Some Brief Progress Updates and our Christmas Greetings

Tuesday 17 December 2018

It has been too long since I updated you on progress.  But largely because it has been a busy period for me preparing for site installations between many trips to and from all our transmission sites for maintenance.  In this time I have travelled to our remote FM sites of Puerto Maldonado 5 times, Casabamaba 2 times, and Andahuaylas 3 times.  Mostly this is a long drive, but sometimes a 35 minute domestic flight can be taken in the case of Puerto Maldonado, instead of a 12 hour drive due to multiple mountain passes, one to almost 5,000m and seemingly endless hairpin bends.

Incidentally flying is not always a safe bet in Peru due to poor maintenance and the general lack of any quality education even amongst the airlines.  For example one trip I took in November was a comedy of problems making a one day flight to/from Puerto Maldonado into 3 days.

Here is a link to a Diospi Suyana web post by Klaus on that trip:
https://www.diospi-suyana.de/mal-ganz-ehrlich-wuerden-sie-in-dieses-flugzeug-einsteigen/?lang=en

To drive there are often serious landslides in the wet season (the above was typical for some 20km distance on the only highway route to Puerto Maldonado), and/or diesel fuel shortages due to government mismanagement.

Sometimes our transport needs to be via Moto-taxi – here in the wet season in Puerto Maldonado my helper Christian Oswald needs get out and push it up an incline.

I have had some FM transmitter issues at two of our sites for various reasons which I have now addressed to avoid reoccurrence.  And another issue with our satellite telemetry equipment where I have been working with our German satellite modem manufacturer to resolve.  For those technical people, I found it an interesting problem where the modem does not start up automatically after a bad power break.  “Dirty” power switching events are common in Peru, and I suggest much more rare in developed countries – hence the oversight.  I believe we are close to a resolution on that issue also.

 

Another 6 hour drive to our Casabamba FM site, now with a security guards’ hut to the front left.

On this trip my son Isaac accompanied me to learn more about broadcast transmitters.

We were hoping to have installed our 5^th and 6^th FM sites of Puno and Echarati before Christmas, alas not so.  For both sites the towers are built and the shelters and walls completed.  But Echarati has suffered delays with its power connection by the supply authority.  Excessive rain has hampered access and the latest date we have is 24 December!  Needless to say we are installing that site now in January.  And Puno has been delayed by licence administration issues as previously reported in my earlier blogs.  But we have now received the license after more than half a year of delays and bureaucracy.  But I have used some parts from the Puno transmitter for spares to fix other sites, and so we are now awaiting those replacement parts from Italy.  They are months late in arriving, and so Puno will also be installed now early in the New Year.

Furthermore our Centro de Medios studios new floor expansion is powering ahead and due for completion by February 2019.  Per my 06 August blog post including a picture of the floor plan, this will provide another 12 offices for more media staff, a small TV studio and 2 small radio recording studios.

 

The new 3rd floor is nearing completion with roof on and rendered walls.

Screeding the floors to make them level and cover the electrical conduits.

There are no cement mixers or concrete pumps here – everything is done with hard labour.

Our Centro de Medios team - from left to right: Carlos, Rebecca, Keila, Edson, Margot, Chris, Doris, Dr Klaus, Yesenia, Jesus, Raul and Reynaldo.

But now Christmas is all but here.  Last Thursday night Diospi Suyana hosted the appreciation party for all its paid staff.  This was held in the hospital and is always well received by all including seasonal hamper handed out to each.  We ate roasted turkey and enjoyed lovely live choir music and instrumentals played by our German doctor friends featuring the violin and keyboard.

 

Dr Klaus personally hands out one of many staff Christmas hampers on the night.

And we hosted the Centro de Medios Christmas party in the garden we had made from the orchard at our case la hacienda.  Sandi made pavlovas for dessert (with whipped cream and diced fruit on top) and this was a huge hit with our Peruvian and German guests.  They had not experienced nor heard of "pavs" before.  It was a beautiful afternoon with music, good food and laughter.

Sandi dishing out her pavlova – the most amazing cook in Curahuasi!

Our Centro de Medios garden Christmas party with their families.

