The Hansons

The Trip Home - Dec 11

2010-01-07T22:43:00.005-06:00

Waking up at 3am, after 3 hours of sleep, I began the adventure of bringing our five children home. We loaded our bags and our bodies into 2 taxis and headed to the Lima airport. We were met by the wonderful, Peruvian staff of American Airlines, who were waiting for us. They were notifiied that a crazy lady was planning to travel alone with her 5 children. :) I pulled out the passports, visas and all the documents showing I had, in truth, adopted them and had the right to travel with them to the U.S. We waited an hour or two before boarding the plane and started the 7 hour flight.
I sat with Yen and Zuzu and Karina, Dany and Araceli were in the row behind. All boasted about being brave, until the plane began speeding down the runway. I slipped my arms through the spaces between the seats and the kids grabbed my hands, gripping tight. However, once in the air, my hands were released and the series of "ooooo's" and "ahhhh's" began. The kids were prepared with all kinds of goodies and activities in their backpacks and enjoyed taking pictures!

The plane ride was full of interesting 'firsts.' I had to go to the bathroom with each of them, opening the door, turning on the light and showing how it all worked - which meant staying in the small bathroom while they did their thing. Dany was amazed that soda came in a can and did much better drinking it after a little instruction. They each had headphones of their own to use to listen to movies shown up on the screen or the radio. They even got to eat airplane food. A nice guy sat in the row next to me and was so helpful, picking up things the kids dropped, answering questions and even offering to take them to the restroom after the 4th or 5th time.

Arriving in Miami led us to our encounter with Homeland Security. We sat in a small, glass walled room with about 55 other immigrants waiting for approval to enter. The kids were troopers as we waited for 4 hours for them to just take one fingerprint. Off we went to the next flight, which would give us another 4 hours in the air before arriving to Denver. Traveling alone with my kids for the first time went amazing well! Seriously a blessing! I think it's because Yen, 5 yrs old, read all of the instructions.

One week in Lima

2010-01-07T22:14:00.004-06:00

Upon arrival to Lima, Joel had to return home, but the children and I had one more week of paperwork (which seemed like nothing after 6 months of waiting.) We had to get our kids Peruvian passports, a series of vaccinations and the final visit to the U.S. Embassy to obtain the children's visas. Most of our days started at 8 or 9am and were spent waiting in lines and a variety of offices. Every piece of paper had to be translated and every translation needed a million copies. The kids were troopers as we hauled them around from place to place. We did get a few fun things in like a trip to El Parque de Leyendas - or, as we call it, the zoo. It was the first time for the kids to see these kind of animals live and I was asked several times if certain animals really existed - like lions, tigers and bears. I guess the animals didn't seem to lively - except the one who tried to eat Yen's cotton candy.

Our lawyer, Maria Elena, and her husband, Raul, were wonderful hosts, giving the kids and myself a ton of encouragement and tips about adoption. When the last step was completed - having the visas in hand - we took a picture across the street from the Embassy and booked our tickets home!

Our final night in Peru, we ate traditional dishes - sudado de pescado, pescado frito, ceviche, milanesa de pollo and pollo frito. Then we went to a live presentation of the characters from the popular TV series 'Al Fondo Hay Sitio.' This is a typical 'South American' life, so they say. The title comes from the guys on the micros (public buses) that yell for the passengers to move to the back because there is more room - even though there might not be. It was a great way to say good-bye to Peru.... at least for now.

ADOPTION IS FINAL - NOV 30

2009-12-22T01:54:00.005-06:00

November 30 Joel and I signed the official adoption resolution. What an amazing feeling. After over a year of waiting and so many difficult trials and wonderful blessings it became official. We had help in getting their new birth certificates ready in just 2 days (with Hanson as their last name and a few middle name changes) and we all boarded a bus and headed to Lima to complete the final paperwork on the visas with the U.S. Embassy.

The 2 story bus was a long awaited adventure - comfy seats, snacks and several movies. The adventure got better when the bus broke down at 2 in the morning and we waited for almost 3 hours while it was being repaired.

Saying Goodbye to the Orphanage

2009-12-21T19:38:00.004-06:00

Our four older children have spent the last five years living at Hogar de Esperanza. When Zuleice was just over a year, she joined her other brothers and sisters. In saying that, this has been the place they have called home for most of their lives. I had also learned, once again, to call the orphanage home. The children, staff and new volunteer friends have become very close to my heart. Needless to say, leaving was difficult for all of us. A few days before we had to say good-bye, Joel and I hosted a going away bonfire for the kids, workers and volunteers. A christian Peruvian folk band, called Moyapampa, livened things up with music and games. It was a wonderful night of fun and laughter with a ton of sticky fingers from making smores.

A week at the orphanage

2009-12-21T18:58:00.004-06:00

After Joel's arrival , we spent a week staying at the orphanage reconnecting with friends and children. We began the final process of the adoption and had 10 days to prove we were able to be parents. Here's a few pics of our parenting skills -

Joel arrives in Peru

2009-12-21T18:39:00.003-06:00

Monday, November 16, Joel finally flew to Lima, Peru. I took an 8 hour bus ride from Trujillo to pick him up at the airport around midnight. After 6 months of being seperated, a few tears were shed and I believe we actually missed eachother! Tuesday was spent visiting MIMDES (who handles adoptions in Peru,) talking with our lawyers, and then we flew to Trujillo, where 5 little ones were waiting to see their Papi for the first time in over a year.

GOOD NEWS!!!

2009-11-12T19:46:00.001-06:00

After 5 months of Joel and I being seperated and waiting on more investigations, we finally have good news! The US Embassy granted the permission for the children to obtain visas - which was the document we've been waiting on for the past 2.5 months! Now Joel is able to join us and it coming to Peru on Monday and we will begin the stages of finalizing the adoption.

What does it look like from here? Joel comes, the kids are taken out of school, we spend 1-2 weeks in Trujillo (at the orphanage) bonding and taking pictures to prove it, we shed tears as we say goodbye and head to Lima. Then, Joel returns home and I stay with the kids another 2-3 weeks in Lima as they issue new birth certificates, documents and visas for the children with their new last name. Next step - FLY HOME - just in time for Christmas!!

The past several months have been very difficult as we have been tested in our faith and patience. Thank you for all of the emails, phone calls and especially your prayers. We have felt very supported and are so grateful to all of you!! The journey is just beginning as we work on bonding as a family and overcoming the obstacles set before us - but what an exciting journey!!

Back in July...

2009-11-04T07:54:00.005-06:00

I'm doing some back-tracking and sharing some of the events that have been happening since I returned to the orphanage in July. Besides Rocio's quinceanero and Windsor Christian church's visit in July, the orphanage also celebrated Peru's Independence day. We celebrated Dias de Patrias with a program put on by the children, representing several different regions of Peru. The kids dressed in costume, sang, danced, decorated the dining hall and shared foods from all over. Here are a few pictures:

Yamelit ready to perform a traditional dance from the jungle

Segundo and Edwin (right) representing the jungle of Peru

Nadia in traditional clothing the mountains

The Amigos Casita representing the coastal areas like Trujillo

Kevin

Nancy

Myself, Liz (director) and Sam (on-site Volunteer Coordinator)

Looking for an update?

2009-11-02T18:16:00.002-06:00

I've abandoned this blog for some time. Mostly it's due to not having any 'real' information to share and feeling quite discouraged. I'm bound by not being able to share details and, truthfully, there are no real details to share... so it's a lose-lose situation.

There has been a lot of activity on the orphanage side of life. I suppose I should muster up some energy to blog about the events. However, on the adoption side of things - we are in the forever waiting mode. We are waiting for the US Embassy to issue an Article 5, where they assure they will be able to give our children visas to enter the country. We have been waiting for almost 2 months while they do an investigation. It's beyond frustrating as the clock is ticking on the amount of time we have left to complete the adoption - and we continue to pray for all of this to come to pass.

I will post when I have news that means something. Thanks for your prayers, encouragement and times when you scream with us and for us.

Windsor Road Christian Church

2009-09-06T20:10:00.002-05:00

Tim Brooks and his wife adopted 3 sisters from Hogar de Esperanza about three years ago. Since then, Tim has kept connected with the orphanage by being the webmaster for www.perukids.com and has had it in his heart to return to Peru and serve. He and his oldest adopted daughter, Loren, led up a team from their church in Illinois and brought 25 people to the orphanage to share their talents. After spending many months emailing and coordinating their trip and activities, I was extremely blessed to be able to be in Peru while the group was here. They were very busy - painting classrooms, building a garage port for our bus, having VBS for the kids each day, holding medical training for some of the staff, playing with the kids and loving each person they came into contact with. I was touched by their open hearts and overwhelming generosity and made some beautiful friendships. Read about their trip and see pictures by visiting their missions blog http://wrcc-peru2009.blogspot.com . The group mentioned several times how the children touched their lives, but the children, staff and volunteers with never forget Windsor Road Christian and their selfless love!

If you or your family or church group would like to come serve at Hogar de Esperanza, please contact me! I would love to have you come and get to know this special place.

It's been 2 months and counting

2009-09-06T14:49:00.002-05:00

And the waiting continues... I've (Robyn) been in Peru a little over 2 months. Believe it or not - our 'last' document (I800) was approved 1.5 weeks ago - but that's really not the 'last' thing to be done, apparently. Tons of little tiny things need to take place - filing of the visa photos, filing a DS230, re-filing the acceptance letter, paying the Visa fee, the US Embassy investigation of our case, an article 5 and an article 25... then Joel can travel - or so they say. I said I was done guessing - but it seems like our anniversary is a good date to hope for - October 5. However, my sister said to just keep telling people 'two weeks' in honor of the movie Money Pit.

I've been pretty busy while I've been in Peru - working with the administration on some upcoming changes for the ministry, working with our Volunteer Coordinator on creating manuals for some of our programs, visiting friends, and trying to not be depressed or disillusioned. I will try to post some updates on some of the activities happening here, at the orphanage and in Peru.

Please continue to pray for us, the kids, Joel and the whole entire process.

How much longer?

2009-07-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

The questions used to be: when are you getting married? when are you having kids? how many kids will you be adopting? when will you be able to go to Peru to pick up the kids?

Now the question is: how much longer before you can go home?

I don't know the answer. I keep guessing and, basically, doing a poor job of it. We had a big delay and then a small miracle. As I explain it - people get confused and still don't understand where we are in the process. To tell you the truth, I barely understand myself. Our delay was a second request for more information. Our small miracle was the intial approval (from Peru) to adopt 5 siblings between the ages of 3 and 11. The next delay was that they didn't just go ahead and name the specific 5 on the approval. So, we have to wait for the official assignment and this week (Mon-Wed) all government offices are closed to celebrate Dia de Patriats, which celebrates their independence from Spain. Hopefully by the end of the week, we'll get our official assignment - and we can file our last document with the US Immigration office, which asks for the immigration of these specific children.

I hope and pray that Joel is able to travel to Peru at least by the last week of August - and then we'll be home 5 weeks later. Yet, again, another guess.

