We had the grace of going on mission to a village called Yuracc Cancha, in the parish of Puquio, in the district of San Pedro, province of Lucanas. We arrived there on 2 November to prepare the young people for a fortnight to receive the sacrament of Confirmation and for the arrival of Bishop Reinaldo Nann. The people are dedicated to raising cows and sheep. Many work in the mines. Some of the children and young people live on the estancias, which are no less than an hour away.

When we arrived we found no one, as the people were in another village celebrating the water festival, as they call it. It is an ancestral custom that they have deeply rooted. After three days we found them while we were visiting homes and institutions. The happiest were the children. When the bell rang, the little ones were already at the door of the church to begin catechesis, praying and singing. They prayed loudly, enthusiastically and fervently. Surely our Mother Mary was smiling from heaven to see them praying. After the visit to the schools, the young people began to come. They were also eager to learn, as they had no spiritual care and were ignorant of many things. We organised a retreat with them. It was on Saturday. We started by explaining to them that the retreat is about withdrawing from the world, leaving everything for a moment to meet God. We asked them to give us their mobile phones and they were very detached. We began with the prayer of the Holy Rosary, then a meditation on the Passion of Christ. We formed groups to do a biblical representation of three parables, which they did very well. They had a talk and in the afternoon there were confessions, ending with Holy Mass.

On the 13th, Bishop Reinaldo arrived at 10 am in the morning. He was welcomed with an arch of flowers, the authorities and the people were waiting for him with white and yellow banners. The Monsignor was very happy with the welcome. The Holy Mass followed, followed by the Confirmations. At the end the authorities and a confirmand thanked the Monsignor for his visit. He thanked them for their participation in the Holy Mass. Everyone, children, young people, adults and old people participated very well, they prayed and sang loudly.

Thus ended our mission in the village of Yuracc Cancha, we felt that we were really following our Father Federico, we were following in his footsteps through these places of the Prelature which he had also travelled through. Now we had to return to our Convent, but we returned with a grateful heart for the charism that God the Holy Spirit inspired in our founder, that of caring for the most remote, abandoned and poorest places.

Mother Sales MJVV and Mother Balbina MJVV