Janie's Journal

Jumping on beds and splashing water

2006-12-06T20:57:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! Sorry that I have not been better at updating my blog regularly. Not only is this computer not the most reliable, but my days seem to be so full sometimes that either they are gone before I know it or I am just too tired to type!! I know I was a lot better in the beginning and I have gotten more and more sporadic with my entries as my time goes along. It is amazing to think that I have been here for 3 1/2 months. In fact, this is my last week here at Hogar de Esperanza. I will be leaving the albergue Monday morning and will be back in the US Tuesday morning. It is unbelievable how the time has flown here!
This last week I have experienced a lot of "last time" activities. Last Friday Emily and i hosted our final pajama party with the girls. I took a lot of pictures, but the computer is not allowing me to upload any of the photos so i will just have to explain it to you! :) There were 8 girls that had not gotten to have a slumber party yet and we had been planning on having two separate parties- but like I was saying before, time goes by really fast here, and before we knew it, I had one week left and zero free evenings. So we had the slumber party with Rocio, Nikita, Carolina, Vanessa, Nancy, Fiorella, Brigitte, and our newest little girl, Blanca Nygely. It was definitely an exciting and LOUD night. We used the biggest guest room here to hold the party in. In one room there are 5 twin sized beds all lined up in a row. So of course, the first things the girls did once they got into the room was run to the beds and start jumping. It made me smile to see them- their hair flying and holding hands with each other. They were laughing and their eyes were sparkling. They didn't seem to mind that every once in awhile one of them would fall off- they just would climb back up, shove someone over, and continue jumping. The only thing that could get them to stop was to see me come into the room loaded down with snacks. Candy, chips and ahi, juice, cookies, and of course- peanut butter! I thought when we bought all of the stuff, that we would have some left over- it seemed like a lot at the time. But, don't worry, you will be glad to hear that the girls here have a very healthy appetite and that the food was gong in approximately 2.4 seconds. :) It was really funny because the sauce that we got to dip the chips in was really spicy but the girls really like it. So they would be screaming and fanning their mouth and saying “pica, pica” (which means spicy) but yet the next second they would be sticking even more in!! No wonder people here can eat spicy things- they build up an immunity to it when they are young! :) After they had taken care of the food we decided to play hide and seek- never have I heard more shrieks and screams! All of the girls except for 1 were under ten and most were around 7- so hiding from another person happens to be one of the all time funniest and most nerve wracking things to them! At one point I decided to hide in a closet- but 5 of the other girls and Emily wanted to hide there too- so there we were squished into one not so very big closet- the little ones were giggling, we were all sweating and one forgot that when you hide you also can't talk. Little 4 year old Brigitte found us within one minute and i can't say I was too disappointed! :) To round out the evening we played twister, practiced being models (I did have to teach them the proper model walk, thank you very much), and watched Elf in Spanish. It was a very fun, yet exhausting night!!
On Saturday Emily and I took 5 of the girls to a place called Lagunas- it has a swimming pool, swings, ice cream and other activities. The 5 girls we took were the ones that I had for crafts the whole time I was here- I actually had 6 but one of the girls had a little cold so she didn't get to go. I wanted to do something special with them and spend a little time with them outside of the orphanage. I had a pretty nasty cold all weekend so I didn't swim or play much but it was wonderful to watch them. I forgot my camera so I will have to always remember what it was like in my mind. For some of the girls, this was only their second time in a pool- for the others it was their 3rd or 4th time, but either way, it was definitely a treat! I will never forget watching the girls- Kristy was laughing and slapping the water so that it would splash up all around her, Maria was holding on to Emily (who, thankfully, was able to swim and play with them) and pretending like she couldn't swim even though it was probably only 4 feet deep, Rocio was showing us how she could do flips in the water, Yumelit had her ankles hooked over the side of the pool and was relaxing on her back, and Yuli, after taking 20 minutes to work up the courage to get into the water, was having me count to 3 and then putting her face in the water for a second or two. I loved the feeling of one of them calling my name so they could show me something they could do or just to wave at me. At one point I sat at the side of the pool with just my feet in, and I had the privilege of receiving 5 very wet hugs! Also, Kristy was worried that i would get too cold sitting there so she had to get out of the pool and get her towel and wrap it around my shoulders- how cute is that! Sitting there I was reminded again of how amazing these kids are. Two of the girls had swimsuits that someone had donated but the rest of them swam in shorts and t-shirts. It was a shallow pool that wasn't very big and didn't have the normal slides or diving boards, but you would have thought I had brought them to a huge water park! They were so thankful and said that they had soooo much fun- it always reminds me that it is not things or surroundings that makes a heart joyful- it is the love of God and the love of those around you that makes the difference.
Another exciting outing i got to be a part of happened today- I got to take kids on my last birthday outing. Two kids are going to have birthdays in December- Piero, who will be 7 on Sunday, and Jesus, who is normally called Chito (because there are two kids named Jesus), who will be 3 on Christmas Eve. Piero has been asking since September if I would still be here to take him out for his birthday so this has been a very long awaited day. Chito is too little to really know what was going on, but he is a very happy, giggly little boy so he was excited just because he was awake! Emily was already in Trujillo so she met us at the restaurant. That left me with bringing the two boys into town by myself. We took the micro in and it was a very full micro. Luckily I got a seat and got both boys on my lap- I think within 5 minutes both had fallen asleep. Chito was by the window and Piero was spread out all over me and Chito. Chito fell asleep with his head resting on the window and Piero fell asleep with his head resting on Chito's- it might have been the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. When we got to our stop I half dragged them off the bus and we had walked about a block before I think they actually woke up. I was worried that they would be grumpy for the rest of our time together (because Chito can get a wee bit cranky if he doesn't get a good nap), but I shouldn't have worried because as soon as they saw the play center at the restaurant they both perked up. Chito said that it was his play center and Piero didn't say anything- he was too busy climbing into it. :) Actually, I got to go a little bit into the play center myself because Chito needed help getting up some of the platforms. But after that, my job was taken over by Piero who felt it was his responsibility to help Chito through everything. - I am very grateful for that because it is built for kids under 10 years old and I really didn't want to write a story in my blog about getting stuck in a plastic tube 10 feet off the ground! :) One of the cutest things that happened between the two of them was when they were trying to get into the ball room- you know the room that has all the multi-colored balls and you get to jump and play in them? Anyway- Chito wanted to go in, but the entrance was a little high and Piero wanted to go in but he waned Chito to go first. So Chito would try,decide he couldn't, and start cracking up,then Piero would try to demonstrate how to get in, which would make Chito crack up even more- Chito has the cutest laugh because his whole face is involved and it all scrunches up together and it is one of those laughs that is addictive and you can't help laughing with him. So Emily and I were cracking up with Chito- the only one that was serious was Piero and I don't think he appreciated all of making light of the “entering the ball room” lesson! But they did finally get in and had a good time hitting each other with balls. After a yummy dinner of chicken and french fries we went into the center of Trujillo to get ice cream and go to a movie. It was Chito's first ice cream cone and I got to teach him how to eat it. He was so excited before I handed it to him that he was squealing and jumping up and down and clapping his hands! I think he thought it was too much work just for ice cream though, and I ended up holding the cone and just telling him when to lick, but it was fun for me! We went to the movie theater after that, which of course mesmerized them- it was the first time for both of them- they were amazed at how big the screen was and at one point Piero wanted to go up and touch the screen- of course it was in the middle of the movie, so we didn't let him, but as soon it was over he went up and took a closer look at it! :) We stopped by a playground for more slides and swings before getting a taxi to take us back to the albergue- Remember how the outting started with both of them sleeping on the micro? Well, that is how it ended- they fell asleep 5 minutes after we got in the taxi and Chito didn't wake up when we got back- I carried him in and I think he didn't wake up for dinner or anything! It was a wonderful day and I always love hearing kids laugh and seeing them smile!
I know that I talked a lot about activities that may not be too exciting for some people but it is not the activities that I will remember. It is the million smiles I have seen over small things like splashing water or jumping on a bed, the sound of children's laughter over nothing more than enjoying life, it is kids falling asleep in my arms and knowing that they trust me, the feeling of tiny arms hugging me and little mouths kissing me on the cheek, but most of all it is the joy that i feel when I see them happy and content. That is the greatest gift and one that I am so grateful I have gotten to enjoy.
As I go through these last few days at Hogar de Esperanza, a big part of me will be sad that my time is coming to a close here- leaving these kids after falling in love with all of them will be a very hard thing for me to do, but I am blessed knowing that I will forever hold them in my heart and that I was able to show them love and acceptance for a few months.
I hope to write another blog before I leave, but I am definitely not promising anything!
I love you all!
janie

November birthdays!

2006-11-25T23:54:00.000-06:00

On friday night we celebrated the kids with November birthdays. Aracely turned 6 at the beginning of the month, Yumelit turned 12 on the 21st and on the 20th Brayan turned 5 years old. These monthly outings are made possible by my family and friends and also by Nelsonville Baptist Church! Thank you!! The kids had a wonderful time. . .
First we went to the beach to run from the waves and play on the playground-
from the left- Aracely, Yumelit, Brayan, and Emily.
Brayan and Aracely swam with the dolphins. . . well, sort of!

After the beach we got ice cream and cotton candy and walked around the center of Trujillo. The kids thought that cotton candy was amazing but couldn't really understand how it worked. After we walked around we went to the movie theater. I love taking the kids to the movie theater because most of them have never been before. They always think that the seats are broken because they flip up and this time they discovered something else new- the hand dryer in the bath room! They freaked out when I turned it on but after they wanted to wash their hands again just so they could use the hand-dryer! :)

After the movie we went to Roky's for dinner- it is a restaurant with a play center and really good food! There happened to be a face painter there so of course all of them needed to do that! :) We have Yumelit the fairy, Aracely the butterfly and Brayan who is now only known as Batman!
It was a wonderful night and I don't think any of us wanted it to end- it is wonderful to watch the kids experience new things and for them to be made to feel special- I love the fact that right now, I get to be the one to do it!! That is such a blessing!

Gaby

2006-11-25T23:14:00.000-06:00

So while I was in Piura, Peru, visiting Yulissa's family, I was introduced to this little girl. Her name is Gaby and for the last 2 years she has been fighting Leukemia. She needs advanced treatment and has been waiting for a year and a half to get it. The doctors say that she HAS to go to Lima for a month in December to get intensive care. The problem is her family is very, very poor and unable to pay for treatment. Thanks to the Lord, her and her mom's passage has been payed for to Lima and back but I was told that she is going to need months of more treatment. She needs someone to help sponsor her so she has a chance to heal. She is 8 years old and has sparkling eyes and loves to play with her friends. She is very friendly and not very self concious about not having hair. If you would like to help Gaby, please email me at janiehelm@yahoo.com
Thank you. . .

My travels

2006-11-25T22:40:00.000-06:00

The main attractions in Peru are Cusco and Mantu Pichu- I have not seen either of those but I feel like i know Peru better then your average visitor. i have visited 3 different cities and gotten to see Peru from a Peruvian's perspective. I love being at the Albergue and being with the kids but it is also nice to get away and enjoy different sites and sounds. :)

The first city I visited was Chepen. It is a small town about 2 hours northeast of Trujillo. It is built into a mountain/big hill so all the streets are really steep. The streets are really narrow and only one car can go through at a time. That's not really a problem in Chepen because most everyone either walks or takes a Motor-taxi (or Tuk-Tuk) It is like a motorcycle with 3 wheels and a back seat for passengers. I visited Chepen with Nancy, one of the worker's wifes, her 2 little girls, and Emily. In this picture, from the left is me, Nancy, and her friend. We are in the Plaza de Armis of Chepen. Notice how we are almost the same heighth? don't look at our feet! :)

The second city I visited was Cajamarca. It is breathtaking there!! It is surrounded by mountains and is really cute. The looking at a map, Cajamarca is only an hour or so more than Chepen. So it should take about 3 hours to get there, right? In actuality, because Peru didn't cut down any hills or trees or anything to build their roads, the bus goes up and down mountains, along clifts, down in valleys and all around to get to Cajamarca. It ends up being a little over 6 hours for the journey. But to me, it is worth it! The weather is a little chilly and you can see mountains all around- my idea of a perfect combination! It rained the whole weekend we were there but I didn't mind- it was the first time in 3 months that I had seen rain! (for those that don't know, Trujillo has rain once upon a never). I went to Cajamarca with Emily and we spent the weekend hanging out with her boyfriend, Augusto.
This picture was taken up on a hill overlooking Cajamarca- when you are down below it feels like a small town- but as you can see it is pretty big.
While in Cajamarca we got to visit a place called Porcorn. (yes I know that sounds and looks like popcorn- that's what i always call it :) ) It is a Christian community started by Burt Elliott, a missionary here for 50 years. It is literally in the middle of nowhere but is a self contained town. They have shops, churches, houses, crops, restaurants, everything you can think of. It is truly amazing because they work together and help each other in every way imaginable.
This picture was taken on the way in to Porcorn- all along the way there were these signs with different bible verses. It was a beautiful place!

The last part of the country I visited was the Piura area. Yulissa, one of the Madres, invited me to go home with her to visit her family and see where she grew up. Piura is the city, but her family lived north of Piura in the country. It was a beautiful area and the people were amazing! I got to see Cantelope, Mangos, Psalm Trees, beautiful rivers, ride horses, learn to drive a motor-taxi, learn to take showers with no running water, practice sleeping under a mosquito net, try different food, and generally have an amazing time. It was in the more tropical part of Peru so that means it was really hot and the sun was really intense. But it also means it was GORGEOUS!
This picture was taken at a river we played in one afternoon. Those are goats stopping by to get a drink of water.
This is Yuli and her family outside of their house. (Yulissa is on the far left) They are a wonderful family and even though they don't have a lot of money they definitley are rich in spirit and love.

