This past week was pretty special because I got the opportunity to visit some friends that I didn't think I'd see again this summer. I went to Puerto Alegria to visit the boys living in the Amazon near Iquitos.
When I got off the boat, the boys immediately recognized me, even though I no longer had the giant beard. Another thing that made returning special is that I can speak and understand a great deal more Spanish now, which lets me get to know the boys better. I was able to tell the boys about my family, and my life in the states, and most importantly, about all my favorite delicious foods. I recently added pollo a la braza can aji to that list (roasted chicken with chili sauce).
One interesting thing that I heard from Gabino, one of the older boys, is that he thought they only had crime, alcoholics, drugs, and sexual immorality in Peru. He was surprised to hear that we have those in the states. After thinking about it, I realized that the only Americans he's met are folks on mission teams, so his impression of Americans is completely based on folks that travel halfway around the world to help people.
Speaking of the Americans, I went to Puerto Alegria with a group from Nashville, Tennessee, and a couple folks from Alabama. We were a small group of 13, so we didn't do the major construction stuff. Instead we fixed up the boys dorm and the dining hall - we replaced mosquito nets, sanded, and lacquered. I was really excited that we would be doing light work, until I became the "sanding expert" and spent hours scraping doors. I felt like the karate kid, painting Mr. Miagi's fence.
The work wasn't too tough in the end because we actually only did a half day of labor each day. Each afternoon the group did a vacation Bible school with the boys and with the other kids from the town of Puerto Alegria. They told Bible stories, did crafts, and played games with the kids.
I came out of dodgball retirement this week after a 15 year hiatus, and I'm happy to report that I'm AWESOME. The best part of playing dodgeball in Peru is that the name of the game is mata gente. This translates literally to "kill people." Every time I told Elvis how much I liked mata gente, he'd said "Mata gente - knife, machete, pistol. Let's play!"
On Sunday we went to a little church in Belen, the slums of Iquitos. It was a wooden house on stilts and looked no different from the other houses. I'm convinced this is the greatest church in the history of mankind. The people greeted us with such joy, and we ended up dancing and singing with the kids in front of everyone before the service was over. It was amazing to be so foreign and so welcomed at the same time. The most encouraging part was seeing how many young kids were in the church, and how they were so joyful to be at church and have us there.
We made our regular tour of Belen, which is a city where the streets are essentially sewers. Be happy I don't have my camera to take pictures of Belen. While we were there I saw a soccer ball roll into a sewage ditch. A 10 year old boy picked it up with his hands, threw it back on the field and continued playing. Belen ("Bethlehem" in English) is where most of the boys in Puerto Alegria came from.
Of course the highlight of the trip was spending time with the boys. Played some good volleyball, played some bad soccer, swam in the river, sang songs, played games, and jumped on the trampoline in the rain. The rain is absolutely beautiful in the jungle. It feels wonderful to play outside in the rain and even shower under the rain spouts. The advantage of showering like that is that you don't smell like the river afterwards!
We also watched a movie every night with the boys while the generator was running and we had electricity. They love professional wrestling apparently. I can't say the same for myself, but I stuck around and watched with them since they were enthralled by it. The first night I was exstatic to see they were going to watch Thundercats on DVD, which gave me a great excuse to change into my newly purchased Thundercats t-shirt (bought it in Lima). We also watch Terminator 4... For those of you who will make accusations that there is no Terminator 4, I tell you that you are wrong. I think it was some kind of ridiculous cancelled TV show pilot. If you haven't already guessed from the last 3 sentences, "The Sarah Conner Chronicles" were indeed horrendous. Please ask me, and I will tell you much more about this ridiculous film/show.
There was also an adorable little kitty in Puerto Alegria. It was amazingly resilient to the harsh treatment of 26 little boys. It also caught a mouse and ate it in front of me, which caused me to perceive kitty as slightly less adorable, although still cute.
Our last night with the boys was by far the most fun. They performed 4 choreographies for us, and following their last one, they told us that we had to do something too. This was hilarious because we had to make up a choreography on the spot. I made sure to throw in the robot, and some handstands, and that move where you grab someone's hand and make a ripple effect with your arms (sorry - I have no other way to describe this move). The kids and the gringos had a blast, and I got to set loose my passion for dancing.
