Peru

A Lima Vacation

Posted on 1 Comment

A few weeks ago the boys from our Kusi home have been here in Lima on vacation.

Thanks to a generous donation, Angel and Rosa (the directors) were able to make the 9 hour journey with their 40 boys and staff and spend 10 days touring the city of Lima. Being a slow time of the year for volunteer groups, Billy and I were able to help the staff keep an eye on the 40 boys in a city of 10 million.

It was a busy 10 days, but so great to be a part of it, and great to share a little bit of this large city I have come to love. For many of the kids, it was their first time in Lima – and just a mega-city in general (most of the boys from Kusi are from small pueblos in the Andes and the largest city they might have been to would be Huaraz at just 100,000 inhabitants). In addition to the first time in Lima, for most, it was their first vacation (unless they go to stay with family somewhere else, most people don’t take vacations here – between expenses for food, transportation and a place to stay, in addition to missing time from work, they just cost too much).

Since everything was new, every time we boarded the bus to go somewhere, many intently stared out the window, taking in as much as they possibly could.

Wanting to take advantage of every opportunity during the 10 days, Angel and Rosa had organized a busy schedule of things to do with the boys. They stayed at the church in Villa El Salvador that Angel & Rosa attended when they lived in Lima and used it as their home base.

In addition to the first vacation, it was a week of first times for most; their first movie in the theater (Alvin 3), their first time to see the ocean, the first time swimming in the ocean, first zoo. Boys that are 14, 15 and 16 years old instantly turned into little 7 and 8 year olds when we did something completely new to them.

For me, one of the best part of the week was to see their reactions when we went to the zoo and they got to see lions & tigers for the first time, or how they youngest boys reacted at the beach when they discovered the ocean water is salty. I was able to relive some parts of Lima that I have come to take for granted and spent the week looking at things with a child’s eyes.

On Tuesday, we watched the sunset from the beach in Chorrillos – and stuck our feet in the water for the first time.

Wednesday, we went to the pool.

And then spent an evening at the Circuito Mágico del Agua (a park with about 20 fountains in downtown Lima).

Thursday was a day in the sun at the Parque Huascar in Villa El Salvador where we played games.

And saw an ostrich at the small zoo they had. Apparently it captivated the 4 boys I was with…

On Friday we went to the Parque de las Leyendas (a real zoo) and saw tons of animals from the coast, mountains and jungle of Peru, but also from all around the world.

Saturday was museums and lunch at a restaurant together.

And Sunday, we went back to the beach. This time we went swimming (and played in the sand)!

The nightly bus rides back to Villa El Salvador were full of chatter about the day’s activities and anticipation for the next day (I can’t tell you how many times I heard boys talking about how excited they were to see animals at the zoo!). The boys truly enjoyed their time in Lima and it is something that these boys will always remember. It was a blessing to be a small part of their adventure.

And, if the week wasn’t exciting enough, in the middle of all of this fun and new experiences in Lima, I turned 26. While I missed spending the day in Dearborn with family and friends, I could not have asked for a better birthday in Peru. On Thursday, my birthday, we spent the day at the Parque Huascar playing games and enjoying the amenities at the park. Later on that evening, once we had returned to the church the boys were staying at, I sat around with a handful of the boys talking about birthdays and how they are celebrated in the States, among many other random things.

Little did I know that their questions and the spontaneous walk around Villa El Salvador with 4 of the boys and Rosa, the director’s wife, was so that Billy and all of the other boys could get Rosa’s home ready for a party. After walking around Villa for a good 45 minutes and apparently killing time, we arrived at Rosa’s house and found the boys hiding in the dark, waiting to yell “surprise!”

Throughout the night a few of the boys stood up and spoke, a clown came and did a mini hora loca with us (remember the hour long dancing from the graduation party?), we ate cake and took lots of photographs. It was a wonderfully, fun, hilarious and exciting night, and a perfect way to celebrate my birthday.

Happy Graduation!

Posted on 2 Comments

‘Tis the season of school graduations!

Earlier this month, Billy and I had the opportunity to make a quick trip to Kusi, one of our homes for abandoned boys. The directors, Angel and Rosa, invited us to celebrate the graduations of 6 of their boys: 5 from elementary school (Arnold, Frank, Kevin, Martin and Mauricio) and Eloy, who graduated from high school. Since they were unable to attend the graduation party that their school hosted, Angel and Rosa decided to have a big party at home with the other Girasoles boys to celebrate their accomplishments.


