reflections (brian at aldea infantil)

When am I really going to realize how incredibly blessed I am?

I was born to parents who love and teach their kids. I am going to school at an elite private university where education services and opportunities are available without parallel elsewhere in the world. I know how to access the truth and have a long long long long long long long ways to go before I will understand and comprehend how to use it, though I am trying to scratch the surface now.

I belong to a family where quarrelling, anger, spite, contention, and hate are not fostered; rather, love, charity, respect, patience, long-suffering, tolerance, brotherly kindness, forgiveness, faith, hope, service, selflessness, positivity, and sympathy and empathy are taught among many other values. I have family and friends who love and care for me without being asked. I am prayed for daily on multiple levels. I have a family who is willing to sacrifice for me to provide the brightest kind of future for me that it can.

I am currently learning how to love more than I thought I could before.

to me, this is what it's all about... (natalie)

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came to our annual banquet last Friday! I loved seeing friends from past expeditions and meeting new friends.

Thanks to everyone's generosity, we raised money which will be used for the construction of The Little Bug. Right now, The Little Bug (El Bichito) is a drop-in center, but we are helping them convert it to a home.

We had both a silent and live auction. Both fun. After the auctions, we told the story about little Delia shown here. Delia is one of our El Bichito children and she came for a medical exam with the doctors on our summer expeditions. They found a fairly large tumor in her ear that needs to be removed. Telling someone down there that they "need to see a doctor" does no good. They don't have the money so they simply won't see a doctor.

Last Friday we outbid each other for Jazz tickets, for vacation packages, for chocolates and other goodies. But when we simply asked people to help us pay for Delia's surgery without anything in return, several hands went up.

And that's when I cried.

So thank you. Thank you Annette Bell, Morgan Humphries, Ron Steele, Grant Southworth and Wayne and Pam Merrill. Thank you for taking care of Delia.

And I WILL keep you informed of Delia's progress.

Our 1st Expedition Winner!

Congratulations to Karen Auman who won our first drawing for a FREE expedition! We'll be doing another drawing tonight at our 3rd Annual Banquet - if you still want to get in on the drawing, send me an email at natalie@sxhu.org.

For every 20 entries, we pick a winner - so you have a 1 in 20 chance of winning!

We're excited for our banquet tonight. We're raising money for the kids at the Little Bug and for a few of the medical needs including Delia's ear operation and Daniel's testing.

Thanks to all for your support and for helping us take care of these little ones!

Natalie

Daniel (Brian at Aldea)

This week, I have noticed a few things. There is a boy named Daniel in the Aldea. He lives in Casa 1 with Tia Alejandrina and a number of younger children. He has some mental difficulties that affect how he behaves. It's not to say he misbehaves and fights with others. Just the opposite. He's socially awkward. He has a hard time listening well and chooses to ignore instructions at times when they are given, especially when he is being corrected for the better by the Tia who runs the house. He needs help. He's a good boy and the Aldea is waiting to accumulate funds to continue running tests on him to see what is wrong.

I talked with the Aldea nurse, Martha, this last week and she says the Aldea needs about 280 soles (about US $97) to continue running tests on him. There are also at least two other children with speaking difficulties who need some specialized attention from a Speech or Occupational Therapist. They are both under ten years of age and are the cutest kids you've ever seen. I know the nurse has seen these kids and that things are not progressing as rapidly as they could. The Aldea needs funding to run these kids through tests to get them to the therapy they need fast and the sooner the better. These two kids are growing up fast and the longer we wait to get help to them, the harder it will be to correct their impediments.

(Note from Natalie: we are creating a new medical fund at Southern Cross. If you'd like to donate to the medical fund for Delia or Daniel, please contact Natalie at natalie@sxhu.org or Laura at laura@sxhu.org or simply donate on our website. 100% of your medical fund donations will be used for the children - you can even specify which child you would like to help. Thank you!)

Live Archeology Dig! (intern Brian at Aldea)

Trujillo, Peru: While in Peru this past summer working as an intern for Southern Cross Humanitarian, I, along with Della Humphries and Kayla Barclay, had the opportunity to take part in a live archaeological dig.

During a weeks time, I gained a better understanding of Peruvian culture, both ancient and modern.

Under the supervision of the Head Archeologist, Doctor Cristobal Campana, we were able to be witnesses to the uncovering of ancient Peruvian relics including the uncovering of a human sacrifice. During this time we also helped the Peruvian people on both a national and local level.



At the archeological site the directors have created a program where children come to view their ancient ancestry and take part of it so that they will be culturally aware of the importance that these discoveries have in their lives.

We accompanied one such group of children through the archeological site and participated with them in discovering their heritage. Perhaps the most important thing that was accomplished was when Kayla used her title as Miss Utah 2008 to promote local and national involvement in the archaeology. Although interest in such archaeological endeavors has decreased amongst the Peruvian population in recent years, the archeologists were able to promote interest by showing that Miss Utah and other "gringos" were taking time out of their lives to learn more about the national heritage of Peru. In these ways we helped the Peruvian people while at the Archeological site of Chan Chan."

win a free expedition! (natalie)

If you've ever wanted to go on an expedition, but thought you couldn't afford it, here's your chance!