Of course the best part of my time in the jungle was the boys themselves. I got to play vball with Elvis, who I got close to last time. Steven is still brilliant, and joyful, and infinitely patient. Steven is going to do great things for the Lord some day. Gabino is a comedian and a great example for the younger boys. Junior is the littlest, the cutest, and an total terror.
The last day the house father, Gene, set aside some time to tell us the stories of some of the boys. The were all very tough to hear, but they also showed us how God was working through Scripture Union in Puerto Alegria. As an example, there was one boy who was thrown in the garbage dump because his father thought he had beaten the boy to death. For years after he arrived in Puerto Alegria, he would hide in his room instead of spending time with the other boys, and would not participate socially. Gene told us this boy has touched his heart much more than the others because, as we could see ourselves, this boy was laughing and playing games and joking around with the other boys. This is a life that was literally pulled from the garbage, literally saved from death. He now has a family that loves him and a hope for a future.
Now that I'm looking at the clock, I realize that I still have to say goodbye to the boys here in Lima and get ready for my flight tomorrow. I'm making an executive decision to not proofread this post, which I already know is completely discontinuous. So you're just going to have to deal with it, and give me a call tomorrow to find out about Puerto Alegria directly from me!
I have a ton on my mind right now and I'm a bit upset because several boys left the center here in Lima this week, some of which I was pretty close to. Pray for all the boys here. I have no idea what my future in Peru looks like, although I want to return for a month or two next year and lead teams. I also want to bring YOU with me next year, because I want my friends in Peru to meet my friends from the US.
I'm seriously questioning what God has planned for me next. I anticipate a horrible time returning to life in the US, seeing all the waste and greed and selfishness in the US. I hope to never become indifferent to these things. I hope I never stop suffering as I witness these things, and I hope God can use what I've learned in Peru to change lives in the US. I'm especially interested in getting involved with kids back in the states, specifically teenagers, maybe playing basketball with them or something...
I'm also feeling very guilty, knowing that I'm returning to a life of luxury compared to my life here. I feel that there's a huge irreconcilable gap between my life here with the boys, and my life at home, enjoying pleasures that these boys will never have. I'm anticipating a rough time dealing with this, so please send a prayer my way as well.
Sorry again for any unproofread nonsense above. Love you, Mom. See you soon.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
The Boys in Lima
Although I haven't written about them much in my blog, the boys here in the center in Lima are the boys with whom I've spent the most time. By being part of their lives over the past several months, I've been able to experience something really special. I recently began to notice the changes in the newer boys that have only been in the center for a month or two, and it's incredible to see God working in there lives.
I've witnessed one boy go from being very wary, detracted, and temperamental to being very open, curious, and friendly. Yesterday I had a conversation with this particular boy about some simple things - favorite foods and sodas. To see him laugh and smile as he talks about delicious food and soda, and have a genuine curiosity about what I like, I can see that he's free from something that had previously bound him. Yesterday I witnessed the same boy correct another newer boy for asking me for one of my bracelets.
I remember when another boy named Victor first came. He was full of energy and totally crazy. He would latch onto me and hug me and tickle me at every opportunity. He was sweet, but a total terror, because he demanded constant attention. This past week, I saw him with a schoolbag for the first time, which made me very happy to know he was attending school now. I've also seen him doing some of the chores reserved for older boys, and in general, he's much calmer. Yesterday he ran up behind me and latched onto me in the the middle of the street, which made me laugh. He's still a little nuts, which I think is good...
This past week I've met a couple new boys in the center. There's one that has partially bleached hair and doesn't quite know all the rules. There's another that has a giant scar down his entire face and is a big loud-mouth but is very friendly as well. Having seen the changes in the other boys, I'm excited to know that the lives of these boys will probably change as well.
Another boy that stands out in my mind was a sweet little guy of about 11 named Davíd. I actually wrote about him previously because he was one of the guys in the choreography who in the end, was taken by the demons to the back of the room. He was supposed to go to Kawai so that he could live in a safer environment, but instead he left the center to go back to the streets. It's tough to see that happen, but I feel comfort in the fact that I can still pray for him. I've heard several stories of boys who left the center in the worst of conditions, only to come back years later as strong Christian men, ready to serve. None of that could have happened if the seed of God's love hadn't been planted here at Girasoles.
