4 more days (Dan)

¡Hola!

¿Como estan ustedes? Tengo solamente 4 dias mas en Banos del Inca!

It´s really crazy how fast time flies... It feels like I just got here to Cajamarca and the kids in Puylucana. Tomorrow is my last day at El Bichito, and I´m getting a little party set up. Basically I´m going to have some bingo so they can work on vocabulary and some balloons and a few goodies. It´ll be typically chaotic with 40+ kids as per the usual, but lots of fun. It´s been lots of fun lately there as I
have gotten more comfortable with the kids and they with me. It really does take some time, but I´ll be sad to miss them. Also, I´ve occasionally brought out the frisbee I brought and the kids are having
a blast. Wiliam is particularly good, and others like kevin and Manuel are decent too. The older boys still won´t stick around much, but a couple have.

Allie and Izzy, the two girls from Project Trust who I was with in the Aldea in Trujillo, came up to
visit and see Cajamarca with a few other girls from other sites in Peru. I showed them around banos and the hot springs, and finally got the chance to see Granje Porcon, a beautiful valley about 30 minutes away I had not yet seen. It is a small valley that has a trout farm and also a cool zoo. I got a chance to see a spectackled bear! Yeah, the only bear in South America.

Anyway, my time here in Peru is rapidly coming to a close and a list of the things quickly that I know I´ll miss...

Getting crammed into combis
The amazing Cajamarca cheese and ¨pan de agua¨
Toilets without seats
cheap public transportation
trying to get these kids to bring and finish their homework without cheating
Random rain starting out of nowhere (oh wait, I live in Seattle, nothing really weird there)
All of the amazing friendships I´ve made, more than I can list here...
really, it´s amazing how many amazing people I´ve met
Included are the kids at both the Aldea and El bichito... I´ve never
wanted to smile and go crazy so much in my life

Entonces, I´ll be leaving my Peruvian home soon, and I´m already feeling homesick...

Cajamarca (Dan)

So, the real reason why I´m here in Cajamarca! So everyday during the week, I take a short combi (mini bus) ride up to the small town of Puylucana which is 5 minutes away. When I arrive, I usually meet with Feliciana and/or Melchora her sister. They run the comedor called ¨El Bichito¨ which literally translated means little bug. It is basically a lunch cafeteria for kids in the area to have a free meal when they finish school. In order to receive food, they must go to school, so it is not a complete giveaway. My job is to help as much as possible. This usually entails sorting through the rice and beans in the morning. We dump a big pile on the counter and then sort through the little pieces that aren´t quite edible. It´s a great time to talk to Melchora and Feliciana or just meditate to myself. I´m still pretty slow at sorting (faster than when I started) but Melchora especially is miles ahead of me. She says I just need to practice... :)

I then try to get ready for the kids coming, taking down benches, basic clean up, and trying to figure out how I´ll engage the kids that day. I usually eat before the kids arrive at around 1 pm, so I can talk and have fun with the kids while they eat, and try to get the faster kids to start doing homework. Not all the kids stick around to do homework, and it´s tough to try and motivate them. One technique I´ve been using lately, is blocking the doorway, and requiring the kids to answer a mental math problem for me before they can go in and eat. That way they´ve got to earn it, and I get them all thinking.

After eating, I average about 10 kids staying to complete their homework with me. Since there are about 45 kids that come to eat, it´s not great, but it´s hard to get the older ones especially to stay. (If you have any suggestions, let me know) There is chart I made (copying the plan set up and introduced by Chris and Kimball here during the summer) that marks when they bring and complete their homework. When they finish 5 homework assignments, and the 5 corresponding stars, they receive a small prize out of the prize box. That´s why it´s hard to get the older kids to stay, because small prizes aren´t really to their liking. Doing homework with the kids which I feel is very important, means that kids finish at different times and just bolt. I can occasionally keep a few kids behind for reading (they loved the Amelia Bedelia book) and as I´m learning to juggle, some kids had fun throwing around the juggling scarves. Before I leave I help clean up the place and make sure everything is ready to go for the next day.

I know that´s a longwinded explanation, but it really is an awesome experience. I get to teach a few words in English, I also tease the kids too (somehow that´s never gotten old) and learn some Spanish myself. It´s a great way to serve and these kids deserve it, even if sometimes they are ´traviesos´.

After Surgery (Michael)

Here are the after shots of Alida's eye. It looks a lot better than it did before the surgery!

Alida (Chris)

We had a great time with Cameron and the group. Unfortunately I have a bad internet signal right now but i wanted to send you the pictures of Álida. We made collages with the kids and we will have to send you a better email soon. Also, if you zoom in on Maria´s right eye I think she has a cataract or a stye. She´s new and if there´s anyway we can get someone to look at it it would be great. Like I wrote before she is the oldest of 6 and she watches her siblings while her mom´s gone away for long periods of time.

Alida (Nancy)

Here in Cajamarca, the city ranges from paved roads with open plazas, to cobblestone streets crowded by cement and brick houses. Oh, and people. Lots of people, weaving in and out of the buses, motor-taxis, and cars. Just outside the city, the roads turn to dirt and switchback up the mountain to the countryside. Cajamarca is nestled high in the Andes mountains. As you go further out of the city, the cramped bus ride out to the surrounding villages is like riding back in time to an Inca village.

We travel every day to the area just outside of Cajamarca, "Los Banos". And we work in a drop-in center called "El Bichito," or little bug. For a few years now, poor kids from the country villages have raced there after school to pick up what is probably their only square meal of the day. Now, my husband Jared and I and another couple, the Jensens are working hard to keep the kids there longer, to tutor them with their homework and play games with them. The kids are amazing. Lots and lots of energy and so loving.

Today we want to introduce you to Alida. She is fourteen and a little bashful at times, but does not back down to anyone. She's very happy, a little mischievous, and eager to learn. When we tried to get her picture today, she would not look at the camera. I think it is because she is embarrassed of the growth she has on her eye. She has had it since birth, but it is getting bigger, and our new goal is to raise the money that could fund her operation, literally saving her from blindness. When she thinks no one is looking though, she has the brightest smile.

That's all for now. Thanks for everyone's help!

Nancy

WE WON!!! (Madi)

WE WOOOONNNN!! What an adventure! The Aldea has won the women's Fulbito tournament. Not only did they win the FINAL, they have won all the games. So great! We are proud of the Tias that played. We also had on of the other volunteers from the Aldea play, her name is Allie and she is here through Project trust. CONGRATS team!!

Daniela has just turned 18 an she is now getting ready to leave this month. She is getting ready to go out into the world. Hard, but we know that she will do very well.

