Can’t see the video? Go to our Your Tube page or download the latest version of Quicktime.

As our journey ends, we know the world has watched and supported our mission to provide cancer care to those who don’t have the resources to battle this disease. As the journals and podcasts have shown, this mission in Peru has at times been frustrating and puzzling. Often times we have felt like outlaws on the run as we fight to help a country which is riddled with bureaucracy. Sometimes we have even asked ourselves how can you help where help is seemingly not welcomed. These last few days have showed us all exactly why we embarked on this mission. When we arrived, we were told stories of how Lima has a cancer care facility to provide treatment to all Peruvians. However, the family of an 11 year old boy in Las Aquas Calientes suffering from leukemia had no knowledge this help was available to them. To those of us in a Western culture it is not fathomable a situation like this could exist. Our trek has shown us that when you strip away the governmental bureaucracy there are real people suffering and crying out for help. When we finally arrived in Las Aquas Calientes we found a city waiting with open loving arms. It then became clear that our mission was more than just providing money to help educate people about the resources to battle cancer. It was also about breaking down the bureaucratic barriers that are preventing the people of Peru from access to Cancer treatment that is at their finger tips. Staring into the eyes of the children needing help I think we all felt that we had accomplished something even more special than we envisioned when we began. We brought hope to those suffering. And yes, despite some governmental obstacles, the impact of the Love Hope Strength Foundation will be felt for generations as we have opened the doors to allow Peru and its people to help themselves.

The New Jersey trekkers are all here because Cancer has impacted each of us in a very personal way. George has carried the Hamilton School Bear in memory of a visionary principal at the Berkeley Heights Early Educational Center, Mary Kay MacMillan, who recently passed after her battle with Cancer.

Sometimes when you overcome obstacles thrown in your way which are not anticipated and you reach your goal, the result is an even more meaningful sense of accomplishment. Such is the case here in Peru, 63 trekkers from 7 countries around the world leaving with the feeling that lives have been saved.

This adventure has not only made us aware of the growing needs of care outside of the western world but also has helped us form bonds with one another by sharing the same physical and mental strengths. Getting off the plane the first day and familiarizing ourselves with our surroundings was a bit surreal. We started meeting the fellow trekkers and getting a feel for the different personalities that were all brought together by this exceptional cause. The first couple hours were filled with laughter and tears as we sat down and began to hear the reasons that brought these extraordinary people together. The next couple days we bonded in our groups, cursing the physical aspects of the trail, chuckling over the turmoil caused by the authorities around every turn and conquering the sickness that plagued at least one person in each camp.

As we sat on the stairs at the Sungate overlooking Mach Picchu the faces of family members and friends that we were here to help flashed vividly in my mind. But the most impressive thing that I saw on those steps was how strong a person can be and how much the human spirit can overcome when put it to the test. Many of our trekkers were in phenomenal shape, former college football players, trainers, marathoners and the like. Yes they were challenged by the rigors of the trail. But then there were the ones who had battled cancer and when I first laid my eyes on them I said “no way are they are going to make it.” They proved me and others like me dead wrong. They trekked alongside with the strongest in the group and many times they were the ones leading and cheering the pack to the summit. It is amazing when put to the test what the human body and soul can overcome. Now I believe more than ever that as foundation we can help beat this disease because we are fortunate enough to have individuals who are the strongest and most determined people I know. ,

When we finally landed in Lima and got to see the faces of the people that we were helping was truly heart wrenching. Many of the trekkers boarded the bus earlier today not knowing what to expect but knowing that visiting the INEN center would help us understand even further what this journey is all about. What we experienced was the physical manifestation of Love Hope and Strength. The women of ALIEN are a glowing example of what it means to Love. Wearing blue polka dotted bow ties on their hearts these amazing women volunteer their time to help the patients and give them comfort during this difficult time. Hope is exemplified by the families sitting by the bedsides of their ailing children, having faith in a brighter future. You can find Strength in the faces of the teenagers that we met and visited, who fight their battles day by day, in the hospital making the best of their difficult situation by creating a “club” atmosphere with their friends. This visit was touching, there were few dry eyes by the time we left. As we all sat in front of the center and took a group photo with ALINEN representative Susie, we know that we will return home feeling proud that more individuals will be able to get the care they need at this great facility because of the work of Love Hope and Strength.

The final dinner on the final night provides for an opportunity to share laughs, tears and memories of our trek. It also provides for a moment of reflection. I look back upon this trek and recall the countless times we asked each other “how much longer” or “how far” as we were all constantly thinking about reaching our destination. Even as the group passed through the Sun Gate and looked down at Machu Picchu as the sun was rising it had still not hit me. It wasn’t until the following day as I was sitting on a stone overlooking the sacred valley in a little area adjacent to the condor that a famous musical lyric which goes “life’s a journey, not a destination” popped into my head. It dawned upon me at that very moment that this trek was not about trekking 26 miles over 4 days and 3 nights to reach Machu Picchu but rather was to raise awareness and money in order to help those with cancer who are less fortunate to possibly have a longer journey. As our fearless leader Shannon Foley stated,” a group of 63 people came together to help thousands” WOW.

Thank you for showing us all how if you have Love, Hope and Strength you can accomplish anything.

The Jersey Crew
George, Jim, Kelly, Cherron, Ryan, Armando
Lima, Peru
October 16, 2008