I've experienced so much by becoming friends with some of these boys, that I'm just going to write about how a few of them have touched my lives.
I've already written about Carlos. I had a couple opportunities to walk around town with Carlos and another older boy, Henri. It's special because they always look out for you, whether crossing the road or walking through a market. They're very sharp and aware of everything around them because of the their tough pasts, and it's touching to see them care for me like I'm a little brother (who's 7 years older than them).
Another boy named Daniel is about 18 or so. He's studying for one more year before he'll learn some kind of trade - which one, he's not so sure yet. He's friendly and quiet, and he helped me buy my sneakers that cost $24. I'm pretty satisfied with my purchase, considering my old ones were disintegrating.
Gerardo is about 20 and he seems very smart. He knows a bit of English and seems very wise for his age.
Moisés is about 15. He loves kung fu, and actually is lightning fast when he messes around, pretending to fight me. He's very laid back and made me my first bracelet - it's got my name on it!
Eliazar is probably the meanest kid here. Every time I see him he wants to fight me, and I don't know when to take him seriously, because he's always pretending to be mad. A couple weeks ago I let him borrow my gloves for a day, and I had to fight him for 20 minutes to reclaim them. After I stole them back, we put our arms on each other's shoulders and sat down, exhausted. It was a great chance to bond with him, but he's still always being a jerk. I gave him one of the gloves yesterday to keep, since I bought some nicer ones for when I get back to the states.
Jaime probably holds the most dear place in my heart. He's about 12, is extremely loving, protective, and energetic, and occasionally has a bad temper with the other kids. He made me two bracelets that are on my right wrist. Yesterday, Eliazar broke one of the bracelets from Puerta Alegria that was on my other wrist. I thought the thing was done for, but Jaime miraculously repaired it, and surgically burned the knot closed while it was on my wrist. I gave Jaime my other glove. In the choreography, Jaime still plays one the boys who leaves with the demons at the end.
There are also some amazing men who grew up in the center and are now working for Scripture Union, as well as some amazing volunteers who work with the boys. Juan is a volunteer and really commands respect from the boys, while still being their friend. Rambo (real name Julio) has the most awesome scratchy voice. Rambo goes out with Juan and others on Tuesday and Thursday nights to give bread and milk to people on the street. They tell the kids about Girasoles and encourage them to come stay there. Elton Jhon (no lie - it's on his ID) works with a night shelter that provides beds for kids who are too scared to come into a nice clean place like Girasoles. It's used as a stepping stone to get kids to come to the boys' home. Jhon's story is really so incredible that I can't even describe it here in my blog. Ask me about it when you see me back home.
Well these are my friends here in Lima. They've touched my lives, and I just wanted to share a little about them since they've somehow gone unrecognized through all my blog posts. Please pray for the boys here, the boys like Davíd that have gone back to the street, and all the men and women of God that work with the boys here.
I've witnessed one boy go from being very wary, detracted, and temperamental to being very open, curious, and friendly. Yesterday I had a conversation with this particular boy about some simple things - favorite foods and sodas. To see him laugh and smile as he talks about delicious food and soda, and have a genuine curiosity about what I like, I can see that he's free from something that had previously bound him. Yesterday I witnessed the same boy correct another newer boy for asking me for one of my bracelets.
I remember when another boy named Victor first came. He was full of energy and totally crazy. He would latch onto me and hug me and tickle me at every opportunity. He was sweet, but a total terror, because he demanded constant attention. This past week, I saw him with a schoolbag for the first time, which made me very happy to know he was attending school now. I've also seen him doing some of the chores reserved for older boys, and in general, he's much calmer. Yesterday he ran up behind me and latched onto me in the the middle of the street, which made me laugh. He's still a little nuts, which I think is good...
This past week I've met a couple new boys in the center. There's one that has partially bleached hair and doesn't quite know all the rules. There's another that has a giant scar down his entire face and is a big loud-mouth but is very friendly as well. Having seen the changes in the other boys, I'm excited to know that the lives of these boys will probably change as well.
Another boy that stands out in my mind was a sweet little guy of about 11 named Davíd. I actually wrote about him previously because he was one of the guys in the choreography who in the end, was taken by the demons to the back of the room. He was supposed to go to Kawai so that he could live in a safer environment, but instead he left the center to go back to the streets. It's tough to see that happen, but I feel comfort in the fact that I can still pray for him. I've heard several stories of boys who left the center in the worst of conditions, only to come back years later as strong Christian men, ready to serve. None of that could have happened if the seed of God's love hadn't been planted here at Girasoles.
