Camp!

I just got back from a week long camp this Friday. It was a nice change of scenery for me because it was in the middle of a forest and it was quite a bit cooler than here in Pacasmayo. The camp was built about 40 years ago by an American church but now it is completely ran by Peruvians and they do a really good job. The kids all loved it and behaved really well. I just sat back, relaxed and listened to my ipod all week making sure none of our kids ran away or hurt themselves. It was a pretty easy job because we only had 6 kids in this age group which was 12-16. It was 4 older boys and 2 girls.

Throughout the week the schedule was wake up at 7:00, church gathering at 7:30, breakfast 8:00, group bible studies from 9:30 - 1:00, lunch, fun activites, dinner, more fun activities, sleep at 10:30. Of course there were breaks and small group times scattered throughout the day. One of the activities we did was climb a freaking mountain. That was pretty intense. If you have ever been to Peru and see those gigantic hills/mini mountains then that is what we climbed, except this one was more grass and rocks and sandy. I was really exhausted after that activity, then the next day we walked to the nearest pool. They told me that the pool was close, I guess that my concept of close is a little different from theirs because I don't consider a 5k walk close. My legs were already sore from the mountain climb the day before so they were jello after the pool walk. I was just surprised all the kids handled all the walking so well.

Other activities included skits and dramas. All the kids got really into those and actually did put on some really nice presentations. There was also a bonfire and all the teams had to create costumes to show off for everyone else. My favorite was a kid who's team dressed him up like cupid.

The pool

Yhonson on top of the mountain

Climbing the mountain

Playing some outdoor games

General assembly hall of the camp

Rain again

The last couple days it has been raining. It only rains about 4 days a year but when it does so it all comes about 4 days in a row. My roof is leaking where they put the air vents in, so I've had fun toweling up all the water that didn't make it to the buckets. Some ladies from the community came over last at at about 10:00 asking for plastic sheets to put on their roofs. We had a roll of plastic in the tool shed so we let them have that.

I've been surfing a lot lately, perhaps a little too much. I suddenly started breaking out in rashes in various parts of my body so taking a combination of Antibiotics, Cortizal pill and some special cream I have managed to get them under control. But in the mean time that means I gotta take it easy on the surfing. I haven't been for 3 days now and I'm anxious to get back out.

On kid news, Nelson who has been here for 3 years got adopted this week. His parents came from Italy. I talked with the parents as much as I could, Italian is similar to Spanish but not quite. I talked to the official from the agency a lot more though. I found out a lot of interesting stuff. For example the average wait time after all the papers are cleared from both countries is 8 months. Peruvians have priority over foreigners, for example if there is a kid up for adoption and an international couple has been waiting 6 months for a kid that fits their criteria but a Peruvian couple just finished their paper work the day before they still have priority, thus the reason for longer waits for international adoptions. Also the guy that from the Italian agency said that the reason they parents are adopting from Peru is because it is so much easier than any other country. The guys said the reason it is so hard for people in the US to adopt from Peru is because of all the US paperwork and the agencies in the US.

Last night I took Danilo out to eat pizza, he really enjoyed it but I think he was a little over stimulated. By the time we made it back to the house he started crying and was overwhelmed. I was also a little perturbed because I realized my cellphone had fallen out in the moto taxi. So I lost my cellphone and some dude is making calls on it right now, but it's a good thing that I don't have the monthly plan an only use prepay. Unfortunately now I have to go get a new cellphone and a new number.

Danilo eating some pizza

Nelson's new Parents with all the kids

Soccer and Surf

During the kids vacations I've been busier. Although I do kind of feel like a soccer mom some days. Monday, Wednesday, Friday there is soccer practice for 5 of the boys that I usually take them too in the van. Then Saturdays are the games. Last Saturday we played in San Pedro in someones private field. It was really nice, full of grass, big goals and even a pool for the kids to swim in after the game. The owner of the place gave everyone a free lunch afterwards.

I started surfing this week. A peace corp volunteer and I are giving surfing classes to some kids in the community and a couple from the orphanage. By giving classes I mean supervising and making sure no one drowns while they practice on some boards that an owner of a surf shop is letting us borrow for free. I'm practicing too. Tuesday I stood up on my first wave and it was a blast. Yesterday I got my own board so now I can practice by myself anytime I want. The board is from Maribel, her cousin moved away and left his board so she gave it to me to use. I plan on going out tonight on my own without any kids so I can get some more practice in. I'm planning on going down to the beach around 4:30 so I can be finishing up right around sunset.

We got 5 new kids this last week all 4 brothers and a sister. For the most part they are pretty mellow but one of the new kids is quite a handful. I've already had to break up a couple fights and pull him down from a gate he was trying to climb. The oldest sibling is Carlos, he is the one that goes Surfing with me, he just got up on his first wave yesterday and was really pumped.

Next week there is a 5 day church camp in Trujillo. I got roped in to going and being the adult supervisor for our older kids, so that is going to be an interesting 5 days for me.

About time

Well a lot has happened since I last posted so here’s a long one.

The wedding,

I’ll start with the wedding of Mari Ester. She was our secretary and great friend. I learned that in Peru the ceremony is just about the same, however it is just a lot more laid back (I guess like everything here). First they do a civil wedding the day before the ceremony. They go the city building and have a 10 minute ceremony where a judge has them sign some papers, and then some witnesses sign some papers, then it the judge pronounces them husband and wife. The room it takes place in is fairly large in size and decorated in red and white, the colors of the Peruvian flag. Only a few people go to this part, I was one of the few that were invited. After the ceremony ended when drank some sprite, then the groom took us out to lunch at a really nice restaurant. After we ate and were on the way out, Luis the groom, asked me if I could be his man of honor. So I obliged. I thought it was kind of strange that they would wait for the day before the wedding to ask me, and that they would ask me and not a brother or lifelong friend.

The next day was the actual wedding. It was outside under a white and green canopy. The wedding proceeded as they would in the states. However, it was a little unorganized. Everyone kept getting out of their seats and taking pictures throughout the entire ceremony. I kid you not, someone actually came up and stood next to the preacher and took pictures while he was talking, then they decided just to stay up there and stood next to the maid of honor. Afterwards the reception was in the same place, they just cleared out all the chairs and put out tables.

Kids update –

We had a couple of kids return to their parents and the twins got adopted to Italy. So right now we have 32 kids, the fewest we’ve had in about a year. Supposedly we are getting a family group of 5 within the next couple of days. Just 2 days ago we switched up the houses. Now we have 1 boy house and 1 girl house instead of them living intermixed. So far I think everyone likes it. I was moving beds around for what felt like an eternity. Bunk-beds don’t fit through door frames very well so I had to disassemble and reassemble 5 of them, but everything is in the perfect place now.

I also feel like a soccer mom these days. We have four scholarships for a soccer academy so I am bringing four kids every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for practice and every Saturday for games. I feel real cool pulling up in the mini-van, then giving rides to other kids without transportation to the games on Saturdays.

We got a new boy the day before Christmas. He’s somewhere around 12 or 13, he won’t really tell us anything about him or his parents. I think he must have had a really bad past because he is afraid that if we learn anything about him then we will find his parents and thinks that if we find his parents he’d have to go back with them. It was pretty good timing for him to arrive because as soon as he got here he was given Christmas gifts and Christmas parties.

Random Stuff –

My parents donated money for 3 semi-industrial washing machines so we are replacing them one by one when they break. We just had our one break last week and the first new washer is on the way.

The new pastors of the church got here last week they seem really great and I’m excited to work with them. The husband will also help with administrative duties allowing Avis to travel in the United States more often for fundraising, and the wife will work in the school teaching first grade.