6 month old baby Fabricio is doing a lot better. He goes to the Hospital Weekly to get exercises. Starting to slowly progress with his strength. When he first came he was not able to hold his head up. That was about 2 months ago, but he is starting to get there.

We had some children that were baptised this last week, and also some children that had their confirmation through the Catholic church. Allie, Izzy and I participated as godmothers in this event. It was very different but very very cool to see these kids take such a big step. It is so cool to see kids going for things that they want. The kids that did confirmation were, Keny, Elvia, Evelin and Ana.
Congrats to all three kids !!

-Madi

Update (Madi)

Getting back to Aldea life is great. Peru is beautiful but the people are even better! Starting a new rewards system so the kids in each house can earn a movie at the end of the week! They have put the pool out on the grass a and summer is starting to officially be here. There are only 52 Kids in the aldea now but they are all great! Missed Halloween with the kids but I know they had a party. Now they just want a lot of candy !!
-Madi

El Bichito (Dan)

So everyday during the week, I take a short combi (mini bus) ride up to the small town of
Puylucana which is 5 minutes away. When I arrive, I usually meet with
Feliciana and/or Melchora her sister. They run the comedor called ¨El
Bichito¨ which literally translated means little bug. It is basically
a lunch cafeteria for kids in the area to have a free meal when they
finish school. In order to receive food, they must go to school, so
it is not a complete giveaway.
My job is to help as much as possible.
This usually entails sorting through the rice and beans in the
morning. We dump a big pile on the counter and then sort through the
little pieces that aren´t quite edible. It´s a great time to talk to
Melchora and Feliciana or just meditate to myself. I´m still pretty
slow at sorting (faster than when I started) but Melchora especially
is miles ahead of me. She says I just need to practice... :)

I then try to get ready for the kids coming, taking down benches,
basic clean up, and trying to figure out how I´ll engage the kids that
day. I usually eat before the kids arrive at around 1 pm, so I can
talk and have fun with the kids while they eat, and try to get the
faster kids to start doing homework. Not all the kids stick around to
do homework, and it´s tough to try and motivate them. One technique
I've been using lately, is blocking the doorway, and requiring the
kids to answer a mental math problem for me before they can go in and
eat. That way they've got to earn it, and I get them all thinking.
After eating, I average about 10 kids staying to complete their
homework with me. Since there are about 45 kids that come to eat,
it´s not great, but it´s hard to get the older ones especially to
stay. (If you have any suggestions, let me know). There is chart I
made (copying the plan set up and introduced by Chris and Kimball, who were here
during the summer) that marks when they bring and complete their
homework. When they finish 5 homework assignments, and the 5
corresponding stars, they receive a small prize out of the prize box.
That´s why it´s hard to get the older kids to stay, because small
prizes aren´t really to their liking. Doing homework with the kids
which I feel is very important, means that kids finish at different
times and just bolt. I can occasionally keep a few kids behind for
reading (they loved the Amelia Bedelia book) and as I´m learning to
juggle, some kids had fun throwing around the juggling scarves.
Before I leave I help clean up the place and make sure everything is
ready to go for the next day.

I know that´s a long-winded explanation, but it really is an awesome
experience. I get to teach a few words in English, I also tease the
kids too (somehow that´s never gotten old) and learn some Spanish
myself. It´s a great way to serve and these kids deserve it, even if
sometimes they are ´traviesos´.

Zoo in Porcon (Nancy)

Piggy Banks (Mike & Natalie)

Today we helped the kids make "piggy banks" out of water bottles. We were expecting like 5 or 6 kids to stay to make banks, but about 25 - 30 kids ended up staying. They had a great time, and they all committed to using their banks to save money for college someday.

Elizabeth at Aldea

Life at the Aldea keeps getting better. We got a new baby at the Aldea named Fabricio. The cutest thing ever, I just love him. I found out that he has Epilepsy and a few days later, that he's also blind. We went to the hospital for him to get an EEG to see if he's permanently blind or if it can be fixed. However, the doctor never showed. So we left and are going to try again next week. We are still awaiting the arrivals of the new interns. We have their rooms prepared and ready for them. We are looking forward to their arrival. Our days are pretty exhausting, I've found myself the other day, realizing that its been a pattern, everyday a pattern of pretty much doing the same thing. Not that its a bad thing, especially when some days can be pretty "hard-core".

The mornings, while Madi and Allie go to the almazen I go over and help with one of the babies/or two. Last week, we had 2 mornings where it was pretty much a baby sitting party in our house. Also the Aldea has adopted a stray dog. I found him a few weeks ago when I was walking back to the volunteer house for lunch, and asked if he was any ones. He's found his way back in, and now stays permanent in the Aldea, and doesn't leave. Everyone loves him, and the kids call him by the name I chose for him when I found him again in the Aldea. His name is Marco Polo, like the game, but since he's now a resident of the Aldea the kids and I just call him Marco. Its funny though, they always ask if he's my dog, but then I tell them he's my dog friend. Me amigo perro. A lively dog that's fun to play with and is good with the children, friendlier than the other dog.

Madi at Aldea

The kids are great at the Aldea, I love all of them so much!! They love to play, dance, sing and have fun! Along with being very loud and just going crazy sometimes but kids are kids!! Trujillo is so much fun and Peru as a whole is just a wonderful country !! I hope that anyone who can will come and help out at the Aldea!! The food is awesome thanks to the Tias. And everything is going great !!

Changes (Dan)

(continued from Dan's last post)

Now for the big news!

...... I´m heading to Cajamarca! Yes, that´s right, as of tomorrow night, Sunday, I am moving up to Cajamarca, (about 7-8 hours north) to help the kids up there. A pretty big shock to be sure, but it´ll be a great opportunity and challenge. I will be working with the kids at El Bichito, which is a food center run by a woman named Feliciana. In talking with Chris, a great guy I met who worked there with his wife this passed summer, I´ll be helping the kids with their homework, and also with learning activities. I know I´m going to miss the Aldea immensely, but I know that I can do some good in Cajamarca. I also hope that being the only volunteer up there, I´ll be able to improve my Spanish even more rapidly. I´ll let you know more next week about the changes and everything. I´m excited to serve the good people in that pretty city.