But there are a few sad things about Christmas in Peru that I need to mention.  The first is that there are virtually no Christmas decorations, festivities or music in the town.  So it does not “feel like Christmas” here.  This is because of the predominantly Peru Catholic environment we live in where they consider Mary more important than the one true God found only in Jesus Christ.

The other thing that is sad for us is that we miss our family and friends from Australia so very much.  But the good news is our eldest son Jake is coming to visit us after a year in Australia, and we are so looking forward to that.  I will collect him from Cusco airport on Thursday.

So let me take this moment to wish each and every one of you a blessed Christmas, full of love, joy and peace as you hopefully get to spend it with your loved ones.  And a safe holiday and prosperous New Year to you.

Finally THANK YOU so much for your amazing support which enables our work to proceed here, to make a profound difference impacting an estimated 400,000 lives primarily through our existing 4 FM radio transmission 24 x 7.  And with much expansion due next year to reach over a million people.

With love from us Welches in Peru!

Curahuasi’s population takes a stand for Diospi Suyana

Tuesday 18 September 2018

In light of the recent local protests, all of us working at Diospi Suyana hospital have been encouraged by the support that has subsequently rallied by the good people of Curahuasi.  Much prayer went into this and so we see the pendulum swing back.  It is clear more are for us than against us!  Accordingly, here is an article covering this by Dr Klaus John on Tuesday, (albeit with a couple of editorial changes by me to better clarify);

 

An expression of solidarity in front of the missionary hospital’s gates.

After the most recent defamatory statement and local protests stemming from the health centre (Centro de Salud), Curahuasi’s inhabitants have taken a clear stand yesterday morning in a demonstration formed on the Plaza de Armas which then marched the 1.5 kilometres to the Diospi Suyana hospital’s gates.  The Mayor joined in the march thus showing his support for our work.  By means of a megaphone, Dr Martina John spoke to the crowd (and yet again proved her public speaking qualities).

Elsewhere other Curahuasinos were eagerly collecting signatures in support thankfulness for our 11 years of missionary service.

 

A mototaxi seen on one of Curahuasi’s main squares. Translation: “Klaus and Martina, the populous supports and is thankful for you!”

A commission from a local institute visited us yesterday, Monday to say: “We and our pupils back Diospi Suyana unanimously!”

Here is the link to the original Diospi Suyana website article which includes a video link (the dialogue is in Spanish of course); https://www.diospi-suyana.de/die-bevoelkerung-macht-fuer-diospi-suyana-mobil/?lang=en

Regards,

Chris

Diospi FM On-Air in Chincheros Province

08 September 2018

After another period of weeks of preparation leading up to a week of installation work on site (12+ hour days), our 4^th Diospi Suyana FM transmission was launched at 6:20pm 7 September.  This new service on FM 104.7 MHz has an estimated reach of 50,000 people in Chincheros province, Apurimac Region. 

 

Our 50m tower near the Casabamaba community overlooking Chincheros and Uripa.

Our FM site with 50 metre tower is situated at 3,527m ASL on a hill adjacent the Casabamba community, which enjoys the ideal vantage for transmission to the expanding primary townships of Chincheros and Uripa. 

A main road in Uripa passing the state school on the left.

My view of the site from the top of our 50m tower.

One of our FM antenna elements overlooking the farmer’s fields.

A successful completion of our site – our team comprising of Centro de Medios General Manager Doris (left), Cristobal and me (centre) and equipment supplier engineer Luis (right) in front of our DB 500 watt FM transmitter.

Of note, the building security frame needed modification for which we sought the services of a welder in Chincheros.  This was a small one man business where I observed his son (about 10 years old) working with him – cutting and welding steel door frames for clients.  However we were shocked to see him allowed by his father to work without any form of protection and exposed to flying sparks and looking at the welding as it was taking place!   His father had a welding mask but for the most part left it up as he welded.  I warned the young lad of the dangers to his eyes and I can only hope he heeds my advice but as his father is making the same sins in the workshop, I don’t hold much hope for the lad’s eyesight.  The photo I took speaks for itself.

 

Welding safety by this contractor is absent during this work for both the father (welding on left) and his son (right).

After the final day’s work commenced at 4:30am on the Saturday to resolve a security system problem, we were on the road by 6:00am for a 7 hour drive back to Curahuasi negotiating what seems to be endless mountain highway hairpin bends.