Manualidates

2006-11-08T17:36:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!
The last couple of weeks have been really good- the kids have been amazing and I am loving spending time with them. My biggest struggle now, besides missing my family and friends, is with the language. While I am always understood and I can usually understand other people- it is difficult sometimes. I know that I have the worst grammar ever and I probably sound like a 4 year old, but the people here say that my Spanish has improved. (I'm not to sure of it, but they say it's true!) Last Saturday my Spanish was really put to the test. Every other Saturday Liz (the Social Worker), Emily and I have a meeting with the parents. Every Saturday the parents of the kids that live here have the opportunity to come spend time with their kids. Most of the parents usually don't come, but there are usually about 7-10 here. The other Saturdays Mirian, Liz's assistant, holds meetings with the parents dealing with parenting skills and basic life skills. But the Saturdays that we have the meetings they are like a mini-Church service. We sing songs and Liz gives a short lesson. Usually my job is to pray-in Spanish- I write it down ahead of time and just read it so normally it is pretty easy for me. However, last Saturday Liz asked if I would share my testimony-in Spanish!! For those of you that are unfamiliar- a testimony is how you came to know Christ and also what Christ has done in your life since then. Anyway- it was definitely a challenge for me. I wrote it out in English beforehand and with the help of a translating program on the internet and Liz's revisions, I translated it into Spanish. I wasn't nervous at all until it was time for me to stand up in front of everyone!! I messed up quite a few of the words and I don't know if they understood a word I said, but I DID IT! Please pray that something I said to them would be understood and give them hope! That experience prepared me for an experience I had on Monday- For this whole week Emily is volunteering with an organization called "Joni and Friends". It is a ministry from the United States that visits underdeveloped countries all over the world to hand out wheelchairs, walkers and canes to people in need. It is a wonderful program and has literally changed the lives of thousands of people. On Monday I went with Emily for half a day as her guest just to check it out and see if I could help. I thought maybe I would hang out with some kids or open doors- but no, because 16 volunteers had come from the US to help, they asked if I could help translate!!! AHH!! Scary! Anyway- I did that as well! I translated for a family getting a new wheelchair for their son- and they actually understood me- crazy! So even if I have the worst grammar of anyone else around, at least the point is getting across! :)
Other than those things, life around here has been basically routine (if life at an orphanage can be!) One of the activities that has been the most consistent since I got here is Crafts- Manualidates in Spanish. I do crafts twice a week with two different groups. We make necklaces, bracelets and ankle bracelets with beads in one group and the other group does really pretty embroidery work. Before, Emily and I would make up all the jewelry before and then take it apart and put it into a bag for the girls. They didn't know how to put colors together and would mess all the beads up. Well, starting last week they now get to make their own jewelry- they get the colors approved by me and then they have at it. It is wonderful because they have so much pride now in what they are making- About every 2 minutes one of them says- Mirar Tia, te gusta?? Look aunt, do you like? They also want to show it to all the other workers, the other kids, and probably the dog, too! :) Plus, it is a lot less work for Emily and I because we don't spend every evening working on Manualidates!!! I love the time with the girls because I have gotten to know them so much better and really see them for the wonderful girls they are. I would like to introduce you to 4 of them so you can know what I experience every day!

This is Carolay- she is 11 years old and is a very intelligent girl. She likes to giggle and loves the movie 'little women'. I have that movie here and it can be dubbed over to Spanish. She had read the book this year and was so excited to get to watch the movie. The whole time she was making sure she knew what was going on and that she had all the characters straight. She is probably my hardest worker in crafts and she is very good at putting colors together. She wants to be a grown up half the time but still loves jumping on the bed! :)
This is Rocio- she is 12 years old and has a very sweet spirit. I call her Mamita- because she is like a little mother. She makes sure the other girls in her casita are doing what they should and she loves looking after the little ones in the Albergue. Especially Jose David- he is our youngest and whenever she sees him she runs over and steals him! She is very short for her age and she is very self-conscious about it. What she lacks in height she makes up for in spirit- she is always ready for a hug and always wants to practice her English. She only knows a few phrases but uses them all the time. She always tells me "the baby is sleeping" and "very good". It doesn't matter if the baby is sitting right there wide awake, she just likes speaking in English! She has some problems with dexterity and because of that it takes her longer than the others to finish her work- but she is very diligent and never complains.
This is Yuli- She is 13 and the oldest child at the orphanage. But you would never know it from being with her- she acts more like a 6 or 7 year old. When I first got here, I had quite a few problems with her because she would one minute say she loved me and the next say I was ugly. She would either be wanting to hug me and stay with me or she would not look at me and say mean things to me. Then the worst thing was one day she walked up to me and choked me- not a just kidding choke but a very hard, strong, both hands around my neck choke. It hurt a lot and made me cough for awhile, but I am pretty sure my feelings were hurt worse- I loved her so much and it crushed me to think that she didn't like me. I had to talk with her madre about it and Yuli got in trouble and apologized and since then she has been wonderful. But I found out that the reason she choked me is because her mother choked her when she was a little girl. Kids really do learn things from their parents and they remember everything! Now, Yuli is obedient, loving, and wants to make me happy. She has a very sensitive, shy side and a very outgoing, wild and crazy side. She loves to hug and tell people they are beautiful. She is unsure of herself much of the time but because she has such a loud personality, the other kids copy her in a lot of her actions. I can't say enough about Yuli- I think because I know what she has gone through (unbelievable, horrible abuse) and I know the sweetness that she is capable of, I admire her. She has seen pictures of my friends and family and when she prays she prays for all of them- so just know that there is a little girl down here with a big heart that loves you even though she has never met you.
This is Maria- she is a very kind girl. We had a slumber party a few weeks ago and Maria was one of the girls that came- she spent the whole time sharing all of the snacks with the other girls and making sure the other girls and Emily and I were happy and having a good time. She is 11, but loves sitting on laps and being held. Whenever all the kids are getting disruptive and crazy and I say no more- Maria is the first one to say- okay-. She likes to be silly and looooovvveeess to laugh- she has giggle fits when she laughs for no apparent reason! She would like to make necklaces as presents for everyone she has ever met, just because she thinks they might like them! She has a darling smile and likes to help others- she is always the first one to volunteer when I need a hand.

All in all, I would say I am pretty blessed to know these girls and get to spend time with them- somedays I don't want to do crafts because I am tired, but every time I end up smiling and I am so happy to do it.
Okay- I love you all!
janie

Lazaro!

2006-11-08T16:49:00.000-06:00

This is Lazaro- He has lived at the Albergue for a few years and is approximately 8 years old. He was abandoned and so they don't really know how old he is- their best guess is that he was born in 1998. Lazaro doesn't speak and needs assistance with walking. He uses a wheel chair much of the time to get from one spot to another more quickly. He can walk and really likes it but he falls easily. He had been progressing but now has digressed a little bit. Emily is volunteering with the organization 'Joni and friends' this week- it is an organization that supplies walkers, wheelchairs and canes to people living in underdeveloped countries. So today we took lazaro in and he got a walker! This will be wonderful because he will be able to walk more with less of a risk of falling. He gets therapy every week but the doctors say if he was able to have more he would improve quite a bit. He is available for adoption. He is very cute and loves to be kissed and loves to eat! He has the greatest smile- I like to get down to eye level with him and make really loud kissy sounds at him- sometimes he starts cracking up with a huge smile on his face!!! Which of course makes me laugh- so there we are just smiling and laughing at each other!!! Nothing warms the heart like making a child laugh!
In the top picture he is with David Miller, who founded and runs the orphanage-and who has a huge, generous heart. In the bottom picture he is with Karolina and Emily.

Visit to another orphanage. . .

2006-11-08T16:24:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, Emily and I, along with Mirian- who works at Hogar de Esperanza- went to visit another orphanage named "Aldea Infitil: Victor Raul haya de la Torre" where Mirian's friend works. We met most of the kids and of course fell in love with all of them. This orphanage is different because almost all of the kids have been abandoned so almost all of them need homes. The kids were all very sweet but all of the kids and workers didn't seem to have the joy and exuberence that our kids and workers have. I realized that it is because it is not a Christian orphanage- It was amazing the difference between this orphanage and Hogar. Anyway, so on Monday I got an email from Tim Brooks- he is the father of the 3 girls that were adopted in September. This is the message he sent to everyone he knows, including me: "While we were in Trujillo, Peru completing the adoption resolution, one of the social workers really wanted to show me something on her computer screen. She had a picture of the brother and sister attached in this e-mail. She told me that they had been in the system for a long time, and really needed parents. They asked me to see if I could find a family for them, I told them I'd try, but didn't really have any one in mind. So, I'm asking you all. If you know of anyone, perhaps an older couple, or even yourselves that have room in their homes and hearts for either of these siblings groups could you let me know, and I'll pass it on?" Lo and behold- they were the exact same kids I had been with the day before!!!! I was amazed! Like I said- they are very sweet kids- these two pictures are the pictures he sent me in the email. The top one is of Ana and Walter, who are 12 and 14 - and the bottome is of the sisters Ingrid, who is 12 years old and Carmela, who is 14 years old. I told Tim that I would post their pictures on my blog just in case anyone that reads it either is their forever family or knows someone that would like to be! :)
Below is a picture of Emily with Carmela on Sunday- crazy that the next day I got an email about the exact same girl!!
This is a picture of one of the casistas at the other orphanage- aren't they cute?(I must say, i am still partial to our kids though!)
This is Maryelena- she stayed with us the whole time we were there- the social workers said her parents had abandoned her- I think she is adorable!!!!

A disclaimer. . .

2006-11-06T18:37:00.000-06:00

I was reading over my last post and thinking about it and wanted to make one little side note. When I was talking about the food here and saying that it made me gag, it is not because the cooks are bad. They are actually wonderful and make wonderful food. It is because I am a picky eater and don't like beans, fish, most meat or lots of cooked vegetables- which is pretty much what we have for every meal. I didn't want anyone to think that the cooks weren't good- they are very, very sweet and have made me fresh squeezed orange juice and strawberry juice on a number of occasions. :)
Okay, that's all!

Halloween and top ten "only in Peru" moments!

2006-11-03T10:33:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone!!
It has been pretty calm around here the past couple of weeks- the kids went back to school after a week of vacation and let me tell you- it is very quiet around here once again! :) All of the kids are over the sickness that swept through- so that is a huge answer to prayers! Other than that I have just been living life here- pulling lice out of all the girls hair (don't ask, it isn't pretty!), doing crafts with the girls, and just generally loving the kids!
For halloween Emily and I were invited to a party in the Tesoro's Casista- It is one of the casistas for boys and the only casista I had not spent time in. So I am so glad that I got to get to know all of them better. We played Jenga, Sorry!, Jr. Scrabble (for a about a minute when we discovered that none of us (adults included) could spell) and Uno. We also ate pizza and laughed- alot.

This is a picture of us playing the game, Sorry!. The kids all thought it was great because you can send other players back to start and you get to yell Lo Siento!! (sorry in Spanish) From the left is Jesus, Kevin Arnold, Hugo (he works here and is married to Sarita, a madre), Josue and Emily

This is Kevin Arnold showing you how you can use the game box as a hat- He is an adorable boy and loves to hug people! He just arrived her in July.

And this is us playing Jenga (I don't know how to spell it). Everyone thought it was funny to watch me during this game because I would get so stressed out and nervous that I was going to make it fall!! That is Jesus in front, and then Sarita and Hugo, Josue, and Kevin.

I love spending time with the kids and seeing them laugh and have fun. We seriously have the cutest kids down here!! (well aside from my nephew, of course!)

I have now been down here 9 1/2 weeks and there are so many things that are different, interesting, or just plain funny! :) When Emily or I see something that is particulary funny or unusual we will just look at each other and say "only in Peru, Only in Peru". We have compiled a top ten list of our only Peru moments. These things probably do happen in other countries but for Emily and I they are now synonymous with our time in Peru. OKay, here it is, our top ten list, in no particular order (drum roll please). .........