I've experienced so much by becoming friends with some of these boys, that I'm just going to write about how a few of them have touched my lives.
I've already written about Carlos. I had a couple opportunities to walk around town with Carlos and another older boy, Henri. It's special because they always look out for you, whether crossing the road or walking through a market. They're very sharp and aware of everything around them because of the their tough pasts, and it's touching to see them care for me like I'm a little brother (who's 7 years older than them).
Another boy named Daniel is about 18 or so. He's studying for one more year before he'll learn some kind of trade - which one, he's not so sure yet. He's friendly and quiet, and he helped me buy my sneakers that cost $24. I'm pretty satisfied with my purchase, considering my old ones were disintegrating.
Gerardo is about 20 and he seems very smart. He knows a bit of English and seems very wise for his age.
Moisés is about 15. He loves kung fu, and actually is lightning fast when he messes around, pretending to fight me. He's very laid back and made me my first bracelet - it's got my name on it!
Eliazar is probably the meanest kid here. Every time I see him he wants to fight me, and I don't know when to take him seriously, because he's always pretending to be mad. A couple weeks ago I let him borrow my gloves for a day, and I had to fight him for 20 minutes to reclaim them. After I stole them back, we put our arms on each other's shoulders and sat down, exhausted. It was a great chance to bond with him, but he's still always being a jerk. I gave him one of the gloves yesterday to keep, since I bought some nicer ones for when I get back to the states.
Jaime probably holds the most dear place in my heart. He's about 12, is extremely loving, protective, and energetic, and occasionally has a bad temper with the other kids. He made me two bracelets that are on my right wrist. Yesterday, Eliazar broke one of the bracelets from Puerta Alegria that was on my other wrist. I thought the thing was done for, but Jaime miraculously repaired it, and surgically burned the knot closed while it was on my wrist. I gave Jaime my other glove. In the choreography, Jaime still plays one the boys who leaves with the demons at the end.
There are also some amazing men who grew up in the center and are now working for Scripture Union, as well as some amazing volunteers who work with the boys. Juan is a volunteer and really commands respect from the boys, while still being their friend. Rambo (real name Julio) has the most awesome scratchy voice. Rambo goes out with Juan and others on Tuesday and Thursday nights to give bread and milk to people on the street. They tell the kids about Girasoles and encourage them to come stay there. Elton Jhon (no lie - it's on his ID) works with a night shelter that provides beds for kids who are too scared to come into a nice clean place like Girasoles. It's used as a stepping stone to get kids to come to the boys' home. Jhon's story is really so incredible that I can't even describe it here in my blog. Ask me about it when you see me back home.
Well these are my friends here in Lima. They've touched my lives, and I just wanted to share a little about them since they've somehow gone unrecognized through all my blog posts. Please pray for the boys here, the boys like Davíd that have gone back to the street, and all the men and women of God that work with the boys here.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Long Lost Kusi Pics
Finally some new pictures for everyone. Kari from the New Life in Christ Church group sent me a few pictures from our trip to Kusi. Here's Kari and I. She actually goes to my church (Frontline), which is crazy.
This is what I did all week - haulin' bricks. And that's Hunter in the background.
Here's the amazing family that runs Kusi - Jusepi, Rosa, Angel, and Alexia.
And finally, here's a shot of my favorite part of being at Kusi, the choreographies. That's my buddy Jesús across from me. I would usually watch him or Jonathan Sixto to make sure I do all the dance moves right.
This is what I did all week - haulin' bricks. And that's Hunter in the background.Here's the amazing family that runs Kusi - Jusepi, Rosa, Angel, and Alexia.And finally, here's a shot of my favorite part of being at Kusi, the choreographies. That's my buddy Jesús across from me. I would usually watch him or Jonathan Sixto to make sure I do all the dance moves right.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Boo to Tourism
Last week I got to see my dad, which was pretty special. He came down to Peru to give me a little vacation visiting Machu Pichu. Mom was supposed to come too, but our dog, who's dying at home, can't walk and requires a great deal of attention. So mom stayed home to take care of the dog.