This past week, as I´ve been preparing to leave, I´ve been doing some last minute activities with the kids and tias in the Aldea. I´ve been trying to make pizza or bread with each and every house in the Aldea before I leave. I´ve been teaching the tias how to do it, and the kids have been having fun mixing and kneading the dough, and of course eating the final product. It´s fun to share what I know (thanks to Preston and Kelsey for teaching me the cooking skills) and have a great time with the kids. Guadalupe in casa 1, who loves to dance, and great fun grating the cheese and punching the dough until it was ready for pizza. We´ve also been doing a lot of drawing and coloring in casa 6 (the craft house) and it´s been fun to do paper airplanes as well. I love seeing some of the more rambunctious kids like Jonathan or Pedro, get really serious as they prepare their airplanes for flight. I don´t look forward to saying the last goodbyes to the kids. This really does feel like home, and I will miss their smiling faces and laughter. I´ll also miss those at the direction like Eduardo (our stake president), Cesar, Blanca and Estelle in the direction, and so many others too. I will miss the tias especially, as they are so kind and helpful with us and cook for us the great Peruvian food all the time. We just had papa de juan gallina, which is potatoes with this creamy sauce poured all over it. Hmmmmm, so so tasty! Entonces, I´m sorry about the long email... I just need to write more often, and keep them at a better length. I´ll try to do that better in Cajamarca.

Update from Aldea (Dan)

I know it´s been a while since my last email, sorry about that, life´s been particularly busy and crazy here in Peru. So we had a power outage for about two days a few weeks back that was actually a lot of fun. We had a few candles and flashlights that helped during the night, but it was actually great to have the lights off in the Aldea so you could appreciate the stars. It was cool how bright the milky way was, and how much you miss them when the lights are always on. We´ve had a great time playing futbol lately, and I´m proud to say that I´ve been getting better. We had some penalty kicks the other day and I scored on Cesar (probably the best kid here) and then I saved his penalty kick. Yeah, I was proud of himself. It´s great when the all the kids come together and play. Before, it seemed that Cesar and some of the older boys would only play if there weren´t younger ones playing as well, and maybe it´s just the lack of other boys to play with, but everyone has been coming together to play. Just yesterday in fact, we played a marathon game where Cesar´s team beat us 22 to 21. It was in the smaller field/court, but it was still tons of fun. Since I can be a little competitive, it was fun to have a such a crazy game. We´ve also played lots of volibol lately. The tias have been getting into it. Tia Rosa from casa 5 (with the older boys) got some of the older ones to play with the girls, who are really good. Tio Nelson, the handyman of the Aldea also comes and plays sometimes. For the older girls as well, like Ingrid and Antonia, it´s great to have some fun physical activities. Also, I went on a side trip up to the Cordillera Blancas with Asha, as it was her last week. We went on a magnificent 4 day trek called ¨Santa Cruz¨ that was absolutely spectacular. We climbed up to 4750 meters, which is about 15600 feet. At times it was challenging, and the altitude does make you slower, but it was totally worth it. At nights it was freezing, especially since the wind chill was so big, but during the day you had to wary of sun burn. An amazing trip, and a good send off for Asha, who will be sorely missed here at the Aldea.

Fundraising Banquet

Enrique in Porcon (Mike and Natalie)

Enrique came to La Granja Porcón for a few days to learn how to weave fabric out of wool. One day while we were down at El Bichito, he told us he was interested in learning in the artesanía (craft) shop, and so we arranged it for him to come up. He arrived on Tuesday, July 27^th, and worked and played in Porcón until the morning of Saturday, the 31^st of July. He weaved on the loom in the mornings and early afternoons, and then had the rest of the day to relax. Elena, the woman in charge of the artesanía, said that he was a fast learner. He picked it up very quickly, and had almost finished making an entire handbag by the time he left on Saturday. He had the chance to go to the zoo, go to the trout farm, go on hikes, and participate in our English Club classes at the local school. He became friends with the kids in our classes and had a great time with them. One of his favorite things to do (as with all 12-year-old boys) was stand by the river and try to skip rocks across it. He had a great time, and didn’t want to leave on Saturday when the time came. He said that he may want to work as an artisan some day, but he’s still not sure yet. This was a good experience for Enrique.

Luis (Chris)

We had an wonderful time working with the children in Bichito! We finished the internship last Friday and we are in Chile now. I still wanted to send you some pictures of the Trujillo expedition with the Millers. Attached are some photos of the Miller and us painting the chairs for all the houses at the Aldea. I have a a lot more kids I want to write about when we get home. One kid I wanted to write about was Luis Wilder. Here`s a blog entry:


We`ve had a great time with the children these past few weeks. We've established a Career Day program with the kids every week. We have a professional come and talk to the kids one day out of the week. So far we`ve had a Miner and Tour Guide come and talk to them. One boy that has really cought our attention by being very persistent in doing homework is Luis Wilder. He is about 12 years old and is Maria Alida`s younger brother. He is very bright and had done the second most homework out of all the kids. He is a star at soccer and helps take care of his other brothers. He has the same situation as Maria Alida, where his parents work far away to sustain the family. We learned recently that the reason why they go so far away is that they used live far in the country but the schools were really bad. Their parents moved the whole family closer to Puylucana so that the kids could study, but they still have to travel long distances for work. Luis is part of a special family that deserves so much more. Its been so great to work with him and his siblings.

Enrique (Nancy and Jared)

We have an intern in Por Con! His name is Enrique, he's 15ish, and he is there this week to learn artenesia trades...weaving, painting, etc. Yesterday Jared and I took him to Por Con and dropped him off to the Murrows. They'll bring him back on Saturday. We were getting frustrated because none of the kids were interested, but then we had a Parent's Day last week and the Murrows announced the Por Con Internship and Enrique told us after that he wanted to go. We all went to dinner together last night, and we had alpaca steaks! It was the best thing I've eaten in Peru so far.

Hopefully we will get Alida to the other doctor this friday and see how much an operation would cost.

We were all thinking that it would be cool to take some of the kids on a field trip to Por Con. The two ladies who work at El Bichito, Malchura and Feliciana, told us that it would be 280 soles to rent a bus for the day, and they would organize it.

A few weeks ago some students from the University came and donated crates-full of fruit, eggs, and potatoes. They have been coming over now and then to help us with the kids, and yesterday, we had movie day. They brought a DVD player, projector, big speakers, and we played a movie for the kids on the wall. I can't remember what it was called, but it had guinea pigs in it. Ivan is the one who has helped the most, but he always brings friends with him. It's great to have help.

Take care,

Nancy and Jared

Travels and back to the kids (Preston)

Hey everyone!

So, we are back from our travels. After a few bumps in the road, we ended up seeing everything we wanted to see. Macchu Picchu was amazing. It’s kind of unfortunate that the pictures we took will never do it justice. We went the back way via bike and foot which was a great way to do it. The physical aspect of it really added to the experience. The Rojas family was amazing. They were incredibly hospitable.

Iquitos was also amazing. We stayed with some friends of the Rojas family, the Babilonia family. They showed us around all the sights of Iquitos. We saw the amazon, a few really cool zoos and got to visit a native tribe. It was a lot of fun.

