This past spring I had the opportunity to work with the El Paso County Health Department, in partnership with two local high schools, to create an anti-tobacco media campaign. It was an awesome experience to work with a group of high school students to help them share with their communities their commitment to avoid tobacco products and instead pursue healthy choices.

The campaign had multiple purposes:

• Provide a platform for high school students to tell their stories about making healthy choices versus using tobacco products
• Deliver a message to the local city council encouraging them to pass legislation discouraging the use of tobacco by youth
• Create media products — through photography, video, and audio — that could be distributed through different channels in the school and community

The rest of the story and images after the jump.

This morning we visited the landfills of Trujillo, home and workplace for a number of Peruvians. It was heartbreaking to see families, including children, living and working in the midst of so much trash. This young boy spends his days sifting through and organizing trash piles such as this one.

This morning we traveled about an hour east of Trujillo to the Andean city of Otuzco, home of the Virgen de la Puerta (Virgin of the Door). Our purpose was not to visit the Virgin, but rather to visit the poor living on the outskirts of the city.

We have completed day three in Trujillo, Peru, having traveled to a number of impoverished communities in order to tell the stories of the people who live there. While the people live in difficult circumstances, I've been so impacted by their kindness, generosity, and beauty that shines so brightly in their bleak environment.

It has been over two weeks since I returned from Haiti, and with a long recovery from the sickness that I developed while in Haiti, along with moving to our new home, and in the past few days preparing for a trip to Peru, only recently have I had the time and energy to sit down and reflect on my trip.