Quick First Note from Tanner (Aldea)

(note: we have a new round of interns both at the Aldea and El Bichito...their stories are great...stay tuned!)

i´m having the most amazing summer ever!

I was very nervous at first coming to the aldea but the kids made all of my fears go away. On the car ride to the orphanage we picked up Jennifer and the first thing she did when i got in the car was give me a hug. That is the general feeling in all the kids, they are just so loving. My first few hours in the aldea i was pushing some of the kids on the swings in the playground and was really thirsty and i asked one of the kids, maunuel, where to get drinks and he took my hand and took me to one of the casas to get water. Manuel is definetly one of my favorites.
sorry there is not a lot in this email, i´lll do better next week
Tanner

water fight! (Mitch at Aldea)

Dear Southern Cross,

Friday was definitely the highlight of the week, maybe even of our whole time here at the Aldea. The month of February is supposedly known as the month of water fighting. All month kids have been secretly filling water balloons and attacking their friends, enemies and every once in a while us. All the water that was thrown during this month does not even compare to the massive water fight that we had yesterday. It was supposed to start after lunch, but I was completely soaked from head to toe around ten in the morning. War had then begun. I decided to leave and buy some water balloons for us to fill up. We soon realized that water balloons really were not as effective as pitchers, buckets, and hoses. The portable swimming pools were filled with water as well, and I think that every kid in the Aldea had at some point taken a dip. many kids spent all day in the pools. We all ate lunch together and the water games continued until 5 or so at night. Then we all danced around a tree that had been prepared with toys and presents hanging from its branches. The kids were to each take a turn with the machete until the tree fell down. Well, there was no machete, so we tried with a large butcher knife but soon realized that if we continued like this, we might find ourselves still hacking at the tree in the morning. One of the older boys then brought an axe and within minutes, the tree had fallen, and kids were going crazy trying to get their hands on a toy! We then had rice pudding, cake and popcorn. What a fun day.
I ate in casa 1 this week. We had a fun time together. With the older girls, I often played checkers with them after lunch and dinner. Sometimes I won, many times I lost. I taught one of them how to play chess. I liked playing that over checkers--I always won :) One of the older girls is Evelyn. I got to know her a little better this week, but not as well as i would like to. She is 13 and very close to a girl named Elvia that lives in the same house. They are always together. She doesn't seem to open up to many others. She is always cheerful and is always smiling. One thing I like about her is that she is very respectful of others and is usually always happy to help out. She doesn't really get involved in too many physical activities, but would rather sit outside her house and talk or think. She seems like she would be a reader to me, someone that could devour book after book and be completely happy. I'm going to have to ask her about that and see if that is something she likes to do. Oh, and she doesn't like to lose at checkers either! If anyone could get away with cheating, it would be her! Because this week the oldest children of the Aldea left on a religious camp out, there was extra milk each day for us. So I bought some little bags so that we could make marcianos (popsicles). Each night after dinner and after checkers, we made some delicious milk marcianos. I averaged about 4 or 5 a day-Yummm.

The internet is up and running in the direction so all is good there. We are just still waiting for computer desks for the computers before they put them in the houses. The kids LOVE learning things on the computer. I taught quite a few new kids this week and had some repeat customers as well.

Stephanie (Cori at Aldea)

Dear Southern Cross-

This week, I decided to write about little Stephanie. Wow, what an adorable little girl she is, her smile just lights up my day, everyday. I will tell you what that girl can climb anything, she is so petite yet she is so strong. She is so incredible at showing her sincere kindness for others. Each day she gives me the best hugs in the entire world. Just the other day we were watching a movie and she was sitting on my lap and would wrap her arms around me and give me a kiss on the cheek. Simply adorable. She is really adventureous for her age and so daring to do anything. Swimming in the pool she will do so much, climbing the trees she will go so high, or climbing anything at that matter. Mitch also noticed that Stephanies loves buiding things, loves building houses out of anything. She made a house out of twigs for Mitch, and while watching a movie in our Casa she started making a fort out of the cushions, blankets, and chairs. This girl really is so smart, creative, loving, giving. I love being around these kids, they just teach me more and more each day.

Till next week. . . Cori

Luz Mila (Cori at Aldea)

Dear Southern Cross-

This week was yet another one that flew by! Being with the kids the time just seems to be nonexistent. . . wow how I love them so much! This week we got a lot of good time with them before their school starts this next Monday. I got to know a cute little family this week, Braghalee, Kristel, and Manuel. What an adorable family they are. They all take care of each other and are all really good friends, its fun to see that they treat each other so well and respect one another. These siblings are such a great example for me and how I want to treat my siblings.

But I actually wanted to write about a cute girl named Luz Mila. She is such an inspiring girl. One ready and willing to give all that she has for you. While eating in her house this week, I was able to see how well she interacts with the others in the house. She is always willing and ready to give hugs, to give kisses, to get excited about life. She is so happy and constantly happy, even with the small things. For instance when in the pool with all of the kids, she was the one who wanted to be thrown in the air as well. Even though she is a lot harder to throw cause she is older, she still wanted to do what the kids were experiencing. She kept asking about when we were going to swim again, when she was going to be able to make her mask we made in art. Which she will make on Monday! I love how she is just so content being her. . . and when I went to say goodbye this weekend, she just wanted to say goodbye over and over again, so sweet, she just cares so much. With all the tias as well she is so excited to see them and to show them she is happy to see them. She has one of the biggest hearts! Thanks again for everything!