Even though we had so much fun traveling, it felt really good to come home to the aldea. I was surprised how much I missed the kids while I was gone. Kelsey, Lacey and Britney whipped things in to shape while we are gone. They are doing a great job rounding all the kids up with specific activities. The 50 dollar budget is also a big help because we can cook with the kids and a lot of other activities that we couldn’t really do before, so thanks to everyone who has helped make that possible.

It was Ruben’s birthday two days ago. He’s a great kid. When he is a little older, I’m sure he will fill leadership positions here in the aldea. The younger boys really look up to him. He was just moved to casa 5 with the older boys while we were out on vacation. He seems to be doing just fine there. Hopefully he will be able to dodge a lot of the problems that are common with the teenagers here.

Thanks for all of your support. I’m really glad I didn’t let this opportunity slip by.

Preston

A few special moments (Britney)

Natalie, Dan, Tanner and Preston got back from their big trip to Macchu Picchu and Iquitos and so I get to go running again which is so fun! Afterwards, I went to help in a house with Daniel, a boy about 12 with special needs and Pilar, the cute little baby. I kept Daniel occupied for about 2 hours and introduced the Tia to playdough! Then, I went to help Cinthia, a teenager learn how to read and write because I just found out the day before that she didn’t know how. What was so cool was that afterwards, she thanked me and asked me to come back! Then, as I was going out the two older girls in the house where I eat, Ana and Monica who are 16, are always home all day so I want to spend more time with them. We got to eat lunch together and that’s when they begged me to translate Justin Beiber - instant bonding, right?! Plus, I got into a longer conversation with Rocio, a 15-year-old girl!

Another cool moment was that at home I started washing clothes when Sara Lee (8) came over and started telling me the Pinochio story. Later, she wrote down the story for me and decorated it - A TREASURE! Don’t worry, apparently I don’t wash clothes that well so she and the tiniest girl I’ve ever seen - Estefani - both started washing my clothes. Even when I had to go, they begged to keep washing so we decided the next day we would!

Next, I was asked by the older girls to supervise them so they could dance in the cultural hall-ish room. They actually choreograph dances to all our pop music. Then we tried to help all the kids decorate the picture frames, but it was all a guise because they just wanted the pictures we gave them of them with their houses.

Visitor (Britney)

I had so much fun helping little Renzo who is 9 months old strengthen his legs. He has absolutely no leg muscles - he came to the Aldea that way and the Tias try to help him practice crawling or walking but they said they just don’t have enough time so they asked us to help stretch his legs, massage them and help him practice standing to strengthen them. Meanwhile, Benjamin who is 8 and I love him had a day off school and came outside and played with my kickball with me. Then, I helped him study for a test and don’t worry we high-fived after every question he got right! Then SURPRISE, a Congresswoman came so we all had a big fiesta for her- meaning all the houses had some of the kids perform dances. It was awkward though for a couple of the older girls who were dancing to Justin Beiber’s “Baby, baby, baby,” - don’t worry all the girls are in love and I MEAN IN LOVE with Justin Beiber and the Twilight series. Even little Manuel, 6, in a house filled with 8 older girls sings all the lyrics in English. But when I translated them the other day, they didn’t even know what “baby” meant. haha The congresswoman was impressive and wants to work hard for the women and children - she acknowledges that they need a lot of help! She said over 2 million children work when they aren’t legally allowed to. One cool note for me was that cute Jose Antonio always goes around singing in an opera voice so I started singing out his name randomly all through the day - we sand back and forth - cute!

Fundraiser for Southern Cross Humanitarian

Hi All!

It's Joy here, I haven't written on the blog for quite some time now.  I just wanted to let everyone know about an opportunity to help raise money for Southern Cross Humanitarian.

I am an Independent Consultant for Shelf Reliance.  You can check out their website at www.shelfreliance.com, but don't make your order until you send me an e-mail that says "I support Southern Cross Humanitarian."  After you e-mail me, I will set up your Shelf Reliance account, so that you will be able to receive discounts of 10-30% off retail prices.  Even if you already have an account, I can set it up so you will receive the discounts.

When you make an order in September, I will donate 10% of your order to Southern Cross Humanitarian.

Shelf Reliance has great products like 72 hour emergency kits, food storage, and food rotation systems.

Send me an e-mail at joy@thrivecrew.com that says "I support Southern Cross Humanitarian"

Now is always a good time to get prepared!

Career Day & Health Day (Hubers)

In the last few weeks we've started "Career Day" and "Health Day", usually once a week. Chris and Kimball invited a friend who works in the local mine to talk to the kids about career options. The next week we brought a tour guide. They taught the kids about the importance of getting an education, and then finding a job, and told them about their profession. It was the first time the the older kids (16-18) stayed after eating. Usually only the younger kids stay, but this time the older boys were really interested and learned a lot.

Jared and I did a Health Day last week, where we taught the kids about personal hygiene, fitness, etc, and then gave the children a toothbrush and showed them how to use it. Jared used his computer to give a slide-show presentation. They loved it! The next health day is going to be about visiting the doctor, because a lot of the families in the country are afraid of hospitals. We'll keep you posted!

The Hubers

After School Program (Mike and Natalie)

We have been here for three-and-a-half weeks, and things are going smoothly. In the school here in Porcon, we have been able to help the English professor in her classes. We have also established an after-school English club and about 20 kids show up for that each time. We've already picked a very capable student from the club to make sure it continues after we leave. He accepted and he will work with the professor to keep that club going after we are gone. We were hoping to get some teenagers from El Bichito to come to Porcon and work for a little while, but they all wanted to learn mechanical-oriented trades. We talked to Don Alejandro, Pedro, and Jacinto about what jobs they could do in Porcon and they were excited to have them work in the sawmill, as that would have been the best match for their interests. Unfortunately, though, the kids decided in the end that they were not interested in that. But we are going to give Pedro's and Jacinto's phone numbers to Feliciana so that in the future if there is a child who is interested in working in Porcon, she can set that up. We will also let Pedro and Jacinto know that she will likely call them in the future.

The Jenson's are leaving in one week, and the Huber's two weeks after that. We have all been making arrangements for local people to volunteer at El Bichito so that the after-school program continues after we all leave. We all decided it would be best for us to move down to Cajamarca and work in El Bichito after the Hubers leave. That way we will be able to keep it going until we leave and make sure that the people here are very familiar with the after-school program. Yesterday we had about 6 students from the University come and donate fruit and other food and they said that they will continue to be involved. Also, Natalie and I have met a man named Juan who works in Porcon and lives in Cajamarca. When he found out what it is we do, he said he would love to volunteer often at El Bichito. He used to work in another orphanage here, and he said he wants to get back into doing that and helping the kids. We are going to show him where El Bichito is so that he can stop by on weekdays to help out. So things are going well, and one of our main focuses right now is arranging things so that the programs we have started keep going after we are gone.

