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Billy, Kate & Will in Perú

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Sacred Valley

Christmas in the Sacred Valley

Posted on Monday, January 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

Happy New Year! We trust that you all had a wonderful Christmas season, and we pray that the Lord would bless each of you as we enter into 2015.

Thank you so much for your constant prayers and support for our ministry and for the children in each of our homes. Below is an account from Hector, our Sacred Valley house director, explaining how he and his family spent Christmas together with the boys at the home. We are so proud of the staff at each of the homes who spent their Christmas with these children who are in so much need. They are a wonderful living testimony of Christ’s love.

– Billy & Kate

____________________

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

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Christmas is always a special time with family, and we enjoy sharing this time with our Girasoles boys and staff.

During the first week in December we started to decorate our house for Christmas. Our dining room has many large windows, and the boys helped by painting them with Christmas scenes. This activity required a lot of patience and took almost two weeks to complete. The house looked more beautiful that it ever had before.

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A few days before Christmas we gathered moss, plants and the pieces necessary to build our own nativity at the home. It was quite an adventure as we gathered the moss and plants from the nearby mountains. It rained while we were out, so we returned to the house soaking wet!

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To do something different, this year we divided the house into three teams. Each team (comprised of young boys, teenagers and staff) was given a couple weeks to learn a Christmas carol that they would perform during our Christmas Eve celebration. On the morning of the celebration the boys busily rushed around the house looking for similar shirts, pants and scarves so they could all dress alike in their respective groups and have the best presentation.

We celebrated Christmas Eve at our church. Since there wasn’t an evening service on Christmas Eve, I asked if we could use the space for our celebration. Marisela, the boys’ tutor, was the master of ceremonies and my wife, Maritza, led us in prayer. Their words were followed by each group singing their respective carol and then a skit performed by the staff. The presentations were great! I concluded the time with a short message about the meaning of Christmas and two more songs before we revealed the winning group.

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We returned to the home for our traditional Christmas dinner. The staff had prepared a delicious buffet with many dishes like ají de gallina, papa a la huancaína, different cakes, apple pie, jello puddings, etc. After we blessed the bountiful buffet, each boy received a plate and served himself what he wanted – true buffet style.

It truly felt like Christmas with the house decorated, delicious food and the family around to share in fellowship.

After we had eaten all that we possibly could, we put mattresses on the floor, grabbed blankets and pillows and watched a movie projected on the wall. At midnight, we greeted each other with a hug and “Merry Christmas!” as we went outside to watch the fireworks being set off in town.

On Christmas morning while everybody was still sleeping, Maritza and I rushed to put the presents out around the nativity. As we were doing this, the youngest boys (whose energy never seems to fail) found some of the left over firecrackers and set them off in the yard out front of the house. It didn’t take long before everybody was awake and we had a traditional hot chocolate and panetón cake breakfast.

The youngest boys, who had already scouted out the names on each present, assisted in distributing the gifts to each of their brothers. I am sure you can imagine the joy and surprise the came with opening presents.

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In the afternoon we had another delicious Christmas dinner of chancho a la parrilla (grilled pork) and enjoyed the rest of the day as a family.

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I want to thank God first for everything He has given us. I thank him for my life, this ministry, for my family and all of the Girasoles boys at our home.

We want to wish all of our friends, prayer warriors, volunteers and faithful supporters a blessed year shared with family and full of peace and joy through the unconditional love that God so freely gives us. May you have a wonderful 2015. Thank you for being a part of our family here in the Sacred Valley.

Greetings,

Hector and Maritza
Directors – Girasoles Sacred Valley

Posted in: Peru | Tagged: Girasoles, Peru, photos, Sacred Valley

January, part 1

Posted on Tuesday, February 12, 2013 Leave a Comment

January was a busy and big month for us here in Lima.

After spending a lazy New Years with a good friend at my apartment in Lima, Billy and I headed northeast again to Kusi. JUst a week after celebrating Christmas with the boys at our Girasoles home in Kusi, we were heading back through the curvy mountain roads to celebrate at graduation party for 5 of the boys.

Alex, Fredy and Rolando were the three high school graduates and we were their padrinos or mentors.

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Before this trip, Billy and I wanted to do something special for the boys and to help get them ready for their graduation party at school. We invited the three boys came to Lima during a brief downtime in November and spent a couple days helping them get all outfitted with a new suit, shirt, tie, socks, shoes, and belt. We went to Gamarra (the garment district in Lima) to get everything they would need.

Yes, this store is called “makeover”.
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During a trip to a department store, we saw an actor from a Peruvian telenovela, Al Fondo Hay Sitio.
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In addition to the three high school graduates, the party was also for Ronald (who finished elementary school) and Andres (who graduated from preschool), seen here.

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While the trip was very brief, it was great to be a part of the 5 boys’ party and to celebrate in their accomplishments over the past years.

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A day after we returned from Kusi, my best friend and maid of honor, Katie, arrived in Lima. She had been planning a trip to visit me here in Peru for the past 6 months and it ended up coinciding with our wedding at the end of her trip. We started her time off here in Peru with a few days in Ica and a day trip to nearby Nasca to see the ancient Nasca lines.