-Cori

Alahonda (Cori at Aldea)

Dear Southern Cross-

We definitely have had a strange week this week with the kids back in school. . . the Aldea is . . . quiet. Something that hasn't really happened since we have been there. It has been quite weird, but its great to see how these kids are so busy and have so much going for their futures. The mornings however are quite different. This week I wanted to highlight the Alahondra in casa 9. I was looking at the part that said she was shy on the website, which is definitely true. . . at first. :) Once she is comfortable with you she is so playful, full of laughter, and such a jokester. So one of the nights we were sitting playing jacks. . . Wow! That girl is amazing at jacks, its fun to see how patient she was in teaching me when she was simply incredible. We had so much fun chasing the ball around on the floor when I messed up over and over again. Alahondra, Antonia, and I just laughed, laughed, and laughed. Great girls, who again taught me what true joy is, that you can find it in the simple things in life. And that communication really is heart to heart. She also is quite the cuddly girl, when I was watching something with all the girls in the casa she was sitting with the other girls and you could tell she wanted her way to feel loved. She would lay her head down on the laps of the older girls, it was adorable, at the same time it hurt me. Hard to see that these kids don't necessarily get that same love you would receive from a mom/daughter relationship, a sister/sister relationship. I know that they are all family here, and I absolutely love how that happens here, but it still made me wish she had a chance to feel that, made me wish she could experience that. But one thing I admire about her, is that she loves so much and that is how she receives love is by giving love too. I wish I could learn that myself. What an example she is in my life.

One Last Request (Mitch at the Aldea)

Dear Southern Cross,

This is my last week for writing about the kids. I don't really know who to highlight. I want to talk about them all. They are all so wonderful and have taught me so much! Karmela and I are still having our regular piano lessons each night from 7:30 till 8:00. She is going to miss the lessons more than anything. She definitely has potential to become quite good at the piano. If there is any way that you could somehow get some self-teaching piano books for her, that would be amazing. She has pretty much learned the basics and just needs to keep practicing.

Jose Andres invented a new game the other day - steal the shoes from one of the girls and run away while she tries to catch him. It turned out to be a success as I was recruited to be on the boys team with Jose and Pedro against 9 girls. The girls sould pass the shoes back and forth while we tried to intercept them. Once we obtained both the shoes, then it was boys against the girls in trying to keep the shoes from falling into their hands. I guess the kids liked it so much that they already have planned to play it on Monday after school.

Cesar Humbarto and Juan Carlos have been exercising with me almost every day. They are both doing chin-ups and push-ups every day. Cesar and I have a goal that if he can do 15 chin-ups and 50 push-ups before I go, I give him something that belongs to me. A month ago he started out only doing 7 chin-ups and 25 push-ups. Now he can do 15 chin-ups and around 40 push-ups. He told me once that he did 50 push-ups in his house. I think it is awesome how far he has come. He has kind of inspired the other boys to start exercising more as well. We will see if he wins the prize or not.

Mitch

Mitch's final report (Aldea)

(note: The following is a letter from intern Mitch - his last letter before ending his internship at the Aldea Infantile.)

Dear Southern Cross,

Life changing. That is how I can most accurately describe my experience in Peru. I went, as many probably do, thinking about the difference that I could make in some children's lives, when in reality, what I gave is small compared to what I received. My love for others has grown and hopefully I can further develop a child's love, a love that has no bounds or reserves and is shared with all. As soon as we walked through the Aldea doors, children were offering to help us with our bags and holding our hands as they accompanied us to our casa. They had no idea who we were. We were a different color than them. We spoke a different language; and yet, they immediately loved us. I want to love as they loved.

Peru has also taught me that it is not so important what is done together, but rather the time that is spent together. Many children just wanted to talk with you, walk with you, or simply sit beside you. I have vowed to spend more time with those I love. Peru is home to many wonderful families, some of which I was only privileged to meet, while others I was privileged to stay with for a certain amount of time. It seemed to me that many families were more concerned about building family unity that they were about building their financial portfolio. These people really knew how to spend quality time with their families, something I hope to improve upon with my own family Peru has taught me that instead of hoping to find more joy with the acquisition of material things, find joy in the things you already have. It is okay to not have a toilet seat; at least there was a toilet. It is okay to have a house full of bugs; at least I had a house. It is okay to not have a personal car; conveys and taxis do just fine. It is okay to not have clocks or watches; more time could be dedicated to the moment. It is okay to not have computers and ipods, more time can be spent interacting with real, living beings.

Peru has taught me to share. I saw countless times people who had so little, give so much. Many people are so willing to offer their home, food and resources to help others. While traveling on the bus once, a lady who we were talking to, invited us to lunch and if needed, offered us her place to stay the night. Another time while traveling, we became friends with a family that made us promise that we would visit them when we passed through Lima and once again, offered us their home if we needed a place to stay. A couple of times at the Aldea, a kid brought me some fruit that he had just picked off of a tree. Two kids at the Aldea gave me their bracelets cause I mentioned that I liked them. I need to be less concerned with what I have, but concentrate on what I can give.

Above all, my heart has been softened, and I hope that I can continue helping where possible at the Aldea, especially in finding people to adopt. Just think, if every solid married couple in the world chose to adopt just one child, there would be no orphans and many happy children. I know that in addition to the children that I hope to have, I am going to adopt at least one child, and offer him/her the endless opportunities that I enjoy.

Thank you Southern Cross for aiding me in coming to the Aldea.

Mitch