Our first day I got to introduce dad to some of my friends at Scripture Union. We went stopped by the center, took a little walking tour, and went to dinner with a small group. The following couple of days are a haze of tourist torture that I don't particularly want to recall. We did a lot of walking around and looking at old, broken buildings. They were old and made of stone and in all cases, no longer functional for any purpose other than to be the subject of a photograph. We also walked through Catholic churches, containing towers of gold and silver idols and ornamentation.
Going to these churches really made me upset. After witnessing the poverty in Peru, to see an organization that claims to follow Jesus and the Bible so obscenely ignore the teachings of both is crushing. It makes absolutely no sense to me how a "Christian" church can horde massive amounts of wealth when the people of the country need food, water, jobs, homes. I chose not to go into the last church on the tour.
Seeing Machu Pichu was very impressive. I was probably more impressed by the natural landscape than the ruins themselves, but it was amazing to witness the broken city at the top of the mountains. I actually had just as much fun hiking a small trail with my dad, mostly because there weren't mobs of tourists everywhere, taking pictures. The mobs of tourists kinda brought me down.
[Missing photo of Machu Pichu]
My dad actually has some photos of the ruins, so I'll probably get to post them in a couple weeks when I make it back home.
For once, I was actually happy to return to Lima and escape all the tourism. On our last day in Lima, my dad and I got to spend some time hanging out with the boys in Lima, shooting some hoops. My dad enjoyed goofing around with Carlos, who is probably my favorite boy here. Carlos is 19, awesome at soccer, and he helps the SU staff a lot when he's not working at the SU bakery. I think the initial impression of Carlos exudes when you meet him is, "This kid is nuts!" But once you get to know him, you find out that he's really smart, he looks out for his friends, and that he loves acting like a goofball. He's especially funny trying to replicate the crazy tricks I do with the basketball and pretending to hurt himself in the process.
[Missing photo of Carlos - he's awesome]
So I learned during my vacation to Machu Pichu that I don't like being a tourist, and I don't like looking at things because somebody else says that they are important. I learned that the most important buildings in this world are made out of materials that cost nothing, and that those buildings may last only 25 years, rather than 2000 years. I also learned that I'm much happier when I'm working to help people, studying the Bible with the mission teams, and spending time with the Girasoles boys. My next vacation will probably be to Kusi...
However I did take in many guilty pleasures during our trip.
Our first day I got to introduce dad to some of my friends at Scripture Union. We went stopped by the center, took a little walking tour, and went to dinner with a small group. The following couple of days are a haze of tourist torture that I don't particularly want to recall. We did a lot of walking around and looking at old, broken buildings. They were old and made of stone and in all cases, no longer functional for any purpose other than to be the subject of a photograph. We also walked through Catholic churches, containing towers of gold and silver idols and ornamentation.
Going to these churches really made me upset. After witnessing the poverty in Peru, to see an organization that claims to follow Jesus and the Bible so obscenely ignore the teachings of both is crushing. It makes absolutely no sense to me how a "Christian" church can horde massive amounts of wealth when the people of the country need food, water, jobs, homes. I chose not to go into the last church on the tour.
Seeing Machu Pichu was very impressive. I was probably more impressed by the natural landscape than the ruins themselves, but it was amazing to witness the broken city at the top of the mountains. I actually had just as much fun hiking a small trail with my dad, mostly because there weren't mobs of tourists everywhere, taking pictures. The mobs of tourists kinda brought me down.
[Missing photo of Machu Pichu]
My dad actually has some photos of the ruins, so I'll probably get to post them in a couple weeks when I make it back home.
For once, I was actually happy to return to Lima and escape all the tourism. On our last day in Lima, my dad and I got to spend some time hanging out with the boys in Lima, shooting some hoops. My dad enjoyed goofing around with Carlos, who is probably my favorite boy here. Carlos is 19, awesome at soccer, and he helps the SU staff a lot when he's not working at the SU bakery. I think the initial impression of Carlos exudes when you meet him is, "This kid is nuts!" But once you get to know him, you find out that he's really smart, he looks out for his friends, and that he loves acting like a goofball. He's especially funny trying to replicate the crazy tricks I do with the basketball and pretending to hurt himself in the process.