10. Here they have many modes of transportation- one of the funniest is called a collectivo. It is an older model chevvy sedan that is used sort of like a taxi. In downtown Trujillo they have a street where all the collectivo's wait for passengers. Each car is going to a different suburb of Trujillo. Normally, they wait until there are 4 people in the back seat and at least 3 in the front before departing. You can also flag one down on the street outside the orphanage and get in. My first time riding in a collectivo, I was with Nancy, a wife of one of the workers here, and her two little girls. We were going into Trujillo for something and she didn't want to wait for a Micro so she flagged down this car. I was standing there thinking- does she know these people? What is she doing? When the car stopped I started to say- well there is not enough room for both of us plus your children, so lets just wait for a micro- but Nancy just said no, no, just get in. What was I thinking! Of course a backseat that already has 3 adults and a huge kite that someone had could fit 2 more adults and 2 children. Nancy sat on the very edge of the seat, everyone else pretty much sat on each other, and I was sideways next to the door. (don't worry I made sure the door was locked). Both Nancy and I had a child on our lap and there were 3 more people in the front and maybe a couple more kids. I remember sitting there thinking- "is this happening?" and trying really hard not to bust up laughing- of course, technically I couldn't laugh because that would require some movement, and that was not an option!! Definitley only in Peru a car that seats 5 can easily hold 8 adults and 3 children. :)

9. Only in Peru can the words- it is a part of a cow - strike fear into my heart. One day for lunch the cooks made, what else-rice, but with something that Emily and I had never seen before. It was black and kind of looked like a mushroom. Emily asked Filomena, the cook, what it was and she smiled and said "dulce" which means sweet. So Emily thought- something sweet, I can do that! When we sat at the table I took one wiff of it and tried to fight back a gag- it smelled foul! Emily asked one of the other workers what it was and she just smiled. Emily said "is it a vegetable?" and the other woman shook her head. Emily asked "is it meat?" and the other woman said "it is a part of a cow". By then I was having trouble holding back my gags and Emily couldn't look at me without laughing. I looked at emily and said "Umm, I need to use the telephone" and ran upstairs to my safe room with my plate. Meanwhile, downstairs, after Emily had eaten a few bites, she finally found out what it was- a cow's stomach. The lining of a cow's stomach. So now when I don't like the food and I see no escape, I just look at Emily and say "I need to use the telephone."

8. Only in Peru can you have chicken soup for breakfast. Emily and I went with one of the Madre's, Rocio, to visit her family's house a few weeks ago. The next morning before returning to the Albergue, we went by her family's booth in a nearby market for breakfast. It was probably 8:30 in the morning and they asked what we wanted to eat- we were both thinking tea or coffee and maybe some bread. But our options turned out to be chicken soup, cebeche, rice and chicken or pasta with chicken. Emily went with the cebeche (which is raw fish marinated in lime and lemon juice- yes, I know she is crazy, but it is a favorite dish around here), Rocio had the chicken soup and I thought- I'll play it safe and get the pasta. You can't go wrong with pasta, right? Ummm, wrong. I took one bite and my mouth was on fire! Apparently the sauce had a lot of Aji in it- which is the spiciest stuff you can get. As soon as I took the bite my eyes started running and my lips swelled up. Turns out that I can't handle the aji.

7. Only in peru do you get sick from drinking cold water. (or say they say) Since being here Emily and I have both had a few bugs- we have had the sniffles, the sneezes and coughs. We are both fine now, but when we were sneezing, we were told soooo many times by everyone here that it is because we drink cold water. They said since we like our drinks cold, that infects the throat and makes you sick. This is a nation-wide belief. We were told by nurses, mothers, social workers and kids that we should never drink cold drinks. Furthermore, if you are sick you should not take showers- having water around your face or throat makes you much sicker. Also, when you are having trouble with your stomach or having bathroom issues, you should only drink warm water and occasionally tea- no juice, no soda, and especially no cold drinks!!

6. Only in Peru do I rate the food by how many gags I have. For example, yesterday was only a 1/2 gag day- so it was a really good meal, but there have been meals with as many as 7 gags- that might have been the stomach day. :)

5. I know I have talked about taking the micro before- but just for a recap- they are these buses that each have different routes and go around picking up people. You just have stick your hand out and wave and the bus stops (or sometimes pauses) and you get on. One day Emily and I were in downtown Trujillo and were wanting to go back the Albergue. It was around lunch time and the micros were a little bit overcrowded. When we got on all the seats were taken but there was plenty of standing room- at first. The micro kept letting more and more people on. They never refused a person even though we were standing so close. Emily was farther back on the bus and she eventually got a seat but I was at the very front. I had positioned myself so that I was in a corner by the window- but I was surrounded by people- I had nothing valuable so don't worry about pick-pocketing- but lets just say that there is no such thing as personal space here. I was completely against the window and had 3 people pressed against me from 3 sides. I didn't know them but after that ride i felt like we should be friends or something. Only in peru would they have no capacity number and transport people like animals.

4. Only in Peru would you spend a friday night picking lice out of little girls hair. At the orphanage, there is a little problem with lice- okay so it is a huge problem and all of the girls have it. It is so hard to get rid of because there are 20 girls and if one of them has it, they all do. The teachers at the school decided that they were going to crack down on it so they said- you have 2 days to get rid of all the lice or the kids can't come to school anymore. So Emily and I have now spent hours upon hours sitting with heads in our lap picking out lice. I would be okay with never seeing one again in my life! The girls would all be picking out of each other's head and there would be 3 or 4 of them all at different levels in a train looking through hair. We haven't gotten rid of the problem because the madre's don't feel it is necessary to wash the brushes and sheets after you pick it out of the hair- but i pray that someday before I leave we will be living lice free!

3. Only in Peru would a girl with green eyes and a girl with blonde hair cause a commotion. So I have dark, dark hair and green eyes- not very unusual or exciting, but here in Peru I am amazing to other people. Because everyone here has dark hair with dark eyes. I have been told about a million times that my eyes are pretty by people on the street, waitresses, every worker at the albergue and even the nurse when i was in the hospital. Emily has long blonde hair and is tall- both of which are very unusual here- people stop her on the street, yell "hello" at her all the time and generally are amazed. So the two of us together cause quite a scene- we have gotten really good at ignoring stares and whispers. Don't worry, it is not dangerous and the people just like to stare but it kind of makes you feel like a rock star! :)

2. Only in Peru is a twin size bed more then big enough for 2 adults. I have spent the night in the casistas a number of times now with the kids and the madres. It is always fun until we get to the part when it is time to go to sleep. The first time I was so confused because the madre said that two of the older kids could sleep in the room with us. They just pulled in one extra twin size mattress- I was thinking ' you just have a twin size bed, and so now there are only enough spaces for two people' - but no, the two girls layed down on one bed and she told me that we would sharing her bed. You can't move without waking up the other person and you have to both sleep sideways or hang off the bed. When Emily and i went to Rocio's house to spend the night a few weeks ago it was the same story- Emily and I shared one twin size bed, Rocio and her sister shared another and then 1 person slept on a couch cushion on the floor! Sometimes you can fit two adults and a child onto one bed. Needless to say, I always prepare myself before going to one of these sleepovers and come to terms with the fact that there won't be much sleeping going on. When we have slumber parties with the girls they always think that they should be allowed to sleep with us- For the slumber parties,Emily and I share a full size bed, so to them, we could fit all 4 kids plus us with no problem!!

1. Only in Peru would you get hugged by 40 kids everyday and get to see God at work in everyone's life around you. It really is amazing here to watch God work in the kids and the workers lives. I know that my heart is changing and I am maturing and growing. It is such an honor to be part of this ministry and to live my life with them. I love walking into the cafeteria and hearing 40 little voices say "Tia Janie! Tia Janie!". Those are the times I am reminded why I am here. I miss my family and friends like crazy and would love to have a hamburger and french fries, but when I see the kids smile and they come running to give me a hug, it is all worth it!

Birthdays, Bumper cars, and Bonitas Dias

2006-10-24T18:56:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!!
Sorry that I haven't posted in awhile- the internet was not working for a few days and even when it is, sometimes it's sketchy! :) Last week was a really fun week- we got to to do a lot of things with the kids and it is always good to see them smiling. Because my family and friends donated money for my trip and I had more than I could ever use, I have been looking for things that are needed or things that are really wanted :). My friends and family have bought shoes for 22 of the kids, supplied lots of materials for craft time, purchased a baby walker for little Jose David (who by the way- took his first steps over the weekend!!!!), made it possible for internet to be installed in the offices downstairs, bought lanterns for the casistas for when there is no electricity, and now, they have made first ever birthday outings possible!!! Emily and I decided that all of the kids deserved at least one evening out with just a few other kids for their birthdays. We want them to experience exciting things and for them to feel special. So on Wednesday we took the 5 kids who had birthdays in September out to see a movie and to dinner. I posted pictures and more information below about that outing, but when I was posting the other pictures, I ran out of time so they I didn't talk a lot about what we did. So I will just have to tell you about the other outing now! On Thursday we took the kids that have birthdays in October out for their birthdays. There are 4 of them and they are all just the cutest! We took Khirsty (13 in 5 days), Estephany (8), Dani (5), and Brayan (5 on monday!) out for the evening. First we went to the beach- one of the other madres was taking her casista to the beach and a place called Playland Park for a treat so we decided to catch a ride with them. It was so funny at the beach because the kids wanted to get their feet wet- so they would walk down to the water line and wait for the wave to come in, but as soon as the wave started crashing, they would run away!. You should have seen them all waiting and waiting and then screeching and running the opposite direction. I could not stop laughing and it looked like so much fun so i of course had to get in on the action! But the first wave I tried to run from (notice I say tried) was a bigger wave and went up past my knees! The kids got soaked to their waists but they were all laughing and giggling so much, I don't think they minded! After we left the beach we all went to Playland Park- it is like an amusement park/fair. It had rides that you see at a fair but it was permanent. There we drove bumper cars (much screaming and more laughing involved), rode the carousel, and a few other rides. Khirsty rode one of the rides that was only for older kids/adults with Julissa, and said afterwards that she didn't know if her heart could do it again!! After Playland park, Julissa and her casista went back to the Albergue and Emily and I with the kids went to Roky's. It is a restaurant that has a big play area and really good french fries, so we were all happy. On our way back to the Albergue, Khirsty kept saying 'bonita dia' which means beautiful day. . . she said that she didn't want the day to end and wanted to stay out until 3 o'clock or 5 o'clock in the morning! I was just so happy to see all of the kids happy and joyful. They laughed and smiled so much and everytime we did something new- they would look at me or Emily as if to say “Really? I get to do this??”. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings we did something fun and different with the kids- each night I would go bed content and happy knowing that I helped to make a child happy. It was the best!
Right now, quite a few of the kids are sick- once one child gets something, it passes around to all the kids in no time. Several of them have a cough, soar throat, and a fever. Please pray for them!!
Thank you again to everyone that reads this blog, prays for me and the Albergue, and especially to those that leave comments! (you know I love them!) :)
I love you all!!!
janie

Slumber party 2!

2006-10-24T18:25:00.000-05:00

Emily and I hosted our second slumber party on Friday for Maria, Caroline and Yuli- First the girls jumped on the bed (above) and then all fell down together (below!) :) Maria and Caroline are jumping above, and all three are crumpled on the bed below!
Then we ate some peanut butter- because what is a Peruvian party without peanut butter??!!! From the left- Yuli, Caroline, Maria and Emily
Then we played Twister, which, by the way, Emily beat everyone but me at. It could have something to do with me pushing her over during our match, but who's to know??
And of course, no slumber party would be complete without being models!!!

October birthdays!

2006-10-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

On Thursday we took October birthday kids out for the evening- it was so much fun!!! First we went to the beach and played at a small playground by the beach. . .

and then ran from waves . . . :)

Next we went to Roky's for dinner - it has a big play center for kids- this is Brayan.

It was a wonderful night!!! From the left- Dani, Janie, Khirsty, Emily, Brayan, and Estephanie

September Birthday's celebration!

2006-10-24T13:36:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday night Emily and I took all of the kids that had a birthday in September out for the evening. We wanted to make them feel special and do something that they would really enjoy. We decided to take them to see a movie- we found out that none of the 5 kids we brought had ever been to a movie before. It was so wonderful sharing this first with them. They had never seen chairs that fold up like the ones in the movie theater so it took them awhile to figure it out. They thought the chairs were broken at first and I had to show them how to sit in them. :) This picture is before the movie started in the foyer eating some ice cream! (because what is a birthday celebration without ice cream??) From the left- Ana, Kevin Arnold, Junior, Fiorella, and Maria.
After the movie we went to a restaurant called Roky's for dinner, they have a huge play center for kids. This is Junior relaxing. :)

All five of the kids wanted to play in the ball room where they wrestled and jumped and generally had a great time. Emily and I had a good time watching them as well because they were soooooo happy!It was a night that i will never forget and I hope the kids remember it forever as well! :)

