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.
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