We arrived in Curahuasi to an organised protest against Diospi Suyana!  A few weeks prior, there was a tragic car accident involving an unlicensed drunk 80 year old and another vehicle including a local government official who was an asleep passenger.

As a result of nobody wearing seatbelts (which is common in Perú as there is almost no sensible law enforcement at all in this country), two passengers, a man and a woman were hospitalised with critical injuries, and the drunken 80 year old was also hospitalised but without life threatening injuries.  There was much prayer (24 x 7 prayer chain), many operations and much blood given by many hospital staff to try and save the critical patients.  In fact the Diospi Suyana trauma surgeon Dr Tim Boeker, after many tireless hours operation on the critical man (as a result on some days he only had a few hours sleep), then stepped into the blood bank to give his own blood to save his patient. 

In a twist to this saga, a Perú government department intervened and insisted that their public servant be immediately transferred to a government hospital in Cusco (2 ½ hours away).  But Diospi surgeons warned he would not survive the transfer due to his injuries and need for blood.  So Diospi Suyana insisted they help with blood donation.

Meanwhile the mother of the man, prayed and sang by the man’s bedside as she was a committed Christian.  She believed this accident had happened so good would result and the man would come to know Jesus Christ as his saviour.

After some two weeks the patient was transferred to the government hospital in Cusco and then later died there.  There was no doubt Diospi did all that was medically possible, and more, to save this man.

But a group of embittered locals raise a protest of several hundred locals with slogans such as “Gringo – te haremos justica!” – translation: “Missionaries – we'll do you justice!”.  Needless to say this made us missionaries upset given all our efforts to save this man including 15 of us “gringos” giving our own blood (whereas the protestors did not). 

 

The government health facility ambulance posted with anti-Diospi Suyana slogans.

The crowd of angry protesters gathers numbers carrying the coffin through the streets of Curahuasi.

It just made no sense at all.  Diospi was made to blame when the man was not wearing a seatbelt, he later died in a government hospital and the drunk 80 year old was to bear no responsibility at all.

On the Saturday morning Dr Klaus appeared on a major national television program “Exitosa” to defend the actions of Diospi Suyana.

 

Klaus appears on Peru’s “Exitosa” program to defend Diospi Suyana.

A bigger and violent protest was threatened to take place at the Diospi hospital after the wake on Saturday mid-afternoon which was when we drove into town from Chincheros.  But the government brought in a large number of riot police from nearby Abancay and they patrolled the Diospi Suyana fence lines. 

Much prayer went up and I believe as a result of addressing this as a spiritual problem and not a physical one, the protestors never assembled at the hospital.  The other good that resulted from this scary incident is that it brought all of Diospi Suyana together like no other thing had in the past.

So as you can see things aren’t always so easy for us here.  But there is always good as a result of everything that happens, just as it is said in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

And as Ephesians 6:12 reminds us: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Thank you for your ongoing support of us here in Perú.  There is much work to do here and as I hope this post conveys, the need is great for the Gospel to go forth in this place.

Chris

Diospi FM On-Air in Andahuaylas

19 August 2018

As of 5:10 pm Saturday 18 August 2018, Andahuaylas and its surrounds is on the air with Diospi Suyana FM 96.1 MHz.  This is 3 of our 6 sites to launch as part of our initial rollout phase.

Our FM antenna bearing on the city of Andahuaylas.

It was another FM installation with its own set of unique challenges for us.  Being one of the first transmitter systems purchased by Diospi Suyana some 2 years ago, but its installation delayed due to a long string of problems not untypical in Peru.  This meant that the system was in storage for this extended period, and I discovered the preparation process that the 1-5/8” RF cable connectors had been lost due to multiple relocations of the Diospi Suyana store during this time.  Sourcing such specialised RF connectors quickly in Perú is not a trivial task.  But a pair was eventually found from a vendor in Lima, so our installation proceeded on schedule.

Then we had delays with the power connection by the electrical authority, Electro Sur.  After arriving on Monday, we did not see power at our site until Thursday.  Anyone familiar with installing sites will know how frustrating it is not to have power for tools, testing etc.  We were able to get access to a generator, but not without its own set of issues and delays.  The second hand HV transformer was then found to be faulty.  And then the new replacement they installed the wrong one with half the needed capacity!  It was enough to get by for now, but much patience is needed here.