Family and Ice cream

2006-10-18T09:31:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!
I have been here for 7 weeks today- can you believe it? Somedays it seems like I just arrived and other days I feel like I have been here for months and months. I really love it here- I love the other workers- they are so incredibly sweet, generous and caring. Friends are really important here so the people here would bend over backwards and drop everything to help a friend. On Friday night Emily and I got to spend time with one of the co-workers in her house in Trujillo. Rocio is a madre here and is very sweet and fun. I had stayed at her house one other night but this time the differences and the lifestyle here really impacted me. She and her family share a small house. It is actually a small house with 3 rooms and then another tiny shack behind the house. Half of the people sleep in the tiny shack and the rest sleep in one room in the house. They share twin sized beds- at least two people per bed, sometimes with a child sharing it as well. They don't really have running water inside the house. I think for only an hour or so a day they have the ability to run the shower. The shower and the toilet are in little stalls in the hall- they don't have doors and you have to use a bucket of water to “flush”the toilet. The ceiling is part thatched roof but mostly just tin. The tin is held on by rocks. The family runs a little booth at a local market. The market is open 6 days a week from 4 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon. They make food and sell it at the market so they have to get up really early everyday to get the food ready. Their kitchen is outside and consists of a small stove and a sink. They don't have a car, or cable, or a working refrigerator. But they are an amazing family. Anything they have, they will offer to you. They all work together to make sure everyone is taken care of. There are 6 or 7 adults that live in the house and 3 or 4 children and they all work hard but love harder. While I was laying there in the middle of the night, unable to sleep because of roosters crowing (umm, aren't they just supposed to that in the morning???), dogs barking and Rocio talking in her sleep, I kept thinking- these people have really figured out what is important. So often at home I start thinking- “It would be nice to have a new car- mine is only 7 years old, but it would be fun to get a new one” or “I want my own apartment with my own bedroom, kitchen, everything!” or some other thing that I think is really important. But being with Rocio and her family I realized that to them, none of those things even cross their minds, because it is out of the realm of possibilities in their minds. The things that they concentrate on are helping their families, being with their friends, and honoring God. It made me become introspective and really examine the things I concentrate on and spend my time thinking about. I realized that if i stripped everything away and was just left with the people in my life I would still be more than okay. I am so incredibly blessed- my family is amazing- always supporting and ready to help me with anything i would ever need. They love me for me and if we lived here in a tiny house without running water, we would still be happy and loving. You don't need a nice house or cars or anything to have a complete life. Your life is complete with the people you love and that are important to you. My friends and family are wonderful and I am so thankful for them. God has blessed me more than I deserve.
This morning I was thinking how blessed I am to be here. Everyday I fall in love with the kids a little more. They are amazing and have perseavered through some of the most horrible, ugly situations. Knowing that most of them have been abused makes me sick to my stomach. I can't think about someone hurting one of these kids without crying. Today we are taking 3 of the kids to see a movie and out to dinner. They are the kids that had a birthday in September- I am sooo excited about it and cannot wait for 3:00 to come! :) It is so wonderful to get to see the kids experience things that they never have before. I don't know, but I think that they have all been to see a movie before- but they can probably count on one hand the number of times they have been. The other day, Julissa (the madre) and I had to run some errands in Trujillo so we brought Yen, the 2 year old with us. His eyes were huge the entire time we were walking around. His little eyes darted from one thing to another and he kept pointing out things. Julissa wanted to buy something in a market that was really crowded and crazy so Yen and I waited at a nearby park. I decided we both needed a treat so I bought us ice cream cones. Yen had never had an ice cream cone before- He kept trying to take bites out of it and couldn't really figure out how it worked. I got to teach him how to lick it!! :) It was adorable because every taste he would look at me and say “rico”- which means yummy. He did this with every single bite- he was very serious and didn't even crack a smile. :) It was adorable!
Right now I am kind of frustrated with some of the kids- they have this week off of school and so are constantly around- which means that they constantly want to be with me and know what i am doing. So as I am typing this I have one girl hanging over my shoulder and another staring at me. Two girls also have popped out from under the table! :) Crazy chicas! But even when they are being crazy and I have to get a little upset with them, I love them and am so glad I am here!!!!!
Thank you again for all of your support and prayers.
Love you all!
janie

Karolina

2006-10-18T09:11:00.000-05:00

This is Karolina- I have talked about her before and the trouble I had with her when I first arrived, but i wanted to share with you her story. She is 7 or 8 years old and full of energy. She likes to be a comidian and can get VERY hyper. She also loves to play with the little children here. I call her a mamita(little mother). Yesterday we took the little ones outside to play and she stayed with us the whole time playing with them. She was abandoned several years ago by her birth parents. She has been living here for about 3 years. At the beginning of this year she was adopted by a woman in Trujillo. But, 3 months later the woman left her at the orphanage.
So she has now been abandoned twice. The woman said that she didn't want Karolina anymore because she was disobediant. But Karolina told the workers here that the woman abused her and was very unkind. Karolina struggles alot with trust and her temper. I would too if i had a past like hers. On Sunday Emily and I got to spend some time with her and she was soo sweet. With a little love and attention, Karolina was a different girl. She wanted to hug us both and wanted to make sure that we both knew she loved us equally. :)
Karolina is in desperate need of a forever family. It will take her awhile to be healed of past wounds and disappointments. Please pray for her heart to be healed and for her forever parents to find her. Behind all of the pain, she has a sweet spirit.

Our afternoon outside with the little ones!

2006-10-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

Jesus tried to play on the teeter-totter. . .
Jose David played with his lips . . .
Jesus and Yen pretended to be my babies . . .
Edwin played on the swing. . .

Abel played in the sand . . .
and we practiced saying "hola" (or should I say yelling "hola") with Jose David, Yen and Isaias. It was really fun and the kids were sooo good! :)

Jose David

2006-10-11T10:33:00.000-05:00

This is Jose David!! He is the resident baby at Hogar de Esperanza and is the perfect little guy for it!! Jose David is 15 months old and very very sweet. He was born with a cleft pallet and a heart condition. When he was 6 months old, his birth mom abandoned him at a hospital because of all his health conditions...
Last year he had two surgeries to help with his cleft pallet but he won't require any more until he is older. Even though Jose David is 15 months old, he is very similar to a 6 month old in many ways. He is a tiny little guy- about the size of a 6-8 month old. His Madre, Sarita, told me that it is because his birth mother ran out of milk when he was a month old and gave him water and other things instead. He can't walk yet, but just recently he started to crawl a little bit! He is the proud owner of 3 very sharp teeth. He doesn't use any words, but he can make some very loud sounds! :)
This is Emily posing with Jose David.

Jose David is available for adoption- during the course of his life he will require lots of love and help with his medical issues. He is a sweet baby and is ready for his forever family!

If you would like more information about Jose David, please email me! :)

Edwin (the cutey)

2006-10-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

This is Edwin- I know I have written about him before but I will remind you about his story. . . He was born with a condition that made his head enlarged- it is not water on the brain or anything and will require no other medical attention, but because of that condition he is consisdered special needs. He is currently 4 years old and has been abandoned by his birth mom.
Edwin is so incredibly cute and when he runs his arms and legs go everywhere because he is so excited to be running! He doesn't know very many words but he understands quite a bit. He is a special child that needs a lot of attention- but once he knows that you love him regardless, he will be the first one to run up and give you a hug. His smile lights up a room and his laugh is bigger than life.
Edwin is available for adoption. Like I said, with love and attention he is a wonderful child. He has trouble expressing himself and doesn't always like to share, but his heart is sweet and he loves to see adults smile at him!
If you would like more information about Edwin, please email me. :)

Picnics, kids, and being tired :)

2006-10-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. . . As always the past few days have been very full. 4 year old Dani is sitting on my lap right now helping me type- I think i spoke of him and his family earlier- they are a wonderful family- Dani is here with his 3 siblings- Karina, Aracely and Yen. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbvvvvvvvvvvvvv
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Dani thought he would help for a minute- I think that means "hola" :) Their family is from the jungle in Peru. Their mom had a series of abusive boyfriends and she eventually escaped with the kids. They met a woman on their way here that helped them make it to Trujillo and find Hogar de Esperanza. Their mom visits about twice a month and now has a new boyfriend and a new baby. Please pray that this man is kinder than the other men she has dated. The kids are all so sweet and have the cutest smiles you could ever imagine. I know I talked about them in another post but they are worth mentioning again because they are just so cute! :) Another little boy, Samir, is also helping me type- he is 8 years old. I don't know Samir as well as I know the other kids, but he is quickly becoming a favorite- he is very loving and very rambucious. Right now, he is hanging off of Hugo, a man that works here. :)
Now, I have Junior on my lap. He is 7 years old. I had alot of trouble with him when I first got here, because I didn't understand him and I didn't know how to best interact with him or help him. But now, I know him so much better and I realize that when he is inappropriate or violent, I just have to remove him from the situation or walk away. He craves love and affection and is always ready for a hug and a kiss. :)
On Saturday, Emily and I, along with David miller and Alex and his family went to a picnic for the church I have been attending- the church is called Centro Biblico. It was founded by Bert and Colleen Elliott- they are originally from Oregon but have been missionaries in Peru for 57 years. Bert's brother was Jim Elliott- the man that was a missionary in the jungles of Ecuador. His story is pretty famous so it is crazy for me to know his brother and hear the account first hand. OKay, back to the picnic. It was very similar to church picnics in the US- food, music and lots of laughter. The differences though were pretty outstanding- instead of hamburgers and hotdogs we had- what else- rice and beans, and instead of a park or a church basement, the picnic was held by Inca ruins. :) It was in the small village of Mocho- which is halfway between Trujillo and Salaverry (the small town where the orphanage is actually located). It was really neat because there were small, man-made canals that ran along both sides of the road in town. The water was right in front of all of the little houses and there were just boards to get from the house to the street. It was actually really pretty. Yesterday we went to Church and then had lunch with the Elliotts. They are a very nice couple and obviously have alot of interesting stories- Bert told a story about a Boa Constrictor they encountered one day while working in the jungle- Anyone who knows me well knows that i am terrified of snakes so please don't count on me retelling the story- safe to say that I will never set foot near the jungle! :)
After Church I came back to the Albergue and planned on having a relaxing evening, but no such luck. The kids were coming to my door every 5 minutes with questions or requests and they did not want to listen to the answer unless it was what they wanted. :) When you live here, as I do, the kids will find you at all costs at all times of the day. The kids were behaving no different then normal, but for some reason by last night I was close to tears. I think it is because I am so tired. I realized I have not been away from the Albergue for more than a few hours since I got here (not counting the time I spent in the hospital :) ). Everyone else leaves for 2 days every week, but since I don't live here, I don't have anywhere to go. I woke up this morning not feeling any better. I was tired, weary, lonely, and then tired some more. I went downstairs for the devotional with the staff and started crying!!! I felt so bad because all of the workers got pretty worried- I explained to them in broken spanish why I was so upset. It was wonderful because then they prayed for me and offered me advice. Their first suggestion? Get out more! :) Emily has a friend here who lets her stay with her in Trujillo on weekends and Emily said that i could start going with her. I won't be able to this weekend, because I am all booked up, but the next weekend, i'm outta here! :) Emily and I talked alot after the devotional and we realized we both kind of feel the same. At home, when we get overwhelmed or drained, we can retreat somewhere to get refueled. Whether it is our room or a park or our car or a coffee shop, we can always find somewhere to be alone and to spend time with the Lord. But here, the kids know you are in your room so they will come find you, you better believe I won't be driving anywhere in crazy peruvian traffic, and it is dangerous to go anywhere by yourself so sometimes it feels like you are stuck. That is why i am really excited for next weekend- a whole 2 days away where the kids can't find me! Please don't misunderstand- I love the kids dearly and they are why I am here, but it certainly drains a person! I think between the language barrier, emotional issues and kids just being kids, I require an extra 2-3 hours of sleep than normal! :) But it was wonderful today because the kids were all just a little bit more loving than normal and my little one Yen has learned something new. He learned how to make me smile- I picked him up to hug him and he gave me a kiss on my cheek. He noticed that it made me smile so then he kissed my other cheek, my forehead, my nose, my chin, both ears, my eyebrows and then my eyes (don't worry I closed them!). With every little 2 year old kiss, I smiled a little more and he was so proud of himself that he did it 2 other times today!! What a blessing kids are!! Just when I was so tired and thinking "i can't do this", Yen came along and without knowing it, made me feel loved and cherished. He may just be 2 years old, but he is already making a difference!
Well that is all for now, I need to go work on Manualidates (crafts) with Emily.
I love you all!
janie

Slumber Party!

2006-10-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

Emily and I hosted a slumber party last night- first we ate Peanut butter- they even took care of the lid!
Then we painted toenails and played twister. . .
Then we practiced our model poses and played hide and seek . . .
Then we ate some more and watched Mulan 2 in Spanish!!!

We had 4 girls and we plan on having all of the other girls at other times- It was so much fun!!!

Abel and Italo

2006-10-04T19:42:00.000-05:00

Abel enjoying his lunch- he thought it was "finger licking good!" (okay so I'm cheesy, whatever!) :) He really can be a sweety and he is very loving.

