What a difference a few days can make! There are no mosquitoes, it's 50 degrees cooler outside, and my neighbors are Domino's Pizza and El Toro, rather than InkaFert, the coal plant, and the donkey slaughterhouse, but for the sake of my desire for completeness, I must finish blogging about the trip.
On Sunday morning, Kelly and I went to church at Esperanza, the church most of the kids attend. The Sunday before I had gone to Centro Biblico, where the little boys go with their house parents. Alex went to a different church with the adolescents.
We had a long drive because we went by the adolescents' church first to drop them off. It was interesting to see more of Trujillo. Jorge Grande sat next to me and narrated the whole trip. He pointed out all the things he saw out the window. It was like, "Bird, bicycle, chicken shack, farm, car," but in Spanish of course. I don't know if he was just enjoying being out of the orphanage or thought he was teaching me some Spanish or what, but I enjoyed it, and I joined in the game some.
At first the kids went to Sunday school, and we attended a communion service. Then the kids came down and sat with us for the actual church service. Jorge Grande sat next to me and spent a lot of time looking through my Bible. It was nice to go to church with the kids and see where they attend, but as a church, I liked Centro Biblico better. I feel more comfortable there, and I find the service easier to understand. Centro Biblico projects all the words on a screen, which really helps me. Esperanza did not do that, nor did they have hymnals. Apparently, you have to have your own. Thankfully, an older man seated at the end of our row took pity on the gringas and children and loaned us his hymnal, so that did help. I find it really hard to catch onto the words in Spanish songs if I don't have a written copy. All that to say that in the future I will probably attend Centro Biblico. Also, I must admit that you leave for Centro Biblico at 10:15 and Esperanza at 8:00. Another point for Centro Biblico.
When we returned from church, I spent some time in the little boys' house because I knew the three littlest ones would be down for their naps after lunch when it was time for us to leave. Alejandro (age 3) wanted to play with my watch, so I let him. He wandered off after a minute, but I thought he was just around the corner, so I wasn't too worried. Well, he ended up hiding my watch and then forgetting where he'd hid it. He kept insisting it was on the bunk above his bed, but it wasn't. Oh well. It's a cheap watch that I only wear when I go to Peru because I don't want to take my nice watch down there. I told Sam that if she finds it, she should just save it for me until I come back in January.
Lunch was fried eggs and some other stuff. I don't remember exactly, but I'm sure there was rice involved. After lunch, I went back down to the little boys' house to tell them good-bye. Alejo again tried to tell me my watch was on the bunk above his. Telling them good-bye was the hardest part. I don't think it was hard for them, though, because I don't think they understood at all.
After that, I finished packing up. Our departure time got bumped up 20 minutes, but nobody told me for a while, so I ended up rushed at the end. The older girls were in that vinyl pool in the front yard, so I got some wet hugs and kisses from them, and some of the other kids and all the volunteers came out to see us off. One of the older boys walked out with two of the little boys, and I was like, "Man, I already said good-bye to them once. Don't make me do it again." I kind of wish I'd been able to go find absolutely everyone and say bye, but there just wasn't time for that. Leaving was a lot easier this time. That's probably partly because I know I'm coming back and when and partly because I've done it before.
Our trip home was fine. A big thanks to my buddy Sarah Bales for picking us up at the airport in Chicago. I don't know if there will be any more blog posts or not. I might post some thoughts and reflections about the trip as I process everything, or I might not. I don't know. Right now, I'm still trying to get settled back in at home and school and work and get rested up from that overnight flight. The emotional aspect is getting shelved until I get some more sleep and feel like I'm on top of some other stuff.
I love you, and I think you're pretty.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Garbage Dump
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this post is entitled garbage dump.
Treci had an absolute barking fit at 6:40 this morning. I don't know what she was upset about, but it was intense. Thankfully, I was able to get back to sleep and enjoy sleeping in. I did a lot of chores and stuff this morning and worked on packing up a bit, sorting out what I'm leaving here and what I'm taking. Lunch was rice, beets, broccoli, and patties that I think were beef with some carrots thrown in. It tasted good at first, but the patty was kind of hard to finish.
One of the long-term vounteers, Ashley, attends a church that has a ministry to the people who live in the neighborhood adjacent to the dump. Ashley organized an outing to take some of the older kids from the orphanage to help out with a Saturday afternoon Sunday school class her church puts on at the neighborhood and invited all the others volunteers to go as well. Did I want to go to a Peruvian garbage dump? Heavens, no! Did I think I should? Yes, I did. It seemed like an opportunity I wouldn't have again anytime soon, and I don't think we should approach poverty with an ignorance is bliss type of attitude. So that is how I, the Queen of Clean, found myself on the way to a Peruvian garbage dump.
We left the orphanage and drove to Ashely's church, where we picked up 4 women from the church who organize the Sunday school and some of our HdE people who were already in town. Then we drove all the way across Trujillo. At the point where it changed from just usual South American poverty to an area that looked noticeably more impoverished, there was a big walk-over over the highway, and it made me think of Monroe, where when you cross from the "good" part of town to the "bad" part of town on Hwy. 165, there's that big walk-over that no one uses. Of course, this looked much worse than that part of Monroe, but the parallel really struck me.
We stopped at a little park where some kids were playing, and I thought, "Oh, this looks kind of dirty but not too bad. This won't be nearly as bad as I thought." No, we picked up the kids and kept on driving. Apparently these kids live in the last Trujillo neighborhood before the one by the dump and come to the Sunday school every week, so we were just giving them a ride. We passed a school (more on that later) and a prison and then we were in the neighborhood. I had thought we were going to set up shop in the actual dump itself, so it was better than what I had been mentally preparing myself for. One of the women we picked up from the church was older and sat next to me on the bus for a while. She didn't say a word, and neither did I, probably mostly because I was very uncomfortable with the whole situation.
We got off the bus, and I really didn't want to touch anything or anyone. I know that's selfish and unkind, but I'm just being really honest. I help set out some stools for seating at the "church", which was a 12ft. by 12ft. concrete slab with 2 bamboo walls and a bamboo roof that touched my head in some spots. I figured stools couldn't be too dirty. As much as I wanted to give the kids hugs, I really didn't want to touch any of these people.
Yeah, well, God has a funny sense of humor sometimes. I started playing tag with some little boys and a couple of volunteers. I knew this would mean having to touch the little boys' shirts but I figured I could deal with that. A 5-year-old was chasing me, and I was running backwards so as to face him while I ran from him, and I tripped on a rock and fell on my back. Yes, my coordination followed me to Peru. After laying in the sand and rocks, touching things or people didn't seem like such a big deal. I'm a little sore, but nothing was broken or cut, so I'm fine. Poorly balanced, but fine. And that lady who rode next to me on the bus and didn't talk? Yeah, she was laughing her head off at me.
The Sunday school opened with some songs, then a Bible story (John the Baptist baptizing Jesus), and a memory verse. Then we gave the kids the rest of the cupcakes from our baking classes and some water and soda. Apparently, the orphanage got a lot of donations at Christmas, more than they thought the kids needed as gifts, so we took some of them today to give to the kids at the Sunday school.
There was an older woman who came to Sunday school, and the oldest boy from our orphanage sat with her and helped her. When she left, he followed her and gave her his baseball cap. We're all so proud of him. He wears that cap a lot, and I know he'll really miss it.
The neighborhood looked like every picture you see on flyers for Compassion International and other child sponsorship programs. Exactly like it. It was almost surreal being there. How did it impact me? I don't know yet. It will take me a while to process.
One of the girls from our group used to live in that neighborhood with the little park where we first stopped to pick up the 3 kids. She saw two women she knew, and she had attended that school we passed. We drove all the way back across Trujillo to the orphanage.
I had leftover pizza for dinner and some mazamorra morada that Filomena had left for us. That's purple corn pudding. Then Kelly and I went jewelry shopping. Several people had sent us with money to buy things made by certain kids. Now we're hanging out in our room talking, and obviously, I'm updating the blog.
I love you, and I think you're pretty.
Treci had an absolute barking fit at 6:40 this morning. I don't know what she was upset about, but it was intense. Thankfully, I was able to get back to sleep and enjoy sleeping in. I did a lot of chores and stuff this morning and worked on packing up a bit, sorting out what I'm leaving here and what I'm taking. Lunch was rice, beets, broccoli, and patties that I think were beef with some carrots thrown in. It tasted good at first, but the patty was kind of hard to finish.
One of the long-term vounteers, Ashley, attends a church that has a ministry to the people who live in the neighborhood adjacent to the dump. Ashley organized an outing to take some of the older kids from the orphanage to help out with a Saturday afternoon Sunday school class her church puts on at the neighborhood and invited all the others volunteers to go as well. Did I want to go to a Peruvian garbage dump? Heavens, no! Did I think I should? Yes, I did. It seemed like an opportunity I wouldn't have again anytime soon, and I don't think we should approach poverty with an ignorance is bliss type of attitude. So that is how I, the Queen of Clean, found myself on the way to a Peruvian garbage dump.
