Anna in Peru

My sister, Anna, came back to Peru with me when I returned. It was so much fun to have her here for a week. I have to be honest and say, I was a little nervous, we tend to argue like sisters a lot, but we had a wonderful week without a single fight.

She tried lots of new foods - which I am very proud of her for.

We took a day trip with my friends and the volunteers to a town about 2 hours north of Trujillo called Pacasmayo. It was a blast. One of the most pure fun days I've had here. We played on the bus. Walked along the longest pier ever, that was anything but solid ground. (The boards were so weird and spaced out ... it was like an optical illusion to walk along. Everyone thought they'ed loose their flip flops, but no one would take them off because stepping in fish guts isn't that appealing either. Luckily there were no foot issues... yet...) We swam in the Pacific Ocean. (Anna's first time.) Then they played football on the beach. Then Nikki's toe and Walter's toenail collided... Then we went to the hospital and got Nikki three stitches in the bottom of her toe. Which may sound like a bad part of the day, and granted I wasn't the one in pain, but it still managed to be fun. Nikki's reaction to pain it so laugh. She was sitting on the examining table laughing. And she may be the only person I know who can eat cake while getting stitches done. (That was my third taking time someone to the hospital... all three times have been adventures, but this was definitely the best time - I will spare you the details and simply say that no one else but the current patient's blood was involved - so it was pretty good.) After the hospital we went to dinner. We had a big family mean where every one ate all they wanted off a plate and then passes to the next person. It was delicious. Then we jumped on a bus and headed back to Trujillo. We lucked out and found a mini micro (small bus) that was finishing up for the day... they brought all 9 of us all the way back to Salaverry for a great price - while blasting our favorite cumbia music and flashing the very cool blue interior lights - our very own rolling party mobile.

I am so glad my sister got to come down and meet my friends and family, enjoy the delicious food, have fun and see why I love it so much here. I think instead of asking me when I am coming home again she may start asking when she can come back to Peru again.

Back Home

I will be the first to admit this particular short coming of mine - I have been a terribly lame blogger - it is true. I know it. I had this whole theory about people, relationships and experiences being more important than my computer... and then a dear friend reminded me that it wasn't just my computer - it was my friends and family back home waiting on news... former volunteers and people associated with the albergue.... and others that had a genuine interest in my life in Peru and the things happening at Hogar de Esperanza that I was choosing to ignore when I made no time to update my blog. Valid point, and with that in mind I will try to do better. So here I am - it is sunny Saturday afternoon blogging time.

I originally came down to my Hogar for August 2008 - April 2009... but lets get serious. This place is too beautiful, the children are too wonderful, the workers are too fantastic, the volunteers are too amazing, and the experiences are too fabulous to leave after such a short time. I have been able to extend my time serving here in Hogar de Esperanza until next March (2010).

I came home to Virginia for a 3 week visit in April. It was a wonderful time of reconnecting with friends, visiting with family, worshiping the Lord in English, and eating a lot of mexican food.

I got to have sleep overs with old friends... and shop with my sister... and eat meals with lots of people who love me... it was a wonderful time.

The three weeks felt like a short time to get to spend with loved ones, but like an eternity to be away from the albergue. Things in the Albergue change so much, every day... nothing is ever the same. While I was gone children left, new workers came, and volunteers came and went. Sarah and Nikki, two of the long term volunteers filled in for me while I was away. I am so grateful to them for all of their efforts while I was at home relaxing. I took them out to dinner as a thanks, but I feels that falls quite short in repaying them for all the extra things they had to do while I was away. They are both quite remarkable women. I am very grateful for them.

I am also grateful to be back. It was sweet to be back in the land I am from, but there is some thing about being in Peru is just perfect for me... so for now, I am quite happy to be Back Home.