Quinceanero de Rocio

2009-07-26T22:25:00.007-05:00

Last year, I was able to be a part of the 15th birthday celebration of Yessenia, who had been adopted to the United States in 2006. She came back to the orphanage to celebrate this important birthday in the Peruvian culture. This time, I was able to be here for the 15th birthday of Rocio, who still calls Hogar de Esperanza her home. Rocio stole my heart 3 years ago by singing to me each night that I spent at the orphanage and, now, we are celebrating her transition from a girl into a young woman. Her party was a collaboration of the staff, volunteers, and visitors - and celebrated with all the children at the orphanage.

Growth

2009-07-19T22:07:00.007-05:00

Apart from our wonderful adoption - it is a pure pleasure to be at the orphanage. One of the wonderful blessings is to see all of the fruit of the countless hours of labor by the staff and volunteers over the past few years. I have been spending some time talking to different staff, children and volunteers and hearing about their experiences at the orphanage - the blessings and the challenges. I spent some time walking through the facility and observing all the physical changes that I've seen happen since my first visit in 2006 and contemplating all of the programs and organizational changes I've been able to be a part of. It is a wonderful feeling to take it all in. When the work gets tough or overwhelming and I think of all the things I still want to see happen - taking time to reflect on what God's already done is a huge encouragement and gift.

Pictured - kids from the orphanage on their way to school.

Back at the Orphanage

2009-07-11T21:38:00.002-05:00

At this point, I can't write too many details - so the updates will be lacking a bit. However, I can say that I arrived at the orphanage the first day of July. Visiting with the new volunteers, laughing with the staff and hugging all the children has been wonderful - feels like home. I hugged a few very special children - who waited up for me the night I arrived. It was so hard to say goodnight and go to our separate rooms.

There's been another back up with the adoption process. Peru's official government office that handles adoptions has a new director and new staff. They have asked for, yet, another document. Our social worker and agency is working hard to get the document prepared and send it through the tedious legalization process. This just means another 2 week delay... and more waiting. Even though I am here, the waiting is still hard. Now we want Joel here and we want the process to go quickly so the children can start school on time. Every step is one step closer, but somehow it still feels a million steps away.

My ticket is bought

2009-06-25T22:35:00.003-05:00

I wanted to be in Peru by the end of June.... and I will be!! Although the adoption is not ready, yet, I am going to travel there to do some work for the orphanage and... just to be there. Peru is my other home - and I am overjoyed to finally be going back! Joel will join me when we get the approval of our I800 form - please pray that goes quickly! I may be gone through early/mid August, but will stay connected online.

More updates will be coming... so keep checking back!

ANOTHER medical report

2009-06-25T22:26:00.004-05:00

This past Tuesday, we recieved the resolution for our adoption. Basically the Peruvian government approved us to adopt - pending another medical report for Joel and I. Yes - another physical and more HIV, TB and HEP tests. This will be the 3rd we've had in the past 10 months. It seems that the one we originally sent in looked unprofessional and like maybe it wasn't real. Luckily, we were able to get it re-done quickly (next day) and notarized. To speed up the process, I drove the report to Denver (2 hours) and had it certified by the Secretary of State, then over to the Peruvian Consulate to be legalized and Fed-Exed to Peru for approval.

What next? Well, that seems to be the only 'clarification' that will be needed. Next, they will officially assign us the children. We will file a I800 form to our government to request the immigration of these specific children. Upon approval of this form - the adoption will officially begin and Joel will get the 'okay' to go to Peru. We have no idea how long this will take - but we are a HUGE step forward.

The gift of a book

2009-06-12T13:33:00.005-05:00

I had the honor to speak on behalf of Hogar de Esperanza to a group of middle school dual-language students. They wrote stories and created bi-lingual books for the children at the orphanage. I plan to deliver the books when I go to Peru for the adoption. I love the creativity and gifts others share!

Check out the story here!

SNA

2009-06-09T19:02:00.005-05:00

Our dossier has been in Peru a little more than 2 weeks and is in the final steps of translation. The stack of papers that, now, represent our life will be submitted to SNA Thursday morning. I hope and pray that SNA will expedite our paperwork and that we will hear good news quickly.

I do not have control. This is a struggle for me. When I talk to the kids, I feel their disappointment, their lack of ability to understand why it's taking so long and my frustration that I can't do anything about it.

Even though I've never been pregnant, I'm sure there are similarities to a mother in her final month of pregnancy... exhausted, consumed and wondering when. When the children are finally home, I'm sure I'll forget all the pain of waiting.

But for now, I feel like I'm living with ghosts. The children's rooms are filled with their beds, toys and clothes - but the house is empty and quiet. My mind can tolerate no other thought than being with them again.

Delays and Paperwork

2009-05-20T17:34:00.005-05:00

Seriously - the adoption process is definately a way to test one's patience, flexibility and ability to be kind.

Two weeks later than hoped, we get our documents back from the Secretary of State and Peru Consulate in Denver - only to find that 3 documents were unable to be legalized by the Peru Consulate in Denver. Instead, I have to send these papers to the Peru Consulate in Chicago - which delays us, yet another, week.

HOWEVER - our adoption agency said we could go ahead and Fed-Ex the majority of the dossier to Peru - yes, indeed, there is a bit of good news! Since all the documents have to be translated first, our person in Peru can go ahead and get started on what we have. Then, when we send the last 3 documents down, she will be ready to finish up. Finally, some good news - the only reason I'm not in a rage or breaking down into tears. The picture above is our dossier - every paper and copy is notarized or certified, then legalized by our Sec of State and then by the Peru Consulate.

The process from here?

- Dossier gets translated - finishing when the last 3 docs arrive. Could take 1-2 weeks.
- Dossier gets submitted to SNA - the officials in Peru - and 3 of their departments have to read through all of our paperwork and approve us.
- SNA officially assigns our children to us and sends us an acceptance letter
- We sign and return the acceptance letter
- We file a request for approval of the specific children from USCIS
- A little more paperwork
- Peru gives us a travel date and we're GONE - for 4-6 weeks!

Please pray for things to go quickly - for the kids who are waiting and for our sanity

Notaries - please sign your name correctly

2009-05-06T15:48:00.002-05:00

I heard that notaries can be the one reason documents are returned. For most of our documents, our notary was a wonderful lady from our church. She was so careful in signing each form correctly and making sure the wording was just right. We had 2 other documents that were signed by a notary from the Sheriff's department - as the documents were print-outs of our police background checks.

Well, those documents were rejected by the Secretary of State. Apparently the notary signed the document like a doctor and her signature on file didn't match. This was a huge disappointment - as I had hoped our documents would be going to Peru today. Instead, I'm waiting on this document and we're set back another week, which is an eternity in our world of wait.

...documents, notary, certify, apostille, authenticate...

2009-05-06T15:36:00.006-05:00

All words that our in our daily vocabulary - maybe our hourly vocabulary. As we collect more documents for our official 'dossier' (which means the final packet of documents that will be used in Peru for the official assignment of kids and adoption) we have to have a notary for each one. Copies of our passports need a notary to say they are exact, true copies of original documents. Our medical exams and tests had to have a notary. The psychological evaluation (which we suprisingly passed) had to have a notary. The deed to our house, marraige certificates, and birth certificates all had to be certified with the fancy raised seal.

Then, here's what we do with all the notarized, raised seal documents:

FedEx all documents to the Secretary of State in which they were notarized. This office will, now, certify all the documents with their fancy seal. ($2 per page - 25 pages)

When they come back with the fancy seal, we FedEx all the fancy sealed documents to the Consulate of Peru in Denver. This office will authenticate the documents - hopefully they have a fancy seal, too. ($30 per page - 25 pages)

After each government office puts their seal of approval on each piece of paper, we finally can FedEx the documents to Peru - yes, the actual country. In Peru, the documents will be translated and given to MIMDES - the division that approves adoptions. Hopefully within a few weeks of receiving our paperwork, they will officially assign the children to us and we can jump on a plane!

Asking for more info is, apparently, a good thing

2009-05-06T15:27:00.005-05:00

We asked everyone we know to pray that USCIS would approve our paperwork sooner than the 3 month expected wait. When we heard about the request for more information, we were worried it would be delayed. WRONG! Our approval form arrived one month and one week after they recieved our paperwork!!! Yes, we did a little dance.

More fingerprints?

2009-04-08T09:39:00.005-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, our paperwork is with USCIS. They sent a letter to us about a week ago, requesting more information. Usually, this is not a good thing, as it can delay the process. However, our agencies were on top of it and sent the needed documents in the same week. We also received a letter informing us of an appointment with INS for another set of fingerprints. Another set? This will be the 3rd time we've had our fingers rolled over the glass and impressions were made and saved in the system. Maybe someone forgot to push the 'save' button. The repetitive fingerprints, copies of birth certificates and setting appointments for, yet another, medical exam can be a little frustrating.

However... we also see it as a good sign. At least now we know that USCIS has actually looked at our paperwork, that they've taken it out of the stack of hundreds and given us some attention. At least we know we are one step closer to receiving their approval, which will lead us to some of the final steps in the US - finishing our dossier and sending it to Peru. Basically the dossier is more copies of documents - the LAST copies - and then we can head to Peru to embrace our children once again.

Community is life shared

2009-03-20T16:34:00.003-05:00

Friends, family and strangers gathered with us to share this life and this adventure of adoption by hosting event in our honor. There was a band, tables full of balloons and pictures of our experiences in Peru, a silent auction, hundreds of baked goods, an amazing kids corner - including games and 2 bouncy castles and a wonderful dinner cooked by one of our dearest friends. Over 300 people came to show their support, share kind words and participate in the event. The evening was a success, but in more ways than you might think. The hugs, kind words, questions and excitement from so many people made us realize that our children are not just being adopted by Joel and I - they are being adopted by our community. We were introduced to new people who shared their own story of volunteering, their desire to serve and even their own adoption stories. We are overwhelmed with gratitude and humbled by the love and generosity that so many people have lavished on us. Our hearts are anxious to have our children home and to share this life with our community.

Keeping it general

2009-02-19T16:57:00.002-06:00

In hopes to keep my blog open - and not have to reduce it to invites only - I need to be more general with information regarding our adoption plans. Yes - everything is still in the works, but we are 'technically' just in the beginning phases. Please know that when our paperwork is approved and children are assigned, we will definately be posting pictures and information about the children to share with all of you!

Thank you for your understanding. More news to come!

USCIS has our paperwork

2009-02-09T21:54:00.008-06:00

Many countries in South America are part of the Hague Adoption Convention, making the adopting process even more in depth and intense. Our homestudy was completed and our two agencies hashed out the details to make sure everything was correct and in place. The State of Colorado approved our homestudy and now our paperwork is with USCIS. They say it's a 3 month wait for their approval. THREE MONTHS? I'm sure they have stacks and stacks of paper representing people, like me, waiting for some kind of answer to their immigration and adoption situations. However, three months seems like an eternity - especially when the kids are waiting. We pray some miracle happens and we receive our approval before 3 months - but, if not, we will just have to pray for more patience and that our little ones have some understanding and comfort.