We left the orphanage and drove to Ashely's church, where we picked up 4 women from the church who organize the Sunday school and some of our HdE people who were already in town. Then we drove all the way across Trujillo. At the point where it changed from just usual South American poverty to an area that looked noticeably more impoverished, there was a big walk-over over the highway, and it made me think of Monroe, where when you cross from the "good" part of town to the "bad" part of town on Hwy. 165, there's that big walk-over that no one uses. Of course, this looked much worse than that part of Monroe, but the parallel really struck me.
We stopped at a little park where some kids were playing, and I thought, "Oh, this looks kind of dirty but not too bad. This won't be nearly as bad as I thought." No, we picked up the kids and kept on driving. Apparently these kids live in the last Trujillo neighborhood before the one by the dump and come to the Sunday school every week, so we were just giving them a ride. We passed a school (more on that later) and a prison and then we were in the neighborhood. I had thought we were going to set up shop in the actual dump itself, so it was better than what I had been mentally preparing myself for. One of the women we picked up from the church was older and sat next to me on the bus for a while. She didn't say a word, and neither did I, probably mostly because I was very uncomfortable with the whole situation.
We got off the bus, and I really didn't want to touch anything or anyone. I know that's selfish and unkind, but I'm just being really honest. I help set out some stools for seating at the "church", which was a 12ft. by 12ft. concrete slab with 2 bamboo walls and a bamboo roof that touched my head in some spots. I figured stools couldn't be too dirty. As much as I wanted to give the kids hugs, I really didn't want to touch any of these people.
Yeah, well, God has a funny sense of humor sometimes. I started playing tag with some little boys and a couple of volunteers. I knew this would mean having to touch the little boys' shirts but I figured I could deal with that. A 5-year-old was chasing me, and I was running backwards so as to face him while I ran from him, and I tripped on a rock and fell on my back. Yes, my coordination followed me to Peru. After laying in the sand and rocks, touching things or people didn't seem like such a big deal. I'm a little sore, but nothing was broken or cut, so I'm fine. Poorly balanced, but fine. And that lady who rode next to me on the bus and didn't talk? Yeah, she was laughing her head off at me.
The Sunday school opened with some songs, then a Bible story (John the Baptist baptizing Jesus), and a memory verse. Then we gave the kids the rest of the cupcakes from our baking classes and some water and soda. Apparently, the orphanage got a lot of donations at Christmas, more than they thought the kids needed as gifts, so we took some of them today to give to the kids at the Sunday school.
There was an older woman who came to Sunday school, and the oldest boy from our orphanage sat with her and helped her. When she left, he followed her and gave her his baseball cap. We're all so proud of him. He wears that cap a lot, and I know he'll really miss it.
The neighborhood looked like every picture you see on flyers for Compassion International and other child sponsorship programs. Exactly like it. It was almost surreal being there. How did it impact me? I don't know yet. It will take me a while to process.
One of the girls from our group used to live in that neighborhood with the little park where we first stopped to pick up the 3 kids. She saw two women she knew, and she had attended that school we passed. We drove all the way back across Trujillo to the orphanage.
I had leftover pizza for dinner and some mazamorra morada that Filomena had left for us. That's purple corn pudding. Then Kelly and I went jewelry shopping. Several people had sent us with money to buy things made by certain kids. Now we're hanging out in our room talking, and obviously, I'm updating the blog.
I love you, and I think you're pretty.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Three Houses
This time I'm going to start by telling you about the end of our day. After returning from Salaverry, Kelly and I went to the houses for her to deliver some things she had brought for the kids. When we went to the little boys' house, Jhon came out to see. I asked him if those were his pajamas he was wearing, and he said yes. Then he asked was I going to wear my pajamas. I told him later. The kid's obsessed, I tell you.
This morning I was kitchen help for Filomena. I was assigned everyone's least favorite kitchen task, sorting rice. Sorting rice is really just a nice way of saying getting the bugs out. Filomena pronounced this rice pretty clean to begin with, so it was an easier task than usual. I did not find any bugs. My next task was peeling boiled potatoes. She pronounced my first effort "esta bien," and I was very happy. I am not as good in the kitchen as Filo. Just in case you were wondering, she cooked 25 cups of rice, and that was just for the kids. She was also busy washing seaweed. That's what the kids ate for lunch. Blessedly, she cooked a pasta dish for the volunteers. I'm told she only does this when there are lots of volunteers around. Edwin loved the seaweed, though. He finished his own plate and Jorge's and Paul's. I think they were glad for his help.
We took the older girls sandboarding on the dunes behind the albergue during the late morning. The only people who actually sandboarded were Kelly, Stephanie, Marjorie, and I. The other girls seemed to enjoy getting out, though, and they climbed all the way to the top of the highest dune. Treci, the orphanage's loyal dog, came with us. As soon as she saw the sandboards, she knew where we were headed and got so excited. She led the way.
They had our despedida today at lunch. We're not leaving until Sunday, but the staff won't be here then. The despedida is a going away party. I think the length and complexity of it corresponds to the length of the volunteer's stay. The kids began with skits, which were really funny. Look for video from Kelly on facebook. Then the director of the orphanage prayed for us. Then they gave us each several small gifts. Kelly and I each received a bracelet, a note from the director, and a box made by one of the kids in art class yesterday. I'm not sure what Alex got.
After lunch we had baking class with the younger boys and then the younger girls. They weren't really baking but rather decorating the cupcakes the older kids had made earlier in the week. The kids LOVED it. They were each allowed to eat one cupcake during class and the others were to be saved for the fiesta tonight. The boys all ate their cupcake as soon as they had it decorated, and all but one of the girls waited until the end to eat theirs. The sprinkles were especially popular! It wasn't exactly the most sanitary food prep ever, but we sure had a lot of fun.
Baking classes were followed by the fiesta. We sang songs and ate the rest of the cupcakes. It was fun to sing with the kids again and made me miss doing VBS with them. I love leading their songs! Yes, we did sing "Gozo, Gozo" and "Yo Tengo Un Amigo," but I spared everyone "Que Lo Diga." We sang it on the bus to camp last week anyhow. I also took a photo of each kid to be used at our monthly Prayer for Peru meetings.
Kelly and I went to Salaverry tonight with Elizabeth, Bryson, Stephanie, and David. I managed to get full again. This was accomplished by eating a plate of dinner here before I left and then having a burger and ice cream in Salaverry. The food in town was the same as last Friday and once again cost under $2 American. Gotta love Peru.
This morning I was kitchen help for Filomena. I was assigned everyone's least favorite kitchen task, sorting rice. Sorting rice is really just a nice way of saying getting the bugs out. Filomena pronounced this rice pretty clean to begin with, so it was an easier task than usual. I did not find any bugs. My next task was peeling boiled potatoes. She pronounced my first effort "esta bien," and I was very happy. I am not as good in the kitchen as Filo. Just in case you were wondering, she cooked 25 cups of rice, and that was just for the kids. She was also busy washing seaweed. That's what the kids ate for lunch. Blessedly, she cooked a pasta dish for the volunteers. I'm told she only does this when there are lots of volunteers around. Edwin loved the seaweed, though. He finished his own plate and Jorge's and Paul's. I think they were glad for his help.
We took the older girls sandboarding on the dunes behind the albergue during the late morning. The only people who actually sandboarded were Kelly, Stephanie, Marjorie, and I. The other girls seemed to enjoy getting out, though, and they climbed all the way to the top of the highest dune. Treci, the orphanage's loyal dog, came with us. As soon as she saw the sandboards, she knew where we were headed and got so excited. She led the way.
They had our despedida today at lunch. We're not leaving until Sunday, but the staff won't be here then. The despedida is a going away party. I think the length and complexity of it corresponds to the length of the volunteer's stay. The kids began with skits, which were really funny. Look for video from Kelly on facebook. Then the director of the orphanage prayed for us. Then they gave us each several small gifts. Kelly and I each received a bracelet, a note from the director, and a box made by one of the kids in art class yesterday. I'm not sure what Alex got.
After lunch we had baking class with the younger boys and then the younger girls. They weren't really baking but rather decorating the cupcakes the older kids had made earlier in the week. The kids LOVED it. They were each allowed to eat one cupcake during class and the others were to be saved for the fiesta tonight. The boys all ate their cupcake as soon as they had it decorated, and all but one of the girls waited until the end to eat theirs. The sprinkles were especially popular! It wasn't exactly the most sanitary food prep ever, but we sure had a lot of fun.
Baking classes were followed by the fiesta. We sang songs and ate the rest of the cupcakes. It was fun to sing with the kids again and made me miss doing VBS with them. I love leading their songs! Yes, we did sing "Gozo, Gozo" and "Yo Tengo Un Amigo," but I spared everyone "Que Lo Diga." We sang it on the bus to camp last week anyhow. I also took a photo of each kid to be used at our monthly Prayer for Peru meetings.
