unfortunately had to cut off in September. Such small things always make him happy. On Saturday we learned by coincidence that our pasto Juan Carlos of our small community also is the priest of the community in Miraflores, where Juan lives with his 7 children. Saturday evening he is with us and Sunday evening he always holds the service there. Since we only had a liturgy on Saturday, we thought that it would be probably nice, to go on Sunday together with the children into their service. And that's how it was. Again a quite different experience. We couldn't even keep the dog Coqui from coming into church with us. But there was also another dog in the church, so that it wasn't so bad at all and no one complains about such a thing here anyway.

This weekend, i.e. yesterday, we went to our community again and asked the pastor Juan Carlos to also pray for Horst. And even though he doesn't even know him he found very apropriate words. Horst, many people in the whole world will never forget you!

We wish you a beautiful November in the cold Germany and at any other place in the world.

Your "peruvians",
  Andy and Heidi.

, last change: 2003-Feb-24