The Adoption Process Begins

2009-01-30T10:09:00.002-06:00

In December, we 'officially' began the adoption process of 5 siblings at the orphanage. We couldn't start until then because things like having a house and a job seem to be pretty important to the adoption authorities.

To start, I'd like to explain how the adoption process works and clear up some misconceptions that are out there. Individuals can not adopt directly from the orphanage, but must go through agencies and the government within their own country. The cost of international adoption can be pretty hefty, but all of this money goes to the payment of filing fees, lawyers, agencies, documents, exams, investigations and traveling. The orphanage does not receive money. We are not paying for the children, but rather for the process. And, oh the process! We are lucky to have 2 agencies to help us through it all. Littlest Angels International , here in Colorado, handles our homestudy and Villa Hope , in Alabama, will handle the international side of the adoption.

Joel and I gathered all of our initial documents; clearances from every state we've lived in since we were 18 years old, medical exams, birth certificates, our marriage certificates, proof of parenting classes, CPR and first aid cards, FBI fingerprint clearances and more. We asked for references, filled out thorough paperwork on our personal relationships and family history and sat through lengthy interviews about who we are and what kind of parents we hope to be. Although we had only been living in our house for a few weeks - we prepared the children's rooms and, with the help of friends, we were able to get the house in order for our homestudy to be completed by the end of December. And this is just the beginning.

Moved In!

2009-01-29T17:35:00.004-06:00

We took ownership of our new home the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Over 14 old and new friends came and helped us move in. A couple from our church brought lunch for the group and a few ladies worked hard to get all of the kitchen unpacked, washed and put away! A few days later, my brother-in-law, Jeff Hanson, and his family came to share Thanksgiving with us and helped us in our effort to repaint and unpack. Our new home was filled with friends, family and laughter as we shared Thanksgiving dinner together.

At the end of the week, Joel and I felt overwhelmed. We weren't overwhelmed by the work we had left or by the events of moving in. We were overwhelmed with a feeling of true thankfulness. I couldn't stop crying as I struggled with feeling blessed and then feeling guilty for all we had. A year in Peru proved that our lives can be rich and full without a big house and without all the 'stuff.' A dear friend reminded us of God's generosity and that our new home was a way to provide for the 5 children we plan to provide a home for. To others, it may not appear that we are living extravagantly, but Joel and I disagree. We feel we have been given more than we could have hoped for - more than just a beautiful home, jobs and all the stuff. God has blessed us with a full life, His grace in our failures and the opportunity to have a family of our own.

Blog Continues...

2009-01-22T11:39:00.002-06:00

Since October, our lives have been a whirl of activity and we continue to try to get settled. We want to keep the blog current - letting others follow our adoption journey and keep up on all that is happening. So - here we go again! I apologize for the 2 month delay!

One good thing after another

2008-10-26T20:25:00.005-05:00

We've now been back in the country for 6 weeks and there is news to share!

When we left South America, we knew that we would pursue the adoption of a sibling group of children. Although our hearts are sad to be away from the orphanage and these little ones - we knew we had to get into action to prepare for their arrival.

Joel and I have had the pleasure of getting to visit almost all of our family and many of our good friends - from Burlington, Colorado to Kansas City to Iowa to Sioux Falls - since we've returned. During this time, we also visited our home church in Gypsum, Colorado. While planning on telling our church of our plans to relocate to Denver - we experienced a change of heart.

Our community's response to our return was overwhelming. Their love and support of the new adventures that lie ahead of us made us realize, again, the importance and value of community. After all, what do we hope for the people of Peru? For them to have the basic necessities of life, hope and a future - which often starts with building community - people that come together to share, pray and take care of one another's needs. The small mountain town of Gypsum is our community... our home.

Despite difficult times in the economy, our jobs fell into place. I have taken a new position with the orphanage as the U.S. Administrator. Hogar de Esperanza / Saving Street Children has become my passion and I work from home to build a monthly giving program, raise support, speak at churches and social groups, coordinate future volunteers and help with the operational details of the orphanage. And, although Joel applied in Denver and looked for jobs elsewhere, he was hired within a few hours of applying to UPS in Glenwood Springs - the next town over from Gypsum. UPS is a great fit for Joel and for our future family.

For 6 weeks, we've been wanderers. We've skipped from house to house and friends have been generous to feed us and give us a place to sleep. But, with adoption in mind - it was time to look for a house of our own. After 5 days of beginning our search, we found the perfect home - just right for our growing family - and at a low price for our valley. It just happens to be in our old neighborhood - very family orientated with a great mix of English speaking and Spanish speaking families. We close on November 21 - the Friday before Thanksgiving. We are thankful.

...one good thing after another

Coming home... or at least back to the U.S.

2008-09-12T11:40:00.000-05:00

Joel's parents greeted us at the airport and after hugs and tears drove us directly to a Mexican restaurant to appease our year long craving. We then spent a few days with Joel's brother, sister-in-law and nephews. They have been amazing to us this past year and have supported us in incredible ways. They kept our vehicles, managed our finances, and loved our dog (even though he dug holes in their yard and escaped a few hundred times.) And Laurie served amazing meals - all of our favorites.

Now we've taken a few days to rest, reflect and be alone at the Hanson family mountain home, the J's Nest. We've been back a little over a week - and I have to say we're still adjusting. It's tough. Tougher than I thought it'd be. What's the hardest part? I'm not sure I could pin point it to one thing. Maybe it's facing the harsh reality of our culture - the stuff, the constant want for more, and the focus on self; maybe it's the way we look at things now - what we used to think was poverty, now looks rich; maybe it's the solitude of our society - we're side by side, but in our own worlds - so far from community or personal interaction;

or maybe it's what we're missing - mornings hearing Tia and Tio, receiving hugs and tight squeezes from 40 children each day, laughing with the workers as they give us grace with our spanish speaking skills, hearing Buenos Dias from every person we pass by in the city, driving the kids to school in the bus each day, watching the amazement as kids pull carrots from their garden, buying cake that Yuli and Rocio made in their baking class, crying with kids who want to be adopted and are still waiting for the right family, watching the children learn new skills, being human jungle gyms for the boys, and knowing that every day we woke up - it would be one of the best days of our lives.

...maybe it's what we're missing.

Leaving Peru

2008-09-02T19:16:00.002-05:00

There is so much more to tell about our year here - so many more pictures to show and blogs that never were written.

Packing, last minute training and good-byes. Whirlwind of emotions - happy and sad. I'd add a picture - but it would show the mascara running down my cheeks.

Our bus leaves Trujillo Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. It's hard to believe a year has come and gone - an amazing journey.

We have so much more to share - the blog's not over, so stay tuned.

New Brochure

2008-08-20T10:25:00.003-05:00

Creating a brochure for our albergue in Spanish and in English is a project I was able to begin and finish in the past few months. The brochure came to completion with a ton of help from Liz, Clara & friends at Peru Mission and Grafica Real. We hope this tool will help spread the word of this wonderful ministry and bring more volunteers, prayer partners and supporters.

Bicycles

2008-08-14T21:39:00.006-05:00

Thanks to Darrel, most of our bikes were fixed up and ready to be used, again. Joel supervises bike time - teaching some kids how to ride, fixing chains, helping reduce crashes and watching all of the kids smile!

Just a note: the orphanage is in need of new bike pedals, bike seats and tire tubes - all kid sizes.

Vocational Program

2008-08-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

This program was a vision of mine before I came to the orphanage last September. I had talked with the Vickie Miller many times about the need to have a program for our older children - especially those who would not be going to University. We planned for several months and initiated our program last January with 3 students. I helped write the program and the first part was mainly socialization. The 3 students, Yulianna, Rocio and Kevin, spent three months learning how to use public transportation, city awarness and important locations. It's a tough system to learn and get the hang of - micros zoom buy calling out their destinations and barely stopping for you to board. After this part of the program, we felt they needed a little more preparation and entered them into a speech class. They spent two months interacting with a variety of students ranging from 14 to 55, where they learned self-confidence. I helped them go into town for each class, but eventually were able to go to class on the micro system by themselves and I only helped them return.

This past week, Yulianna and Rocio started the next phase of the program - vocational training. Two days a week, they attend a baking class instead of our on-campus school. Now they are able to go into town and return all by themselves. I had tears in my eyes when they came home from their first day of class successfully and showed me their very first cake! They were so proud of themselves and I have to say... it was one of my proudest moments, as well.

Rocio and Yuli

Quinceanero

2008-08-07T23:00:00.007-05:00

In July we had a church group of 33 from First Baptist Church in Platte City, Missouri come visit the orphanage for a week. They did a number of things - painted, helped with our green areas, and did outreach in the Plaza and a popular mall. The group was led by youth pastor, Brady Testorff and his wife Trish.

Brady and Trish were at the orphanage when I was here in 2006, but they weren't with their church group. They were here on their own, finalizing an adoption of two children - Yessenia (13) and Paul (10), growing their family to seven. Here, two years later, they return. Yessenia was turning 15 and her desire was to have her Quinceanero at the orphanage with all of the children, workers and her new family. Quinceanero or 15th birthday party, is the most important birthday for a girl in the Peruvian culture. It was a first for the orphanage and was a wonderful celebration. The cafeteria was decorated with balloons, empanadas were shared and a beautiful cake was cut and served. We invited the officials from the family court system and those that knew Yessenia when she was at the orphanage. Brady spoke about the grace of God in Yessenia's life and he and Trish symbolically changed Yessenia's shoes to represent her beginning a new stage in her journey. It was an moving celebration and a wonderful testimony to the beauty of adoption.

Liz, orphanage director, gives Yessenia her bouquet

Brady shares a message with the help of a translator.

Joel and I shared a song

Robyn and Yessenia

They also decided to visit their biological mother while they were here. I went along to be a support and help translate. It was a nervous and quiet ride to the house. Tears were shed as they embraced their biological mother and other older siblings. Their mother thanked Brady and Trish for providing Yessenia and Paul with a home and a family that loved them and took care of them. One of their siblings had already died in a gang battle and another is very ill from drug use. The mother is now a christian and, with her fiance, is trying to stop drinking to end that cycle. It was an emotional visit and a shocking reality for Yessenia and Paul to see. They hadn't been in their mother's home for more than 6 years.

Yessenia and Paul's return was challenging. They were face to face with their past - seeing the orphanage and their past through new eyes. Their memories of how things were didn't always match up to the reality. Two years in the United States had changed them. It was interesting to see them on the other side - they were helping and serving the orphanage instead of being on the receiving end. The children and workers at the orphanage loved seeing them and when it was time to say goodbye - their role had changed. We stood on opposite sides - the children/staff sang and the group stood across the grass and listened. We thanked them for coming and they thanked us for hosting them. However, in the end, we all shed tears and hugged - knowing we will all miss each other and be a part of each other's lives forever.

Independence Day

2008-08-04T17:03:00.001-05:00

July is the month to celebrate independence - for the United States and for Peru. Here, the streets, stores and taxis are covered in red and white and flags are hanging everywhere.