For each $100 donation between now and next Wednesday, you will be entered into a drawing for a Free Expedition. Expeditions are $1850 and do not include airfare. For every 20 entries we will draw a winner!

To buy a donation ticket:

· Go to Southern Cross website at www.sxhu.org under Donations and fax or mail in donation form with number of tickets (Fax:801-397-5579) (Address:1492 S. 800 W. Suite A., Woods Cross, UT 84087)
· Call the office and give your information over the phone (801-397-5578)
· Go to our Paypal account and send in donation with contact information
Pre-banquet winners will be drawn next Wednesday at our Executive Meeting and announced via email that very day!

Good luck!!
Natalie

we need shoes! (Brian)

ALL of the kids in the Aldea need a pair of good shoes. They all have sandals and some have casual shoes that get them by okay, but many of the kids only have a pair of sandals and maybe some pair of dress shoes for school and that's it. I know of a local church who has scheduled to come out on with donations for the Aldea. The Church will also be putting on activities that entire afternoon for the kids. I had the opportunity to meet with the adults in charge of this effort and recommended the need for shoes and anything else they can come up with. We talked as a group of at least 6 adults for an hour and a half or more about planning the activities, what to look for in donations and how to manage what is donated, and food. The kids are provided for with basics like food, basic clothing, beds, and shelter, but they lack in other areas (shoes, for example, and modest clothes that fit well). The Aldea also has a great opportunity to advertise itself to the community as a quality place that really cares for the kids who call it home, but that it is what it is in part because of the local community. This is EXCELLENT advertising and would build a stronger positive reputation for the Aldea. Thank you for your support and care! We all need more of it here!

it takes a village (natalie)

That old saying is so true. Let me share my village story with you...

For about three years now, we've been sponsoring a boy named Wilfredo. I've talked about him before, but he is such a gentle, quiet boy. He was abused as a child and doesn't have any parents. He is a hard worker and just wants to be a good boy.

Earlier in the summer, another expedition group called Wings World Wide went to the orphanage. Wings World Wide is a non-profit group that does free dental work - a wonderful group of people. I emailed April, one of the expedition members, and asked how things went. She told me that Wilfredo had broken off half of his front tooth and they tried to salvage it, but weren't able to and had to pull it. He was now missing one of his top front teeth. She said he needed to be taken to a local dentist to have a bridge put in.

Another friend went down to the orphanage a month later and saw Wilfredo. She said he was so embarrassed that he would't look at anyone and wouldn't smile. He didn't want his picture taken either. That broke my heart. She tried taking him to the dentist but wasn't able to while she was there.

Another month went by and another expedition went down. I emailed four expedition members and asked them to take Wilfredo to the dentist. They took him and he ended up getting a root canal and a bridge put it (and all for $280 which I thought was a great bargain). Jenni and Kathy also took him to lunch and had a sweet little conversation with him. Here is Kathy's email:

...He continued eating, then stopped and said, "Natalie, Jenni and Kathy take care of me like they are my mother, and I have never had a mother." I could barely hold back the tears. It was a very neat experience--one of many incredible experiences I've had on this trip.

So thank you April, Chuck, Jenni and Kathy. Thank you for taking care of the children. I couldn't have done it without you.

ps: the photo above is Wilfredo with his new tooth!

pps: Wilfredo and other Sunflower children can be sponsored through Generations Humanitarian.

A little more about Aldea Infantile (Carrie)

During our time this summer in the Aldea, one girl was adopted by a nice family from Italy. This is the first adoption they have had in 20 years! The orphanage is supposed to be a temporary living place for children, aiming for no more than 2 years, but unfortunately most of the children have been there more than 2 years and many have been there their whole lives. We wanted the website to help with the adoption process so the children can have families and homes that are more than just temporary. Also, I saw how a few benefitted from having sponsors in Peru, just having someone who sent them clothes, goodies,or cards on their birthday, and I wanted to set up a Sponsor-a-Child program with the United States so every child could know someone, somewhere out there is thinking of them. I don't have quick, easy answers to these problems but I know I want to help and maybe you do too. I also know that millions of people out there believe in that a “global” village raises a child. We need more willing hands and open hearts to help the Aldea Infantil, or the Children’s Village of Peru. Hopefully the volunteers of Southern Cross can help be a part of this equation.

Web address for the Aldea Infantil: www.regionlalibertad.gob.pe/aldeainfantil English version coming soon!

To sign up to be a child sponsor, please go to our website: www.southerncrosshumanitarian.org or email natalie@sxhu.org.

Thank you!

Come help Delia! (Natalie)

Among the many fun items that will be auctioned at our 3rd Annual Banquet coming up on Friday, Sept 25th, is a chance to help little Delia.

If any of you read the blog during the summer, you might remember a report from our summer expedition to The Little Bug. We had doctors on that expedition who examined the kids (and many adults) and they found one little girl who needs surgery as soon as possible to remove a large tumor in her ear.

