Our Anniversary

We celebrated 5 years of marraige October 5. In the states, we usually celebrate by going out of town for a night or two and hiking/shopping. This year, was a bit different... I suppose we already are out of town. The two managers at the albergue gave us a wonderful suprise. They made reservations at a very 'fancy' restaurant, chauffered us there and paid for the dinner. What an amazing treat. What kind of restaurant did they pick for us? Because they love Joel so much, they picked a great Pizza/Italian restaurant. We started with two small rolls with garlic butter. Then we split an unusual salad... two pieces of lettuce, green beans, peas, beets, carrots, a few unknown Peruvian veggies, onions, thinly sliced cucumbers, and a mayonaise dressing. Joel had pepperoni pizza and I had ravioli filled with... something... but it was yummy! Then we spent the evening walking around Trujillo and visiting their beautiful Plaza de Armas.

We truly felt loved by this gift. A meal like this was an expensive treat and a truly generous expression of friendship and love. Joel was happy to have a taste of something 'normal'. It's been amazing to celebrate our marraige at the beginning of this new adventure!

What is a casita?

Thought we should explain a little about how things are arranged here at the albergue (orphanage.) Then, when you're reading this blog, you'll have a better idea about what the heck we're talking about.

There are two buildings where the children stay. Each building is divided into two levels, creating 4 'casitas' or little houses. The boys are divided into the two lower levels and the girls are in the upper floor casitas. Each casita has a living room, 3 dormitory style bedrooms, a dormitory style bathroom, a table and chairs for meals and homework, and a room for the 'madre tutora' or live in mother. There are no kitchens in the casitas because the albergue has 2 'cocineras' or cooks who make all the meals for the staff and children. The cocineras ROCK and the meals are delicious... well, except for pig ear soup.

Each casita has it's own name and definately it's own personality. The boys' casitas are Tesoros (Treasures) and Amigos (Friends.) The girls' casitas are Chispas (Sparks) and Luces (Lights.) Right now, there are about 10-12 children in each casita, although the albergue can hold up to 65, I believe. I hope to write a blog about each of the casitas as we spend more time with them.

Concrete Forms Peruvian Style

No, we're not making a swimming pool for the kids. Here I (Joel) am with Elias and the visiting dog, Sam. We're actually making a concrete cover for a well. Originally, it was just covered with wood, but not heavy enough to make it child safe. Thus the concrete cover underneath would be a bit safer. We actually made a form in the sand. Then we made the concrete out of concrete mix, sand, gravel, and rocks. It was a little more complex than in the U.S. Then we put the concrete into the form. Two days later we moved it in place. It took four of us to pick it up and roll it... that was the hardest part.

I've also learned how to make window screens, the Peruvian way. I made one all by myself for a storage closet Robyn is in charge of. Yes, my first carpentry project. Last week, we demolished a concrete, brick, and tile wall. It took three whole days and it totally wore me out, especially because I was fighting bronchitas. I'm getting better each day and after taking some meds, I'm almost over it. Next we're making that room into another storage closet. That will involve some painting, building shelves, organizing, etc. I've also been working in several rooms trying to remove some mold in spots, a constant fight with all the humidity, and I could actually paint year round.

Joel

Tutoring Group

Every weekday after school all the children participate in tutoring groups. Basically it is a set and organized time for them to do their homework, receive help with it and get reinforcement in weaker areas. The groups are mostly arranged by grade level. I was assigned to a difficult group of boys who struggle with many behavior and learning problems. The madre tutora that was in their casista moved from the albergue and there have been replacements filling in without much consistency. When I observed this group, before I took it over, they would run around, jump on their chairs, throw things, lie about having homework, refuse to finish it and were, basically, a bit wild. Just my style.

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My first week with them was a challenge. The first day, we set up rules and consequences. I explained to them that they needed to sit at the table, work on their homework, respect eachother and clean up after themselves. I also wanted to show them I loved them and I would follow through with what I said. There was a lot of crying the first few days when the boys told me 'no', cried, or hit eachother and in turn were not allowed to play that evening. Some of the fits have been a bit intense... especially with the echo of the concrete walls. However, for the most part, the boys are beginning to adjust really well. Homework is getting finished! They've even started the tutoring session before I arrive and their smiles are wide when they known they've done well! We've even had time for some futbol, hugs, a few games of Uno and time to draw pictures. Sometimes I leave tutoring with a collection of fabulous art - churches, crosses, and pictures of Joel and I... made by the boys in my tutoring group. So many of the children have come from abusive or neglective homes. They have lacked discipline and structure and more importantly... love. I pray I can be consistant with them, have patience and help them to feel loved and cared for. Because the boys have been doing so well, they asked me to take a picture of them working!

Davis

Franklin

Piero(Jhonatan's foto will come soon)