Then the satellite pole was not in the correct location to enable it to point to our satellite.  So we had to get a new 6” diameter steel post sent overnight from Curahuasi while our team dug another 1.4m hole in the rocky soil for the foundation.  And more concrete, sand and gravel was purchased and delivered in loads with our new Toyota Hilux.  Followed by multiple trips to cart the needed water to the site.  With the most amazing rapid effort of manual digging I have seen, we had the new pole installed within 24 hours of me realising the mistaken location.  And with quick setting cement and some creative foundation steelwork welding to support the post, we had the satellite antenna installed that same afternoon and we were on the air – truly an amazing effort!

Temperatures in Andahuaylas dropped to near zero (1°C) overnight due to its 2,926 m altitude.

Our Centro de Medios manager Doris Manco’s father died of cancer in Lima early Sunday morning (terribly sad for all and a most difficult time for Doris) but he was told of our successful launch the day before by his daughter.  So Doris had to urgently return to Lima first thing that morning.  The good news is that he was a faithful Christian and supporter of Diospi Suyana, and we have the absolute assurance we will meet again in heaven.

But with lots of prayer and a resilient team of 4 Diospi Suyana staff, 2 equipment supplier contractors and me, we saw fruit to our labour after 6 days (all 12+ hours) with the launch of FM 96.1 MHz.  Then another 12 hour day to complete our installation work on the Sunday with the security system.

My previously publicised Andahuaylas radio reach was estimated to be 80,000.  But I now believe we are covering many more habitants based on the latest the Perú 2017 census figures which have just come to hand.  I am working on updating those figures based on our coverage predictions and hope to update these soon.

Following is a photo montage of some installation highlight moments.

 

Overlooking farmers’ crops – Diospi tower is on the very left.

Our installation team in front of the Andahuaylas FM site from left to right: me, Doris, Americo (contracted rigger), Euloguio, Cristobal and Luis (contracted equipment supplier).

Power is connected by the Electro Sur linesman.

Electrical pole access the cheap way – no cherry pickers here as used in Australia (and a very different WHS model in Perú).

My selfie of lunch time on site (with a few drop-in visitors).

Euloguio and Cristobal making lightning work of a new mounting hole in rocky ground.

A view of the satellite antenna through the open transmit port – our telemetry signal returns to Curahuasi through this.

Lifting the satellite dish onto its final mounting post.

Our satellite is commissioned on Intelsat using our R&S ETL brought out from Australia.  Thanks to R&S Australia for their support with this instrument.

My telemetry / security system install with thanks to support from Steve Schilg of Maximation in Australia.

An end of day completion of work up the tower (that’s me with the rigger toward the top)

Here are some examples of the many messages that have flooded into our Curahuasi studios (Centro de Medios) every day following our Andahuaylas service commencement:

Translation:  “Thanks to you also for using her (our announcer) as we experience the voice of our Father through her. We are always waiting for your program and it is a joy for me... so may God continue to bless your program. Thank you”

Translation: “Hello brother very good afternoon.  My name is Roxana I am from Andahuaylas and it is the first time I listen to your radio – it is a great blessing.”

Saludos cordiales (Best regards J),

Chris

Our Centro de Medios Advances

06 August 2018

Whilst getting ready for our next FM site installation, Andahuaylas, there is a lot else going on here in Curahuasi.  The Centro de Medios (aka Diospi Suyana studios), is undergoing a major upgrade just as we approach the 2 year anniversary mark.  The roof has been removed and we are currently installing a 3^rd floor on the building to accommodate another 12 offices for more media staff, a small TV studio and 2 small radio recording studios. 

To oversee the construction, civil engineer Udo Klemenz returns again from “retirement” Germany to Diospi Suyana with his wife Barbara (they are in their 70s).  They are here now with no plans to return to Germany this time.

 

View of the rooftop construction access ramp with our Curahuasi 5,850m+ snow-capped mountain peak backdrop.

Centro de Medios rooftop construction viewed from the front.

Dr Klaus discusses progress on the rooftop with our construction manager Udo Klemenz and Centro de Medios manager, Doris Manco.