Italo, with a picture he had drawn- he might have had a little help with the animal, but the rest is all him! :) Italo gives really good hugs- so watch out! For their entire story, keep reading! :)

Snot, Italo and mail

2006-10-04T19:36:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!
Today was such a funny day- all I can say is- I know I'm definitely taking care of kids! Twice a week I take some of the little ones to the library to read to them (in Spanish, it is not pretty!), and today little Yen decided he wanted to sit on my lap while I read. Well, Yen is potty training- notice I didn't say potty trained, because he had a little accident on my lap in the middle of a Clifford book! For all you Mom's and Dad's, I'm sure you have had similar experiences, but this was my first! I was so shocked I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! Then, later when we were playing with our 6 little ones, Jesus fell asleep on my lap. I was sitting there thinking how sweet and cute he was and how blessed I was to be holding him at that moment. . . then he woke up and rubbed his runny, snotty nose into my shirt!! After he woke up, Abel fell asleep on my lap, but this time, instead of rubbing his nose on me, he coughed on me- and let me just say, he has some congestion that is now all over my shirt! Needless to say, I am in desperate need of a shower and a washing machine! :) The kids were so good today and it reminded me of why I am here. I didn't get to see the older ones much, but it was a good day with the little ones (despite the issues I had!).
Also, it was really exciting because the other kids now want to be taken into the library and be read to. I'm not sure if it is because they want to read or just hang out with us, but either way it is so good. The literacy rate here is pretty low and with each Madre having 8-12 kids all with very different needs, it is hard for them to take the time to read to all of the kids and to encourage the kids to read. One little boy especially asks both Emily and I every day if we will read to him. His name is Italo- he was one of the first kids here. He was born to a single mother who was extremely poor. During the day she was afraid to leave him alone, but couldn't take him with her, so she dug a hole in the floor of her hut (it is a dirt floor) and would leave Italo there for hours. She would cover him with dirt and he had to stay in this shallow grave all day. Italo does not talk- he makes sounds, but he says very few, if any words. He is very sweet and very loving- I think he is also funny. All of the kids give each adult a hug and a kiss on the cheek when they greet you- one day I came down for lunch and there were 3 or 4 kids standing there waiting to greet me. Italo was the last one- as I bent down for him to kiss me; he gave me a hug and then hollered in my ear!!! At first I was startled because of the momentary deafness in one ear, but when I saw Italo grinning and starting to giggle, I couldn't help but laugh!! :) When Italo was 4 years old, his mother came back to the orphanage- Italo had been here about a year, I think. She didn't come back to visit though, she came back to bring her second son- she knew she couldn't care for him and so she brought him here when he was just a couple of months old- His name is Abel- He was the one I mentioned earlier that has congestion! :) He also doesn't speak very much and throws a hitting, kicking, body thrashing fit if he doesn't get his way, but when he is alone, one on one- he is an angel!! He is one of the kiddos that I take to the library- I take him by himself though because when he is with other kids, he wants all the attention. When he is by himself, he is sweet, obedient, and very very very cute!! Today I was reading to him and he was acting out the story as we went. Part of it was talking about a ball, so he pretended to pick the ball up from the book and throw it into the air- He pointed up and said "Mirar Tia, Mirar!" (look, aunt, look) (all the kids call me Tia). It was the cutest thing I have ever seen! He then pretended to catch it and then was so excited, he had the biggest grin- he was so proud of himself! Italo and Abel are available for adoption- every child that is available for adoption desperately needs a family very soon, but I feel an especially strong pull about these two boys because I feel that the sooner they get constant attention and someone to work with them in depth, the sooner they will grow. I would love to hear Italo say "Buenas Tardes Tia" or something and I would love for Abel to act calm and cute all the time instead of just when we are alone. So many prayer requests!!!
Many of you have asked for my mailing address here so you can send me care packages and other mail- while I would LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEE to receive mail, it doesn't look like it will be possible. Most people that live here don't have a mailing address- it apparently is really hard to get one- the orphanage doesn't even have one! Also, the other night I was talking to David Miller and he said that when a package arrives here from a different country, the government goes through and assigns a value to each item within the box. They then decide an appropriate tax for each thing (which is outrageously high) and then you have to pay for it. During this process, the package sits in storage for up to two months- and you have to pay for the rent for storage! Crazy!! I am so sad that I won't be able to receive mail, but I love getting emails and I looooovvvvee getting comments, so please keep them coming! Also, you can just tell me what you were going to send me and I can try to find it here! :) :)
Anyway, I am posting pictures of Italo and Abel for you all to see- they are the first two kids I am highlighting- enjoy their cuteness!!
Love you all
janie

Busy Busy!

2006-10-02T21:26:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! It is so amazing how the days and the weeks just fly by! It seems like the day is over before I open my eyes. :) Today was a good day- I got kind of discouraged for awhile because I felt like all I said all day was "no". The kids really try to test the boundaries and see how far they can take things. I've learned that you have to set boundaries and then follow through with action if they cross the boundaries. If you say "no hitting or you have to go your Madre" and they hit, then you actually have to take them to their madre! But all day today it seemed like the kids were not listening and pushing me every step of the way. One of the activities that Emily and I help with is similar to book reports. Every two weeks the Madres choose a book for their casista and every day they read part of the book. At the end of the 2 weeks, the older kids have to give a book report. Our job is to make sure the Madres are reading and then to organize the time and place for the book reports. Today was the day for the book reports- so all of the older kids were in the chapel and each casista was taking a turn giving their report. Josue, Jesus, and Samir- three of the oldest boys in the Tesoro Casista were in there by themselves because their madre was busy with her other children. Like any kids without a direct supervisor they were goofing off and whispering and generally misbehaving. So I sat behind them and kept asking them to be quiet. They in turn were making faces at me and rolling their eyes. In that moment I couldn't help but think "why am I here?" I felt like the kids didn't like me and that I wasn't helping. Afterwards I told Emily how I was feeling and she was quick to remind me that children crave discipline and rules. She said that they respect me and that we both are helping. It was such an encouragement to hear her say that. :)
Also, this weekend was a really good weekend. Saturday I got to play with the kids for awhile and just enjoy their company. Saturday afternoons are family visit time- kids that have parents that still want to see their children can come for a few hours to spend time with them. Liz and the other workers decided to start having a mini-service with the parents every other Saturday. Emily, Liz and I are in charge of planning and implementing it. I actually said a prayer in Spanish (okay so I read it, but who is checking???)!. :) Liz shared the gospel with them and I kept thinking about the hope that the message contains. To know that you can be forgiven for anything that you have ever done in an instant and to be offered everlasting life- It gives me hope everytime I hear it. I know that all of the parents have had such hard lives and may have done some devastating things, but there is always someone who is willing to love them and take them in. One of the mothers decided to accept Christ- She is the mother of 4 of the children here. Yen (2), Dani (4), Aracely(5), and Karina (8)- they are some of the cutest kids you could imagine. I know there a few pictures of Yen on this site because he is one of the kids that I have every day. Karina acts like the mother of her siblings and can be very serious- but she likes to giggle like everyone else! Aracely is stuck between wanting to be grown up part of the time but loving to be a little girl. She is always ready to hug you and give you a kiss and she has the sweetest smile! Dani is all boy and likes to be thrown in the air and tackle other children. Yen has a sweet spirit and a killer smile- he likes to stand on the couch, chair, playground equipment, etc. . . and yell "hola, hola, hola!!" I love their family!!!!
Tomorrow Emily and I are going into town to do a little shopping. We need to get more craft supplies. Emily and I both have crafts two days a week. The children make beaded necklaces, bracelets, and ancle bracelets, braided jewlery and also two of the kids do embroidery work. We then sell the items to visiters or people in the states- anyone want a very genuine present?? :) They are so quick in making them that we are constantly running out of supplies- it is really hard to get bulk anything here, so we have gone to the tiny craft store 4 times since I have been here- tomorrow we plan on buying them out! :) Also, the electricity here sometimes goes out- because of maintenance or just because. Emily and I visited one of the casistas tonight while the power was out and found Melva, a madre, reading to her kids by flashlight- It was so sad to see- Melva doesn't have very good eyes to begin with and then to see her hunched over the book with a little flashlight- it was a sad sight! They don't have lanterns or anything so Emily and I have decided to buy one for each casista- so we hope to do that tomorrow as well.
I am going to start highlighting a few kids each week on my blog- I want you all to get a chance to meet each child, so I thought that would be a good way of doing it! :) Get ready to fall in love with these children- they have a tricky way of stealing your heart when you least expect it!!!
I love you all!
janie

Kevin

2006-10-01T22:49:00.000-05:00

This is Kevin doing crafts-
Kevin is 12 years old and one of the sweetest boys I have ever met. He was abandoned 3 or 4 years ago. He is up for adoption. While he is 12 in years, he acts a lot younger. He loves to be hugged and he is always willing to help. He has the sweetest smile- he is very gentle and has a sensitive spirit. He is the oldest boy here and also the oldest child that is adoptable- Please join me in praying that God connects him with his family soon- he has been waiting!

views

2006-10-01T20:28:00.000-05:00

These are pictures of all around the albergue- the first picture is of the shipping docks close to the Albergue- you can see it in the distance. The next is of Salverry Alto- the little community on the ridge above the orphagage, the next one is the view directly behind the Albergue- it is of a man herding his sheep up the hill- notice all the sand??? :) The last is one is of the sun setting- that white building is acually a slaughter house! Yuck!

surroundings

2006-10-01T20:24:00.000-05:00

The view across the street- You can just make out the ocean in the distance- the reason that patch is green is because there is a spring there.

My Kids

2006-10-01T20:14:00.000-05:00

My little guys and I- from the left- Jesus, Abel, Yen (front and center!) Isais, Me, and Edwin. Abel and Edwin are available for adoption. Abel is here with his brother Italo- neither of them talk very well and they need lots of attention. Edwin is as cute as can be- he also needs lots of attention and needs someone to work with him alot.
These are the kids I watch everyday from 3:30-5. :) I love them!

Yulissa

2006-10-01T20:11:00.000-05:00

Madre Yulissa and I after church- she is the youngest Madre and is only 21 years old. She is very sweet. :)

Rainbow- que bonita!

2006-10-01T20:05:00.000-05:00

This is the rainbow that we saw last week. It was a full rainbow but was so big and appeared so close, I couldn't get it all in the picture. . . It reminded me of God's Covenant and was incredibly beautiful!

Shoes, hearts, and parties!

2006-09-27T08:36:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!!
Sorry that it has been over a week since I wrote- the internet has not been working right and the days fly by here and before I know the week is already gone! This week brought another family here to adopt- The Hubbard family is from Washington DC and are here to adopt Elias, Christian and Patricia- 3 of the cutest kids you have ever seen!!! :) This is the only other family that I know of that is definitely adopting any of the kids while I am here- but I love going to pick up the families at the airport. It is amazing how God connects parents and families with their kids- They are always the perfect match. :)
I would try to give you an everyday, play by play, but there is just too much to cover!!! I have been here 4 weeks today and I have experienced so much!! I have eaten fish and beans (which I never thought I would do), I have gone to a Peruvian baby shower (which is just like American ones except it is 4 hours long!), I have gone to a Birthday party for a little girl- which was held in a hut with a thatched roof, slept in a hut with a tin roof (that also had a barking dog hanging out on the roof), hugged 40 kids at least twice a day, yenni es bonita- sorry one of the girls thought she would help, yenni is how they spell my name. Anyway, I have ridden a micro/combi bus several times without problems, seen a full rainbow that stretched over all of the sand, cried alot, laughed a lot and generally have been having a life changing, mind altering, spirit growing kind of time. I am still amazed that I, little Janie Helm from Missouri am here experiencing this all. It shows that God will use anyone, no matter if you feel like you are equipped for something or not. Almost every morning I think- God, why I am here? I am not strong enough or smart enough or talented enough to make any sort of difference- but then I am reminded that it is in my weakness that God can shine through- that He has equipped me for this experience and He will be glorified through it.
On Saturday, Liz, Elias, and i took 22 kids shoe shopping!!! I received many donations to help with my trip and I have so much more than I would ever need, so I am able to put that to things here at the orphanage. So I asked Liz what the most needed item was right now and she said shoes. It was such a wonderful time. Most of these kids never had a new pair of shoes before arriving at the Albergue- The child that touched and blessed my heart the most during the shoe buying trip was Abraham- He is the newest child here. He was the first one in the store- He kept asking me if I was serious- was he really getting a brand new pair of shoes?? Then he took 20 minutes to find the perfect pair. Once we got back to the Albergue he had to run around and show everyone his new shoes- he kept coming up to me and asking if he got to keep them. I mean, I love shoes, but it never hit me what a blessing they can be!! Also, we went shopping on Monday for more supplies for crafts- I teach crafts twice a week and our new volunteer, Emily (who by the way is wonderful!) also does crafts twice a week. The kids make bracelets, necklaces, ankle bracelets and they also do embroidery work on shirts and bags. We then sell the items to visitors and the money is split between the orphanage and the child who made it. We used more of the money that people donated to buy some craft supplies- the girls and boys were really excited. Also, yesterday, we bought a new baby walker for Hose David because his broke and he fell over and bopped his head!! The poor little guy! Then last night, we had a going away party for the two families that are adopting- We played games, sang songs, and ate pizza and cake and drank soda. It was such a treat for all of the kids and the staff really enjoyed it as well. Thank you to everyone who donated- you are truly making many children happy with all of the things you are providing. I don't know what else we are going to get using the money, but I will be sure to let you know. I told the children that my family and friends had supplied the shoes and they wanted to tell you Gracias!! and one little boy came to give me a hug and said “Para tu familia!” -for your family- So know that if you were here, you would have 80 arms thrown around you and 40 kisses at least!!!
I love you all!!!
janie

Shoes!!

2006-09-27T07:56:00.000-05:00

The car ride home from Buying shoes- Safe to say shopping is exhausting!!That is Abraham in the front, he never let go of his shoes. . . :)

The kids with their brand new shoes!!!

The Hubbard Familiy

2006-09-27T07:40:00.000-05:00

The family's first meeting!! Meet the Hubbards! Another forever family- I seriously have the best "job" in the world!!

Christian, Elias, and Patricia getting ready to welcome their parents with a sign...

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

2006-09-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

So thanks to my genius friend Katie and my wonderful Mom, we now have pictures!!! I posted several but have about a hundred more, so i will try to space them out. But expect lots more!! :)
The last few days have been busy as usual but are always wonderful. Yesterday, though, I read all of the bios on the kids and that was kind of hard on me- to hear all of their backgrounds and what they went through made me a little sick to my stomach. . . It really helped me to understand why they are the way they are. It makes me want to turn back time or erase their memories or something... but since I can't, I will just love them more and pray for them more often- I hope you will to!
Tim Brooks is the man adopting the 3 girls here- His brother-in-law John is here visiting along with his son. John's wife is an elementary school teacher in the US. She had her class draw pictures for all of the kids here and she also sent down a huge box of art supplies. There is everything you can think of; paint, markers, chalk, colored pencils, oil crayons, and more. So today we had most of the kids into the dining hall and had them draw pictures for the kids in her class. It was wonderful!! They all loved the pictures from her students and had so much fun drawing pictures for them! alot of the kids here are very talented. Abraham, who is in a picture below shining shoes, especially impressed me. He is the newest addition to the Albergue- he just arrived 2 weeks ago. His step-father is a drunk and his uncle, who his family lived with is a thief and abused him. He had never been to school and was very quiet and shy when he got here. It took him about a week to open up, but now he is the first one to run and give me a hug and the first one to offer to help in any situation. It is wonderful to be here to see hearts and lives change- I think my heart and life are changing right along with them!!
I love you all
janie

Liz and I

2006-09-19T20:09:00.000-05:00

This is Liz, the social worker and I- I talk about Liz alot because she is one of my closest friends here so i thought I would help you put a face with her name- this was taken in the Albergue's Combi. . .