Kelly and I went to Salaverry tonight with Elizabeth, Bryson, Stephanie, and David. I managed to get full again. This was accomplished by eating a plate of dinner here before I left and then having a burger and ice cream in Salaverry. The food in town was the same as last Friday and once again cost under $2 American. Gotta love Peru.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Yo tengo un amigo que me ama
This morning we took the last group of kids on their special Christmas outing. We returned to the pool at Las Lagunas. That's the third time I've been there in a week. Wonder if they have a punch card? Anyhow, I spent a lot of time with Alejandro (age 3). My favorite part was when he was willing to just chill on a lounge chair with me. He can be so cute and cuddly when he wants to. I swam for a bit, and we ate some snacks. I let Alejo and Esthefany try some Teddy Grahams I had brought. They liked them. The outing was a success, and this group of kids was a lot easier than the group we had on Tuesday. Today Alex, Elizabeth, Jo, David, and I took Esthefany, Jhanpier, Alejandro, Pedro, Jorge, Abraham, Samir, Heydi, and Isabel. Speaking of Abraham and Heydi...I have never mastered the art of looking cool. I cannot imagine how a kid in an orphanage could pull it off. Yet Abraham and Heydi always look cool. It mildly fascinates me.
Lunch back at the albergue was chicken, veggies, and rice. I skyped with Tim Brooks to talk about a few things for next summer's trip, and then I went with the long-term volunteer Courtney to go through a couple of the girls' closets. We were able to trade out some of Oriana's things for clothes that fit better or are not worn out. Speaking of clothes, I have seen none of the Sexy jackets this trip, largely due to the weather and Courtney disliking them as much as I do. However, one girl has worn the same shirt about 75% of the time we've been here, and it's not much better than the Sexy jackets. The sexy jackets are just fleece zip-up jackets that say "Sexy" in English and for some unknown reason come in sizes that fit 10-year-olds. I dunno. Sometimes I just dunno.
All the guys went into Salaverry with most of the boys to play soccer at a field they had reserved. I got to play with the 3 little guys for a while. We walked around on the tires that line the playground and played some soccer. It was nice for them to get a chance at the grass and ball here while the older boys were gone. Junior played with us, too. Then I spent some time on the see-saw with Marjorie and Paul.
Tonight I went into Trujillo with some volunteers. We went grocery shopping, and I felt like I had gotten a fair amount, but my bill was $5.94 in American dollars. Crazy. We also stopped by Pizza Hut to take advantage of the Buy One, Get One for a Sol deal. One dollar is about 2.7 soles. I ate until I was really, truly full for the first time since we've been here, and I have leftovers. Bliss. It's a good thing we went grocery shopping, too, because we had about eaten ourselves out of house and home. I do have to admit that I feel guilty buying pizza and snacks for myself when I know the kids don't get that stuff, but I don't know quite what to do about it. It's not like my not eating would really help them.
The grocery store we went to and the Pizza Hut were at the Trujillo mall. I hadn't been there before except just to the grocery store part. It was cool to see their mall. It looked very western. Stores I recognized were Radio Shack, Nike, Adidas, and ecco. There was also a KFC, a Starbucks, and a McDonald's dessert place.
The thing I'm most looking forward to tomorrow is sandboarding on the dunes and hills behind the albergue with the Luces, the older girls. I've never been and have been wanting to try it.
I love you, and I think you're pretty. E-mail or facebook me. I miss you guys
Lunch back at the albergue was chicken, veggies, and rice. I skyped with Tim Brooks to talk about a few things for next summer's trip, and then I went with the long-term volunteer Courtney to go through a couple of the girls' closets. We were able to trade out some of Oriana's things for clothes that fit better or are not worn out. Speaking of clothes, I have seen none of the Sexy jackets this trip, largely due to the weather and Courtney disliking them as much as I do. However, one girl has worn the same shirt about 75% of the time we've been here, and it's not much better than the Sexy jackets. The sexy jackets are just fleece zip-up jackets that say "Sexy" in English and for some unknown reason come in sizes that fit 10-year-olds. I dunno. Sometimes I just dunno.
All the guys went into Salaverry with most of the boys to play soccer at a field they had reserved. I got to play with the 3 little guys for a while. We walked around on the tires that line the playground and played some soccer. It was nice for them to get a chance at the grass and ball here while the older boys were gone. Junior played with us, too. Then I spent some time on the see-saw with Marjorie and Paul.
Tonight I went into Trujillo with some volunteers. We went grocery shopping, and I felt like I had gotten a fair amount, but my bill was $5.94 in American dollars. Crazy. We also stopped by Pizza Hut to take advantage of the Buy One, Get One for a Sol deal. One dollar is about 2.7 soles. I ate until I was really, truly full for the first time since we've been here, and I have leftovers. Bliss. It's a good thing we went grocery shopping, too, because we had about eaten ourselves out of house and home. I do have to admit that I feel guilty buying pizza and snacks for myself when I know the kids don't get that stuff, but I don't know quite what to do about it. It's not like my not eating would really help them.
The grocery store we went to and the Pizza Hut were at the Trujillo mall. I hadn't been there before except just to the grocery store part. It was cool to see their mall. It looked very western. Stores I recognized were Radio Shack, Nike, Adidas, and ecco. There was also a KFC, a Starbucks, and a McDonald's dessert place.
The thing I'm most looking forward to tomorrow is sandboarding on the dunes and hills behind the albergue with the Luces, the older girls. I've never been and have been wanting to try it.
I love you, and I think you're pretty. E-mail or facebook me. I miss you guys
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Another Day
What did we do this morning? Oh yes, Kelly and I were kitchen help for Filomena, and Alex went into Trujillo. Apparently, Filo doesn't like chopping onions and garlic because they make her cry. One of the volunteers, Heather, bought her a food processor, and Heather, Matthias, and David were in the kitchen this morning teaching Filo to use it. Kelly and I peeled and cut up watermelon. Yes, we peeled watermelons. The best part of that job was passing it out to the kids. As soon as I gave Edwin his piece, he said, "Tia Shan, Tiocar" which was his way of saying that he wanted to make sure his Tia Sam and Tio Oscar got some, too. So cute and he loves them so much. We asked Filo if there was anything else she wanted to us to do, but she said the machine had done it all. The rest of our assignment was supposed to be chopping vegetables, but they had done it all in teaching her the processor and playing with it. I used the free time to call my mom.
Our next assignment was to spend time with the Chispas, the younger girls. That's way more fun than it is work. We colored with them for a long time and then made jewelry with the beads and stuff we had brought last summer. Those little girls are so cute! I made Rosita a bracelet, and Kelly made her a necklace, and she was so proud of them.
Kelly, Alex, and Bryson did a baking class this afternoon with the older boys and made cookies dipped in chocolate and cupcakes. I helped do some of the dishes at the end. Then I came back and waited for a meeting. While I waited I hung out with some kids. Towards the end, Consuelo had her head on one of my knees, Sofia was sitting on my other side, and Marita was playing with my hair. I'm just glad she didn't play dermatologist on me. The kids pointed out all my blemishes last week, though.
Then I met with Courtney, Sam, and the director Alex to talk about next summer's trip. I am getting excited! Dinner was leftovers from lunch and soup. Lunch had been these veggie-patty-like things. They had the veggies chopped up this morning and eggs in them. Pretty good. Filo had also made this good juice at lunch. I supplemented both meals today with scrambled eggs.
After dinner I went with Ashley to the Tesoros house where she was leading a devotional. The little boys were all in their pajamas, and Jhon wanted to know where mine were. I swear that kid has an obsession with my pajamas. If he weren't a 3-year-old, it would creep me out. Jorge sat on one side of my lap and Jhon on the other. Such cute kids. They passed out good hugs and kisses on their way to bed, too.
Our next assignment was to spend time with the Chispas, the younger girls. That's way more fun than it is work. We colored with them for a long time and then made jewelry with the beads and stuff we had brought last summer. Those little girls are so cute! I made Rosita a bracelet, and Kelly made her a necklace, and she was so proud of them.
Kelly, Alex, and Bryson did a baking class this afternoon with the older boys and made cookies dipped in chocolate and cupcakes. I helped do some of the dishes at the end. Then I came back and waited for a meeting. While I waited I hung out with some kids. Towards the end, Consuelo had her head on one of my knees, Sofia was sitting on my other side, and Marita was playing with my hair. I'm just glad she didn't play dermatologist on me. The kids pointed out all my blemishes last week, though.
Then I met with Courtney, Sam, and the director Alex to talk about next summer's trip. I am getting excited! Dinner was leftovers from lunch and soup. Lunch had been these veggie-patty-like things. They had the veggies chopped up this morning and eggs in them. Pretty good. Filo had also made this good juice at lunch. I supplemented both meals today with scrambled eggs.