[Missing photo of Carlos - he's awesome]
So I learned during my vacation to Machu Pichu that I don't like being a tourist, and I don't like looking at things because somebody else says that they are important. I learned that the most important buildings in this world are made out of materials that cost nothing, and that those buildings may last only 25 years, rather than 2000 years. I also learned that I'm much happier when I'm working to help people, studying the Bible with the mission teams, and spending time with the Girasoles boys. My next vacation will probably be to Kusi...
However I did take in many guilty pleasures during our trip.
- A hot shower every day!
- A hot shower with lots of water pressure!
- American music on my iPod!
- Clean clothes, washed by the hotel
- Slim Jims
- Pizza every day for lunch...
- Reading Harry Potter
- Spending time with dad
[Missing photo of Jared and Dad]
So since dad left I've been hanging out in Lima, without much work to do. I'm killing time until I make my triumphant return to Puerto Alegria (the Amazon) on Friday. I'm hanging out with the boys in the Lima center and catching up on all the podcasts I have missed over the last 5 months.
And in case you didn't know, I return to the states in about a week and a half on September 10. I'll have about a month to rest and take a road trip down the east coast before moving back to VA and starting up again with IBM. I really would like to work full time in a Christian ministry, but I think that staying with IBM for now may allow me to go back to Peru for an extended visit again next summer... after I take some classes to improve my Spanish...
Stay tuned for when I'll be passing through your town if you live on the east coast. I should have enough bracelets for everybody that wants one.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Kawai Reunion
Last week I returned to the place where I spent my very first week in Peru - Kawai. I was excited to meet up with some friends that I haven't seen in months - the boys in Kawai and a couple of Scripture Union interns as well.
On the down side, after I posted my pics of Kusi, the memory card in my camera died. Apparently it's not initialized or something... Anyway, I can't fix it, so you'll be very sad to hear that the rest of my time in Peru will probably be a little less interesting since I won't be able to post my pictures. I'll try to get my hands on some photos taken by the other folks in my groups if it's possible.
When I hopped on the bus from Lima to Kawai, I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple interns that I hadn't seen for a while, Ms. Kate Hambley from Sherwood Forest in England and Ms. Christina Jennings from Fredericksburg, VA. We were joined by a mixed group, including a group from Scripture Union England, another from Minnesota, and lonely Ms. Kelly Maconahay from Alabama. I spent my first two weeks in Peru with Kelly's church, so we're continuing the trend of everybody knowing everybody when you come to Peru...
I'm sure everyone remembers the bearded gentlemen in the top right hand corner of this webpage. This was the guy that the kids met in June. They surprised me by recognizing me almost immediately. One boy said he knew me by the way I walked and the way I talked... which would probably be really creepy in any other circumstance...
So the week set out with lots of concrete mixing and shoveling. My body was only conditioned for adobe brick carrying when I arrived, and my concrete mixing muscles were a bit out of shape, so it was bit painful to get back into the work cycle at Kawai. After a couple days of struggling, I got back into the flow and the work was only moderately painful. And now if my camera worked you all could see just how far along the bungalow in Kawai has come since we started it in June.
Here's a missing photo of the worksite. The bungalow has brick walls, concrete supports and concrete floors that we poured. Isn't it fantastic how far we've come!
[Missing worksite photo]
Of course everyone knows that mid-week when we had our Lima day, there was the massive earthquake in Pisco. We were on a bus going to dinner in Lima and couldn't really feel the impact - the bus shook for a couple minutes, but that was all. We didn't know it was so deadly until the next day. When we returned to Kawai that night, we were rudely awakened by many aftershocks, and they continued over the next couple days. Kawai is only a few hours from Pisco. Fortunately for the folks in Kawai, there wasn't any serious damage. It will cost them some money to fix up a number of things, but the structures are built to withstand earthquakes, so all but the oldest building are in good shape.
After we got back from our Lima day, I got my first taste of real responsibility. For the first time I was the intern in charge with the group. It wasn't too tough. I can pretty much understand what the Kawai folks are telling me with a small to moderate amount of frustration on their parts, but thanks to their patience, everything turned out pretty well. Everyone that arrived in Kawai left with all their limbs - success.
As far as hanging out with the kids, I made the huge mistake of doing some crazy dances, including the robot, as well as some dumb magic tricks early in the week that I didn't expect to be tremendously popular. So for the rest of the week I got to deal with the boys demanding that I entertain them.