Frank, Mauricio, Kevin, Eloy, Martin and Arnold

I’ve heard stories of what happens at school graduations, but had never attended one before. They are much more of an evening event compared to our high school graduations in the States. Whereas my graduation from Cranbrook lasted a maximum 2 hours, graduations here are more of a party that last all night. Wanting to make this party similar to what the boys would have experienced at their school, Rosa had a whole ceremony organized. The graduates were dressed in a (matching) shirt and tie, special graduation photos were taken, a cake was decorated, dinner was served and there was lots of dancing.

As the padrinos (godparents) for the party, Billy and I bought new Bibles as gifts for the graduates. We both were given the opportunity to share a few words- to tell them how proud we were of their accomplishments, how much we value their friendships, and most importantly, to tell them that they have a bright future and a God-given purpose for their life.


with Eloy and Martin


with Arnold and Eloy

And if we hadn’t had enough fun yet, to finish the party off, a group of friends from town joined us in an hora loca. Literally translated, the hora loca means a crazy hour, which here in Peru means a straight hour of dancing without stopping. It was so much fun to dance with the graduates and all of the Kusi boys amidst confetti being thrown, shaving cream-like snow in the air and lights flashing. By the end of the hora loca, the graduation boys were just dripping with sweat. (Lovely.)

It was a wonderful evening of sharing and celebrating. It truly is a blessing to be a part of this ministry and a part of our Girasoles boys’ lives.


The Kusi boys with the graduates


with Mauricio and Arnold during dinner

(…I have to share one last photo from the weekend. The newest boy at the home in Kusi, Socimo, arrived just a few days before Christmas. When Rosa, Billy and I were picking up a few things in town, Socimo came with us. He spent the whole afternoon holding either Billy’s or my hand, and then during dinner wanted to take a picture with me.)

New Year in Ica

Posted on 2 Comments

To celebrate New Year’s Eve and to start 2012, Billy and I headed south to SU’s abandoned boys home in the city of Ica.

I’ve written about my experiences in Ica before. It is one of the properties that my group from First Presbyterian has visited every year since 2002, and it is where I most recently wrote about delivering water. Ica is located approximately 5 hours south of Lima, in the Atacama Desert – considered to be the driest desert in the world.

Wanting to do something fun with the boys for the holiday (and thanks to a generous donor), we were able to rent a bus and go with all of the boys and staff to the beach. Since the city of Ica is about 1.5 hours from the Pacific Ocean, going to the beach isn’t a frequent occurrence for the boys at the home.

Before we had even left the Ica city limits, I could hear some of the younger boys sitting behind me on the bus talking about how excited they were to go to the ocean, what they were planning on building in the sand, and wondering how cold the water was going to be. The closer we got to the coast, the more excited and anxious they got.

Upon arrival to the small beach, we piled out of the bus and walked to the water. Some of the boys immediately dropped their towels, took of their shirts and ran into the water while others sat in the sand and started to build their castles, trenches and one even dug out a mini pool.

After spending a lovely afternoon in the sun and salty water, we headed back to the house to anxiously wait the start of 2012. About 10pm, we gathered in the dining room to talk about the successes and challenges from the previous year, inspire and motivate for 2012 and enjoy a late dinner.

As the clock got closer to midnight, anticipation grew and so did the “what time is it?!” questions. To make sure we could wish each other feliz año right at midnight, an countdown clock was set and we spent the last 30 seconds of 2011 counting down (we couldn’t watch the annual special “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest”).

As soon as the clock struck twelve, the sky over Ica was lit up with colorful fireworks (I’m starting to think that with every celebration in Peru, there will be fireworks at midnight). Hearing this, the boys jumped out of their seats and ran outside to watch the colorful bursts in the dark sky. We set off our own fireworks on the soccer field, lit boxes of sparklers and distributed glow bracelets to all of the boys. They consequently spent the next few hours running around with sparklers and waving their glow bracelets in the air.


First photograph from 2012 at Girasoles Ica.

The next day, both Billy and I were greeted with a cheerful feliz año! from the boys. We spent a relaxing first day of 2012 in the sun, hanging out with the boys and even Skyping with friends in Dearborn.

Happy 2012.

Merry Christmas!

Posted on Leave a Comment

Merry Christmas!

Living in Lima means that it has been a particularly different Christmas season this year. Unlike the traditional, snowy (or at least cold) Christmas that I am used to in Michigan, this has been quite the opposite. I can truly sympathize the song, “White Christmas” (I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know…).