After dinner I went with Ashley to the Tesoros house where she was leading a devotional. The little boys were all in their pajamas, and Jhon wanted to know where mine were. I swear that kid has an obsession with my pajamas. If he weren't a 3-year-old, it would creep me out. Jorge sat on one side of my lap and Jhon on the other. Such cute kids. They passed out good hugs and kisses on their way to bed, too.
Reality Check
Most everything I've posted so far has been roses and daisies, peaches and cream. That's largely because I really enjoy my time here and am willing to overlook the inconveniences and difficulties in exchange for all the positives. Lest you think I'm delusional and in the interest of enlightenment for those who are considering making the trip themselves, I will mention a few of the challenges.
1. Sand. I've decided the best way to explain to the kids God's omnipresence would be to tell them He's like sand. This makes it very hard to keep anything clean.
2. Rice, rice, rice
3. There are a lot of different personalities that have to live and work together.
4. Hot water comes and goes as it pleases. You have to turn on the switch to the hot water heater 15-30 minutes ahead of shower time, but even then it's not reliable at all.
5. The mosquitoes are bad this time of year. I didn't notice it so much in July, but right now it reminds me of north Louisiana summertime.
6. Lunch isn't until 1:30, some days 2:00, and that's late for a gringa.
7. Most of the kids are easy to love, but a few make it challenging.
1. Sand. I've decided the best way to explain to the kids God's omnipresence would be to tell them He's like sand. This makes it very hard to keep anything clean.
2. Rice, rice, rice
3. There are a lot of different personalities that have to live and work together.
4. Hot water comes and goes as it pleases. You have to turn on the switch to the hot water heater 15-30 minutes ahead of shower time, but even then it's not reliable at all.
5. The mosquitoes are bad this time of year. I didn't notice it so much in July, but right now it reminds me of north Louisiana summertime.
6. Lunch isn't until 1:30, some days 2:00, and that's late for a gringa.
7. Most of the kids are easy to love, but a few make it challenging.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Swimming
The kids were divided into 3 groups to go on special Christmas outings with groups or churches or something from town, but it only ended up working out for one group of kids to go, so there were still two groups needing their outing. Today we took one of the remaining groups to a nearby pool, which was actually at the same place they went for camp last week. Bryson, Ashley, Stephanie, Kelly, Alex, and I took Yuliana, Jennifer, Marita, Oriana, Cristina Grande, Miguel, Junior, Pablo, Jose Luis, Abel, and Paul. We had a great adult to kid ratio!
The kids really enjoyed themselves and all wound up swimming, They don't actually know how to properly swim, but this pool has a very large shallow end, so it worked well. Even little Jose Luis came in after a while. Alex bought some snacks for the kids. One of them was ceviche, a fish dish, and Jose Luis asked for rice with his. Oh, Peruvians!
The kids, or at least the younger ones, dress pretty raggedy around the albergue but are supposed to always dress up a bit to go out. Today this resulted in Junior (age 11) wearing his church shoes to the pool with no socks. It was so funny! I'm laughing just typing this. The other day I was wearing the jeans with the big rip in the knee from my fall off the bus. The kids asked me about the rip, and I told them how I got it. When they questioned me about the bus, I told them it was the bus to my school. Paul was amazed that I could wear jeans to school. They have uniforms. He asked about my T-shirt, but I told him I wear other shirts. Technically, I wear jeans and T-shirts sometimes on days when I don't have any teaching duties, but I wasn't about to try and explain that.
The water man made a delivery while we were out, and I am grateful. The gringos are back in business! Lunch was beef, broccoli, and onions cooked a bit like stir fry over....rice. Too bad Jose Luis hadn't saved any of his ceviche. I really, really just wanted to sleep after we got back from the pool. The sun and water combination always takes it out of me. After lunch and a shower, though, it was time to go to the little boys' house. We played Candy Land for a long time and then let the little boys fake play. I am becoming a big fan of Paul. It might have something to do with the cool Spanish pronunciation of his name or his chubby cheeks or the fact that, at least around me, he's the best behaved of the boys in the 4-10 age range.
At one point during Candy Land, Jorge (age 6) and Paul (age 7) were both getting very close to the castle. Then Paul drew a card that sent him way back down the board, and as he moved his piece, Jorge said, "Adios, Paulito." I loved it! Thinking of that will have the power to make me smile for a long time to come. Sure enough, Jorge won, but it took him a long time to finally draw the green card he needed. Nancy, I think Jorge is even cuter than he was last summer.
One of my favorite things I've noticed this trip is when the kids call me "mi tia" instead of just "tia". I should explain that tia means aunt in Spanish. The kids refer to all the adults around the albergue as tio or tia. Sometimes they refer to other people that way, too, like the counselors at the day camp they attended last week. I bet those people wondered at first. Anyhow, today the little boys were in trouble for not listening to me, and Sam asked them, "Who is this?" Juan responded with "Tia Katie," but Paul said, "Mi Tia Katie." I love it! I'm so glad they seem to remember me from last summer and that coming back is enabling me to really build relationships with them. I hope we continue to build in July. Yes, that would be correct, I'm planning to return again in July with the big group from my church.
I've been feeling pretty good about my Spanish, but I think I got put in my place today. Jhon (age 3) asked me why I talk like a baby. I'm pretty sure that was a commentary on my vocabulary. Or lack thereof.
When my time in the Tesoros house was over at 5, I came up and crashed for a nap. I discovered today that I can handle being dirty, and I can handle being tired, but I can't really handle them together. I was able to power through the afternoon because I'd grabbed a shower, but I was pretty desperate for that shower.
Dinner was leftovers from lunch with some papas fritas thrown in. Some of the volunteers are playing cards now. Thanks to all who have e-mailed and facebooked me while I've been down here. I love hearing from home. Or maybe I should say homes since I really mean to refer to people from several different chapters of my life.
I love you, and I think you're pretty.
The kids really enjoyed themselves and all wound up swimming, They don't actually know how to properly swim, but this pool has a very large shallow end, so it worked well. Even little Jose Luis came in after a while. Alex bought some snacks for the kids. One of them was ceviche, a fish dish, and Jose Luis asked for rice with his. Oh, Peruvians!
The kids, or at least the younger ones, dress pretty raggedy around the albergue but are supposed to always dress up a bit to go out. Today this resulted in Junior (age 11) wearing his church shoes to the pool with no socks. It was so funny! I'm laughing just typing this. The other day I was wearing the jeans with the big rip in the knee from my fall off the bus. The kids asked me about the rip, and I told them how I got it. When they questioned me about the bus, I told them it was the bus to my school. Paul was amazed that I could wear jeans to school. They have uniforms. He asked about my T-shirt, but I told him I wear other shirts. Technically, I wear jeans and T-shirts sometimes on days when I don't have any teaching duties, but I wasn't about to try and explain that.
The water man made a delivery while we were out, and I am grateful. The gringos are back in business! Lunch was beef, broccoli, and onions cooked a bit like stir fry over....rice. Too bad Jose Luis hadn't saved any of his ceviche. I really, really just wanted to sleep after we got back from the pool. The sun and water combination always takes it out of me. After lunch and a shower, though, it was time to go to the little boys' house. We played Candy Land for a long time and then let the little boys fake play. I am becoming a big fan of Paul. It might have something to do with the cool Spanish pronunciation of his name or his chubby cheeks or the fact that, at least around me, he's the best behaved of the boys in the 4-10 age range.
At one point during Candy Land, Jorge (age 6) and Paul (age 7) were both getting very close to the castle. Then Paul drew a card that sent him way back down the board, and as he moved his piece, Jorge said, "Adios, Paulito." I loved it! Thinking of that will have the power to make me smile for a long time to come. Sure enough, Jorge won, but it took him a long time to finally draw the green card he needed. Nancy, I think Jorge is even cuter than he was last summer.
One of my favorite things I've noticed this trip is when the kids call me "mi tia" instead of just "tia". I should explain that tia means aunt in Spanish. The kids refer to all the adults around the albergue as tio or tia. Sometimes they refer to other people that way, too, like the counselors at the day camp they attended last week. I bet those people wondered at first. Anyhow, today the little boys were in trouble for not listening to me, and Sam asked them, "Who is this?" Juan responded with "Tia Katie," but Paul said, "Mi Tia Katie." I love it! I'm so glad they seem to remember me from last summer and that coming back is enabling me to really build relationships with them. I hope we continue to build in July. Yes, that would be correct, I'm planning to return again in July with the big group from my church.
I've been feeling pretty good about my Spanish, but I think I got put in my place today. Jhon (age 3) asked me why I talk like a baby. I'm pretty sure that was a commentary on my vocabulary. Or lack thereof.
When my time in the Tesoros house was over at 5, I came up and crashed for a nap. I discovered today that I can handle being dirty, and I can handle being tired, but I can't really handle them together. I was able to power through the afternoon because I'd grabbed a shower, but I was pretty desperate for that shower.
Dinner was leftovers from lunch with some papas fritas thrown in. Some of the volunteers are playing cards now. Thanks to all who have e-mailed and facebooked me while I've been down here. I love hearing from home. Or maybe I should say homes since I really mean to refer to people from several different chapters of my life.
