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