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To end our few days in Ica, we took the boys from the home to the beach near Paracas. They loved the water and the afternoon at the beach. Some of the boys even turned Sabino’s daughters into sand mermaids.
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After Ica, Katie and I headed south for the requisite trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu. We spent a few days in the colonial city of Cusco and then a day at Machu Picchu and another in the Sacred Valley. It was a great time to spend with a great friend and of course beautiful scenery.

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Part 2 to come soon… 🙂

Posted in: Peru | Tagged: Girasoles, Kusi, Machu Picchu, Peru, Sacred Valley

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Happy fourth birthday to our little Will! You have Happy fourth birthday to our little Will! You have made our world a whole lot sweeter and you are our greatest adventure 🤍 We love you forever! #littlewilliamnoah
Last night the Peruvian president announced a two- Last night the Peruvian president announced a two-week lockdown covering 1/3 of the country, including Lima, amid a significant rise in COVID-19 cases here. The new lockdown will run from January 31 through February 14. New restrictions include the closure of all non-essential shops (only pharmacies, grocery stores/bodegas/markets and banks are allowed to be open) and a ban on domestic air and land travel. The ban on flights coming from Europe (and now Brazil) is extended. As of right now, the border remains open to all other international flights. Only 1 person is allowed to go grocery shopping at a time, and we are no longer allowed to use our personal cars. We also are only allowed outside for 1 hour per day for exercise/mental health, and should be at home the remainder of the time. 

We are experiencing a second wave of infections and with the variants, it sounds like there will be more positive cases this time than we had a year ago during our first quarantine. Experts are predicting that we will not hit our peak until April. According to Johns Hopkins University, Peru has reported more than one million cases and about 40,000 deaths related to COVID-19. 

This evening Will and I went for a walk through our neighborhood to squeeze in a little more outside time before Sunday when it will become harder to complete our 1000 hours outside. 

It’s difficult knowing we have to go back into a lockdown, but we are thankful for our health and that we have a safe place to quarantine at home. Join us in praying for the country of Peru and that these measures taken will make a positive impact on the pandemic here. 

#littlewilliamnoah
Working towards spending #1000hoursoutside and put Working towards spending #1000hoursoutside and putting many kilometers on Will’s scooter and bike this year 🚴‍♂️🛴#littlewilliamnoah @1000hoursoutside
To end what has been a long, unexpected year we di To end what has been a long, unexpected year we did a little staycation at a hotel in Lima. We walked around a new neighborhood, had a picnic in the park, watched movies, studied the city from above, spent time swimming in the pool and watched fireworks being set off over the city of Lima as the clock struck midnight and we entered the new year. 

While 2020 may not have been what we envisioned it would be a year ago, I am thankful for my little family, our health and the opportunities we have had this year. 

May 2021 be filled with adventure, laughter and hopefully being able to see family again! ✈️ #littlewilliamnoah
It was a quiet Christmas at home for the 3 of us i It was a quiet Christmas at home for the 3 of us in Lima this year but we enjoyed a slow 2 days, lots of good food (including, per Will’s request, funfetti cupcakes for Baby Jesus’ birthday), Zoom calls with family and time together. 

(Also don’t let the first gift your child opens to be a costume of one of their favorite characters unless you want all of your photos of the child to be in that costume 🤦🏻‍♀️) #littlewilliamnoah
Today was Will’s last day of 3 year old preschoo Today was Will’s last day of 3 year old preschool. It was bittersweet way back in March when we took him to his very first day of school. I wondered how it would go for him not knowing Spanish and his first time being away from family, and if he was really ready to start school (or, more like if I was ready!). Little did I know that Will would only have 1 week of in-person classes before switching to @greenmanbilly or I assisting with Zoom preschool at our kitchen table. While there were challenges with balancing school and work, I am thankful we were able to be a part of the start of Will’s academic career. It was fun to see him learning Spanish, and as the year went on, interacting with the other students and teachers. Will also was fortunate to have wonderful teachers, specifically Miss Dani, his Spanish teacher. She truly made this year a joy and encouraged Will in their daily Zoom calls. I don’t think there has been a day since March that Miss Dani has not come up in conversation. She has set the bar high for future teachers ❤️ So now it’s summer break and next year we will have a pre-kindergartener! #littlewilliamnoah
After many months of staying in our city apartment After many months of staying in our city apartment due to the pandemic (and 2 weeks of very cautious quarantining ahead of time), we rented a house through @airbnb for a few days. It didn’t matter that the property was only 30 minutes south of our apartment and still within the province of Lima - it had a lawn, beautiful outdoor space and a pool! We were able to relax (as much as a 3 year old lets you), read under a tree, fly kites in the field, swing in a hammock and take deep breaths of fresh air with friends. #littlewilliamnoah
The little cookie elf was busy this weekend making The little cookie elf was busy this weekend making (and decorating) sugar cookies and chocolate dipped shortbread 🎄 #littlewilliamnoah
As you may know, tomorrow is #GivingTuesday! As mi As you may know, tomorrow is #GivingTuesday! As missionaries in Peru, @greenmanbilly and I rely on a group of people to financially support us as we work with at-risk teens and young adults through a mentorship program with @pathsofhopeministries. Every month we receive our giving statement from @uwmorg and we are humbled to see the list of people who God used to love on us that month, and people that want to invest in what God is doing here in Lima. It never ceases to amaze us. You know who you are, and we appreciate you.
If you’d like to partner with us here in Lima, it would be an honor. Giving link is in my bio. (📷: Christmas 2019, pre-COVID 😕)
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