The volunteers intitiated the month of celebration by hosting a party in honor of both countries and Amy's (volunteer) birthday on July 4th. Another volunteer and I searched all of Trujillo to find any type of fireworks or sparklers. Apparently the only time they are sold here in Peru is during Christmas and New Year's. However, Elias (our Peruvian McGyver) was able to find six firework/explosives, which we set off at the end of our party. The orphanage staff and volunteers gathered on the second floor and we all sang our national anthems - even Joy, from England, sang God Save the Queen. We shared a few stories of why we love our countries and the different traditions we use to celebrate independence. We ate chocolate cake (for Amy's birthday,) popcorn and 2 volunteers made my mother-in-law's apple crisp, which the Peruvians fell in love with. It was a great time of sharing the beauty of independence.Now, we're here at the end of the month where most of Peru takes two days off from work and some schools are off for 1-2 weeks to really celebrate. The streets are filled with parades and children showing off their love for the country by participating in traditional dances, dramas about the history of Peru and marching with their flags and songs.

The orphanage kids and staff ready for the parade

City officials and the Peruvian flag

Living history of Peru

Future military

Our kids from the orphanage - marching with their classmates

Octopus - I meant Squid!

2008-07-31T22:07:00.001-05:00

A local fisherman made an agreement with God. If he had a good catch out at sea, he would bring his best to the orphanage as an offering. His last gift gave us lunch and dinner for two days! Here's some pictures of our SQUID with Joy (volunteer from England) and Elias, our Peruvian McGyver.

Training on Preventing Sexual Abuse

2008-07-30T23:03:00.001-05:00

After attending a national conference for orphanage directors last fall, our own director, Elizabeth Bernuy, was selected to implement training on Sexual Abuse throughout Trujillo. She first brought the training to us this past month and it was a important day learning how to deal with this serious issue and the precautions we can use to protect our children.

Many of the children in Peru have suffered from sexual abuse in their past. It is a horrible violence that they deal with in silence. This training was first given to our entire staff providing them critical information on how to identify the signs of sexual abuse, preventions and ways to communicate with children about this topic. The next day we spent with the children at the orphanage talking about the importance of speaking out against this abuse, how they can protective themselves and building trust with the adults currently working with them.

The most difficult training was given the last day to the biological families of the children who are in the orphanage. Many of the biological parents and siblings, themselves, have suffered sexual abuse. It is a common problem, especially in the poorer areas. People are ignorant of it's destroying power, how to stop it or take precautions against it. Many of the parents were teary eyed as they shared their own experiences. The timidly listened to the training and thanked us for approaching such a difficult subject.

There is hope and a beginning step of healing. The training is still being talked about and there are windows of hope with some of our most difficult cases. Our director will now help instruct and train other orphanages throughout Trujillo. It is an honor for our orphanage, privately run, to be selected to implement this training.

Death

2008-07-25T13:21:00.002-05:00

Today, I opened my email and read about Laura Genelin's passing - after a year long battle with cancer. I had Laura's daughter, Morgan, in my 3rd/4th grade class 2 years in a row and Laura was one of those amazing parent helpers and eventually - friend. Morgan, 11 years old, has been faithful at keeping in touch with me over this past year. She sends emails, silly stories, memories of my class and also her struggles with her mom's sickness. Laura sent me an personal email about a month ago, asking me to continue being a support to Morgan and asked if I would promise to see Morgan when I return to the states. It has been an area of immense sadness for me... and point of reflection of our year here in Peru. After only being here a week, Joel's long time, close friend, Justin, passed away in a car accident. Then, a few, short months later, Vickie Miller, passed away to her second bout of cancer. Now, we are dealing with our third loss - Laura. There are never easy answers or ways to console. Our comfort is in God, the hope of eternal life and His never-ending love for us in the midst of our sorrows. It's hard to deal with the losses being so far away from home. We pray for the Genelin family and all those who knew and loved Laura.

Our nephews and their 42 new friends...

2008-07-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

In writing a letter to his cousin, Jonah remarked, "I have 42 new friends..." in Peru. Here are just a few of them.

Darrel

2008-07-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

Darrel came to us from Texas and was here while Joel's brother's family was here. He came as a stranger and left as one of our dear friends! Even though he didn't speak much spanish, he had a way of communicating and making everyone feel appreciated and special. He told great stories, was always at work and ready to fix anything! Darrel became great friends with our own maintenance guru, Elias and made all the kids smile by fixing all of our bicycles! Darrel has a passion to serve and left fired-up and ready to tell everyone about Hogar de Esperanza and the work going on down here. Some of his last words blessed us - "I want to come back next year and bring my grand-daughter with me." We look forward to it!

The 'other' Hansons & friends...

2008-07-19T23:05:00.001-05:00

Joel's brother's family came to volunteer and visit us at the end of May and brought along two awesome guys from their church, Ben and Bryson. We were also blessed to have two of our closest friends, Travis and Bonnie, come and volunteer as well. Bonnie was the friend who traveled with me the first time I came to Peru in 2006. Having everyone here was a HUGE blessing and a blast!! Joel and I are overwhelmed by the people who traveled all the way to Peru to see us and share this experience first hand with us.

A few volunteer highlights: painting the casitas, setting up horseshoes, teaching in the school, playing soccer, reading books with the kids, helping in kinder program, fixing soccer goals, playing soccer, entering data into our library database, giving out new clothes to the kids, playing soccer, new crocs for all the kids, covering books, cutting down trees, making spinners with the kids and playing soccer

Fun times: Huanchaco beach (our nephew's and Bryson's first time to see the ocean,) Huaca de la Luna ruins, eating chorihuevos, visiting our church, dancing with Lurdes and her uncles - the Los Caimanes, crabs at Delicias beach, surviving the hike at Machu Picchu, singing during morning devotions, long talks and playing games before bed

Art Class

2008-07-10T23:15:00.000-05:00

I still get to teach art in Escuela de Miller. One week we designed picture frames and drew a picture of someone important to us. The kids drew great pictures of their moms, favorite volunteers, madre tutoras and tias. They were so proud of their work and excited to take the pictures into their casitas and put them up.

U.S. Navy Spends the Day Volunteering

2008-07-06T12:57:00.001-05:00

Men and women from the USS MCINERNEY FFG-8 COMREL TEAM came to our port of Salaverry and blessed us by volunteering with us for a day. They purchased a ton of supplies and did 4 projects during the 8 hours they were with us! What an amazing work crew! They repainted the outside of the children's casitas, fixed our main doors, restored our outside gate and found a underground pipe that was buried under a hill of sand. Along with all of their work, they brought a ton of hugs, candy and military boots for the kids! They also had a few push-up competitions in memory of Haley!

MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!

Adoptions and Reunions

2008-07-01T12:37:00.006-05:00

It's been a whirlwind of teary-eyed, smiley good-byes. I know it sounds strange, but we are sad to say good-bye to kids, but overjoyed to see them leave with their new family or be reunited with their own. God has blessed these children by providing them a home and we continue to pray for God's help as their new life begins.

Our baby, Luis, left to go to another orphanage that specializes in the care of babies.

Carolina was adopted by a couple from Italy.

Vanessa was adopted by her aunt, who lives here in Peru.

Mother's Day

2008-06-30T09:55:00.005-05:00

A little behind in the postings - so here's some catch up from May.

We celebrated Mother's Day together at the orphanage on the Saturday before. We realized Mother's Day is not just a Hallmark holiday. Even though many of the children do not have good relationships with their biological mothers, we celebrated the amazing gift of the madre tutoras that live and care for the children day in and day out, as well as the other women who work at the albergue. The children made cards, sang songs, memorized poetry and did a skit about the importance of motherhood. It was a great reminder of the work the mother tutoras do day in and day out and the way their love effects the children in their care.

Madre Tutoras: Melva, Veronica, Sylvia and Sarita

Nancy (Director of Project's wife) and Mirian (Social Worker)

Hand made cards for each mother

Drama presented about the importance of giving life and being a mother

After church on Sunday, Joel and I helped Lurdes and her brothers celebrate their mother. I helped cooked the chicken, mashed potatoes and rice, while Joel entertained us with some music.

Joel, Mirian, Juan, Alicia, Elmer, Joy, Lurdes and Robyn

And, before the day was done, we called our own mothers. We are thankful for the blessing of both of our mothers and the love and support they have offered us over the years and especially during our time in Peru. FELIZ DIA DE LA MADRE!

Santa's Cousin

2008-06-05T14:49:00.000-05:00

Santa's cousin lives in Trujillo, Peru. I don't know why this isn't public information, but he's been visiting the albergue the past 5 years. He usually comes around Christmas and delivers presents on behalf of his cousin. However, lately he's been bringing gifts on the behalf of many people from all over the world. Most recently he brought new soccer balls, volley balls, jump ropes, games and recorders from a wonderful lady in Germany. Santa's cousin with our high schoolers; Yamelit, Josue and Maria Liz and Santa's cousin turn the rope for Yamelit
Jose David loves his new soccer ball. At 2 years old, he's already a great player!

El Mercado

2008-06-01T17:22:00.000-05:00

We are very spoiled, here! The orphanage has 2 wonderful cooks on staff who provide meals for every child and worker. So many orphanages have a bland diet of beans and rice with hardly any variety. We, however, are blessed with wonderful, delicious, traditional dishes from Peru and it's a different menu every day! How do these cooks do it? Quick easy recipes? Super Target? Well, Friday is when our head cook goes out to el mercado (the market) where she buys all of the food for the upcoming week. Joel and I decided to come along and see what shopping for 75 people looked like here.

These boys were ready to help us carry our goods... new friends everywhere!

Administration

2008-05-31T14:55:00.000-05:00

While I have been able to participate in teaching classes, fill in as a madre tutora and do many projects with the kids; a large part of my work this year has been helping with the administration side of things. For blog purposes - it's not that exciting. However, it has been one of the best experiences for me, as I have been able to help develop new and lasting programs, assist in re-structuring the orphanage, guide volunteers and provide leadership training ideas and skills to the directors. Even though much of my time is spent in meetings and behind my computer, I am completely content to know my work will continue to shape the future of this ministry and to see my work come alive in the everyday situations here. Here are some exciting pictures of the administration at work.

Robyn at her desk in the library

Liz, Director of the orphanage, at her desk in her office...

Mirian, our social worker, at her desk... in her office...

Sara, our wonderful secretary, not at her desk - but in her office.

Just like I said, the pictures are completely blog worthy... *smile*

Dominoes and Cards

2008-05-30T14:32:00.004-05:00

Some days I cover the madre tutora's duties while she is at an appointment with a child or leaves for a day off. If it's not a school night, I love to play games with the kids and get them away from the television. I have fun in the casita Tesoros because they're really into playing cards and dominoes... although they don't always 'play' the game, but rather use their imagination!

Edwin builds a tower

We were able to take a picture before the other boys pushed over Josue's work for the 3rd time.

Abel worked contently for over an hour

Mr. Joel - the professor

2008-05-29T18:39:00.000-05:00

Joel has become an active part of Escuela de Miller, our on-campus school for children who have learning disabilities or who have never been to school before coming to the orphanage. He teaches two classes each week - music and P.E. During Joel's normal routine in the orphanage, he's known as Tio Joel; however in class he's called Mr. Joel.