Thanks,

-Mike and Natalie

Porcon (Miguel & Natalie)

Things are starting to come together for us here in La Gramja Porcon. At first it was quite a struggle getting our classes and other efforts going. But now we are working with the English professor at the local school and helping her out. She is great and is very appreciative of the help. Yesterday was a national holiday, Teacher´s Day, and Monday the kids put on a program for their teachers and they included us in that. Starting tomorrow, we will have an English club that will go for about an hour each day after school on the days there are English classes. That will be an opportunity for the kids to ask questions in a more relaxed setting and get some extra help. Every Wednesday and Friday there are no English classes at the school, so starting today we will come down to Cajamarca on those days to help at El Bichito. We are here in Cajamarca right now and have broughy hygiene kits and toys. The toys will become part of the toy cache kids can draw from when they have completed 5 homework assignments. Every day at 5, we have classes for the adults in Porcon. Those are going well, though not as well as we had hoped. The most we have ever had attend is 3 students, even though everyone has been informed. But we do have two students who come consistently and are doing well. We have started making arrangements to have at least one teenager from El Bichito come up here and work for a couple of weeks in the near future. We will give you an update on that as it develops. We are now in more frequent contact with the other interns, coordinating our efforts with them.

Cesar (Preston)

I have been playing some chess with the kids, and while teaching the younger ones takes a lot of patience, there are some of the older ones that are actually quite good. This one guy, Cesar Humberto, who is 15, who is very bright and already knew how to play chess. He gave me a very good fight, and I´m sure he will beat me a few times before I leave the Aldea. I love how I am really feeling more comfortable here at the Aldea. I can joke around with the kids and even the Tias and it feels like home.

So we have a new intern here! She´s from Ohio and is great. Britney graduated from BYU in 09 and is 24 so I am not the oldest one here anymore! Her spanish is second to Preston´s and she came prepared with spanish books for the kids and is really motivated to help them.

Casa 2 (Lacey)

So I think I will give you a little experience about the first night I ate in casa two. This is mainly from my journal: Alright casa 2 is awesome. Jhon and Reuben are so nice. (They are both about 10 years old). Jhon is so helpful with helping me understand what is going on. He’ll say, “escuchame” and then slowly repeat what he said. I had a really good conversation with him. He asked me what I would be doing when I was 25. I told him I would be married and hopefully have a baby. So I turned the question around on him. He said he wanted to go to cooking school and become a chef. I told him he had good goals but it was also important to be good to his wife and kids. He seemed to like this idea. He was saying something about his mom. I wish I would have understood. He wanted to show me his school work. We flipped through one of his notebooks and he showed off his cursive. He also helped me learn some new Spanish words. I think I am going to like this house!

Being at the Aldea has so far (and will continue) to be an interesting experience. The interns are really amazing! We get along really well. They have been super helpful to me and Kelsey as we have settled in and got into the routine at the Aldea. There are so many things I wish I could do for these kids. There are several (like Daniel, from Brasil) who could really benefit from a real speech therapist. But this is Peru. But I have been overall impressed with how things run here. The tias work hard and the kids have the basic things that they need. I actually don’t like bringing the kids gifts. They get a lot of things like that from local church groups and university groups that come to visit and come to expect gifts from us. I just hope that they can get a grasp on the idea of the possibility of a positive future. And many have that already.

Maria (Nancy)

[Here in Cajamarca, the city ranges from paved roads with open plazas, to cobblestone streets crowded by cement and brick houses. Oh, and people. Lots of people, weaving in and out of the buses, motor-taxis, and cars. Just outside the city, the roads turn to dirt and switchback up the mountain to the countryside. Cajamarca is nestled high in the Andes mountains. As you go further out of the city, the cramped bus ride out to the surrounding villages is like riding back in time to an Inca village.

We travel every day to the area just outside of Cajamarca, "Los Banos". And we work in a drop-in center called "El Bichito," or little bug. For a few years now, poor kids from the country villages have raced there after school to pick up what is probably their only square meal of the day. Now, my husband Jared and I and another couple, the Jensens are working hard to keep the kids there longer, to tutor them with their homework and play games with them. The kids are amazing. Lots and lots of energy and so loving.

Today we want to introduce you to Maria Alida Mantilla. She is fourteen and a little bashful at times, but does not back down to anyone. She's very happy, a little mischievous, and eager to learn. When we tried to get her picture today, she would not look at the camera. I think it is because she is embarrassed of the growth she has on her eye. She has had it since birth, but it is getting bigger, and our new goal is to raise the money that could fund her operation, literally saving her from blindness. When she thinks no one is looking though, she has the brightest smile.

That's all for now. Thanks for everyone's help!

Ruben (Kelsey)

So this week i want to tell you about my favorite so far. Yes i can have a favorite. His name is Ruben and he is in Casa 2 where i have been eating my dinners. Ruben is such a tough guy, he likes wearing like cut off tank tops and he always has his hair in a cute little faux-hawk. He always makes faces in pictures like he's Slim Shady or something. Yesterday we had this party and the kids were making each other into mummies with toilet paper and he totally smiled and was having a blast. Last night after dinner we were taking a ton of pictures and he loved to dance for the camera or throw up gang signs or something like that. He just makes me laugh, because he is trying to be stone cold, but his heart is too big. I am kind of sad that i don't get to eat in their Casa this week. I'm moving on to a different Casa. Oh! And we brought out a couple of the coloring books this week and the kids were going nuts, they get saying "Regalome!" And we would have to tell them that the coloring books were for everyone to share and they couldn't just take as many as they could hold and stash them in their rooms. But they colored for hours until their Tia's started yelling and telling them it was time for them to shower before dinner. Oh and yesterday we were playing soccer with one of the soccer balls that Lacey brought and Hector, one of the like 15 year old boys kicked it up and it smacked me right in the side of the face! He felt so bad. After that i kept telling him i was going to have a black eye and he broke my face and stuff like that to make him feel bad. He's a funny kid too.

I am seriously loving it here. I can't wait to get out of bed and go play. The food is pretty good, lots of beans and rice, and i could eat their little breads all day! Plus we get some fruit. I could eat fruit and bread for every meal for the rest of my life. This fruit and bread at least. I love going to town and seeing the people and the Peruvian culture. I love spending time with the kids, who love you so much, even if they don't know who you are. They just want to know that you'll still be here tomorrow.