Vanessa. . .

2006-09-19T20:05:00.000-05:00

This is cute Vanessa- she is one of only two girls that are available for adoption- she is very sweet, silly and always hyper! :) She has had a hard past (as every child here has had) but is very loving. I will write more about her later!

Shining shoes

2006-09-19T19:49:00.000-05:00

Jhonathan- showing you the stuff to shine the shoes with, Abraham- shining his shoes, and Brayan- showing you a marble he found! :) Don't you love kids??
The kids have to shine their shoes a few times a week- they take turns

Hose David

2006-09-19T19:39:00.000-05:00

This is baby Hose David. . .

2006-09-19T19:36:00.000-05:00

This is beautiful Jesus!!

Cute kids!

2006-09-19T19:32:00.000-05:00

Isaias is in the front, Yen is next to him and Edwin is in the background. :) Cuties!!

Can you tell who is not from the area??

2006-09-19T19:29:00.000-05:00

From the left, Daisy, Yuli, Me, Junior and Samir- You can't see her but Ana is in the back doing my hair- :) it was lovely. :)

Carolina and Estephanie

2006-09-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

Carolina is on your left (i talked about her in an earlier post) and Estephanie is on the right

Precious!

2006-09-19T19:11:00.000-05:00

Starting at the blotoom left; Patricia, Jesus, Junior, Samir, and Daisy (pronounced Stacey). Daisy is a helper in one of Casitas.

Sleeping children

2006-09-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!! I hope you are all doing well- so I don't want to be a stickler, but I have noticed that comments on my blog have lessened greatly in the last few posts. :) In all seriousness I love the comments- they encourage me and make me smile, so please keep them coming!! :)
This week was a busy week- between my normal schedule, welcoming guests, and all the other little things that pop up, this week flew by. :) It was a good week though and definitley confirmed why I was here- to love the kids and to help the adults. Yesterday, one of the little ones fell asleep while I was holding him. His name is Isaias and he is 3 years old. I continued to hold him for about 20 minutes and i realized that there is nothing like a sleeping child. I kept thinking that he was such a special gift. Isaias is here for protection- I'm not exactly sure what his background story is, but i do know that his mom or grandmom or father or someone couldn't protect and take care of him so they brought him to the Albergue. I don't know if they want him and want what is best for him or if they simply didn't want the hassle of raising a child- but I do know that here, he is protected, loved, provided for and cherished. I feel so lucky to be the person that held him when he was sleeping, kiss boo-boos and make him laugh. I feel so blessed to be here to hug the kids, laugh with the kids and push them on the swing. It is overwhelming to know that I am truly loved be these kids not because of anything else then the fact that I am here and I love them.
Last night, I was invited to watch a movie with all the girls. The movie was kind of scary and all in Spanish, so I wasn't really enjoying that, but afterwards I had a slumber party with 3 of the girls. :) Kristy, Yumelit, and Ana are 3 of the older girls and they are so much fun! We pulled two matresses into the living room and ate popcorn and chatted (or tried to in Spanglish) and giggled. :) They were so excited because the madre let them have one spoonful of peanut butter and some saltine crackers- that is one spoonful between 4 people. It made me want to go out and buy peanut butter for the whole orphanage!! :) And, did you know that 4 people can fit on two twin size mattresses put together??? Well, technically they can't- one person falls off the whole night (and that one person would be me!) :) i came back to my room at 6 this morning and slept til 9, so now I am feeling alot better.
Well, the 3 girls being adopted have to go to doctor's appointments today, so I am going to watch their 3 sons- they are really fun and sometimes hyper, so it should be fun!
love,
janie

2006-09-14T17:43:00.000-05:00

Pictures are coming!!! Okay- so i have not been able to download pictures from my camera- so I asked my friend katie, who has the same camera what I should do. She said I should get a card reader to download directly from the memory card. I've asked my mom to buy one and send it down with David Miller when he comes next week- so hopefully by tuesday night there will be pictures!!! :) I have taken some really cute ones- especially of the little ones I watch every day. You may remember, but everyday from 3:30-5:00 I watch 6-9 kids who are under the age of 4. The exception is a little boy named Junior. He is 6 years old but has a lot of problems. I am not sure what exactly the name of it is, but he has trouble using his hands- he can't grip things or wrap his hands around things the correct way. If his troubles ended there it would not be difficult to work with him- but his troubles are much more emotional and mental. I am not sure what his past life held but he acts out in really scary ways. My first week watching him, I was slapped in the face, bit on the arm, kicked, hit in the head, and many other things. I think he must have been sexually abused in the past because he also acts out in other types of ways. He tries to force the other little boys to kiss him and he touches me and the other kids very inappropriatley. The first week I think I cried because and for him more than anyone or anything else. You can tell he doesn't know why it is bad to do the things he does. He doesn't understand when I say no to him trying to kiss me- he thinks he is just showing love. It is the only way he knows how. His older brother, Josue also lives here- he handles whatever happened in the past in a different way- He is very serious and quiet- Sometimes he seems almost sullen. Please pray for Junior and Josue that they may find comfort and that they may heal from past wounds.
Another little boy that I have everyday is named Jose David- He is only 14 1/2 months old. He is very cute and likes to cuddle. He has a cleft palate, but I think it just makes him cuter! :) He was abandoned last year, so he is adoptable. His motor skills and speech are delayed- he doesn't walk or stand up on his own. He makes basic sounds like 'dadada' and yells alot. :) He reminds me of Lucas when luke was 5 months old- so that shows you how delayed he is. But he is a sweetie! He is very good at throwing things- which the other children don't appreciate, but I like! :)
My other boys are Abel, Jesus, Yen, and Edwin. Sometimes I have 2 girls- Bridgitte and Patricia- I will tell you about each one of them because they each have such personalities!! But I will save them for a later post!
Please continue to pray for all of the children- I love them more each day. I have never been hugged and kissed so much!!! Also, being here is really good for my ego- everywhere I go I hear Tia, tu es bonita! (Aunt, you are beautiful!) and, someone taught them how to say "you are pretty" so I hear that alot too- they are just the sweetest!!! So if anyone needs a confidence boost, just head on down!
I will write more later-
I love you all-
janie

The Brooks Family

2006-09-13T11:42:00.000-05:00

This is the new and improved Brooks family!!
From the left: Joshua (9), Loren (12), TJ (7), Veronica (10), Andrew(2), and Donna (9)- Andrea and Tim are in the back- this was their first complete family portrait!!! :) Congratulations!! :)

Craziness!

2006-09-13T09:40:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!!! Things have been pretty crazy around here the last few days. :) I had a really good weekend- On Saturday I played with the kids in the morning/afternoon and helped Liz get guest rooms ready for all the visitors we have coming. That night Liz, her friend Elva, and I went into Trujillo. We took a combi into town and then walked around the historic downtown. We of course had to stop for ice cream (30 cents!) and fried banana- which is really good actually. :) While we were downtown we noticed that there was a wedding going on at one of the cathedrals. In Peru you can just walk right into the wedding if it is held at one of the cathedrals- so we did- we went in and watched part of the wedding- it was crazy to me! :) After that we went out to dinner. I really really need to work on my spanish because Liz got this big book of songs from our waiter and said to pick one- i thought she meant just for listening to, but apparently this was not just a restaurant, but it had Karaoke! I didn't know what was happening until they brought the microphone to our table- but thankfully I had chosen a song I knew- "All my Life" by Kc & Jojo- Elva and Liz sang a song first and then it was my turn- ahhhhh!!! I kept saying no that's okay- but then I realized- so what if my voice isn't that great- I am in Peru with people that don't know me that well- they can just think I am a crazy person! So I definitley sang! :) It was really funny.
Also, I have been getting to know the kids alot better- their personalities are amazing!! I could go on forever talking about all the kids- Friday night I went to the Chispas (stars) house for their nightly devotional and play time. They had me sing to them in English (again and again) and I got to know each one of them so much better. It is alot easier to do it 10 at a time instead of 42 at a time!! :) Then on Monday night I was invited to a party that the Luces (lights) house was having. They had finished a big project at school so they were celebrating. We had chocolate milk and fried eggs and watched my copy of the movie Elf- did you know that you can change the language to spanish?? Spanish Will Farrell is just not the same!! I slept at their house that night but i can't say I got much sleep. :) It was so much fun though!
Last night I made a trip to the airport- A family from Illinois is here to adopt three sisters that were abandoned 2-3 years ago... It is a wonderful story. The parents, Tim and Andrea, already have three boys under 10 years old. They weren't planning on having or adopting any more children, but last December a couple that had worked here for a month went to their church and did a presentation of their experiences here. Tim saw a snap shot of the 3 girls and immediatley said- "Those are my daughters!" He was right- I, along with the 3 girls and Alex went to the Airport last night to pick up the whole family- kids and all. The Peruvian government has officially assigned the girls to Tim and Andrea. They will be here in Trujillo for 2 weeks and then they go to Lima for 2 weeks and then they go home! :) My camera is still not working, but Tim sent me a picture through email this morning that I took on his camera last night so I will post that. :)
We also have a new volunteer coming sometime today or tomorrow- she has friends in Trujillo so she will be staying there for 2 weeks and only visiting the Albergue but then she will move in. I'm so excited! :) On Saturday, Tim's brother-in-law and his son, who was adopted from Peru, are coming to visit for a few days. Monday, Dave Miller(the man that founded and runs the orphanage) gets in for a couple of weeks. Also, there is another family adopting 3 siblings who lost both their parents within 2 weeks of each other last year. That couple should be here towards the end of the month. So there is alot going on here!!! I'm trying to stick to my schedule that Liz and I made, but it is getting more and more difficult!!
I love you all!
janie

Sand, location and combis

2006-09-09T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Sorry still no pictures- I try at least once a day to make it work, but so far, I've not been lucky! :)
I realized last night when i was talking to my dad on the phone that i haven't shared with everyone what it is like living in Peru. .. I've told you about what I do, but I haven't explained what this area is like or about any of the loco things I've seen. :)
For starters: The albergue (the orphanage) is outside of Trujillo, Peru. Trujillo is on the coast of Peru. The albergue it actually closer to this little village called Salaverry. There is a big port in Salaverry so you can see ships and things all the time. When you are standing upstairs in the Albergue you can just make out the ocean- it is only about 1/2 a mile away, but there is so much sand blowing around, that it always appears hazy. Because we are so close to the coast, there is no natural grass here- all of the grass in the compound has to be watered pretty much around the clock- other than that it is all sand. Behind the Albergue is a ridge- it is just a big mountain of sand. On top there is a small community- the people there are the very poor- no running water, little electricity, and they all live in huts. Outside of the albergue is a fountain, and all day the people from the community come down with buckets to get water and carry it back up the hill to their house. Along with the Albergue, the Miller's built a ranch here. It was orginally going to be a ranch for teenage boys, but when they tried it, there were more problems then they realized. Now, it is where Alex and his family live. When there is a big group of volunteers here, that is where they stay too. The Albergue and the Ranch are seperated by a small field- they grow some sort of crop there (I forgot what it is :) ). The money from that helps to support the Albergue. The Albergue itself has three main buildings- 2 dorms, on two floors for all of the kids (they are called casitas and are kind of like big apartments) There are two girl casitas and two boy casitas- the boys have the two downstairs, and the girls have the two upstairs;and the main building which houses the kitchen, dining hall, homeschool for the kids with special needs, the library, chapel, offices and the volunteer apartments which is where I stay.
I've been into Trujillo a few times since I got here. Most of the time I ride into town in the Albergue's van which is kind of small, but they can squeeze all of the kids in. But, if the van is not available and we need to go into Trujillo (don't worry, I won't go by myself) you have to take a combi- it is like a small bus. It is crazy how it works! I road one with Alex and his family last sunday to church and it was quite the experience! :) You walk down to the end of the driveway and stand by the road. Combi's have 2 employees that are always on the bus- one who is the driver and the other is the runner. The runner stays by the door, usually with it open, and tries to get people to ride. He shouts out the route to all of the people standing by the road and when he thinks someone is going to ride, he has the driver slow down- yes, i did not say stop, i said slow down- and the person jumps on while the bus is still moving. Before you get worried about me- i usually travel with at least one child, if there is a child they do stop completely! :) This continues until they go by your destination and it is like the same thing in reverse- they slow down and you jump off. It only costs about 30 cents. The runner works for the driver so he does errands for the drivers during their route. This is truly crazy- The driver barely even slows down!!!!! The runner (and I think this is where they get their name) jumps off the combi and runs into the store and grabs whatever the driver needs and runs out in time to jump back on. I was really scared the runner was going to get hurt the first time i saw it!
Driving in peru is also crazy- Pablo said that his friend moved from Peru to the US and said he couldn't drive there because it was too organized! People don't pay any attention to lights, people, other cars, anything- everytime i go anywhere I think i am going to see or be in half a dozen accidents, but the crazy thing is I haven't seen a single one! Everyone drives crazy, but I think they pay more attention the most people in the US do when they drive.
Okay, I just thought I would give you a little taste of Peru!!
i will write more later!
Love you all!
janie

Another quick note. . .