Music class is a highlight of the week as the children here LOVE to sing. Joel spent several weeks teaching about the variety of music and how music can stir emotions. During one class, he played them different songs while their eyes were closed. After the song ended, the children would tell Mr. Joel how the song made them feel and they would draw a face to match the feeling. Now, they are learning a variety of children's songs in spanish - which is helping Mr. Joel along with his own spanish learning. It's a blast to hear the kids sing the newly learned songs while they're playing, on the bus and throughout their day. I'm encouraging him to do a concert for the orphanage!

Mr. Joel's physical education class is how Escuela de Miller ends their school week. They continue to practice push-ups, run laps, play soccer and kickball and learn how to play together in teams. This can be a challenging time, as so many of the kids are still trying to figure out how to play together without hitting, insulting or pouting. Mr. Joel is perfect for the job, though! His patience never seems to run out!

Dia del Trabajador

2008-05-17T12:04:00.010-05:00

Peru celebrated the day of the worker on May 1. Nobody worked. Okay, well a few of us at the albergue were working and a few restaurants and a few micro buses - but everyone else took the day to relax or play or work at home.

We, at the albergue, celebrated together on May 3. I can't think of a better group of dedicated workers to celebrate than those here at the orphanage. A few of the staff planned a day of activities for all the staff, their families and the children of the orphanage.

We started the day with a service. Joel and I sang our first song in Spanish and we heard a message from one of the worker's sons, who is a pastor.
We divided workers, their families and the children at the albergue into 4 teams and added war paint of various colors. Go white team, go!
Go yellow team, go! (yes, we won the whole day)
Potato sack races started our day.
Who knew that the Director of Projects, Alex, could eat so fast!
The kids competed in tug of war - with a little help from the adults.

Water balloon volleyball - using towels instead of our hands.

The day ended with everyone sharing a meal together.

This was a perfect day filled with laughter and smiles. It was great to enjoy fun time together as a staff and remember what all of our work is for. Feliz dia del trabajador!

Medical Help from Nueva Esperanza

2008-05-12T07:47:00.000-05:00

Nueva Esperanza is a ministry and social organization in Trujillo, Peru. Their director, Jose, (far right) organized local doctors, nurses and psychologists to come help the orphanage one Saturday.
Every child received a check up and they completed a medical file on each one. They also promised to help with some of the on-going medical needs of the children in our orphanage.
The psychologists and social workers from the city also spent time with the real parents of some of the children. They were able to talk about the shame some of the parents feel for having their child in the orphanage, their personal battles with poverty, how they've suffered from abuse in their family and ways they can overcome. Most of the kids dread doctors because they seem to always give them shots or vaccinations. However, this Saturday the doctors only did annual check-ups and gave them candy afterwards. This made all of them smile like Isaias.

Channel 15 even came out to do a story on the albergue. Like most things in Peru... they were late... but, they still did a great story on our orphanage. I (Robyn) was on the news, too, but we don't have T.V. so I just heard about it from some friends. I'm famous, now.

Only in Peru - 2

2008-05-02T07:16:00.000-05:00

Watermelon Store in the round about
Unfortunately this is a common sight on many of the streets
A local boy carting his load

Casita Luces

2008-05-01T20:19:00.002-05:00

Back in the fall I promised to highlight the 4 casitas (houses) that we have here at the albergue. Several months later, I'm highlighting the second casita - Luces (Lights). This house is full of beautiful girls and their madre tutora, Sylvia. Sylvia was hired just before Joel and I arrived in September. It's been fun getting to know her. She is doing a great job with the girls and learning how to discipline with love. It still amazes me - the work that the madre tutoras do each and every day. They are responsible for organizing their house, getting the girls ready for school, helping them with homework, disciplining, guiding the girls in their faith, listening to their stories and helping them through so many of their problems. All the while, sacrificing their personal life and only spending 4 days a month with their families. It is a tremendous ministry!

Our times in the house usually consist of silly word games, new dance moves, tickling sessions and jokes. It's hard to take pictures to capture it! You'll just have to imagine us being as silly as possible!

Top Row: Fiorella, Yamelit, Milagros and Sylvia
Middle Row: Karina, Elisa, Aracely and Vanessa
Bottom Row: Brigit, Nancy and ZuZu

2008-04-28T21:49:00.002-05:00

For everyone who is reading our blog and keeping up with us... MUCHAS GRACIAS. We truly appreciate you checking in with us, praying for us and thinking of us. We'd love for you to leave a comment on any of our blogs... it lets us know someone's out there and it makes our day!

The Garden Grows

2008-04-27T18:39:00.000-05:00

Our gardening program continues. We had a wonderful harvest of huge radishes and turnips, lettuce and cabbage. Then, the squash took over!! We have about 7 squash... and all of them are bigger than a basketball. Joel has taken over this program and the kids will be planting new seeds this week, so everyone will get to see the process again!

Junior and Josue with their turnips

Fiorella

Aracely and Nanci

Paul with our squash

Alisson can use the squash as a bench

Robyn's Mom Visits

2008-04-25T18:30:00.001-05:00

We are so blessed - we had some of our youth visit in December, Joel's family in January and now my mom!! It is very special to be able share this ministry and this part of our lives with our family. We had a great time together talking and kept her very busy for the two weeks she was with us.

My mom's big job was helping us create a database for all of the books in our library. This had been done before, but the data was taken to the US and we needed to have a program that the staff here are able to manage. It was a big task logging in over 1,000 books and my mom spent many, many hours in front of the laptop in the library. The good thing is that my office is in the library - so that just meant more time together.

She added a nice touch to our movie night by buying ice cream for the kids. I love to see them in their PJs with their bowls and spoons in hand!

My mom also helped teach some English to my English students of Escuela de Miller. The kids were most interested in how to say the books of the New Testament in English.

With all the work, we were able to share several dinners with some of our closest friends here in Peru. We shared meals with the albergue director, Liz, and her husband, Miss Aly (teacher) and Lurdes.
The Garcia family gave her a warm welcome, as well. They played music, told stories and introduced her to the Peruvian Hairless dogs.

Brazil - Buzios

2008-04-16T17:34:00.002-05:00

After 2 days in Rio, we traveled to Buzios. It's a small area with beaches on every side. It was a perfect place for us to relax and refresh. It was the first time in 7 months that Joel and I could spend an entire day together, alone and doing nothing but relaxing. The paths to the beaches were usually a dirt path with jungle on both sides. Praia deTartaruga (Turtle Beach) was the closest beach to our hotel. Tables, chairs and umbrellas lined the beach with free places to sit... and the hopes you'll sip or nibble on something during your visit. We drank a little agua de coco, maracuya juice, coca-cola and had tons of grilled and fried shrimp.
We spent a whole day of beach touring with our new Brazilian friends (including touring beaches were they are currently filming novelas - or soap operas.) Then we enjoyed dinner together the next night. They introduced us to Brazilian lemonade and their own brand of ginger ale. Joel tried them both, but still drank his coke. Ze' Luis and Kris only spoke Portuguese, but with our spanish and a lot of patience - we were able to communicate pretty well. We actually talked so much, the restaurant kicked us out at 2am.This beach was beautiful, small and quaint. We kayacked out into the water with Z' Luis and Kris and picked up a few, small shells.

Joel and I soaked up the scenery and the quiet moments. We left Brazil very refreshed and ready to return to the orphanage to continue our work. We missed the kids and were glad to get all the hugs when we returned.

Brazil - Rio de Janeiro

2008-04-15T18:29:00.001-05:00

Joel and I were blessed to receive a gift to travel to Brazil for our 6 month trip to renew our passports. It marked the 1/2 way point for our time in Peru. It was nice to have a good week to be alone together. It can be tough living where you work, adjusting to a different culture and not having much privacy. So we enjoyed traveling, long talks and relaxing.

Our first stop was Rio de Janeiro. Unfortunately it rained the two days we were there and we weren't able to go up to see the Christ Redeemer statue up close, due to the rain. However, our last day we were able to get a view of it from the top of our hotel. Rio is a big city and didn't impress us much - but, again, there was rain. We did stay in Copacabana and the beach was pretty with really soft, cream sand.

From the rooftop of the hotel we could see the ocean... sort of.
This is the only view we had of Christ the Redeemer. Fruit market in the middle of the city.
Many gas stations, like this one, were in the middle of divided roads. I like the idea of driving in, someone pumping the gas for me and driving off into the sunset... or traffic.
Copacabana Beach in Rio... in the misty rain.

Coast Guard News Story

2008-04-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

Hogar de Esperanza made the news (barely.) The Coast Guard Academy did an article on the group that visited us in March. Click here to read it.

4 New Kids

2008-04-13T18:29:00.002-05:00

These sad eyes belong to Paul on his first day with us. He, his older brother and sister came to our albergue this past month. His mom brought them in with the help of the authorities. She is struggling with extreme poverty, single motherhood and drug abuse. It was a tough day for the three children. The oldest brother held his emotions in as he tried to take care of Paul crying and screaming out 'Mama.' My heart was wrenched as I watched the mother walk away with no sign of emotion. It didn't take the oldest long to realize he and his siblings would be protected and fed within the walls of the albergue. He found new friendships, comfort and safety. Their mother still has another baby with her, but she came to visit Paul, Fernando and Maria last Saturday. She mentioned that her children looked different - sad eyes replaced with contentment, security and smiles. (see below)

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A tragedy and a blessing. A mother brought her baby to the albergue 2 days after he was born. Her intention was to sell the baby to us for 300 soles, which is a little less than $100. She handed the baby over and then demanded money. We don't usually accept infants, but we made an exception. After we had him in our arms, we escorted the mother out and called the authorities. The mother suffers from a severe mental disorder as well as she is homeless. Her intent to sell her baby has taken her rights as a parent away. This isn't just another story - but a real person and child who are suffering right before our eyes... under circumstances that are still hard to grasp even though we deal with these situations daily. However, this baby has become a blessing to us. We had the priviledge of naming him Luis and he has brought joy to the children and workers in the albergue. Everyone wants to hold him, love him and protect him. His tiny hands, face and body bring a smile to our faces and we are blessed to be able to help this child.

Joel Drives the Bus

2008-04-07T18:28:00.003-05:00

One of Joel's favorite new jobs - driving 'Bob', the bus. He takes a group of kids to school at 6:45 in the morning and picks up a different group at 6:30 pm. He told me to write that he loves the interaction with the kids and being a part of their daily routine. It's the highlight of his day!

Goodbye Erin and Hayley

2008-04-06T14:43:00.013-05:00

These two girls came to the albergue together to serve for 9 months. They both left the Coast Guard Academy to come here. Hayley is now returning to the Coast Guard and Erin is beginning a new adventure, which includes getting married in August.

Erin found her gift teaching English to the madre tutoras, the teacher of our on-campus school and several groups of kids. English is a wonderful way to open the doors of their future, as knowing English increases their chances to study in the University and will help them obtain jobs. Erin also worked with our reading program and helped children advance and fall in love with reading. She spent several tough and rewarding weeks covering a girls' house as a madre tutora and bonded with the kinder class as she stretched their imaginations and creativity.