This is necessary to improve our program further and provide much needed resources to a fatigued hard working production team.  This comes in the form of many areas such as phone support for the significantly increased number of listeners who call in since we have launched Puerto Maldonado.  We continue to receive many encouraging calls a day and many people desperate for help coming from shattered and seemingly hopeless lives. 

As of last week, 3 more Peruvian’s were added to our Centro de Medios team, now numbering 10 people.  Here copied is our current updated organisational chart;

There is a casual helper for me also, Christian Oswald who is from Germany albeit full time in other mission work in Curahuasi.  I will endeavour train him as much as his time allows to occasionally work with me so that there is someone who knows the transmission system for when I return to Australia on furlough next year.

With this new blood in the team, things are understandably upbeat in the Centro de Medios.  Note also Diospi are also moving into community announcements to help offset the day to day running costs of the expanding department.  So two of our new staff will work in this area (amongst other departments).

In the future, more staff will be added to supplement our production needs so we can provide more locally produced programs with more diversity to be more effective in our audience reach.

 

The complete Centro de Medios team with our new members, was introduced after the chapel service on Monday.

This Monday morning walking up the hill to Diospi Suyana I see a long line of people from the hospital entrance, down the road and around the corner along the lower fence line of the hospital.  This sight is becoming a more common sight since we launched our Puerto Maldonado FM transmission (a market we estimate to be not less than 200,000 people). 

 

Many of these people sleep on the path where you see them standing now for days waiting for Diospi Suyana entry!  This gives new meaning to being on a hospital waiting list!

The good news is that all of these people will hear and see the Gospel message whilst waiting to be seen by first world medical doctors.  And all of these people will have the option to attend our weekday chapel service which is packed to standing room only.

Moreover I hope to depart with my installation team early next Monday morning for Andahuaylas, where we will reach a further 80,000 people (conservative estimate) with our next FM service on 96.1 MHz.  As they say in this industry… “Stay tuned for more!”

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Chris

Diospi FM On-Air in Puerto Maldonado

10 July 2018

As of 10:00am Monday 1 July 2018, Puerto Maldonado and its surrounds is on the air with Diospi Suyana FM 107.7 MHz with our population reach estimated at 200,000.  In recent years this place has seen an infectious growth rate which is ongoing. 

During our visit it was 32°C and 85% humidity every day, with a minimum of 20°C in the night.  Normal Amazon jungle weather for this time of year.  This was the closest thing for me to a Sydney summer since being in Perú.

The 50m Diospi Suyana radio tower of Puerto Maldonado with the new FM antenna installed atop.

It was a fight all the way as there was setback after setback – in fact I don’t think one part of our installation went without some level of problem.  It was clear to me we were in the enemies’ camp with what we were doing here. 

Here is a brief overview of some of our challenges (sorry to our readers, some of these are a bit technical);

• Upon arrival we found the site was overgrown with tropical plants – it was like an episode of Lost in Space I recall watching as a child.  In fact a vine had even grown half way up the 50 metre tower ladder! (see photos)
• The electrical supply meter on the outside wall was stolen just before we arrived!
• Then I find that the electrical authority installed 3 phase power instead of single phase – despite providing drawings, load charts and having face to face meetings with them in advance.  So they had us run in double the extra heavy gauge copper cables which we had to go out and buy (expensive) in order to get approval for our power connection, even though we would still only actually use the original single phase pair of cables we brought with us.
• The tower rigger arrived a day late. Then the day after he could not start as his supervisor went missing for most of the next day!  So we lost 2 days there.
• The antenna pipe clamps did not fit their brackets despite coming from the one supplier, and all needed workshop bending to fit.
• The satellite antenna alignment was delayed as we had a significant frequency error in our satellite downlink equipment due to a misconfiguration in the telemetry decoder.  So the spectrum did not match my signature reference plot taken the week before.  This made me think I was pointing to the wrong satellite, but I was not.  When I worked out what was wrong (no external 10 MHz reference to our LNB resulting in it drifting hundreds of MHz off frequency), then support was not available to fix the reference issue in the German provided modem (a complex unit) as it was the weekend.  So we had to get a conventional standalone type LNB sent from Curahuasi.  Fortunately our team was able to send this to Puerto Maldonado overnight (it’s a 12 hour drive) to get us operational the next day.