I love you, and I think you're pretty.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Cooking
Lunch was arroz verde (green rice) with chicken. The rice has peas, corn, and carrots in it. There was also a radish salad. After lunch, I got to talk to my mom, and then Kelly and I headed over to the rancho to set up for her first cooking class. Today was the older girls, and I think they're probably the easiest group for this task. They seemed to really enjoy the class. They made cookies that they later got to dip in chocolate and also made cupcakes. The little kids will decorate the cupcakes later. I was in charge of measuring out the ingredients. Marita was very helpful. She squeezed lemon juice for me and did a bunch of the dishes. Each time we go to the rancho, I have to go up to the roof and start the water pump. Glad I learned that trick last summer.
After the cooking class, we came back to the rancho. I took a bunch of photos of the garden and orchard for Sarah. I'm currently posting them on facebook, but they're taking forever to upload. After my plant photo shoot, Kelly and I played hide and seek with Jhon, Alejo, and Marjorie. The little boys squealed most of the time. It was really cute and made them pretty easy to find. Later they wanted to ride bikes. I don't know if training wheels haven't made it to Peru or if HdE just doesn't have any bikes with them, but the little boys don't have it too easy. I pushed Alejo around the place a couple of times, and Kelly pushed Jhon. Jose Luis was content to push his bike around himself.
Dinner was leftovers from lunch. Arroz verde has never been my favorite, so I made some scrambled eggs. I'm getting really good at those. Meanwhile, we've run out of water jugs, so we gringos don't have any drinking water. The office called the delivery people like 4 times today, but they still haven't come. I was reduced to drinking a bottle of the Inca Kola I had bought. It was great, but I hated to go ahead and use it, and that was a lot of caffeine all at once for someone who doesn't usually drink caffeine. Oh well. It's not like I had a lot of options. I hope the water man comes first thing tomorrow.
Josue seems to be doing really well. He told me yesterday that he's praying about his future because he'll be 17 in April. I wanted to jump up and down. He was in the kitchen when we helped Filo this morning, and Kelly and I got to talk with him some more. He said he wants to be a chef after spending some time in the military. Josue also helped out in the garden this morning and works as vigilante (night guard) a couple of hours each evening. He told me he gets bored in the summer (which is now for them), but I'm glad to see that he's doing useful and helpful things with his extra time.
Kelly's downstairs baking the rest of the cupcakes. I'm going to bed soon. Tomorrow morning we're taking some of the kids to a pool. How do you spell sunscreen?
I love you, and I think you're pretty.
After the cooking class, we came back to the rancho. I took a bunch of photos of the garden and orchard for Sarah. I'm currently posting them on facebook, but they're taking forever to upload. After my plant photo shoot, Kelly and I played hide and seek with Jhon, Alejo, and Marjorie. The little boys squealed most of the time. It was really cute and made them pretty easy to find. Later they wanted to ride bikes. I don't know if training wheels haven't made it to Peru or if HdE just doesn't have any bikes with them, but the little boys don't have it too easy. I pushed Alejo around the place a couple of times, and Kelly pushed Jhon. Jose Luis was content to push his bike around himself.
Dinner was leftovers from lunch. Arroz verde has never been my favorite, so I made some scrambled eggs. I'm getting really good at those. Meanwhile, we've run out of water jugs, so we gringos don't have any drinking water. The office called the delivery people like 4 times today, but they still haven't come. I was reduced to drinking a bottle of the Inca Kola I had bought. It was great, but I hated to go ahead and use it, and that was a lot of caffeine all at once for someone who doesn't usually drink caffeine. Oh well. It's not like I had a lot of options. I hope the water man comes first thing tomorrow.
Josue seems to be doing really well. He told me yesterday that he's praying about his future because he'll be 17 in April. I wanted to jump up and down. He was in the kitchen when we helped Filo this morning, and Kelly and I got to talk with him some more. He said he wants to be a chef after spending some time in the military. Josue also helped out in the garden this morning and works as vigilante (night guard) a couple of hours each evening. He told me he gets bored in the summer (which is now for them), but I'm glad to see that he's doing useful and helpful things with his extra time.
Kelly's downstairs baking the rest of the cupcakes. I'm going to bed soon. Tomorrow morning we're taking some of the kids to a pool. How do you spell sunscreen?
I love you, and I think you're pretty.
Helping Out
Kelly braided my hair this morning, and I am enjoying it so much! OK, enough vanity. Our first assignment was to help Filomena in the kitchen, but she wasn't here yet, so we helped in the garden a bit. Kelly was there a lot longer than I because I discoverd ants and had to leave before getting bitten. I'm really allergic. The garden seems to be doing well. There are carrots, aji, and radishes growing. We helped Filomena in the kitchen by peeling and cutting carrots.
After that, I helped out in the little boys' house. Sam and Oscar had to go to a meeting, so I covered while they were gone. I played Candyland with Juan, Jorge, Pablo, and Pedro. The kids were given a bunch of board games for Christmas. The boys managed to break a big picture frame and then step on the glass. Thankfully, Peruvians always wear shoes in their house, so it crunched into a bunch of pieces but didn't hurt them. Elizabeth came to help me clean up. Also, the electricity went out, and Edwin (age 8 and a special needs kid) was completely fascinated by the fact that the lights wouldn't turn on. He also managed to start a fire outside this morning. Juan gave him the match. Edwin loves fire, but they both got punished, as they should.
Lunch is ready, so that's all for now. I love you, and I think you're pretty.
After that, I helped out in the little boys' house. Sam and Oscar had to go to a meeting, so I covered while they were gone. I played Candyland with Juan, Jorge, Pablo, and Pedro. The kids were given a bunch of board games for Christmas. The boys managed to break a big picture frame and then step on the glass. Thankfully, Peruvians always wear shoes in their house, so it crunched into a bunch of pieces but didn't hurt them. Elizabeth came to help me clean up. Also, the electricity went out, and Edwin (age 8 and a special needs kid) was completely fascinated by the fact that the lights wouldn't turn on. He also managed to start a fire outside this morning. Juan gave him the match. Edwin loves fire, but they both got punished, as they should.
Lunch is ready, so that's all for now. I love you, and I think you're pretty.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Sunday
I originally wanted to go to a different church than the one we attended in July, but the choices were to leave with the little boys at 10:15 or to go with the other houses at 8:00. That was an easy choice, but as we started to get close to the church, I realized it was the same one I had already attended. Oh well, it was still fun to go with the little boys. There were too many of us to fit in the van, and Bob the Bus had taken the other kids to their church, so a few of us volunteers caught the micro, the public bus, into town. It wasn't very crowded. We met the boys there and took them to Sunday School. They had some sort of red, flavored soft drink for them when we got there, and Jose Luis about had a fit he was so excited.
The service was good. The lyrics were projected on the screen, and almost all of the time I knew what I was singing. The sermon was a little harder. I could get the gist of what the pastor was saying but couldn't follow word for word. He spoke about living sacrificially and finishing the race strong.
Because we were taking the micro back, we could stay in town as long as we wanted, so Stephanie, Elizabeth, Tiffany, Emily, and I went to lunch at a little cafe. We all had Oreo milkshakes, which were amazing, and I had some papas fritas. I feel a little self-concious posting about eating out on a mission trip, but everything is so cheap here that it's not really a big deal. The food from my Friday night excursion totaled less than 2 American dollars, and today's food was about 5 American dollars, so we're not exactly breaking the bank here. After lunch, we ducked in the grocery store, which is humorously enough called Wong, and I bought some chicha morada mix. Gotta have something for my birthday party.
The aforementioned Tiffany and Emily left this afternoon. They were short-term volunteers from New Zealand, affectionately referred to as "the kiwis." They're on a sort of tour of South America. From here they're going to Buenos Aires and then home. They both just finished college.
I got to talk to my sister Caroline on the phone today. She's Baylor's latest and greatest Chi Omega. Even our brother Alex approves of that sorority, so I think we're good to go.
Apparently, some volunteer group donated a small pool to the orphanage. It's really just a PVC pipe frame and a vinyl liner. The boys filled it up this afternoon and went for a swim, and they had so much fun. It was great just to watch. The younger boys swam first and then the older boys. The little 3 and Josue didn't swim, but all the others did. Ashley and Hilda, the madre of the older boys' house, swam with them.
After that, I played the game Sorry with Alex and Consuelo. Then I played with Consuelo, Alex, Heydi, Cristina Grande, and Italo. Then I played with Pablo, Italo, Abel, and Heydi. Yes, I played a board game with both Italo and Abel at the same time. Amazingly enough, it went just fine.
Dinner was leftovers from lunch, only there wasn't much leftover. There's a higher number than usual of volunteers right now, and they seem to be having trouble convincing the cooks we need more food. This is another reason I don't feel bad about eating out when I have the chance. Don't get me wrong- there was plenty of rice and pasta leftover, just not much of anything else. Thankfully, I packed bread and peanut butter. There will soon be a praise and worship night taking place in our living room. I suppose that's all for now.