Hayley is also known here as Rocky Balboa. She inspired the boys and the girls to become stronger and healthier as she instructed P.E. and gave them the Push-Up Challenge. She brought our garden program into reality and had the tough job of explaining hard math and grammar to our four (sometimes unmotivated) high schoolers. She worked in our kinder program early on and the kids learned their numbers and letters, as well as how to walk in a military line. Hayley gave guitar lessons, showed a few kids how to keep rhythm on a drum and sang her heart out.

Erin and Hayley also made the living at the orphanage exciting and entertaining. Morning devotions were full of great discussions, interesting lunch conversations, and nights going into town were unforgettable. Let's just say that we miss them... 'we' includes everyone here at Hogar de Esperanza.

Church Public

2008-04-05T23:18:00.000-05:00

In March, we had a college group come and build a playground for us. Four of the students also attend Church Public and decided to stay an extra week with us. Their pastor and another member came to join them, as well. They were amazing to have around. They watched all the kids so that all our workers and volunteers could attend Liz' wedding and nobody missed out! I think it was a little trial by fire, but the kids were safe, had a great time and all ended up in bed (some with their shoes on.) The rest of their week was divided among different tasks - girls'/boys' night, painting our new playground, building a roof for one of our wells, painting walls, helping with kinder (and painting with the kids,) helping in Escueal de Miller and playing soccer. Most of all, they loved on the kids and made us laugh! (good medicine for the soul) The last day they were here was a holiday in Peru and the kids were out of school. It was fun to have our last outing to the beach, as the weather is turning cooler. Joel and I really enjoyed having the group here - they were a blessing and a blast to have around!

I don't have a picture of the whole group as I accidentally deleted all my pictures, but here are a few from our trip to the beach in Salaverry.

Nayeli with crab in hand

Alondra makes a sand angel
Austin and Maria Angelica
Joel and Arnold

Boys' Night / Girls' Night

2008-04-03T18:31:00.000-05:00

In March we had a several volunteers staying with us and it was a great opportunity to have some parties! The boys watched Transformers with Tio Joel and enjoyed popcorn and soda. Unfortunately, he didn't take any pictures, but I'm thinking they had a great time! The girls went crazy with hair-do's, make up, manicures, pedicures and in the background we had a movie going. I was in charge of the hair-dos and they all wanted curls! After I finished their hair, we put on a little blush and lip gloss... WOW!
The other volunteers worked on nails and some of the girls helped our volunteers look more beautiful.
We even had a suprise visit from one of the guys... who didn't know what he was getting into!

Peruvian Wedding

2008-03-29T16:01:00.001-05:00

Hogar de Esperanza's director, Elizabeth Bernuy, celebrated her wedding March 15. It was fun to participate in our first Peruvian wedding. I had the pleasure of helping Liz plan so many of the details along with shopping for her dress.

There are several traditions that are different and several that are mixed with the Western culture. One tradition is that brides and grooms chose 'testigos' (witnesses) and 'padrinas' (godparents) of the wedding. Liz and her fiance, Obal, had chosen Vickie Miller to be their madrina. When Vickie became ill and passed away, Liz hoped to have her daughter or someone in her family represent Vickie. However, with schedules and timing, this became impossible. I was touched when I received a written letter from Liz and Obal asking me to take this position. They honored Vickie with the words they shared with me and described how I had helped them both through this time of difficulty. Part of my duties included signing the religious documents as proof of their commitment and my willingness to support them throughout their marraige. In they end, they were also blessed with the suprise attendance of David Miller to represent his late wife and his family.
Christian couples in Peru need to have two ceremonies. The civil ceremony is officiated by a government worker representing Peru and usually takes place in a municipal building. The religious ceremony is usually held in a church and throughout Peru is mandated to be at 12 noon or 8pm. However, Liz and Obal have been influenced by the American culture as well and negated the appropriate times for their wedding. (Their wedding was at 4pm.) They also decided to combine the civil and religious ceremonies for finances and simplicitiy... (different dress, another fiesta and an additional guest list.) So, first they completed the civil ceremony at this table, where they were officially married according to the law and then they moved over to the center altar where their pastor officiated the religious ceremony. It was held in a beautiful garden area with cement stage and arches. The interesting part was that all the bridesmaids, groomsmen, even the bride and groom were sitting on stage... that was our hint that it would be a long service!

Liz with some of the children from the albergue who were old enough to come. After the ceremony, the guests stayed for dinner and cake. Then, several groups of dancers put on a show of traditional Peruvian dances, including the Marinera dance from Trujillo (Liz' hometown) and dances from the jungle (Obal's hometown.) Afterwards, the guests were invited to dance with the couple and friends and family enjoyed the salsa. The dancing was quite a controversy for the workers and children of the albergue, as many believe it a sin to dance. There were many long (and very short) conversations afterwards (and still ongoing) about people's personal convictions.
Karolina and Joel
Robyn with some of the ladies who work in the albergue. Kristy (psych. intern), Sarita (new secretary), Robyn, Sylvia (madre tutora), and Miss Aly (teacher for Escuela de Miller.)

New London Colegiate Ministry

2008-03-19T11:15:00.002-05:00

This wonderful group of college students came to serve over their spring break. With months of advance planning and communication between us, they came ready to re-construct our playground. The work they accomplished in 4 days was amazing. They were organized and worked hard! They repaired our swings and see-saws, added a baby swing, and built monkey bars, a crawling tunnel, a tire swing and a nice tire border around the whole area. The kids have been spending a TON of time on their new playground and this is the first time I've seen so many of our older kids out there playing. I'm still amazed at the work they accomplished! Our playground before the group came.

The kids enjoyed helping the group.
Yamelit trying out the new monkey bars.

Our new playground. Muchas Gracias!!!

Back to School!

2008-03-18T22:45:00.000-05:00

The children went back to school this month! The directors, social worker, madre tutoras and volunteers spent quite a bit of time organizing new uniforms and school supplies for 39 kids and were blessed to receive generous donations from volunteers, visitors and local Peruvians. We are excited to announce that this year our primary grade children are attending a new christian, private school (Colegio Betania) that is closer to the albergue - less than 5 miles away in Salaverry and our 4 high schoolers have the honor of attending Colegio Elliott, which was founded by missionary Bert Elliott (brother of Jim Elliott.) On campus in Escuela de Miller, Miss Alcira continues to teach 9 of our children who have a variety of learning disabilities and our on campus kinder program has 7 children learning their colors, shapes and simple English with one of our long-term volunteers, Amy.

Joel - Feliz Cumpleanos!!

2008-03-16T22:46:00.001-05:00

Joel had a simple wish for his birthday, which was similar to Franklin's birthday wish... pizza and a movie. Easy to do, now! However, Joel seemed a bit down during his birthday week... missing his family and close friends. I wanted to do something extra special, so with the help of our missionary friend, Heather Ferguson, I found a golf course and was able to arrange a morning of golf for Joel. The weather was perfect - not too hot and we had the course to ourselves. It's a bit different than courses in the US, but I think he enjoyed it! The staff also celebrated Joel's birthday by sharing a traditional chocolate cake and cracking eggs on Joel's head... easy to clean up when you don't have hair! The staff asked Joel questions to get to know him more and they shared wonderful words of their love for him and how he is a blessing to the work here.
Then we finished his birthday with 'The Bucket List' in English and pizza at Pizza Hut with our Peruvian family, Alcira and Lurdes.

Happy 41st Birthday, Joel!

Only In Peru

2008-03-15T17:41:00.000-05:00

Joel and I will be doing a blurb from time to time where we show pictures of things we see here in Peru. Things that you probably aren't seeing from where you're reading. We bounced around naming it "Peru 101", as well because I'm sure Peru isn't the only place people could see things like this. Well, whatever the name... these are some examples of daily life and things we see living in Peru. Joel's favorite sight. Overloaded trucks with passengers on top.
Bicycle carts are very common. This one is full of concrete... just another driver on the road.
Tied to a street sign on the side of the road... in the middle of town... having a good time.

3 Volunteers from Ohio

2008-03-13T22:44:00.002-05:00

Ben, Julie and Kirk came to volunteer with us during their spring break the first week in March. They helped with our last week of summer programs, including helping with tutoring groups, our kinder class, reading programs and Amigos de Net. Kirk and Ben helped paint our laundry room and offices and Julie filled in as a madre tutora for 2 nights. They also brought new shoes, school supplies, craft supplies and other materials for the kids. All 3 volunteers had been in contact with some of our children through our Amigos de Net program and it was fun to see them finally meet each other.

It was a crazy week at the albergue, as I was sick the first two days and then Joel and I went to Lima and everyone else was preparing for the first week of school. I was impressed with their willingness to jump in and do whatever was asked of them. They worked with enthusiasm and a wonderful attitude. I am reminded that there are young people all over with a passion to serve others and give of their time and money to do so. Everyone misses Tio Ben, Tia Julie and Tio Kirk!

Salaverry Beach

2008-02-24T17:12:00.001-06:00

Friday afternoons are free during the summer to take the kids on field trips or do something fun together. This is the second time we've taken the kids to the beach. Unfortunately, both times the clouds have moved in and the weather is less than desirable. However... the kids seem to have a blast anyways! This beach is in the fishing and port city of Salaverry, which is only 5 minutes south of the orphanage.

Milagros

Nanci in mid air
Piero, Jonaton, and Abraham

Aracely

I finally got my crab pictures... although, like so many things in Peru, this little guy is surviving amidst some rough circumstances. He's missing his left pinchers and a leg or two... a youth at the beach thought it'd be fun to tear them off. Grrrrrr!

Franklin's Birthday

2008-02-16T15:55:00.002-06:00

As a volunteer, we get the privilege to take the kids out for their birthdays. Once a month, we take out all the kids with birthdays that month. Sometimes we can do this all at once, but other times we need to seperate groups for more fun. This month, Joel and I took out Franklin for his 8th birthday. He invited his friend, Abraham. Franklin chose to go to the movies and eat pizza... even though he had never done either before! A new, Western shopping area opened near Trujillo a few months ago and is full of restaurants (including Pizza Hut... however it's a fancy, expensive place, here) and a movie theatre.

We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks in Spanish. Abraham and Franklin shared popcorn and a coke. At times I thought they were more impressed with the snacks and the comfy chairs than the movie!
The boys' first time on an escalator! Franklin was a little freaked out, so we rode up and down a few more times just to get used to it! Franklin and Abraham were making a ruckus in the bathroom at Pizza Hut. Finally, I knocked on the door and opened it to see them playing with the automatic hand dryer. "Tia, Tia... seca!" "Aunt, Aunt... it dries!" They were a little confused on what it should be drying, so I gave my first lesson on using a hand dryer. They were amazed.

Pizza Hut... including fresh strawberry juice in fancy glasses, color pages and workers singing Happy Birthday in English and Spanish! Happy Birthday, Franklin!