Here's a missing photo of me doing the robot.
[Missing robot photo]
The time spent with the kids in Kawai is a bit different than it is in the other sites. You don't exactly live and eat among them, so you only get to see them for a couple hours at the end of each day. It's more difficult to get to know them like I got to know the kids at Kusi. Even so, I managed to spend some time with boys that I didn't get to know well in June.
I spent lots of time fighting and throwing the boys around. The little ones are pretty demanding in that arena...
Julio and I tried to turn some Psalms in Spanish into songs. I think we failed terribly, but it was fun anyway.
The highlight for me came the night after the earthquake when we didn't have any power. It was really dark when we went to visit the boys. Junior laid out a blanket and we sat in the grass with Kelly and Juan Carlos, teasing them about their girlfriends and just being ridiculous in general. I really enjoyed talking to Junior. He was mellow and goofy and reminded me a lot of Rusbel from Kusi
Oh, and I have to mention that there was the most adorable little puppy - probably no more than a month old. It was the cutest thing ever, and it was impossible to walk by him without playing. So I'm pleased to show you this missing photo of the new cutest dog ever.
[Missing puppy photo]
So while Kawai was a bit disappointing because I didn't get as much time with the boys, I got to see some old friends again, I got to make some great new friends from the states and the UK, and I got to wield the full breadth of my intern power.
My next post should be coming soon and will be regarding Jared's disdain for tourism. Thanks, God bless, and sorry for the missingness of my photos.
On the down side, after I posted my pics of Kusi, the memory card in my camera died. Apparently it's not initialized or something... Anyway, I can't fix it, so you'll be very sad to hear that the rest of my time in Peru will probably be a little less interesting since I won't be able to post my pictures. I'll try to get my hands on some photos taken by the other folks in my groups if it's possible.
When I hopped on the bus from Lima to Kawai, I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple interns that I hadn't seen for a while, Ms. Kate Hambley from Sherwood Forest in England and Ms. Christina Jennings from Fredericksburg, VA. We were joined by a mixed group, including a group from Scripture Union England, another from Minnesota, and lonely Ms. Kelly Maconahay from Alabama. I spent my first two weeks in Peru with Kelly's church, so we're continuing the trend of everybody knowing everybody when you come to Peru...
I'm sure everyone remembers the bearded gentlemen in the top right hand corner of this webpage. This was the guy that the kids met in June. They surprised me by recognizing me almost immediately. One boy said he knew me by the way I walked and the way I talked... which would probably be really creepy in any other circumstance...
So the week set out with lots of concrete mixing and shoveling. My body was only conditioned for adobe brick carrying when I arrived, and my concrete mixing muscles were a bit out of shape, so it was bit painful to get back into the work cycle at Kawai. After a couple days of struggling, I got back into the flow and the work was only moderately painful. And now if my camera worked you all could see just how far along the bungalow in Kawai has come since we started it in June.
Here's a missing photo of the worksite. The bungalow has brick walls, concrete supports and concrete floors that we poured. Isn't it fantastic how far we've come!
[Missing worksite photo]
Of course everyone knows that mid-week when we had our Lima day, there was the massive earthquake in Pisco. We were on a bus going to dinner in Lima and couldn't really feel the impact - the bus shook for a couple minutes, but that was all. We didn't know it was so deadly until the next day. When we returned to Kawai that night, we were rudely awakened by many aftershocks, and they continued over the next couple days. Kawai is only a few hours from Pisco. Fortunately for the folks in Kawai, there wasn't any serious damage. It will cost them some money to fix up a number of things, but the structures are built to withstand earthquakes, so all but the oldest building are in good shape.
After we got back from our Lima day, I got my first taste of real responsibility. For the first time I was the intern in charge with the group. It wasn't too tough. I can pretty much understand what the Kawai folks are telling me with a small to moderate amount of frustration on their parts, but thanks to their patience, everything turned out pretty well. Everyone that arrived in Kawai left with all their limbs - success.
As far as hanging out with the kids, I made the huge mistake of doing some crazy dances, including the robot, as well as some dumb magic tricks early in the week that I didn't expect to be tremendously popular. So for the rest of the week I got to deal with the boys demanding that I entertain them.
Here's a missing photo of me doing the robot.