The service was good. The lyrics were projected on the screen, and almost all of the time I knew what I was singing. The sermon was a little harder. I could get the gist of what the pastor was saying but couldn't follow word for word. He spoke about living sacrificially and finishing the race strong.
Because we were taking the micro back, we could stay in town as long as we wanted, so Stephanie, Elizabeth, Tiffany, Emily, and I went to lunch at a little cafe. We all had Oreo milkshakes, which were amazing, and I had some papas fritas. I feel a little self-concious posting about eating out on a mission trip, but everything is so cheap here that it's not really a big deal. The food from my Friday night excursion totaled less than 2 American dollars, and today's food was about 5 American dollars, so we're not exactly breaking the bank here. After lunch, we ducked in the grocery store, which is humorously enough called Wong, and I bought some chicha morada mix. Gotta have something for my birthday party.
The aforementioned Tiffany and Emily left this afternoon. They were short-term volunteers from New Zealand, affectionately referred to as "the kiwis." They're on a sort of tour of South America. From here they're going to Buenos Aires and then home. They both just finished college.
I got to talk to my sister Caroline on the phone today. She's Baylor's latest and greatest Chi Omega. Even our brother Alex approves of that sorority, so I think we're good to go.
Apparently, some volunteer group donated a small pool to the orphanage. It's really just a PVC pipe frame and a vinyl liner. The boys filled it up this afternoon and went for a swim, and they had so much fun. It was great just to watch. The younger boys swam first and then the older boys. The little 3 and Josue didn't swim, but all the others did. Ashley and Hilda, the madre of the older boys' house, swam with them.
After that, I played the game Sorry with Alex and Consuelo. Then I played with Consuelo, Alex, Heydi, Cristina Grande, and Italo. Then I played with Pablo, Italo, Abel, and Heydi. Yes, I played a board game with both Italo and Abel at the same time. Amazingly enough, it went just fine.
Dinner was leftovers from lunch, only there wasn't much leftover. There's a higher number than usual of volunteers right now, and they seem to be having trouble convincing the cooks we need more food. This is another reason I don't feel bad about eating out when I have the chance. Don't get me wrong- there was plenty of rice and pasta leftover, just not much of anything else. Thankfully, I packed bread and peanut butter. There will soon be a praise and worship night taking place in our living room. I suppose that's all for now.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Lazy Day
Today was another really good day. I got to sleep in and made some scrambled eggs for breakfast. It's a bit like cooking when camping, so I'll be really useful now, Sarah! Roxana, Lariza, and Dante moved home today with their mom and grandmother, but they had the despedida about hour before it was supposed to be, so I slept through it. That's probably the first time in the history of Peru that any event took place earlier than scheduled.
Lunch was a spicy chicken stew served over....pasta. Psyched you out, didn't I? For those of you who've been here before, it was the meal that looks a bit like spaghetti. It was super good. I spent a bit of time on the playground with some of the younger boys. Alejo (age 3) had put his head in my lap like he wanted to take a nap, and then it became a game where they all wanted to put their head in my lap and pretend like they were a babies. I sang fake lullabies because I don't know any real ones in Spanish, and they kept wanting me to sing. It was cute and fun, but kind of sad, too, because I doubt many, if any, of them ever had that with their real mother, and there's not a lot of time for that here when one woman is responsible for 9 or 10 kids.
This afternoon Kelly did a practice run on her recipes for the cooking class. We had gas at the rancho this time. Turns out they only have one of the tubes that connects the gas tank to the oven, so we can't cook at the rancho at the same time Filomena's cooking in the albergue. That's what got us yesterday. Anyhow, Elizabeth and I were her kitchen flunkies and also her taste-testers. Not a bad job. The cookies and cupcakes turned out well. The consistency and texture were different than what Kelly expected, but they tasted great. Of course they were great; Kelly's a pro. Literally. All the volunteers enjoyed them after dinner tonight. (There weren't enough for all the kids, and you can't give to one and not the others. By the way, the name Elizabeth makes me miss my Elizabeths.)
After that, I spent some time playing with some of the older boys: the new Jorge, Abel, and Juan. Yes, I played with Abel, and no, he did not choke me, probably mostly because I refused to pick him up. He's way too heavy for me anyhow. I pushed them on the swings, and it was crazy to me that an 11-year-old boy like Jorge wanted that, but again, I think it's just that they're so desperate for attention. I still really like that kid, and I had a good time with Abel today, too. He seemed to be in a pretty agreeable mood. It's still hard to understand a lot of what he says. Jorge climbed to the top of that crazy steep slide and saw an owl over the wall in the edge of the orchard, so Abel and I went up to look, too. I taught them to make owl noises, so then we called to him. After that we played fusbol. I'm horrible at that game, but so are they, so it all worked out fine.
Dinner was lunch leftovers, but there weren't really enough, so I made scrambled eggs and used some of the sauce from lunch. We were given eggs and cereal upon arrival. Apparenty, that's included in the whopping $15 per day we pay to stay here. Kelly had fried rice with chicken made by Elizabeth. Now the guys are watching the football game online, and the girls are hoping to get up a movie night. I think that's all for today.
I love you, and I think you're pretty. (If you don't get it, don't worry about it.)
Lunch was a spicy chicken stew served over....pasta. Psyched you out, didn't I? For those of you who've been here before, it was the meal that looks a bit like spaghetti. It was super good. I spent a bit of time on the playground with some of the younger boys. Alejo (age 3) had put his head in my lap like he wanted to take a nap, and then it became a game where they all wanted to put their head in my lap and pretend like they were a babies. I sang fake lullabies because I don't know any real ones in Spanish, and they kept wanting me to sing. It was cute and fun, but kind of sad, too, because I doubt many, if any, of them ever had that with their real mother, and there's not a lot of time for that here when one woman is responsible for 9 or 10 kids.
This afternoon Kelly did a practice run on her recipes for the cooking class. We had gas at the rancho this time. Turns out they only have one of the tubes that connects the gas tank to the oven, so we can't cook at the rancho at the same time Filomena's cooking in the albergue. That's what got us yesterday. Anyhow, Elizabeth and I were her kitchen flunkies and also her taste-testers. Not a bad job. The cookies and cupcakes turned out well. The consistency and texture were different than what Kelly expected, but they tasted great. Of course they were great; Kelly's a pro. Literally. All the volunteers enjoyed them after dinner tonight. (There weren't enough for all the kids, and you can't give to one and not the others. By the way, the name Elizabeth makes me miss my Elizabeths.)
After that, I spent some time playing with some of the older boys: the new Jorge, Abel, and Juan. Yes, I played with Abel, and no, he did not choke me, probably mostly because I refused to pick him up. He's way too heavy for me anyhow. I pushed them on the swings, and it was crazy to me that an 11-year-old boy like Jorge wanted that, but again, I think it's just that they're so desperate for attention. I still really like that kid, and I had a good time with Abel today, too. He seemed to be in a pretty agreeable mood. It's still hard to understand a lot of what he says. Jorge climbed to the top of that crazy steep slide and saw an owl over the wall in the edge of the orchard, so Abel and I went up to look, too. I taught them to make owl noises, so then we called to him. After that we played fusbol. I'm horrible at that game, but so are they, so it all worked out fine.
Dinner was lunch leftovers, but there weren't really enough, so I made scrambled eggs and used some of the sauce from lunch. We were given eggs and cereal upon arrival. Apparenty, that's included in the whopping $15 per day we pay to stay here. Kelly had fried rice with chicken made by Elizabeth. Now the guys are watching the football game online, and the girls are hoping to get up a movie night. I think that's all for today.
I love you, and I think you're pretty. (If you don't get it, don't worry about it.)
Friday, January 6, 2012
Hanging Out
We picked up Filomena, the cook, while in town this morning, and she told me that lunch would be ahi de gallina, and sure enough, it was. That's one of my favorites of the Peruvian dishes I've tried. It's something like a thick chicken soup served over...anybody want to guess...rice! I ate lunch at the table of Las Chispas, seated in between Sofia (age 10) and Brigitte (age 9). I'm loving them both. Sofia is so cute and will just come over and put her hand in mine. She's really quiet but so sweet.
After lunch I spent some time in the house of Las Chispas. The kids here are divided into four houses: older boys, older girls, younger boys, younger girls. Las Chispas are the younger girls. I visited for a while with the madre of that house and got in some good Spanish practice. Then I played a game that was something like hot potato with Brigitte, Sofia, and Heydi. We played some outside, too. Kelly brought Jhon (age 3) up to our room at one point this afternoon, and he loved exploring a new space. He's so inquisitive and got it into his head that he really wanted to see my pajamas. He kept asking, so finally I showed them to him, and then he started asking Kelly to see hers.