2006-09-07T12:28:00.000-05:00

There is a little girl here named Carolina- she is very, very cute and is 8 years old. I would like to ask you to pray for this little girl. She has a very sad story. She was abandoned a few years ago and brought to the Albergue. At the beginning of this year she was adopted by a Peruvian woman and her mother. It turned out that they were very bad people and did not take care of her. Thus, she was abandoned again in March. She has a lot of anger and resentment toward people. Yesterday she got really mad at me because I wouldn't let her do something she wanted- I was really upset about it and talked to Liz. Liz then told me her story and said that Carolina struggled quite a bit because of what happened this year especially. So please, say a prayer for Carolina- she needs a home and a constant family. . . maybe God will use this blog to find them. I will post pictures as soon as I can get it to work.
Thank you
I love you all!

Prayer request answered!

2006-09-07T10:09:00.000-05:00

Heather and Luke are going home!!!!! As most of you know, my sister heather and her husband Shane have been in the process of adopting a little boy named Lucas from Guatemala. She went down at the end of April to take care of him and be with him. I was down for a month to visit her. They were supposed to be home in June but it kept being pushed back. But they found out yesterday that they exited PGN!!! That means they will back in the KC area in 2-3 weeks!!! Isn't that the most exciting thing you have ever heard in your life???!! I just had to share it with everyone- if you want more details you can visit Luke's blog at www.lucasmecham.blogspot.com- you can also see pictures of the most adorable little boy and the most beautiful sister ever! (Really, I am not biased!)
Love,
janie

schedules!

2006-09-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
I still haven't gotten the computer to download pictures from my camera- but I will keep trying! I have some really cute ones now of some of the kids. :) So this week has been so much better than last week! I have started really getting involved in the day to day activities here. Liz and I set up a daily schedule on Monday and I am actually going to start it today. I work in the library everyday for a few hours- my job is to get all the books into a computer so that they will be able to check the books out and know who has them. Right now, they seem to lose a lot of books because the kids don't return them. I have about 20 books done and about 400 to go! :) Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I will be giving English lessons to the Madres. I am not a teacher, so I don't know how that is going to go. My first lesson is today, so wish me luck! Also, I will be organizing the second floor of the Albergue (everyone calls the orphanage the Albergue so that is what I have started calling it). Then, in the afternoons every day I take care of 6 or 7 of the 3-5 year olds for 1 1/2. I was really looking forward to this and I started on Monday. It is so much harder than I had anticipated. These kids have so many emotional struggles. Most of them have been abused in some form and they show love in unusual ways. One of them is very inappropriate and it is taking some getting used to. I have worked with troubled kids before, but never in a different language! It hit me yesterday, while I was with them how real this is- Hogar de Esperanza is geared toward street children so most of these kids have been through more than I can possibly imagine. I'm so glad I am here to love them and care for them, but I can tell it will be very hard.
Also in the afternoons, twice a week I will be doing crafts- the kids make the most beautiful bracelets, necklaces, and cross-stitch pieces. The other thing I will be doing is helping the little ones read- Liz thinks I can handle it and hopefully it will help me with my pronunciation as well.
Well that is my schedule- sounds pretty full, doesn't it? :) Liz kept saying that she was sorry it was so full- but really- I am here to help and to get involved- I'm not here for vacation!
So please say a prayer for me as I start my new schedule- I am a little nervous about a few things, but I know it will be great!
Love you all!
Janie

Peruvian Hospitals

2006-09-02T19:21:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone-
Sorry that I have not posted since my first day here, but I have been kind of busy- but not in a good way. :( I'm okay now, but I have been pretty sick the last two days. It started at 5:30 yesterday morning- sorry if this gross, but I was sick to my stomach every 15-20 minutes from then until 1ish and then sick off and on until 7:30pm. By then I was so dehydrated that I wasn't able to stand up very well or walk evenly. I called my parents to ask them a question about something else and I ended up having a mini-meltdown on the phone. To be honest, I don't really remember what I said, but it was scary enough that my parents called Vickie Miller, the woman that runs the orphanage with her husband, but are in Liberty, MO. Vickie called Alex, a worker here, and he along with another person came to my door and asked me to go the hospital with them. I must have looked pretty scary because they wouldn't take no for an answer. Alex brought me to an emergency room in Trujillo- he stopped and picked up his brother who speaks fluent English to help with all the translating. As soon as the Doctor saw me he said that I would have to stay there overnight. I was extremely dehydrated and my pulse was pretty low because of that. They think that it was something I ate on the train the day before that caused it. Everything in Peru moves really slow so it was another hour before I was wheeled to a room. Alex and his brother, Pablo stayed with me until I was settled. In Peru, you have to buy all of the supplies that they think you will need before they do anything. So Alex bought the bags of medicine for my IV, the suringes, the tape, everything before the nurse would do anything! It was crazy! I honestly don't remember much more of last night- I know I was sick a little bit more and then fell in and out of sleep for the rest of the night. This morning I woke up feeling so much better! Alex came back with his wife to visit and see how I was, and Pablo also stopped by so he could be there when the Doctor came to check on me. The Doctor said I had to stay at least until noon to make sure I was truly better. Another worker from the orphanage came to see how I was and Liz, the social worker here, came to sit with me a couple of hours. The doctor didn't show back up until after 3- by then i was so ready to get out of there! He said I was fine to go as long as I took it easy and followed his instructions- which consisted of taking more medicine and eating bland foods.
I am still pretty tired, but I am feeling pretty much all better! i wouldn't really suggest anyone putting "stay at Peruvian hospital" as one of their top 10 things to do in life, but it really wasn't too bad. It all seems like a dream right now. I feel like I have been here for awhile but i still have no idea what goes on here because I haven't been involved in day-to-day activities.
Anyway, that about brings everyone up to date.. .
Love you all
janie

I have arrived!!

2006-08-31T19:44:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
So I am here! I am sitting at Hogar de Esperanza right now. I will give you a quick recap beginning when I left yesterday. My flight to Houston and then on to Lima was fine- come to think of it, I can’t even remember my flight to Houston. . . : ) On the flight from Houston to Lima, I sat beside a woman named Ana and her daughter Christina who is 2 ½ years old. Ana is from Peru but married a man from Utah 4 years ago. She was really sweet and comforting. She told me what to expect at the airport- which turned out to be false information because the airport was just redone- she also helped me with my Spanish. Her little girl was quite the character and refused to do anything unless I was looking. : )
Throughout this week I have been emailing back and forth with the hotel I stayed at last night. They had asked me if I wanted someone to pick me up and I said yes. So I was kind of expecting them to be there when I got off the plane. . . but they weren’t. : ( But, thanks to my wonderful Aunt Kathy, I knew that there were trustworthy taxi companies just outside customs- so I just did that. I found out as soon as I got in the car that people in Peru drive very similar to people in Guatemala- but a little faster and they don’t stop as much at stop signs, lights, for other cars or people. My driver decided that I had to see the Pacific ocean first thing so we took the scenic route to my hotel- I didn’t tell him but all I could see was a tiny bit of water and a whole lotta black! : ) I finally made it to my hotel in time to sleep for a few hours and get up to go to the bus station. The bus ride was really nice actually- it was a coach so there were movies playing constantly and the “bus attendant” put English subtitles on even though I was the only English speaking person on the bus- wasn’t that nice??!! I got to see quite a bit of the Peruvian countryside during the ride. We went along the coast and then moved inland a bit more. Everywhere you looked there were little shacks. It was really odd to me because there would be miles and miles of sand with nothing else around and then you would see a tiny shack made of leafs, tin, limbs, or a combination of all. We went through a few towns that consisted of more of these homes and some bigger ones that I am guessing were stores. It was really kind of funny because I would be catching myself thinking, “Wow, I could not imagine myself living like that- no doors, no windows, dirt floors, etc. . .” Then I would see a cable television antennae sticking out one of the tin homes! I guess everyone needs a little Friends or Miami Ink once in awhile. : )
After 8 hours on the bus, we arrived in Trujillo- Liz, the Social Worker for the orphanage, was waiting with a sign. We were instant friends- I can speak a little Spanish and she can speak a little English- once I started talking to her, I understood a lot more than I thought I would. She is 27 and so very sweet. The grounds keeper/driver also was there, but sadly, I cannot remember his name. When we got to Hogar de Esperanza, the first resident I met was Be-be- the slightly chubby Basset Hound! He is very cute. Then I got to meet all the children- it was wonderful!!! Most of them just came over and gave me hugs and kissed me on my cheek- I have been looking forward to that moment for so long- I can’t wait to get know the children better- there are so many of them! 21 girls and 20 boys. There is this one little boy- which I can’t remember his name either- because seriously, between the kids and the staff I met 50 people in about 15 minutes!- anyway this little boy has these huge glasses and he did not want me to let him go. He just clung to me and kept saying “mi Tia” – my aunt. : ) It was so cute I almost cried!
They also showed me to my room and I have take picutes, but at this moment I can't figure out how to import pictures from my camera. There would be pictures of kids and the outdoors but by the time I remembered my camera it was dark outside and all the kids were in their casitos. So there will be pictures to come!

I still can’t believe I’m here, but I honestly already feel pretty comfortable. Liz is wonderful and I can tell we will become close. The kids are just ready for anyone to love them and the staff is appreciative of any help. I just hope my Spanish will get better quickly so that I won’t be annoying.

When I was on the bus today I was feeling oh so tired and already a little lonely. But then I opened my Bible and began to read. I started reading in James 1 where it talks about going through trials to produce perseverance and endurance. Not that this is a trial necessarily, but it will be a struggle somedays. It just reminded me that serving the Lord may not always be easy, but it is always rewarding. It always serves a purpose and He is always with me through every step. I may not be at home with my family in Missouri. But as long as I am following Him, I am home in my heart. . .

Well, I am off to a dinner of easy mac (provided by my Mom) and a peanut butter sandwich (provided by my Aunt!)!
Love you all!! I will write more soon!
Janie

Here I go!

2006-08-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!
So today is the day! This will be my last post from the United States for 3 1/2 months. :) I can't believe that I will be in Peru when i go to sleep tonight. It seems unreal- I've thought about and planned this for so long, I can't believe I am actually going today!
Thank you again for praying for me and supporting me- I feel so blessed to have friends and family like you.
As I go, I ask you to pray specifically for the language barrier and my safety. God is bigger than both items and I know that He will protect me. I'm sorry that this is such a short post, but my mom and I are about to leave for the airport!!
Love you all-
Janie
ps- my next post will hopefully have pictures and stories of my first few days there!! :) woo-hoo!

Typhoid, hair and culture

2006-08-19T16:03:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!! So this week I really worked on getting things done and getting ready for my trip. On Wednesday I got two vaccinations- one for Typhoid Fever and one for Yellow Fever. On this coming Wednesday I have an appointment with my doctor to get the preventive medication that you take once a day to make sure you don't get Malaria. It is kind of weird to be getting all these shots- I mean, you here about these illnesses all the time but they seem so far away! I also learned this week that I will be in the same time zone as Missouri! Crazy! :) Vickie answered a lot of questions for me this week- I didn't write about all of them last time because I was feeling overwhelmed- thank you to everyone who left comments or sent emails- that was such an encouragement!! She told me that I needed to bring nicer clothes- I can't run around in jeans and a t-shirt everyday like I do here. She suggested kind of a step above my everyday clothes but a step below church clothes. So get ready for me to dress spiffy everyday! :) I also learned that I won't be drying or curling my hair at all while I am there- unless I decide to buy all new hair equipment there- which I won't, by the way! :) I am prepared to be all natural. :) There are a lot of cultural things that I will be learning when I get down there. I know that the first two weeks will be the hardest out of the whole trip- I will be having trouble understanding Spanish and be trying to find my place. But I know that through the whole experience God will be with me and He will be leading me. Someone asked me this week what was the thing I am looking forward to the most- without a shadow of a doubt it is hugging those kids. I just cannot wait to show them love, compassion, and caring. I want so much to be a blessing to them as I know they will be to me. Well, I am off to find some travel health insurance and to try to book a hotel room for my first night in Lima! Wish me luck!
love you all- janie

Overwhelmed

2006-08-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! :) I leave two weeks from today- can you believe it? I can hardly believe it... I think it hit me yesterday that I am actually going- actually leaving. I met with Vickie Miller, the woman who runs the orphanage with her husband, yesterday. They live in Liberty and just got back from 6 weeks in Peru. She showed me pictures from all different views of the orphanage. She also showed me soo many pictures of the kids. Just looking at the pictures of those faces, I was already losing my heart to them. I am not even there yet and i am already dreading leaving them- it will be so hard. She also told me a little bit about what it will be like. At the orphanage they have 5 volunteer apartments. Most of them have a room or two and a bathroom- I was really excited about that- I didn't know I would get my own bathroom! :) But, sad news, she doesn't recommend flushing the toilet paper. She said it used to be fine, but they have started to have sewage problems. I am doomed to always visit countries where you always have to throw toilet paper into the trash can!! She also said that the main food staples are rice, potatoes and beans- so guess who will be learning to like beans??
My main responsibilities at the orphanage will be helping the Madre's- those are the 4 women that are the main care-takers of the children. I will be babysitting and helping with the sick ones, and doing the girls hair, and just about anything else you can think of. In addition to that I am going to help set up a library system for the orphanage, take lots of pictures for the website, cut the girls hair, and complete the volunteer manual so that other volunteers don't have to wing it! :)
I am still excited about going and I know without a doubt that I will love it, but it hit me yesterday and today that I am really, really, going to miss my family and friends so much. I keep thinking about the days that I will just want my mom to hug me or I will just want to go get coffee with my friend. I will miss my sister and Lucas' homecoming and the celebration to follow. I will miss my dad's birthday and many others. I won't be here for fall to watch the leaves change color. I will miss my first holiday(thanksgiving), and I will miss all the everyday things I take for granted right now. I know that I will be blessed by this experience, but today I am just feeling overwhelmed and a little sad. I know that I am closing the Curves chapter of my life and that is harder than I realized. Those ladies have come to mean so much to me and I know that I won't get to see them on a regular basis anymore. I don't like big changes and I am not good at goodbyes, and it is all happening at once.
Like I said, I still am going and have a huge desire to go, and don't for a second regret my decision, but today it is just really real. :) I know that 3 1/2 months is nothing and it will fly by, but I have never been away for that long.
Love you all
janie

I have tickets!!!