Noche de las Madres

2008-02-12T10:13:00.002-06:00

Joel and I hosted a special evening for the madre tutoras who live with and take care of our 40 children. Hayley, Erin and two other volunteers from Scotland helped by taking care of the kids for the madres. We set up a private room for the madres. The table was decorated with candles and we served pollo a la brasa (roasted chicken), which is a favorite and common dish in Trujillo. Afterwards, we served peanut M&M's for dessert and projected the movie Return to Me in Spanish. It was a night for the madres to talk, share, and laugh without kids. The children here receive so many blessings and often the madres' work gets overlooked. They have a tough job - a houseful of 8-12 kids every day, every night, all year round, with only 4 days off a month and two weeks vacation. They are truly servants of God with huge hearts for the orphans of Peru. It was a treat for us to be able to serve them for an evening.

Sarita (boys' house Tesoros del Rey), Veronica (boy's house Amigos de Jesus), Silvia (girls' house Luces ), Melva (girls' house Chispas de Amor)

First Crop

2008-02-11T16:41:00.000-06:00

Radishes! The kids have participated in the entire process of gardening and have learned so much! It was an exciting day... radish salad!

Visitors Return to the US

2008-02-11T10:49:00.001-06:00

The volunteer floor was full in January with the Miller Brothers, the Hansons and the other volunteers! It was fun! We had a full house with everyone here and some great conversations.

(Back Row) Hayley, Chuck Miller, Amy, Erin, Tom Miller,

Jerry Hanson and Robyn

(Front Row) Jackie Hanson and Jan Ruppel

Joel, Robyn and Tom Miller (my doctor and long time friend)

The children sang a farewell song for David Miller. They hugged him like crazy! The staff, volunteers and kids will miss him terribly!

New Mural

2008-02-10T10:03:00.000-06:00

Cristian, a young artist from Centro Biblico Church in Trujillo, donated his time and talents to painting our new outside wall near the street. It's an important mural, as it promotes the albergue and also helps direct the public to our building. Joel and I were invited to help him paint some of the details, along with a few other visitors, workers and children. Cristian even included a charactature of Vickie Miller reading a book with some of the children. MUCHAS GRACIAS, CRISTIAN!

Cristian and Elias show the rough draft
Cristian in his famous painting sombrero
Robyn painting the bordersElias and Joel's aunt Jan doing touch ups

Joel's mom and Joel

The mural is finished and all the kids say 'MUCHAS GRACIAS!'

Fogata

2008-02-09T14:18:00.000-06:00

In January we had Joel's parents and aunt here, along with David Miller (founder) and his two brothers. The visitor's floor was quite full. I invited my friends, Los Caimanes, to come and play music. We had a fogata (bonfire) and made s'mores (or at least it was close to s'mores.) It was a fun night!

David Miller, Abel, Tom Miller and Chuck Miller

Joel and Robyn leading the dancing

Yulianna, Jerry and Jackie

Cuzco

2008-02-07T09:38:00.000-06:00

Jerry and Jackie blessed us with a trip to Cuzco (including Machu Picchu) and the five of us enjoyed 4 marvelous days in the land of the Inca's.

Family Visit

2008-02-06T16:08:00.000-06:00

Joel's parents (Jerry and Jackie) and his Aunt Jan came to visit us for a few weeks. It was wonderful to see family!!! Along with lots of hugs, they brought us some special gifts and comforts of home (including Jackie's fudge, DVDs, and pictures from home.) We were thrilled to share our lives at the orphanage with them! We took our trip to Cuzco and then spent a week and a half introducing them to the children, working on various projects and visiting the sights around Trujillo. Goodies from home.

Joel, Jerry, Jackie, Jan and Robyn at Huaca de la Luna - Moche Ruins

Jackie and Jan help groups of kids make mobiles for their casitas.
Jerry and Maria make new shelves for the storage closet.
Jan helps a madre tutora pick new clothes for the children. The clothes were donated from friends of Hogar de Esperanza in Canada.
Robyn helps translate the guide's English at the Chan Chan Ruins

Jan on a tutora reed boat (caballito) in Huanchaco

Jan and Robyn on their caballitos at Huanchaco Beach

Churros, Churros, Churros!

Evening chats on the roof watching the sunset...

...and there it is... hasta luego!

Chito Goes Home

2008-02-05T16:44:00.000-06:00

Chito is the 3rd child we've said goodbye to since the first of the year. While we will all miss his smile and the way he added 'itito' to every word, we are happy because he is going home to live with his parents. Chito's parents are back together, they both have jobs now and have a place for them to live together. This is a huge success story! His mother was thrilled to have her son back and we are excited to have a family reunited!

Summer Programs - Part 3

2008-01-29T12:10:00.000-06:00

Fisica (Physical Education)

Sixteen kids, Joel and Hayley (Maryland) spend 3 days a week exercising, competing, running, playing, stretching and doing push ups. The boys are determined to be as strong as Tio Joel and everybody wants to be like Tia Hayley. Lately they've been having some great games of kickball. It's a great way to exhaust energy, keep in shape and learn teamwork and determination.

Manueldades (Knitting, Crocheting and Jewelry)

Nancy Cenepo (the wife of the Director of Projects) has volunteered her time to teach some of the kids how to knit and crochet. Boys and girls are learning how to make small pouches, scarves and bags. The kids love it and have even asked to continue during their free time. I am working with a group of children in the jewelry program I was involved in the last time I was at Hogar de Esperanza. They are learning how to design necklaces and bracelets worthy of selling. Many of the kids have never been challenged to use creativity, so this is a great opportunity for them to think differently. We hope to be able to sell the items made. Part of the money would go to buy more supplies and the rest would go to a savings account for the child who made it. Then, when they are of age to leave the albergue, they will have some money to help them get started.

Juegos (Games)
Amy (Kansas City) runs this program. Juegos is a fun learning time for kids to practice team work, playing by the rules and taking turns. They also run the sand dunes, read stories and have a blast!
Musica (Guitar Lessons)

Summer Programs - Part 2

2008-01-21T11:54:00.000-06:00

Bio Huerto (Gardening)

A volunteer that was with us for a month in December (Elizabeth, Texas) helped get our gardening program started. She actually plotted the land, worked the dirt, divided it into 5 sections (1 for every casita and 1 for the kitchen), organized the installation of a simple watering system and planned what plants we would grow. Joel asked to be more involved with the kids during the summer and this is one of the programs he has taken on. Now, he and another volunteer, Hayley (Maryland), teach the kids about gardening and how to take care of plants. They spend each morning weeding, fixing fence and tending the garden.Amigos de Net (Internet Friends)

We have a group of kids who would like to interact with students in other countries who can speak spanish and share about their culture. This is a great opportunity for our kids to learn about other cultures and learn how to use the internet. If you are interested in communicating with one of our kids, please let me know! Our secretary, Aracely, and one of our 3 week volunteers, Susannah (Florida), are in charge of this program.

Ingles (English Class)

All of our children learn basic English in school, but they lack practice. Many of them want to learn more and are always asking how to say different words. Erin (New Jersey) has a knack for teaching English and the kids are learning so much! Terapia de Lengua (Language Therapy) and C. Motora (Motor Skills)

At this time, we do not have a professional psychologist on staff. However, Kristi is a Peruvian student working on her degree and license. She has been interning with us for quite a while and works with these two programs. We have several children who are unable to speak, due to trama, abuse or other disabilities. Kristi has new challenges every day and wonderful patience. She also works with our children who are physically challenged and helps those who struggle with attention defecits.

Lazaro

2008-01-20T10:07:00.000-06:00

Lazaro has been with the albergue for nearly 4 years. He had spinal meningitis that was neglected when he was young and, therefore, he needs assistance with every part of life. He uses his wheel chair the majority of time, but can not control it himself. He can walk slowly with help (and there are tons of kids and workers who love to help Lazaro!) We have been concerned for Lazaro and desired to have professionals around him who have experience working with handicapped children. Our workers have done an amazing job with Lazaro, but he needs daily therapy and programs especially for him. After much searching and consideration, we arranged for Lazaro to be transferred to an orphanage south of Lima. This is a special place out in the country where the workers specialize in working with children who have disabilities. It was hard for the boys, who have lived with him for so long, to say goodbye to Lazaro. Deisy (a worker) has spent every day for 4 years assisting with Lazaro and there were many tears shed over his departure. However, Lazaro is in a place that is beautiful and his quality of life will improve day by day. Deivis, Franklin, Jhonaton and Lazaro
Lazaro smiles!
Yulissa, Lazaro and Deisy

Summer Programs - Part 1

2008-01-14T17:17:00.000-06:00

I am so happy to be a part of creating, organizing and planning 14 summer programs for our kids at the albergue! We wouldn't be able to do it without all of the volunteers (Americans and Peruanans) that are helping us. After spending weeks in countless planning and scheduling meetings, we emerged with some wonderful programs and only a few kinks to work through. Peru changed their school schedule this year. The children finished school the week before Christmas and will return the first of March. Therefore, we have only 8 weeks of our summer schedule. I think all of us have determined that summer is our favorite time at the albergue.

Since there are 14 programs, I am going to feature a few at a time.

Lectura (Reading)

We have four groups of kids that spend an hour a day reading in our library with the guidance of an adult. Reading was my favorite part of teaching and I am happy to be able to participate. So many Peruvians only read when they're in school. Books are a luxury and sometimes viewed as uneccessary. We hope to spark a passion for reading and a love of books within the hearts of our kids. I work with the two lower reading groups, as my spanish is just barely at their level. :) Another volunteer and a worker at the albergue help implement this program.

Tutoria (Math & Writing)

All the kids are split into grade level groups to study and practice skills for the upcoming year. We spend two hours a day in tutoring. (yes... during the summer) Some children are being reinforced in skills they struggled with the previously and others are getting a head start on the upcoming year. The madre tutoras and volunteers handle the 9 different tutoring groups. I work with the first grade class. I have a difficult time giving into the way the Peruvian schools teach these kids. I see so many kids that struggle with learning and (to me) it's because the way they are taught. There is little differentiation or time to practice the skills they're trying to learn. So, I enjoy my tutoring time... sneaking in fun ways to learn, using my experiences as a teacher and hoping the kids will master a few skills to make the upcoming year successful.

Kinder (Preschool) & Pequinitos (2 yr olds)

Kinder is one of our year-round programs. Our volunteers run this program throughout the year. Hayley (Coast Guard, Maryland) was the Kinder teacher during the winter and Erin (New Jersey) has taken the class over for the summer. Each week there is a theme of learning. Along with learning bible lessons, the children learn their letters, numbers, colors, shapes, how to spell their names and, most importantly, how to follow directions. They also learn their colors, numbers and simple vocabulary in English.

The pequinitos can be a challenging age group, but we only have 3 - two year olds right now. Luckily, our new volunteer, Amy (Kansas City, Missouri) is in love with these little ones. With the help of a past volunteer, (Elizabeth, Texas), she has a colorful room to implement learning, crafts and playtime.