This afternoon was a very relaxed, impromptu sort of day. It was quite nice for a Friday afternoon. Lots of volunteers were around, so there were little groups everywhere of kids and volunteers playing games or just talking. I got to visit with Josue for a while. He told me about his braces and said he was the first of his friends at school to get them but now everyone has them. I'm glad for him. He asked about our other Windsor Road Church team members, so I updated him on a few people: Emily and Camden; Brett, Jen, and Olivia Johnson; the Brooks (Josh, he asked about you specifically); Nancy. There were probably more, but I can't remember past that. It's neat to see how the kids remember people from our summer trips and want to know how they're doing and if they'll be back.
Kelly and I went over to the rancho (a building owned by the orphanage and used for several things including our sleeping quarters when we come with the group in the summertime) this afternoon because that's where she'll be teaching her cooking classes next week. The gas to the oven wasn't turned on, so it turned out we couldn't do anything, but we walked around and went upstairs to see where the groups stay. Our names were still on our doors from last summer! I did not see our furry friends Raul or Amy Winehouse. Speaking of furry friends, Treci seems to be doing well. She still barks and runs to the gate whenever someone rings the doorbell. She's got to make sure no bad guys get in. I have not been around her when they've used the intercom, though.
Tonight Kelly and I went to Trujillo for dinner with a bunch of the volunteers. We had burgers and then ice cream. The patties were super thin, so I had a double with a fried egg and papas fritas. So good. My ice cream flavor was lucuma. You know it's been a good day when you had lucuma ice cream twice! It was fun to just hang out with some of the other volunteers.
Also, tonight I met up with someone I hadn't really seen yet this trip: Mr. Hot Water. It was good to see him, and I hope we'll get to hang out again in the morning.
After lunch I spent some time in the house of Las Chispas. The kids here are divided into four houses: older boys, older girls, younger boys, younger girls. Las Chispas are the younger girls. I visited for a while with the madre of that house and got in some good Spanish practice. Then I played a game that was something like hot potato with Brigitte, Sofia, and Heydi. We played some outside, too. Kelly brought Jhon (age 3) up to our room at one point this afternoon, and he loved exploring a new space. He's so inquisitive and got it into his head that he really wanted to see my pajamas. He kept asking, so finally I showed them to him, and then he started asking Kelly to see hers.
This afternoon was a very relaxed, impromptu sort of day. It was quite nice for a Friday afternoon. Lots of volunteers were around, so there were little groups everywhere of kids and volunteers playing games or just talking. I got to visit with Josue for a while. He told me about his braces and said he was the first of his friends at school to get them but now everyone has them. I'm glad for him. He asked about our other Windsor Road Church team members, so I updated him on a few people: Emily and Camden; Brett, Jen, and Olivia Johnson; the Brooks (Josh, he asked about you specifically); Nancy. There were probably more, but I can't remember past that. It's neat to see how the kids remember people from our summer trips and want to know how they're doing and if they'll be back.
Kelly and I went over to the rancho (a building owned by the orphanage and used for several things including our sleeping quarters when we come with the group in the summertime) this afternoon because that's where she'll be teaching her cooking classes next week. The gas to the oven wasn't turned on, so it turned out we couldn't do anything, but we walked around and went upstairs to see where the groups stay. Our names were still on our doors from last summer! I did not see our furry friends Raul or Amy Winehouse. Speaking of furry friends, Treci seems to be doing well. She still barks and runs to the gate whenever someone rings the doorbell. She's got to make sure no bad guys get in. I have not been around her when they've used the intercom, though.
Tonight Kelly and I went to Trujillo for dinner with a bunch of the volunteers. We had burgers and then ice cream. The patties were super thin, so I had a double with a fried egg and papas fritas. So good. My ice cream flavor was lucuma. You know it's been a good day when you had lucuma ice cream twice! It was fun to just hang out with some of the other volunteers.
Also, tonight I met up with someone I hadn't really seen yet this trip: Mr. Hot Water. It was good to see him, and I hope we'll get to hang out again in the morning.
Grocery Shopping
Today has already been a really fun day! We went into Trujillo this morning to Plaza Vea to buy some supplies for the baking classes Kelly will teach the kids next week. She was able to find everything she needed, or at least something close enough, and we also did a bit of personal shopping. I got 4 bottles of chicha morada, 2 bottles of Inca Kola, and two packets of mazamora morada mix. Mazamora morada is purple corn pudding, chicha morada is purple corn juice, and Inca Kola is the soda of Peru. I also bought and ate a lucuma ice cream bar while in the store. Lucuma is a fruit really popular here.
It was good that we were gone because we had to stay out of our rooms all morning. Marcos sprayed bug spray everywhere. We spent time this morning before we left for town packing up everything we'd unpacked so that it wouldn't get covered. We'll be able to go back in at noon. Right now all the doors and windows are open to air things out.
After we got back from the grocery store, I got to watch some home videos with the older girls. Yamelit graduated from high school a few weeks ago, and someone had videoed her graduation and given it to her, so that's what they were watching. What an accomplishment for her! Her mom had bought her a dress for the occasion, and a lot of her family was able to attend, as well as Reina, the mother of the house Yamelit lives in here. So cool!
I think that's all for now.
It was good that we were gone because we had to stay out of our rooms all morning. Marcos sprayed bug spray everywhere. We spent time this morning before we left for town packing up everything we'd unpacked so that it wouldn't get covered. We'll be able to go back in at noon. Right now all the doors and windows are open to air things out.
After we got back from the grocery store, I got to watch some home videos with the older girls. Yamelit graduated from high school a few weeks ago, and someone had videoed her graduation and given it to her, so that's what they were watching. What an accomplishment for her! Her mom had bought her a dress for the occasion, and a lot of her family was able to attend, as well as Reina, the mother of the house Yamelit lives in here. So cool!
I think that's all for now.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Playtime
There's not much to report on the rest of today. Kelly and I did go sit with the little boys while they napped. Alejandro woke up first, so I played with him for a little while. Eventually the others got up and all the kids returned from camp. The rest of the afternoon and early evening was spent hanging out and playing with them. Dinner was something like a stew served over...rice. Surprise! I played a round of spoons with most of the volunteers while the others played euchre. Look for some great video Kelly took today of me playing the aforementioned Bailar Game with Marita. Now for some updates on kids.
I got to spend a few minutes with the older Jorge today, and I'm glad because he's the only new kid since our last visit. He seems really friendly.
I already mentioned how much Alejandro has changed. It seems that his sister Rosita (age 7) is learning to talk, and I'm so glad! She's still got a long way to go, but I can tell a lot of improvement since July. It's got to be hard to learn to talk when you're missing all your front top teeth. Rosita is very noticeably taller than she was last summer, too.
Baby Yessica is as cute as ever and is much steadier on her feet than she was this summer. David said today that if they don't get any more little kids soon, she's in danger of becoming really spoiled, and I think he might be right.
Marita is looking older and is becoming quite the beauty.
I don't think of anything else in particular at the moment. If anyone would like an update on a specific kid, let me know, and I'll tell you what I can. I just listed above the ones in whom I already noticed specific changes since last summer.
I got to spend a few minutes with the older Jorge today, and I'm glad because he's the only new kid since our last visit. He seems really friendly.
I already mentioned how much Alejandro has changed. It seems that his sister Rosita (age 7) is learning to talk, and I'm so glad! She's still got a long way to go, but I can tell a lot of improvement since July. It's got to be hard to learn to talk when you're missing all your front top teeth. Rosita is very noticeably taller than she was last summer, too.
Baby Yessica is as cute as ever and is much steadier on her feet than she was this summer. David said today that if they don't get any more little kids soon, she's in danger of becoming really spoiled, and I think he might be right.
Marita is looking older and is becoming quite the beauty.
I don't think of anything else in particular at the moment. If anyone would like an update on a specific kid, let me know, and I'll tell you what I can. I just listed above the ones in whom I already noticed specific changes since last summer.
Day Camp
I got like 10 hours of sleep last night! It was fabulous. Kelly, Alex, and I were sent to day camp with the kids this morning. It's just up the road a bit. A group from Savannah, GA and another group from Jackson, MS come down and put on this camp every year. They rent a facility nearby, and the kids love it! It was funny to hear such southern accents down here. Some of them were really strong! Alex spent most of the morning in the pool with kids, and Kelly and I, along with a long-term volunteer named Elizabeth, each took charge of one of the 3-year old boys. They were so cute!
The opening activities were songs with motions for the kids, and then they split them up into groups. The little boys' group first had snack and then went to play games. There was an inflatable slide and a trampoline with a big net and roof. There were basketball nets and balls in the trampoline cage. At first the boys didn't want to do anything, but after watching for a while, Jose Luis wanted to go on the trampoline. I asked, and at one point they made all the big kids get out so just the little boys could jump. They had so much fun. Then I went on the slide with Jose Luis and Jhon. They loved climbing up, but when we got to the top and they saw how far down it was, they were not cool with it. Jose Luis was OK as soon as I told him he could go down with me, but Jhon kept whimpering. There wasn't much of a choice, though, and I finally convinced him to come down with me and Jose Luis. Needless to say, we did not climb back up.
