New beginnings

Jhon being very silly. Can't you see why I love him!

Monday was a day of new beginnings. It started out like any ole normal Monday, but by lunch that all changed. We have a little boy here that is in the process of getting adopted and his family was coming soon. They would tell us," oh it should be just another 2 or 3 weeks." But the summer came and went and no parents. So Monday before lunch I was hanging laundry on the roof and heard people's voices speaking in english. Not that is too odd because we the volunteers speak english, but I didn't recognize these voices. I looked down and our little boy was playing with a family. They had come! They were trying to talk to him (the mom knows a little spanish) and he was so excited about telling them about his friends and school here. He has a brother and 2 sisters and the 4 of them took off and had a great time playing. He left 30 min after. We are having his going away party tomorrow and they head to Lima in a week or so, then to the states. I am so excited for him and his new family and life! He is going to be so blessed, but at the same time the reality of it all is going to set in. Our kids have unusual expectations on adoptions and American families. They think that they will live in this mansion with gold and get all the ipods and teles they can ever think of getting. True they may all get ipods being that the entire country has iphones now....man I am going to be waaay behind when I get home. But anyway, he will have such a better life there than here. But it is still wierd to think that these ppl who have never spent more than 30 minuties with him, just took him away, when we have spent months getting to know him.

We also got a little kitten! He is black and his name is Simon. The kids say we have the same kind of eyes...don't worry they are the pretty blue kind. ;) So we have Simon to eat/kill the rats. Eww I know! I saw the other day and about jumped out of my pants...it was a soo big and gross. So I hope little Simon makes it here. We all love him and he is just as cute and friendly as can be! (even our dog Tracy doesn't mind him).

I have made a new friend. His name is Jhon, and is 2 yrs old. We have just about hte same color skin and he occasionally calls me "momma", which is rather wierd. We do everything together in the afternoons. In my new job at 4pm I go to the Amigos casa and do laundry, ect...and I walk in and Jhon shouts out, "Sana! Sana! YO, YO, YO!!!" (translates Susanna, Susanna! I, I , I) Which means that he wants to come help me do laundry or whatever job there is to do that day. I thoroughly enjoy his company. He holds the laundry room key for me, hands me clothes to hang up to dry, and laughs with me. We also like to read and play on the playground. He is just the cutest little thing (yes cuter than Simon) and I LOVE I mean LOVE his laughs. They are so sweet :)

Love you all!

*pics thanks to my new friend Jen! (she is the new kinder teacher)

Summer where have you gone?

Me and Becca hanging out with some of the girls on Saturday morning

Summer has come and gone. Where did all the time go? Well the sun and season are here still, but the kids are now back in school and our jobs have gone back to "normal". Mine has changed a ton, but it is going great.

Me and Daisy at the pre-camp meeting!

Frankie and Piero playing at the park playground.

So our summer started out the week before Christmas. We had Christmas holidays and then after New Years we started the infamous "summer programs". I rememeber older volunteers telling us newbies that summer was the BEST time here at the albergue and it was so chilled and fun. So as you can only imagine we were pumped! The kids went to summer camp, thanks to Twin Lakes in Jackson, MS who came down for the week to have camp with kids here in Trujillo. Thanks guys! So while the kiddies were at camp we went to work planning our summer programs. We worked sun up to sun down...well maybe not that much. I was partned up with some others and was in charge of art, reading, and games. Sounded like a PERFECT summer! I was ready to by the following Monday. Then the chaos started. Wow, summer was hard. I have worked at summer camps for the past 8 years, so I know what it is like to run activities and such, but this was waaay different. In the mornings we had 2 hours of tutoria, I had some of our 5 and 6 yr olds. We learned our alphabet and numbers, started doing sums and writing. Teaching the alphabet is hard, guys. Yes I learned it years ago and I wish I could remember how I learned because I am sure it would have helped me teach. We had great days in tutoria though. I would teach them through games and other stuff. I can tell you that it was sucessful and they learned how to say a-z including ñ! So then after tutoria every day we had 3 more hours for our activities. The kids were slpit up into 5 groups according to age and they would rotate activities. I think I was more excited about some of them than they were. But in the end they really had fun! We read A Secret Garden, A series of unfortunate events, and a series called Casa de Arbol. In art we made things like paper mache masks, salt dough, painted, and so on...games we started out playing futbol (soccer), volleyball, and kickball, but in the end we played a TON of jump rope. They are super at jump rope...but then again what 8+ yr old isn't?

Courtney and I were matching and having so much fun on the merry go round thing!

All of us Christmas day at the Plaza!

The afternoons were filled with activities that they could choose from. Yo-yo, drawing/painting, baton twirling, guitar, futbol, photography, and chior are some of their choices. I mainly stayed working in the garden and was able to plant corn, lettuce, cilantro, radishes, and tomatoes! They are coming up so nicely! So at the end of the summer we had our "clausaura" which is like an ending program or event. We went to Moche Park to swim and play, and then after lunch the kids put on a show of the things they had learned this summer. It was a lot of fun and they all did a great job!

Some of us after a futbol game on night

Mateo and I playing jump rope with some of the kids

Becca, Mateo with 2 of our moms, Sefora and Milargos

Even though it was not the BEST time ever here and definetly not "chilled out" it was a pretty great summer! Our kids were exposed to so much that they would have never had the chance to do had they not been here. I even think about my childhood. Besides summer camp, I just went to the pool and played outside all summer. In fact I am pretty sure my mother locked us out of the house all day long. These kids were exposed to much more in one summer than I was in probably 10 summers. Thanks parents...haha kidding!

Cristina and me at moche park

Marecielo at the pool.

So now the kids are in school getting their learn on and I am cleaning houses. But anticipating the days I can get to the beach to have some of that last summer fun. I got burned last saturday...don't worry I am planning on putting on plenty of spf next go round!

Chauuuu! Les quiero mucho!

* Oh I already told my mom and I thought she was going to jump through the phone in excitement, but I am learning French! Soooo much harder than spanish in the pronunctiations, but the verbs are really really similiar.

Despedida time again...

So every couple of months one of the volunteers leaves us and moves on with life. Some have moved home (Mateo and Anthony) and began the search for jobs, while others have opted for staying here in Perú. Nicky is getting married in just a few weeks to a guy who lives in Cajamarca (supposed to be a beautiful mountain city) and we are going for the wedding! Lena, who is from Ukraine, is now teaching in Lima, and Sam moved to Chiclayo, 3 hrs north of T-town. So during the despedida party, we the volunteers give a presentation to those leaving. Kind of a way of saying thanks for all you have done and we will dearly miss you. So last Friday afternoon we said goodbye to Sam, Mateo, and Lena. Without further adue I will let you see for your self what really goes on here at Hogar de Esperanza Volunteer Life 2010.... So grab some popcorn and enjoy!


Ok so it wouldn't upload on here but go here and watch it!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz93ya65CHQ&feature=player_embedded



Love from Hogar de Esperanza!