My first day (Kelsey)

Well today is my first full day of the orphanage. Yesterday when i arrived the kids were so sweet. Las Tejedas drove us out here from their home, where we stayed for most of the day. Their family is one of the kindest i have ever met. The girls were so outgoing and loved to laugh, we ended up dancing and chatting and helping each other with our spanish/english skills. When we pulled up in the car, the kids started swarming. They came right over and hugged me and i fell in love guys. It was the sweetest moment. Then one boy hugged me, paused and said "Son Gringos" Ha ha as if me and Lacey didn't know that we are the whitest people here. But the kids are really friendly, they all want to talk to me and know my name and tell me about themselves. They especially love to be tickled. Once you start tickling them, they will never let you stop. They will chase you for hours wanting to be tickled. Each night we eat dinner in one of the Casas with a group of kids and their Tia, who looks after them. Last night we had some kind of meat, and lots of rice and beans.

I'm having a lot of fun so far, the kids are fun and they just want to spend time with you. I have a lot of respect for the tias and all of the work that they do for the kids. They are extremely patient. Also, luckily, my spanish is coming back much more quickly than i thought it would, just being here and being immersed in it is helping so much. Its amazing how much i remember and how well i can communicate with the kids already. I'm sure it will get better as time goes on and as they remind me of the vocabulary that i've forgotten. I still have a harder time understanding the tias, they tend to talk a lot faster, probably because they are so busy, but they are the hardest. The kids are patient when i don't understand and they answer my questions when i don't know how to say something. I'm going to make a list of all the words that i have a hard time remembering so that i can study them at night. Also, me and the other interns have spanish study time, so that will be super helpful, especially since Preston is fluent in spanish. They all seem great and i can't wait to get to know them better.

Enrique (Chris & Kimball)

This week has gone by fast! Nancy and Jared have been a great help and have a lot of great ideas. The kids have really been progressing with doing their homework. The first kid to complete with five stars was Enrique. Enrique is almost 13 years old and is very extroverted. He was one of the first kids who talked to us when we got to el Bichito. This past week he didn't come on Tuesday and we were worried about him. When he came on Wednesday he said that his stomach was hurting so we gave him some pills. He ended up feeling worse and we had Feliciana's husband take him home in his taxi. Yesterday we went by their home to check up on him. He leaves with his Aunts and his mother is gone most of the day. We found out that Enrique's father died in a car accident when Enrique was little. The family are mostly farmers and the uncles have unstable work in Cajamarca. We also found out that he has or had a heart murmur and he can't play sports. He's mother is afraid to go to the doctors because they are in the city. Hopefully we can figure out a way to get him there this next week. Also, the family was suprised when I told them that Enrique was one of the best students at El Bichito. We left a little origami fox for Enrique. He really likes origami and is really quick to pick it up. We hope he gets better so he can particpate in the activities we have planned for the next few weeks.

A great week (Preston)

Life is amazing in the Aldea. Just writing about life here makes me happy. The kids are really starting to get comfortable with us. I'm getting to know them on a more personal level every day. It seems like every week I get to know a new kid.

This week Tanner and I have spent more time with the older boys, which is great because they are the hardest to win over. The key, unsurprisingly has been soccer, and to a lesser degree, volleyball. They definitely have more talent, but our size gives us an advantage. It evens out pretty well.

I ate in casa 9 this last week. The girls there are a lot of fun. Sara is full of jokes. Mercedes is anxious to learn everything. I promised them guitar lessons. Hopefully it will work out. Anyway, there is more to write but the time here in the internet cafe is running out. Im looking forward to another great week.

Lus & Flor (Nat)

There is a girl in the orphanage about 12 years old...she´s got some kind of mental disorder. I don´t know how to describe it, like she can function and everything...she´s just over the top in your face. I love her to death even though it can get to be overwhelming at times. She´s really touchy and is always sticking her fingers in her mouth and then slapping them on your face. haha. My latest goal has been to teach her how to write her name. Her name is Lus Mila. It´s taken us a week to get down the letter L. But I´m proud of it. I know she can do it for sure, she just has the shortest attention span ever haha.

Oh and I have to tell you guys about Flor. She´s the smallest two year old you´ll ever see. Ohhh she´s so freaking adorable. Anyway, so when I showed up at the Aldea, Beth and Georgia warned me about how Flor is the little girl that when she sees any gringo face she cries so good luck. Beth and George had been here almost a year, right? Well, for some CRAZY reason...everytime Flor sees me, she runs between my legs, grabs hold and looks up at me with her huge eyes smiling. I cannot even describe how it makes me feel haha. If I´m ever having one of those days, you know, one of those ughhh days haha I just go play with her. I don´t know what it is about her. I want to take her home forever. She won´t even look at any of the other volunteers too it´s so weird. I didn´t even do anything! So yeah, me and Flor...I can´t wait to show you pictures of her.

Success (Britney)

I hope you read this far because it was an absolutely hilarious day. Starting backward, because that’s how I wrote it in my journal, I felt like I haven’t become close to casa 8, where I eat, like I did the house I ate in last week, but tonight was the night! For one, I found out Ana, one of the girls who is always home during the day and more taciturn, made the dessert which was milk with bananas in it (don’t judge too quickly - it sounds horrible but it was delicious)! At first, she denied that she made it, but her tia kept insisting and I finally convinced her to teach me this coming Wednesday = success #1.

Then, UNO is typically the 1/2 hour I dread at the house because all the kids go crazy and don’t play by the rules. But tonight only Catarine, Manuel and I were playing in a room and I totally joked back to counter all their crazinesss and it worked! For one, I made Catarine hold up three fingers to promise me that she wouldn’t cheat. Ever since then I’ve made her do the scout’s honor promise for books I’ve lent her multiple times and she is so good about returning the books and taking care of them now! On Sunday, I totally forgot to do the promise and she begged for it and said “before I take your books I have to do the promise.” Then at dinner she bragged that I trust her a lot now and she is honest, because she does the promise. She even closes her eyes now when she shuffles because before she was stacking the deck all the time in her favor! = SUCCESS #2.

This same night, I started pulling out my delectable dance moves, which Kelsey loves when I show off in public, since the girls were listening to Justin Beiber and they all loved it! I even got kisses for it - take that Kels! Plus, it definitely created a bond. Then as I was leaving, cute little Manuel hugged me and said “Te quiero, te quiero! Hasta Manana!” I practically skipped out of there! = SUCCESS #3!

Earlier, I had come from casa 5, where we celebrated Ruben’s birthday. How hilarious is this - they sing Happy Birthday first in English and then immediately follow it up with a version in Spanish. But one cool tradition is that the Tia praised him and then invited everyone around the table to do the same!

Earlier in the day, cute Daniel with disabilities screamed when he saw me and ran to hug me - ahh how the kids are so loving here!