Next was face painting, and then our little boys colored a bit and played on a swing set, los columpios as they call them. We brought them back at lunchtime because they still take naps and the camp will only feed one of our workers. I'm not disappointed, though, because lunch at HdE was lomo saltado. Oh, happy day, oh, happy day. We had to watch the boys for quite a bit after we got back while the adults were in a meeting that ran late, but the lomo saltado was worth the wait. It's rice with papas fritas, which are like non-greasy french fries, beef and peppers on top. I'm not doing it justice with my description.
Roberto, a guy who used to work at HdE and comes out to spend time with our group mission trip each summer, stopped by at lunchtime. It was fun to see him again, and we're all going to hang out some on the weekend, I believe. Look for a photo on facebook. He took one at lunch and promised to post it. Kelly and I are about to head down and sit with the little boys while they nap. I guess the workers here have another meeting. All for now.
The opening activities were songs with motions for the kids, and then they split them up into groups. The little boys' group first had snack and then went to play games. There was an inflatable slide and a trampoline with a big net and roof. There were basketball nets and balls in the trampoline cage. At first the boys didn't want to do anything, but after watching for a while, Jose Luis wanted to go on the trampoline. I asked, and at one point they made all the big kids get out so just the little boys could jump. They had so much fun. Then I went on the slide with Jose Luis and Jhon. They loved climbing up, but when we got to the top and they saw how far down it was, they were not cool with it. Jose Luis was OK as soon as I told him he could go down with me, but Jhon kept whimpering. There wasn't much of a choice, though, and I finally convinced him to come down with me and Jose Luis. Needless to say, we did not climb back up.
Next was face painting, and then our little boys colored a bit and played on a swing set, los columpios as they call them. We brought them back at lunchtime because they still take naps and the camp will only feed one of our workers. I'm not disappointed, though, because lunch at HdE was lomo saltado. Oh, happy day, oh, happy day. We had to watch the boys for quite a bit after we got back while the adults were in a meeting that ran late, but the lomo saltado was worth the wait. It's rice with papas fritas, which are like non-greasy french fries, beef and peppers on top. I'm not doing it justice with my description.
Roberto, a guy who used to work at HdE and comes out to spend time with our group mission trip each summer, stopped by at lunchtime. It was fun to see him again, and we're all going to hang out some on the weekend, I believe. Look for a photo on facebook. He took one at lunch and promised to post it. Kelly and I are about to head down and sit with the little boys while they nap. I guess the workers here have another meeting. All for now.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
We're here!
We are safely tucked away at Hogar de Esperanza (HdE). Our trip went pretty smoothly. Our flights were all pretty much on time; it was just a long trip. I feel like I've spent the last 3 days in some sort of time-space continuum. All concept of night and day has been lost. At 5 A.M. today in the Lima airport, I debated whether to have Papa John's because my body felt like it was the end of the day or a McDonald's biscuit because my head knew it was breakfast time. The pizza won :)
A quick shout-out to Kelly's dad for driving us up to O'Hare. Now I have two highlights from our trip to share. First, I fell asleep shortly after we left Houston on our second flight. I woke up to discover that I had lost my glasses in my sleep. Come to find out, I must have dropped them into the aisle in my sleep. I spent the rest of the flight unable to see, but thankfully, a flight attendant returned them to me just before we landed. She had found them way at the back of the plane. I guess they took a little trip of their own. The second trip highlight was getting through customs with 55 bottles of children's multivitamins. Alex took the lead on that one, and we only ended up having to pay $28 in vitamins, which is pretty good since their first offer was $100.
Bryson and Courtney, two long-term volunteers at HdE picked us up at the airport and brought us out to the albergue. All the kids were gone to a day camp, so we were able to unpack a bit and do some necessary paperwork without feeling guilty. I also managed to catch a shower and a nap, two absolutely wonderful things. Lunch was rice (surprise!) with peas and beef. I can now saw that I've seen a cow's vertebrae.
The preschoolers and Juan (age 10) had come back from camp at lunchtime, so Kelly and I spent the next few hours with them. They were super cute. Alejandro (age 3) has changed so much just in the five months since we were last here. He's talking more and is so much more demonstrative. He sat right next to me for the longest time and held onto me. I think I have a new friend! It's such a great example of what this place can do for kids.
When the kids all got back from day camp, the shrieks were amazing! I know they were mostly shrieking over seeing Alex, but it was still quite the welcome. Pablo, one of the five-year-old twins, was the first to run to me, but I managed to get hugs out of almost all the kids. I gave Abraham (age 14) a nice, manly handshake, though. It was so good to them all and again and see how many of them remembered me. They even remembered this game I made up with them last summer. Basically, everyone holds hands in a circle and jumps and dances around chanting, "Bailar, bailar, yo voy a bailar," which loosely means, "Dance, dance, I'm going to dance." As soon as Marita came over to me, she grabbed my hands and started playing the game.
The rest of the afternoon was spent pushing Alejandro, Jhon, and Oriana on the swings, reading to Jhon and Jose Luis and then to Marita and Paul, and meeting other volunteers who are here right now. There are quite a few volunteers down here at the moment. I'm not sure I've met all of them yet. Dinner was leftovers from lunch.
That's all so far, and I'm going to bed soon in an attempt to straighten out my nights and days.
P.S. Yuli managed to point out how pale I am. I explained to her that it's winter in Illinois, so it's very cold and snows and we have to wear sweaters and coats. Not that I'm not always pale, but that's the reason I gave her anyhow.
A quick shout-out to Kelly's dad for driving us up to O'Hare. Now I have two highlights from our trip to share. First, I fell asleep shortly after we left Houston on our second flight. I woke up to discover that I had lost my glasses in my sleep. Come to find out, I must have dropped them into the aisle in my sleep. I spent the rest of the flight unable to see, but thankfully, a flight attendant returned them to me just before we landed. She had found them way at the back of the plane. I guess they took a little trip of their own. The second trip highlight was getting through customs with 55 bottles of children's multivitamins. Alex took the lead on that one, and we only ended up having to pay $28 in vitamins, which is pretty good since their first offer was $100.
Bryson and Courtney, two long-term volunteers at HdE picked us up at the airport and brought us out to the albergue. All the kids were gone to a day camp, so we were able to unpack a bit and do some necessary paperwork without feeling guilty. I also managed to catch a shower and a nap, two absolutely wonderful things. Lunch was rice (surprise!) with peas and beef. I can now saw that I've seen a cow's vertebrae.
The preschoolers and Juan (age 10) had come back from camp at lunchtime, so Kelly and I spent the next few hours with them. They were super cute. Alejandro (age 3) has changed so much just in the five months since we were last here. He's talking more and is so much more demonstrative. He sat right next to me for the longest time and held onto me. I think I have a new friend! It's such a great example of what this place can do for kids.
When the kids all got back from day camp, the shrieks were amazing! I know they were mostly shrieking over seeing Alex, but it was still quite the welcome. Pablo, one of the five-year-old twins, was the first to run to me, but I managed to get hugs out of almost all the kids. I gave Abraham (age 14) a nice, manly handshake, though. It was so good to them all and again and see how many of them remembered me. They even remembered this game I made up with them last summer. Basically, everyone holds hands in a circle and jumps and dances around chanting, "Bailar, bailar, yo voy a bailar," which loosely means, "Dance, dance, I'm going to dance." As soon as Marita came over to me, she grabbed my hands and started playing the game.
The rest of the afternoon was spent pushing Alejandro, Jhon, and Oriana on the swings, reading to Jhon and Jose Luis and then to Marita and Paul, and meeting other volunteers who are here right now. There are quite a few volunteers down here at the moment. I'm not sure I've met all of them yet. Dinner was leftovers from lunch.
That's all so far, and I'm going to bed soon in an attempt to straighten out my nights and days.
P.S. Yuli managed to point out how pale I am. I explained to her that it's winter in Illinois, so it's very cold and snows and we have to wear sweaters and coats. Not that I'm not always pale, but that's the reason I gave her anyhow.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Here we go again
Last summer, I traveled to Hogar de Esperanza Albergue Infantil in Lima, Peru, on a mission trip with my church. There were thirteen of us on that trip, and three of us decided to return for the first two weeks of January. After fundraising and planning all fall, we head out in about two and a half hours! Kelly and I have packed our bags and repacked and redistributed until we've got each of them under fifty pounds. I'm spending the night, a very short night at that, at her house. We'll pick up Alex in the morning, and Kelly's dad will drive us all up to O'Hare Airport in Chicago. The next stop will be Houston, then Lima, overnight in the Lima airport, and a short stop in Trujillo. A couple of long-term volunteers from the orphanage will meet us at the Trujillo airport, and then we'll be at Hogar de Esperanza. If there are no delays, total travel time will be about 30 hours. Hopefully my next post will be from Peru.
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