[Missing robot photo]
The time spent with the kids in Kawai is a bit different than it is in the other sites. You don't exactly live and eat among them, so you only get to see them for a couple hours at the end of each day. It's more difficult to get to know them like I got to know the kids at Kusi. Even so, I managed to spend some time with boys that I didn't get to know well in June.
I spent lots of time fighting and throwing the boys around. The little ones are pretty demanding in that arena...
Julio and I tried to turn some Psalms in Spanish into songs. I think we failed terribly, but it was fun anyway.
The highlight for me came the night after the earthquake when we didn't have any power. It was really dark when we went to visit the boys. Junior laid out a blanket and we sat in the grass with Kelly and Juan Carlos, teasing them about their girlfriends and just being ridiculous in general. I really enjoyed talking to Junior. He was mellow and goofy and reminded me a lot of Rusbel from Kusi
Oh, and I have to mention that there was the most adorable little puppy - probably no more than a month old. It was the cutest thing ever, and it was impossible to walk by him without playing. So I'm pleased to show you this missing photo of the new cutest dog ever.
[Missing puppy photo]
So while Kawai was a bit disappointing because I didn't get as much time with the boys, I got to see some old friends again, I got to make some great new friends from the states and the UK, and I got to wield the full breadth of my intern power.
My next post should be coming soon and will be regarding Jared's disdain for tourism. Thanks, God bless, and sorry for the missingness of my photos.
Literature Update
Before I catch up on my trip to Kawai and my vacation week in Machu Pichu, I'll fill everyone in on a couple good books I've finished recently.
Saddam's Secrets by Georges Strada is a book written by a Christian Iraqi Air Force General who served under Saddam Hussein. As much as I dislike politics, the book was pretty interesting. It gives a good perspective of what it was like to live under Saddam's regime, and the story it tells is different from what is shown on the media. I definitely recommend this one - I read it in about 3 days, so that has to say something...
And along the same serious political lines, I just finished the latest Harry Potter. It was a little slow and frustrating in the beginning as all Harry Potter books are, but it was very entertaining. I was surprised to be quite satisfied in how the series was wrapped up.
Saddam's Secrets by Georges Strada is a book written by a Christian Iraqi Air Force General who served under Saddam Hussein. As much as I dislike politics, the book was pretty interesting. It gives a good perspective of what it was like to live under Saddam's regime, and the story it tells is different from what is shown on the media. I definitely recommend this one - I read it in about 3 days, so that has to say something...
And along the same serious political lines, I just finished the latest Harry Potter. It was a little slow and frustrating in the beginning as all Harry Potter books are, but it was very entertaining. I was surprised to be quite satisfied in how the series was wrapped up.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
I'm Alive!
Sorry for being out of touch during a natural disaster. I'm ok. I was in Lima on a bus when the big quake hit, and it just kinda felt like there were some people rocking the bus. When we got back to Kawai where we were staying, we got to feel a lot of aftershocks... being woken in the middle of the night and such. We got to run out of a couple of buildings in fear. Kawai is a few hours from Pisco, the epicenter, but Kawai has been built almost completely with brick and concrete buildings, so the damage wasn't too serious. Nobody was hurt there.
I just wanted to post this quick update since I'm back in civilization and seeing my inbox flooded with "Are you alive?" emails. Thanks everyone for your concern. I'm currently in absolutely ecstacy with my dad visiting Lima, bringing my iPod (American music!), Slim Jims (delicious), the latest Harry Potter (mediocre), and the perspective of my first hot shower in a week looming on the horizon (warm). Expect another post soon on my latest week in Kawai. Send out a prayer for the folks who have suffered in Pisco. God Bless.
And as for the rumors about me returning to states soon, don't believe everything you hear. Although that rumor is true...
I just wanted to post this quick update since I'm back in civilization and seeing my inbox flooded with "Are you alive?" emails. Thanks everyone for your concern. I'm currently in absolutely ecstacy with my dad visiting Lima, bringing my iPod (American music!), Slim Jims (delicious), the latest Harry Potter (mediocre), and the perspective of my first hot shower in a week looming on the horizon (warm). Expect another post soon on my latest week in Kawai. Send out a prayer for the folks who have suffered in Pisco. God Bless.
And as for the rumors about me returning to states soon, don't believe everything you hear. Although that rumor is true...
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