In Peru, people have gotten into the Christmas spirit. Houses are still decorated in white lights, which a majority of the time are flashing at ridiculous speeds and accompanied by music. Department stores are decorated in reds and greens and host weekly (if not daily) sales, trying to entice customers in their doors. A few nights ago, Billy and I went to the newly restored Teatro Municipal in downtown Lima to watch a performance of the Nutcracker. Even Starbucks has decorated their stores with red berries, evergreens and snowmen and have started preparing their line of wintery flavored drinks.

For as long as I can remember, my family has had the tradition of spending Christmas Eve at Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. We would get more or less dressed up and walk around the museum, looking at the classic Christmas decorations from the mid-1800s onward. It was also when my brother and I would sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what we wanted for Christmas (to this day, I still don’t understand how we thought that by telling Santa the day before, he would have time to fulfill our requests – ah, I guess it was part of the magic of being a child). This wasn’t just a tradition we had while Randy and I were children, to this day, we would visit the museum on Christmas Eve – just only visiting Santa once in a while!

Living about 3,700 miles away, I didn’t participate in this long standing family tradition this year. In fact, Christmas Eve was quite different in Lima. Instead of a wintery (or at least cold) day, Billy and I went to the beach in Chorrillos. Instead of sweaters, winter coats and mittens, we were wearing sandals, sunglasses and t-shirts.

Since the past month hadn’t felt very Christmas-like, in an effort to recreate at least one tradition from home, we spent a part of the evening at a candlelight service at a church in San Isidro. Very similar to the 11pm candlelight service at First Presbyterian, the night was pure lessons and carols. If I had closed my eyes, it would have felt like I was sitting in a pew in Dearborn.

During the carols, I was thinking about what my favorite Christmas carols would be. I could literally listen to Ave Maria and O Holy Night forever. The words and melodies are just beautiful – especially when sung by a classic like Frank Sinatra, or more modern-day, Josh Groban.

But if I could name just one more favorite, it would be “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” While I love the whole song, the third verse is what gives me those warm, loving chills down my spine every time I hear it.

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

There is just something wonderful about the lines, “born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth” that gets me every time. Of course we sang this as one of the carols, and like every time, I could truly feel the magic and reason for this season.

Today, after opening presents in the morning (if we were Peruvian, it would have been last night and we would have set off fireworks at midnight, but that’s a story for another time), we will continue celebrating. We’re heading out to the “suburbs” of Lima, to the town of Chaclacayo, to spend the day with the General Director of Scripture Union and his wife.

So this year, I’m incorporating new traditions into the season (I think going to the beach will be a favorite…) while remembering why we celebrate.

May you have a wonderful Christmas with friends and family, wherever you may be.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

Lima: The City of Kings

Posted on 1 Comment

It has been four months since I returned to Lima and I am slowly getting a grasp life in the “City of Kings.”

In addition to traveling with work teams, lots of translating, scheduling teams for next year and working on the new SU website, here are a few things that I did during the past few months in the city:

– I officially became a Peruvian resident! With my carnet extranjeria I can open a bank account, travel within the country and not have to carry my US passport, and pay the “Peruvian prices” for things such as transportation and events.

– I started attending services at Camino de Vida, a church nearby where a handful of other SU staff go. Starting in January, I will be participating in their Escuela Creativa. (Photo from CDV Facebook)

– Scripture Union Peru moved into new offices in Lima, not too far from where I live. This means I have a desk and space to go work instead of covering my dining room table.

– Billy and I went on a tour of the Palacio del Gobierno (the Presidential Palace, or the Peruvian White House).
Residence

And, after the tour, we were invited to come back to watch the changing of the guards from inside the gated patio.
Patio in front of the Palace

– Much to Billy’s delight, and thanks to Living in Peru, we discovered a simple Mexican restaurant in the hip neighborhood of Barranco. There aren’t many menu choices at the Burrito Bar, but it is amazing. (And considering it is one of 3 Mexican restaurants in a city of 9 million people, I can’t complain!)

– We celebrated the tenure of our General Director, Paul Clark, and welcomed the new General Director, Weider Hidalgo, who begins January 1. We aren’t saying goodbye to Paul; he will still continue to help train and mentor other SU staff.

– And, last but not least, I have moved into my own apartment! Sadly, Rachel, another person on the International Relations team returned home to England earlier this month, but I was able to take over her apartment. Clearly, I haven’t gotten around to putting photos in the frames or things on the walls…

I’m looking forward to another few months in Lima before the busy travel & work team season starts up again!