We've been trying to find an ear doctor who could go down and help Delia, but we decided that we'll try to earn the money for her operation and have the local doctors operate on her. Past operations on children have been about $500 or so, so it's FAR below U.S. costs.

So come and play for a child at our golf tournament. Come and be a part of our auction for a child. Come and be a part of Delia's life.

(Note: see our website www.sxhu.org for banquet details or email me at natalie@sxhu.org.)

A little info about Aldea Infantil (Carrie)

(Note: Our intern Carrie has since returned from her summer at the Aldea, but she is continuing to help us spread the word that there are kids here who need your help!)

The Aldea Infantil is an orphanage that is home to nearly 70 children outside of the colonial city of Trujillo, Peru on the northern coast. It is set up like a small community (Aldea Infantil translates to"children's village") with 10 houses to house children, interns, and supplies. The Aldea also has an office, nursing station, library, kindergarten, and a variety of sports fields. They are known for their strawberry and avocado production. They also raise guinea pig, chickens, sheep and have a start to their own dairy. All of the Aldea Infantil children attend school--including those who are special needs. In fact, it is the only children's home in the area to send special needs children to school. The Aldea Infantil also encourages children to learn trades or gain work experience so some girls attend cosmetology classes during the week and others spend every day gaining work experience in a bakery and attend speed-schooling programs on the weekends. This orphanage is one of the most well-known and most successful in the country--of course I wanted to tell people about it! I built the website for the Aldea Infantil this past summer so I could tell the world about its achievement and invite others to become a part of something great. While this children's home is one of the most exceptional in the country of Peru, it still is not at its very best. This is where Southern Cross can help.

The Best Experience of My Life (Natalie)

(Note: Natalie is another one of our summer expedition members...)

I had the best experience of my life in Peru. I went there not quite knowing what it would be like and I am a little high maintenance but as soon as I saw those kids at El Bichito, I fell in love with them and it seemed like nothing else mattered.

I am a dental hygienist and so it was my job to give all the kids dental exams and TMJ screenings. Most all of the kids had dental decay. We actually decided that the most prevalent disease among all of the kids was dental caries. But there wasn't much we could do.

At the El Bichito the kids would come up on the second floor of the building which had no roof and no privacy. There we would have them sit on kitchen chairs or benches and using flashlights, give the exams.

All of this was going on while others in our group along with volunteers from Porcon were building brick walls to start finishing the second level. That is not a very good environment for doing invasive dental treatment.

Hopefully there will be a dental and medical group that go so that they can do something to help. They desperately need it!The kids were so patient with the surroundings and also with all of us who only knew patchy spanish. It was fun to see them laughing at us when we said something wrong! But they helped us to learn how to say new things and I found out that they really love "football" i.e. soccer. We were also able to give them oral hygiene instruction- Mainly just how to brush their teeth- then we passed out toothpaste and toothbrushes. We had all the kids gather in a big group outside and then a few of us demonstrated brushing technique while Carmeron interpreted. I think it was pretty fun for all of us. We had one big toothbrushing party.

I hope that one day I can return to El Bichito to see the progress on the building and to spend more time with those wonderful, sweet kids. This experience has changed my life.

The Little Bug (by Michelle)

(Note: This is from Michelle who was on our June 09 expedition to The Little Bug.)

I was able to be a part of the first group ever that went to the El Bichito. I have to say that the effort that is put into helping those children is truly amazing and the kids are very deserving of it! Many of the kids were very sweet and willing to do anything that we asked of them as we poked and prodded them for their physical. It was very sweet to see them warm up to us and ultimately let down their guards and play games with us. I loved seeing all of the smiling faces and couldn't help but take pictures of them all! My favorite part was sitting with a group and taking their picture several times while showing them after each one how beautiful they are. Their entire face lit up when they would see themselves. I know without a doubt that the new addition to the El Bichito is for a worthy cause and those children will benefit greatly. I loved my experience there so much that I would love to go back to see my friends again and see the good of what became of something I got to help start!

PS: Remember our banquet on Fri. Sept 25th at Thanksgiving Point. See our website www.southerncrosshumanitarian.org for more info!

fun stuff ahead... including our 3rd Annual Banquet!!

I've received a LOT of fun stories and photos from our interns lately, so stay tuned for those updates - I'll have those up next week.

In the meantime, we would love to invite you to our 3rd Annual Banquet on Friday, Sept 25th at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah. This year we're combining it with a golf tournament (the rumor is our new board member Kate Keethler is flying in from Chicago to take the tournament).

So come and join us - it will be great fun! For more, see our website: http://www.sxhu.org/ or call Pam for info on the banquet at 435-790-3013 or call Kenny for info on the golf tournament 801-557-0048.

Oh, and if you have something you'd like to donate for our auction, you can email me at smartnatalie@hotmail.com. We have some great items already, but need more! We'll market your product or company in appreciation for your donation.

Thanks for your support! We hope to raise enough money to finish off the dorm rooms at The Little Bug - there are kids waiting for rooms...

Natalie