Maria (Chris)

We had a great time with Cameron and the group. Unfortunately I have a bad internet signal right now but i wanted to send you the pictures of Maria Álida. We made collages with the kids and we will have to send you a better email soon. Also, if you zoom in on Maria´s right eye I think she has a cataract or a stye. She´s new and if there´s anyway we can get someone to look at it it would be great. Like I wrote before she is the oldest of 6 and she watches her siblings while her mom´s gone away for long periods of time.

Thanks so much,

Chris

Hospital visits (Nat)

I went to the hospital twice again this week and plan to go again tomorrow. The first time was with Victor and Miguel (ages 8 and 6). They are brothers and have been at the orphanage for about a month. They're sooo cute I love them. Miguel has this huge smile that I can't not laugh at. He is always wanting to play with me so I dare say I'm his favorite volunteer....that was until I was the volunteer chosen to take him to the hospital to get his blood drawn for analysis. It was a nightmare for him. He screamed and screamed and screamed I couldn't hold him down for the blood draw so we had to get this man to come help. For 4 days Miguel would NOT look at me. No high fives no nothing. I was so upset about it cause seriously, he's the cutest. I mean, I don't blame him cause he literally thought I was going to kill him, I could see it in his eyes haha. But I bought him some chiclets at the bodega two days ago and that won him right over again. Funny how kids work like that. If only I could buy more friendships with candy at home.

Second time at the hospital was for Manuel. I think I told you guys but he's the 6 year old with incontinence problems. He's always wetting himself it's sad cause he gets super embarrassed. He's getting surgery today but I'm not exactly sure what they're doing. We volunteers have been taking 6 hour shifts to sit with him. We do that till Friday. So I bought a bunch of Disney movies on the street in Spanish for us to watch on my laptop. He's so cute. He's definitely my favorite kid to help me with my Spanish cause he will ask you for hours how to say different objects surrounding you. Then, he'll repeat it to make sure you remember it's cute. He's smart for how young he is. He always ruins my magic tricks for the other kids because he catches on too fast. Or maybe my magic tricks just suck, that's more likely. Anyway, he knows how to say "thank you very much" in English but pronounces it "sank oo berry mootch" and he says it super fast. So the other day in his little hospital bed he pulls out his toothbrush asking how to say it in english. He realized the way he says it rhymes with "thank you very much." So he goes "tootchbrootch como sank oo berry mootch" hahaha it's the cutest thing in the world.

The Older Boys (Kelsey)

I am still enjoying my time here very much. Yesterday i got frustrated for the first time. We got out the baseball equipment for everyone to play with and the went nuts, they wouldn't listen, they would give me the bats, and they were like swinging them at people. One older boy purposefully threw it as far as he could over my head so I or one of the kids would have to run after it, all because i made him let me hold the bat while he wasn't hitting. But if i can find a way to have more control, it could be alot of fun. Also, last night was so funny. I was sitting in our casa with Tanner, one of the other interns, and there was a knock on the door. Kenny, one of the boys is casa 5 (the teenage boys) came in and he started talking to Tanner. He then proceeded to tell Tanner that i was cute or something along those line and Tanner laughed and said, "Dude she understands spanish." And Kenny turned all red and turned to me and was like Do You? And i told him of course i understood him! Then he tried to play it off like he knew that, so when he left he was like Goodbye, my love. Tanner was laughing so hard. That boy is really kind hearted. Most of the boys in that casa are, despite their tough guy exterior. I like playing soccer with them.

So i just finished a game of soccer with the older boys. It was the funnest thing ever. We were playing and its so intense. I kicked my shin into a boy's shin 3 times in the same place, i have a HUGE bump there. It was so funny though, soccer is definitely not my sport. My first reflex is to knock the ball down with my hands,which is obviously illegal. But after doing it twice Hector grabbed a flower that was on the ground from this huge tree and he handed it to me and was like "Tarjeta Roja" and pretended to blow a whistle haha this huge red flower. It was so funny! He is absolutely my favorite. They kept calling stuff on me, but they were just making fun and joking around. I think they enjoyed the game alot too. They like messing with me. Its good because that means they like me enough to even talk to me, which is more than some of the other people here can say. Also, i tried to buy a slingshot today at the Bodega, but they didn't have any! Some of the older boys carry them around their torsos or they wrap it up around their wrist. I think its sweet and i want them to teach me how to use it. Anyways, today was fun.

Casas 2 & 5 (Tanner)

So this week in Trujillo was the first time that I went to the hospital. Two of the other volunteers and myself accompanied Senora Marta to the hospital to help keep an eye on the kids. One of the kids that came with us, Piero, was quite a handful. He is only around five years old, but he is one of the most agile five year olds that I know. I almost got lost in the hospital once while I was trying to catch up with him.

One thing that has happened in the aldea recently that I am very happy about is that the older boys, the ones who live in casa 5, are beginning to open up to us. At first they would keep their distance from us, but now I feel that they have opened up to us. They now come over to our house and just want to hang out with us, which to me is a huge step forward.

I'm eating casa 2 this week which is my favorite house to eat in, because of all the boys seem like brothers to me. It;s my favorite house to eat in because it seems like there is never a moment of peace in the house. Someone is always either screaming about something or getting beat up, and things like that...basically there is never a dull moment which I love. I was talking to the tia in that house, Tia Carla, and I was explaing to her why I loved to be in that house so much and she expressed her similar feelings and said that it was her calling in life to be taking care of these boys.

We've been playing a whole lot of volleyball with the kids. They are amazing volleyball players! Crystell and Marina are particularly good, they hit balls that I don't even consider hitting because they are coming so fast, but then again I'm kind of a whimp :)

This week the U.S. played England in the world cup and we got to watch on TV in casa 5. Preston, Dan, Kenny, and myself were all cheering for the U.S. to win while Miguel and Beth were cheering for England. We had bought soda for everyone while we watched the game and told Miguel that if he switched teams we would give him more coke so he switched sides leaving Beth all on her own!

Tanner

Birthdays (Dan)

Hello all!

I'm here in Huanchaco, right outside Trujillo, trying to catch up on life. It's been great here in the great country of Peru! This past week was good, as I felt I connected with some kids really well. Sometimes it's easy to just sort of be at the Aldea with everyone, but as I am here longer and my Spanish gets better, I feel I can have more substantial conversations. One of the toughest things about this though is learning about their families. You might be surprised to hear this, but most of the kids at the Aldea actually have parents and family that occasionally visit them here. The reason why they don’t live at home is because the parents don’t have the means to take care of them. It’s a sad reality, and sometimes I think it’s even harder than not having parents. When the parents don’t show up as they had planned on Wednesday or Saturday, it’s even tougher because the kids get so excited, only to be disappointed.