Augustana College Visits

2008-01-13T08:23:00.000-06:00

For the second year in a row, our good friends, Scott y Yrene Parsons, came to visit with a group of students from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Joel's alma mater.) Besides bringing the orphans a ton of stuff from friends in the U.S., the group accomplished so much in just 24 hours. They toured our facility, helped shelve books in our library, painted the fences around our garden and playground areas, sang songs, played and (the biggest project) they made kites with the kids! What a fun expression of love!

Painting Nails

2008-01-10T08:34:00.000-06:00

I covered one of the casistas while the madre tutora took a few of the girls into town. The girls asked if I would give them manicures and pedicures. Luckily, my visiting youth had given me a manicure set for Christmas, so I had something to share!

YIKES!

2008-01-10T08:31:00.000-06:00

We found this gal roaming around the orphanage one day. We think it is an Austrailian Redback Spider... if you know anything different, let us know.

When Kids Leave...

2008-01-09T11:10:00.000-06:00

We now have 41 kids here in the orphanage. We used to have 42. But, this week we said goodbye to Jesus. Jesus had been with us for over 3 years, along with his older sister Yamelit.

A past judge signed papers giving Jesus' mother the right to remove her children from the albergue whenever she wished. He failed to put stipulations on this document... like making sure she had a house or room to live in, a job to provide food and necessities for her children and a clean, safe environment. When the holidays came, the mother wanted her children with her. This can sometimes be a good thing. Mothers have time to bond with their children and then work to be able to take them back home into a good situation. However, before the mother took Yamelit and Jesus home for the holidays, she confided in our director that she wasn't really ready to take care of the kids. She was still concerned that she might not have the means to provide for them. However, our hands were tied by the judge's decision.

During their time together, Yamelit decided she did not want to live with her mother. Yamelit has goals and dreams of going to the university and continuing in her education. The albergue has become her home and she is afraid of what might happen if she lives with her mother again. However, Jesus is different. He longs for that relationship and decided he wanted to live with his mother again.

We said goodbye to Jesus... a sad goodbye. Two siblings are separated. Jesus' future is unknown. We pray the mother will be able to take care of him. We pray he continues to go to school. We pray that he will remember all that he has learned and that he will continue in his relationship with Christ. We pray that he won't have to return to the albergue. We have to trust God that we have done our part and that He will take care of Jesus.

New Year's Eve

2008-01-03T16:38:00.000-06:00

We were exposed to a new tradition. A Peruvian tradition is for a family to make a doll or representation of a human. The family decides what size doll to make. It reminds me a little of the scarecrows that are sometimes made during our fall season. The dolls are usually made with old clothes and stuffed with sticks or whatever else you might have. Sometimes a family might put in a photograph or a symbol of something from the past year. Then, at midnight, everyone sets the dolls on fire to represent the passing of last year and the fresh start of the new.

The kids at the albergue made a doll almost the size of the biggest kid we have here. He was hung outside the casita awaiting midnight. Joel and I helped make a doll at Lurdes' house, as well. To spice things up, we stuck fireworks throughout the doll. We burned the doll out in the street along with all of the neighbors' who had their own version of the past year. The street was ablaze.

At first, I thought this tradition was a bit odd and, honestly, a little messed up. However gruesome it seemed, the thought behind it grew on me. Most of the things we long to have renewed are in our own lives and character. Resolutions mostly consist of changes within or disciplines needed to change what is outside. The Bible reminds us that in Christ the old junk in our lives is done with and He can make our lives like new. I guess this tradition is a good reminder and a symbolic enactment of this idea... and, it sure made bringing in the new year memorable.
Happy New Year - the old is nothing but ashes!

Goodbye FLY & Elizabeth

2007-12-30T16:38:00.000-06:00

Maria, Joel, TANIA, Josue, JILLIAN, SCOTT, Yamelit

Rocio and Jesus

Elizabeth and Brigit

We said goodbye to some of our volunteers last Saturday morning. Three youth from our church in Gypsum, Colorado left after spending 3 weeks of their Christmas vacation serving the kids of Hogar de Esperanza. Then, our new friend, Elizabeth, left after spending a month and Christmas with us.

Tears poured out of my eyes as I said goodbye to my youth on Saturday morning. I wasn't expecting to be so emotional, but I was overwhelmed with love for all of them and a sadness realizing how much we have missed them. When Joel checked their rooms, he found the Christmas stockings we all made together and tears filled his eyes. We are so blessed to have been a part of their lives and, in turn, have them come and share in the ministry, here. We will miss all the excitement, hugs, familiarity, jokes and joy that we had while they were here.

Saying goodbye to Elizabeth was hard, as well. She spent a little over a month here and had such a beautiful spirit. It was her first time serving in this way and she was always willing to help out however we needed. She also became a good friend and I enjoyed so many of our conversations talking about where her next step may be.

Volunteers are such a huge part of the work, here, at Hogar de Esperanza. Not only do they help start and implement programs, finish work projects and play endless games of soccer, but they show love and attention to kids who need it so desperately. Many times, they also refresh the staff who work long hours day in and day out. I am so thankful for the volunteers who made sacrifices to come and serve and I encourage YOU to think about the possiblity of doing the same!

Polar Express Night

2007-12-29T20:15:00.000-06:00

A few days after Christmas, Joel and I projected the movie Polar Express in the comedor (cafeteria) for all the kids. They came with their PJ's, pillows and blankets. We even had an intermission for freshly made popcorn (which they gathered in the bottoms of their shirts) and Inka Cola.

Christmas

2007-12-26T16:18:00.001-06:00

Since we've been in Peru, Joel and I have been adopted by Alicia Garcia and her family. I met them last year, when I came to Peru for a month. Her daughter Lurdes is like a little sister to me and her son, Juan, and his wife, Miriam, are the pastors of the church Joel and I attend most Sundays.

Miriam, Robyn, Alicia, Joel

Elmer, Juan and Lurdes

We were blessed to be invited into her home for the 'passing of Christmas.' Afterall, it isn't really Christmas in Peru until midnight. So, after a long day of celebrating at the albergue, Joel, myself and our 3 FLY went to the Garcia house around 8pm, again in La Campina de Moche.

Alicia had bought the turkey and Elmer butchered it the morning of Christmas Eve. Alicia filled it with raisins, spanish olives, onions and meat. The turkey was so large, it barely fit into the stove, so we had to leave the door partly open while it cooked. I helped cut and fry papa fritas and we brought more paneton (did I mention they love fruitcake, here?) Alicia handmade pockets to hold the silverware and we set the table with decorations made by the children at the orphanage. The exciting part is that we started our evening with dessert! Alicia made a strawberry gelatin pie and her neighbor brought over special cookies. It was nice to have dessert while we waited for dinner.

It's tradition to have the main meal at midnight and we were definately hungry by then. We enjoyed a dinner of turkey, french fries, bread, cookies and paneton... (what is it with the fruitcake?) It is similar to New Year's Eve in the U.S., as we all jumped up from the table at midnight and began saying "Feliz Navidad" and hugging each other. We even celebrated with sparklers and other small fireworks. We finished dinner around 1:30am and helped clean up a little while watching an old Selena concert. (Joel was so delighted) However, the party didn't stop there. After dinner, we all walked down to Lurdes' uncles' house and danced outside until 5:30 in the morning!!! Apparently this is normal. (I love it, I love it, I love it!)
Along with the rest of Peru, we spent most of Christmas Day sleeping. We finished Christmas by hanging out in our room with FLY, the other volunteers and all the kids at the orphanage. What a wonderful Christmas!!

Gift Giving in La Campina

2007-12-26T14:00:00.000-06:00

Joel and I left the albergue after the afternoon program and went to my favorite part of Trujillo... La Campina de Moche. Some of our good friends coordinated a small fiesta where they hand out bread, hot chocolate, paneton (again, the fruitcake) and small gifts to all the poor children in La Campina. We were invited to participate. As it goes in Peru, the party was supposed to start at 3. When we arrived, the milk for the hot chocolate hadn't arrived and you can't have a Chocolatada without the hot chocolate. They told us to come back at 4:30, so we went to our good friend, Lurdes' house. We went back to the party at 4:30 and helped set up. However, the fiesta didn't start until 6pm. (This happens a lot in Peru, it seems.) I was able to help hand out bread and hot chocolate and then the games began and the gift giving followed. We were so privileged to be invited to participate in giving to the people in La Campina.

They warmed the milk, chocolate, cinnamon and sugar here at the side of the house.

Robyn in the middle of the crowd, handing out hot chocolate and bread.

Javier, our friend, coordinates the event and hosts it at his family's home.

As I looked at all the faces gathered, I couldn't help thinking about the kids in the orphanage. The faces of the mothers and children standing in line for hot chocolate and piece of bread were dirty, worn and tired. Their best clothes were ripped, faded and stained. Hands weathered from hard work in the fields and bodies thin from the lack of food. Most of them live in small, adobe, one room houses with thatched roofs and no running water. The poverty and lifestyle is intense, but the mothers are grateful for their work and their families.

Many people comment that the orphans at the albergue have it so good... clean clothes, running water, loving people around them and a great education. However, I think of what their life would be like if they hadn't been rescued by the albergue. I substitute their faces in the faces of the people gathered at this small fiesta. The difference is not just the poverty. The children at the albergue wouldn't have been able to gather as family... they would have been standing in line alone.

This Christmas means more to me than any Christmas I've experienced. These beautiful Peruvian people who lack so much materially have blessed my spirit and have compelled me to give more of myself.

Christmas in the Albergue

2007-12-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

Friday night, the kids at the orphanage did a wonderful program for all of the people in Peru who have supported and helped the albergue throughout the year. Each casita did a song, recited a bible verse or acted out a Christmas skit. I helped prepare Escuela de Miller sing two songs and the volunteers sang What Child is This in English.

On Christmas Eve all of the kids, workers and volunteers shared breakfast together. We had hot chocolate, (which is made from scratch... milk, melted chocolate, sugar and cinnamon), a small ham sandwhich and paneton (fruit cake bread... it's a big hit here and everyone in Peru loves it.)

We then rested until lunch time. This time all the workers did a program for the kids. We also sang, acted out the Christmas story and sang some more. The volunteers sang and did our 'human cereal bowl' skit, which shocked all the Peruvians. Then, the workers revealed their Amigos Secreto and we shared a lunch of rice, vegetable salad and pork. A church in the US bought stockings and gifts for every child and Amy (newest volunteer) was in charge of handing all the stockings out. The kids were so excited to receive these gifts and spent the rest of the evening playing. It was a wonderful time to be in the albergue.

Feliz Navidad

2007-12-24T23:36:00.000-06:00

From the children of Hogar de Esperanza, Joel and I.

Holiday Decorating with the Volunteers

2007-12-19T22:38:00.000-06:00

Tania and Jillian with our homemade Christmas garland.

Joel was a good sport about helping make our decorations.

Hayley hates crafts, but she quickly became the star queen!

Our little forest of Christmas trees given to us by Joel's mom and dad.

Our small, wooden nativity we bought in Equador.

When we finished decorating, we celebrated by going to the beach.
For some reason, it still just doesn't feel like Christmas.