There were a number more issues of course, but I think you get the picture.  So now some of the first fruits of these labours…

When we drove into town just a few hours after commencing transmission, we stopped at red light (not everyone does that here by the way! J) whilst listening to our broadcast on the Hilux FM radio.  And to our surprise at the restaurant opposite us, Diospi Suyana radio was blaring out!  We laughed – talk about a quick take up!

Then days later back in Curahuasi, we start getting many calls from Puerto Maldonado listeners with amazing positive feedback such as the following examples (ongoing);

 1.       On 2 July, just two days after launch, one Puerto Maldonado man named Victor was about to commit suicide but listening to Diospi radio, he calls at 6:15am and asks for help.  Our team prays and councils him over the phone to avert this tragedy, putting him on the path to a better life.

2.       On 5 July we receive a call from the Puerto Maldonado prison to thank us for the programming.

3.       Also on 5 July, we receive a call from a man in Cirilo thanking us for our program, some 7 hours from Puerto Maldonado only accessible by canoe!

4.       Our Centro de Medios manager, Doris Manco (who appears in some of my installation photos) says to me “Hermanos, gracias por venir a Perú (with a crying emoji), estoy feliz por tanto amor de Dios. Dios los colme de sus bendiciones.  Gracias, gracias, mil gracias!”  Translation:  Thank you to my family for coming to Perú, I am happy for so much of God’s love. God bless you with your blessings (with our work on the radio). Thanks, thanks – a thousand thanks!

5.       On 7 July, the mum of a Caleb and Damaris calls in to announce: What a blessing is this radio Diospi Suyana, what beautiful music.  Let us rejoice to hear you sing to the Lord – thank you brothers to all who work in this radio of the Lord.  There is no lack of testimonies from many men with hard hearts who also listen to this radio.  Of which I will say is the only Christian radio beating in this city…

And I have listened across the FM band in Puerto Maldonado myself, and I hear such hopelessness / meaninglessness from the other stations.

As our Welches in Perú mission scripture Isaiah 55:10~11 states (NIV);

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return to it without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

To our amazing supporters – this is just the beginning of course.  The listeners will increase with time in Puerto Maldonado, and I am soon to install our 5 other FM sites which will increase our Diospi Suyana coverage up to 630,000 people! 

And as I have reported previously there is more - the next phase Dr Klaus John is intent to buy more licences in 4 more key districts which are prime catchment areas of Diospi Suyana hospital patients.  They travel such a long way to receive first world medical services, love and respect offered by Diospi Suyana that is so rarely, if ever, available for the indigenous Quechuas of Perú.

Here below is a photo montage of the works…

 

When we arrived and opened the compound doors, we were surprised to see the growth after only 2 months from when it was a newly finished construction with bare ground.

A vine amazingly climbed half way up the 50m tower ladder!

Unloading the truck with our transmission equipment – here our 2.4m satellite antenna box (which is heavy!).

Piecing together our 2.4m C-Band satellite antenna.

The Electro Sur electrical authority worker connects a new circuit breaker and meter whilst the wires were live and with one leather glove and a metal handled screwdriver! (a normal practice in Perú)

When in the city, Diospi Suyana enjoyed a strong police presence J

Eventually the heat got to me and one night I insisted on trying suri (cooked on a kebab stick as no suri pizzas were to be found).  It’s their rainforest grub not unlike our Australian witchetty grub.  You have to try these things once in your life (and once was enough for me J).

A top down view of the new FM antenna installed on our 50m tower.

Testing the FM coaxial cable return loss (in the sweltering Puerto Maldonado day heat) with our R&S ETL analyser.

Here I am commissioning the FM transmission system with my originally Australian acquired R&S ETL analyser (with radio option donated by R&S Australia).

Our Diospi Suyana installation team – from left to right: Carlos, me, Doris, Euloguio and Cristobal.

After completion we were back in the Diospi Hilux for the 12 hour drive back to Curahuasi in the Andes via a 4,725m mountain pass with seemingly unending hairpin bends.

I plan to return to Puerto Maldonado next week with one assistant to make operational the satellite telemetry, commission it with the 2.4m satellite antenna with Intelsat and complete phase 2 of 3 of our site security system installation (i.e. siren, strobe, CCTV cameras with video images linked back to Curahuasi via satellite).

Thank you for your ongoing support partnering with us in this good work.

Chris