On a lighter note, this week we spent a day and a half setting up the biblioteca “library” (it’s the biggest room to use for things) for a big birthday party. Instead of celebrating every birthday, they instead have a birthday party each month for all the kids who had birthdays in that month. We put up tons of streamers and ribbon and cut up tons of paper for names and designs on the wall. I felt like I was doing arts and crafts big time. The party was a big deal, and after they sang and gave presents to the 9 birthday kids, they then gave more presents to all of the kids of the Aldea. It means that each month the kids get a few tiny presents that are just for them. They’re all donated, and it’s way cool because the kids are really pumped about the parties.

Last Tuesday we visited the ruins of Chan Chan. It was amazing. It is a massive complex of walls and offices and old open wells that are intricately connected and have beautiful carvings. Only a small portion of the massive 11 part complex is restored, but it is spectacular nonetheless. We got some great pictures of the four of us volunteers there, I think some of my best yet. You should look online for some pictures of the site to give you a sense of the landscape.

April Birthdays (Nat)

So this week I mastered how to explain Go Fish to the kids. The little girls wanna play all the time they can't get enough of it. Neither can I haha it's so funny to play with them. We had a huge birthday party for the kids who had birthdays in April. We volunteers decorated the entire place...which mind you, was a chore. We had to make our own streamers out of this weird tissue paper stuff. We cut out letters of all the names of the birthday kids to put up on the wall with a big happy birthday sign. It took like two days to set up, I was proud of it! At home something like that would take like 3 hours but here, we gotta make allll the decorations from scratch. It demands creativity haha. So that was fun. The birthday kids all got presents that were sent from the States. Then every single kid got a smaller present like crayons and coloring books they were SO happy. To be completely honest, these orphans are living the high life here in Peru. I mean, it's all relative of course, but they are well taken care of at the Aldea.

Fanny & Sofia (Preston)

It's been another great week. I'm fighting a nasty cold right now, but besides that, everything is perfect. The kids are wonderful. They do a good job of keeping us busy and tired.

This week I have really gotten to know Fanny and Sofia, the twins of the aldea. Even though I have been spending so much time with them I still cant consistently tell them apart until I learn who's wearing what clothes. That being said, I don't feel too bad because they can never get my name right. They have decided that my name is Crespo and no matter how many times I remind them, they always revert back to Crespo. They really are great sisters and spend all of their time together. They love playing tag or monster and are experts at planning sneak attacks from behind.

This week I ate at Casa 5 with the teenage boys. I was a little bit apprehensive to start because Casa 5 is quite notorious among the interns for being a difficult group. I ended up really enjoying getting to know them and have some pretty decent conversations. I tried to get a little guitar class started, but it didnt happen this week, Perhaps next week.

Anyways, all is well here. I am loving Peru more and more every day. Thanks for sending me out and have a great week!

Preston

P.S. Another post about Fanny and Sofia and here and here!

Jennifer & Luis (Tanner)

So it was another amazing week at the Aldea. Here's a little update on the kids

Jennifer - Jennifer is possibly one of the most loving kids in the aldea. She was actually one of the first kids I met because we picked her up from her school on my way to the Aldea. Whenever any of the volunteers walks through the doors into the orphanage you will hear Jennifer scream at the top of her lungs and see her throw her arms up in the air. After that she comes running towards you to give you a big hug. You have to watch out though becaucse she gets a lot of momentum going and you can end up on the ground or in a lot of pain if you don't brace for impact.

Luis/Lucho - Luis is Antoina's son. He's only two years old but he's the strongest two year old i've ever met. I don't know how but he seems to know how to box already. He has a huge smile and loves to throw the ball around.

Tanner

Casa 2 Children

Hey everyone!

Before I even get started, I made a mistake. Stanley does not have a child named Luis.

Anyway, it has been another great week at the orphanage. The mornings get lonely with all the kids at school, but the afternoons are always filled with fun.

This week I ate lunch with Casa 2, which is mostly filled with younger boys. It was a blast. I helped them with their homework a lot this week, which was a lot of fun. Everyone I interviewed this week is from Casa 2.

Gian Paulo Daniel Briones Nascimento more commonly known as Daniel, is a hoot. He is incredibly active and smart. He was born in Brazil and spent the first couple years of his life speaking portuguese before he came to the aldea. Unfortunately, he was unable to pick up spanish and now he is unable to speak either language. The good news is that it doesn't hold him back from making his voice heard. He is a great communicator considering the language barrier. He loves the swings. They dont know his birthday.

Miguel Angel Laredo Ramirez is new here in the aldea. He and his brother victor arrived only a few days before I did. Because they are so new, we don't know too much information about them. He is probably about 4 years old. Miguel is one of the most lovable kids here in the aldea. He is fearless and likes to go higher in the swings than anyone else. When I asked him what he likes to do, he told me that he likes to sweep. When I asked him what he wanted to do when he was older, he told me he wanted to be a janitor. He would be a very friendly janitor.

Pedro Ediberto Carrillon Cesias is 13 years old. Like a lot of young teens, he loves sports and dreams of being a soccer player. He is a very hard worker. Every time I walk by his house he is cleaning something. He likes computers and working in sugar cane fields.

Ruben Alexander Malca Palacios was born on the 16th of July, 1999. He is the oldest of 3 brothers. He is a good older brother and always is taking care of his brothers. All of the Malca Palacios boys define boyhood. Ruben likes to play with tops and ride his bike. He wants to be a police man.

Jose Antonio Malca Palacios is 9 years old. He was born on the 6th of March, 2001. He is the funny guy here at the aldea. He is quick to make a joke. He is very athletic. I have a hard time chasing him down when we play games. He likes to play tops just like his older brother. He also likes marbles. He told me that when he grows up he wants to be a soldier.

Walter Benjamin Malca Palacios is 8 years old. Benjamin is more relaxed than his brothers, but he still plays all day long, every day. His favorite game is Kiwi. He likes to dance and dreams of being a soldier with Jose Antonio.

Jhonatan Jair Portilla Espinoza has got his head on straight. He loves studying, having a clean house and being abnormally friendly. He loves the tias (the caretakers) and is a big help around the house. He is 10 years old and is an aspiring soccer star.

Prisila Rosario Mori Vega is 16 years old and was born on valentines day, 1994. She is the oldest in the house and does a great job keeping the boys in line. She loves going to school and hopes to do something with computers in her future. She doesn't have a favorite sport because she loves them all. She loves love songs.

Piero Cordova Limay is 5 years old, but we don't know exactly what day he was born. He is quite the character. Curiosity is his defining characteristic. He always has his hands in something. He doesn't talk much, but you know he is there. He loves the swings.

Well, I think that between all of us we have covered just about all the kids in the aldea. I love spending time with them.

Have a great week!

Preston