2006-08-12T00:17:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!
So I got my plane tickets this week- it was so exciting and a tiny bit scary at the same time. :) I leave at 12:53 on the 30th of August and get back at 10am on December 12th (happy birthday to you Heather S!) Getting the plane tickets made it so real- I am still amazed that I am blessed enough to be given this experience. It has been a dream for so long, I can not believe it is happening!! :) I was kind of freaked out last week about doing support raising- aka- asking people to contribute both by praying and financially. But my dad had a conversation with Jim and Alma Taylor, to wonderful, amazing friends of the family and Jim said something that has really stuck with me. He said that God is wanting to minister to the kids in Peru and He is forming a team to do so. i just happen to be the one that actually gets to go. So the whole team is contributing by either praying for my journey and for the kids or by giving financially to help pay for my travels and my time there. It made me feel so much better knowing that the money wasn't just to cover something that i felt like doing- it is for a ministry that God has set up and I am blessed enough to be a part of. :)
On Wednesday my wonderful Bible study had me share about my upcoming trip and also spent time praying over me. It was so encouraging and made me feel so very loved! (I'm so okay with sounding corny)
I talked with the woman who co-founded the orphanage, along with her husband, this week. They were still in Peru, but they have an internet based phone with a Liberty number so I was able to call locally. It was so amazing to talk to her on the phone- I could hear people talking in the background in Spanish and I just could not believe that i will be there in less than 3 weeks! I am going to meet with her at the beginning of next week to go over what i will be doing while I am there and also to answer the millions of questions that I have.
My father went down to Guatemala this week to meet his grandson- the pictures are amazing of Dad and Luke together- both look so happy! :) I talked to my mom on the phone tonight and everyone sounded really cheerful. Check out my nephew's blog to see more adorable pictures of Lukie! :)
Right now I am in Hannibal, MO for a girl's weekend with my girls from college- Heather, Steph, Shannon and Katie and I are hanging out this weekend and being crazy! (By the way- those are the girls that are in my picture at the top) We are watching movies and doing manicures right now- so I better get back to it!
Love you all,
janie
ps- I LOVE comments so please please please leave me one!! You would totally make my day! :) *wink* :)

Preparations. . .

2006-08-02T12:41:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!! I am getting so excited about my trip! I can hardly wait to meet the kids and hug them. :) I need to start making all of my preparations- i have to get medicine and 1 more shot and I also still need to do the minor thing of buying my plane tickets!! It looks like my departure date will be August 30. I was going to wait until my sister and nephew got home, but it looks like they won't be home for a few more months. I told my sister that I didn't know what to do and she said "Do what God says"- so I am! These last few days have been very overwhelming- when we found out that Lucas' adoption had been delayed again- I was devastated for Heather and Shane. To be so far apart for so long is unimaginable, yet that is what is happening. But I know that Lucas is worth every day. Heather and Shane are amazing parents and are already putting what is best for Luke over their own struggles. Please pray that they are each given the patience and perseverance to endure this last stage of the adoption.
My dad has been so wonderful for me- he has been encouraging and supportive. We have had the best conversations and he has helped me make decisions. thanks dad!
I have been telling all the ladies at Curves that I will be leaving in a few weeks and that has been really hard. They have all become my close friends and there are many that I love dearly! But they are also excited for me and this new adventure I get to go on. Isn't it amazing that when I started working at Curves I thought I would only be here a few months until I decided where to go or what to do- but the more I worked here and got to know the ladies the more I felt at home and like I was serving a purpose here. I have laughed with them, cried with them and even prayed with them. We dance, sing, and play games- really this job has turned into such a blessing. When I had surgery earlier this year they sent me cards and presents, and when I went to Guatemala many of them emailed me and they held a baby shower for my sister- who they have never met!!! They are so generous and sweet- I know that they will support me as I leave also. . . that is just how they are! I will always treasure the friendships I have made here-
That's all for now!!
Love you all- janie

I'm going to Peru! :)

2006-07-25T13:47:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone- I wanted to wait to tell everyone until I had told the rest of my family, which I did this weekend. . . I am going to Peru at the end of August!!! :) I am leaving hopefully on August 28th and I will be returning in December. I am going to be working at an orphanage there. This is something that i have always felt led and called to do. It is such a passion in my heart to love those that no one else sees. I feel like orphanes often fit that description. I have wanted to work at an orphanage since I was little and now God has presented me with the opportunity to go. A woman that works out at Curves (where I work, by the way :) ) founded the orphanage, along with her husband, and I feel that it is definitley time for me to go . . . :)
I will be updating my blog much more often now that I have something exciting to talk about!!! Please be praying for me as I prepare for my journey- Since this is a volunteer/missionary trip, it is unpaid, so I will be trying to find the funds with which to travel. I know that God will provide, but sometimes I think, can't he provide with a big ol' check!! :)

On other news, my mom is going to Guatemala tomorrow to be with my sister and nephew. We still don't know exactly when they are coming home but we are hopeful that they will get out of PGN this week, so that they would be home in 3 weeks. I am so impressed with my sister and how she is handling all of this. Not only is she a new Mommy, but she is living in a foreign country, without her husband. Yet, she still has the ability to be happy and positive!!! What a blessing she is! :)
Oh, one other announcement (that most of you already know :) ) My brother's wife, Valerie, is pregnant!!! She is due in February. My mom and I got to go to Omaha yesterday for Valerie's doctor's appointment- we got to hear the heart beat!!!!! How exciting is this? Since my aunt/cousin (actually, she is my aunt, but she is only 4 years older than me so I usually refer to her as my cousin) is pregant also and due in December, this time next year, we will have 3 babies!!!! It is almost too exciting to imagine! :)
Love you all
janie

Long time, no post!

2006-07-13T10:35:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I am just writing a quick note to let you know that I am still here and alive!! :) I got back from Guatemala 3 weeks ago and am back to work. I have been really busy these last few weeks, but it has been a good busy. I have been doing things with my family, friends, and my church. I am helping with VBS at my church this weekend. I am working with the 4th, 5th, and 6th graders- it is friday night and all day saturday. . . Did I mention it is all outside and it will be around 100 degrees??!! :) I am excited but pray I don't melt into a puddle during the course of the day.
Last weekend my good friend Michal from college got married!!! She married Steve Smith who also went to our college, and it was wonderful! I got to hang out with Michal and other girls from college on Friday night and then my girls, Steph and Katie, were at the wedding! Steph came up to KC and stayed the night with me on Saturday night. We had such a great time and talked for hours. On Sunday she went to Church with me and we went out to lunch with my friend Jeni. I always feel like my friends from Kansas City should already know my friends from college because they all mean so much to me!
Anyway- that is what is new with me!! I will try to do better at writing messages!
Love, janie

My last day!

2006-06-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
Tomorrow is my last day in Guatemala- I leave on Wednesday.
It was soo nice outside today- it was sunny and clear and beautiful!
On Saturday we took Luke to Guatemala City for his 5 month doctor’s visit- Can you believe he is five months old already!!! He is so intelligent and handsome and has such a sweet spirit. Today I took him on a walk before bed and he was constantly looking around at everything and he was so alert. I can’t wait for everyone at home to meet him- he is wonderful! For everyone that lives too far away (Canada, Wales, California, etc) you will just have to trust me at my word- he is amazing! : )
My sister is a wonderful mom- she always knows what he needs and she can comfort him like no one else can. It is so apparent that God knew that a little boy would be born in Guatemala and need a mommy and a daddy- He also knew that little boy was meant to be Heather and Shane’s. He is their son through and through and I am constantly amazed by the Lord’s wisdom and Love. Lucas may not know it yet, but he is the answer to so many prayers- I know that he has filled Heather and Shane’s hearts with joy and love. He has also made the world seem so much brighter for two families- and I am sure for many other people as well. I think that this is an amazing story and it is a blessing to be in the midst of something so much bigger than any of us.
Tomorrow we are doing my final shopping trip- so this is the last time you can request anything! : ) We are going to a place called NimPot- it has so many things and everything has a price on it- so that is really nice.
This will be my last post from Guatemala- so no more exotic destinations for awhile! I’m glad that I got to share this wonderful experience with you all!
Love you all-
Janie

Antigua

2006-06-19T22:27:00.000-05:00

This is another picture of the streets of Antigua- Is it beautiful? :)

Rosa and Ruby

2006-06-19T22:16:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of me and two of the little girls in the complex- this is Rosa and Ruby who are biological twins and who are being adopted by a really nice british couple- aren't they cute?

Heather and Lucas

2006-06-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

This is my sister Heather and her baby boy Lucas- Isn't it wonderful to see two people so happy?

5 Things

2006-06-14T23:50:00.000-05:00

So, I was saying to my sister that I wanted to post on my blog, but I didn’t know what to post- so she suggested that I write 5 things that are interesting about Guatemala or that surprised me. So here is goes. . .
1. Guatemala is really beautiful! I know I have talked about this before, but it really did surprise me. I hadn’t expected it to be this beautiful and breathtaking. Okay, I should say Antigua is beautiful, I don’t know about the rest of Guatemala. We don’t have many clear days as we are in the rainy season, but when it is clear you can see the volcanoes all around us. Most of the bulidings in Antigua are brightly colored and very old. There are many ruins around the town caused by one of many earthquakes they have had in the past (don’t worry, most of the volcanoes around here are inactive or are semi-active, which don’t cause quakes). All the streets are cobblestone- which makes for a very quaint feeling but a very difficult walk or Tuk-Tuk ride. There are many beautiful churches that are huge and feel awe-inspiring. It seems like everytime I am out and about I see a view or a picture in my mind that is simply gorgeous.
2. There are hardly any signs on buildings. The businesses in town may or may not have the name of the store painted on the buiding by the opening in the wall. All of the buildings seem to be connected and as you walk along you have to look into each opening to see what kind of business it is. It could be a restaurant, a bakery, a book store, an office, or something completely different! : ) I am so used to each business being clearly defined and usually separate that this took some getting used to. It is neat how you usually eat or buy bread or something in a bulding that is a few hundred years old. Many restaurants have the back-story of how the restaurant got its name. It is amazing to know that some date back to the 1600’s.
3. When we went to Guatemala City on Monday I saw a whole different side to Guatemala. The city is huge and very modern. You still see ladies dressed in traditional fashion and there is still that ‘no-flushing’ dilemna, but for the most part it reminded me of cities in the states. There were business men and women all around and we waited while the interview was going on at the Westin Hotel. It was so beautiful and refined. I guess when I was home and thinking about going to an ‘underdeveloped’ country, I didn’t expect such a modern city. It was nice because all the restaurants were open-air and it was very easy to walk to where we needed to go.
4. However, on the way back from Guatemala City I saw still another side of Guatemala. The traffic in the city was horrible so our driver, Cesar, took a different route home. This route took us through small villages and into the country. This is where you saw the ‘houses’ (I put quotes around houses because they were like no houses I had ever seen) that are made out of tin, with no roof and no door. The streets were horrible and the poverty in those areas was very apparent. There were clothes lines hanging through houses and on roofs, because there were no yards or outdoor areas. This was also an agricultural area but because this part of Guatemala is so mountanous and hilly, they cultivated on the side of mountains. I can’t imagine how difficult that would be.
5. Another thing that surprised me about Guatemala is the climate. I expected it to be very, very hot here- we are closer to the equator right? It makes sense to me! So I packed only one jacket and I brought all short sleeved shirts. But I get down here and the warmest it has ever gotten is the low 80s. But many times it is in the 60s! I am just guessing about the temperature- because I have yet to see a temperature gage- or a clock outside of our apartment! My sister and I finally realized the other day that it is because we are at such high elevation- and surrounded by hills, mountains, and volcanoes- it kind of insulates us. Plus we are in the rain season- their winter. Many people wear sweaters and people tell us that Lucas is cold when he is wearing a long sleeve shirt, jeans and a sweatshirt jacket! It usually rains from about 7pm to sometime in the middle of the night. But there have been days where it rains the whole day. It gets really chilly at night and in the morning.

Okay so I did it- 5 things that are interesting or surprised me about Guatemala. I am so glad I was given the opportunity to come. I was able to help and be with my sister and Lucas, and I was able to experience this country. It is kind of a paradox with its feel of hundreds of years ago, while still being quite modern.

I hope that all of this was interesting for you guys back home!
Love you all, janie

The streets of Antigua

2006-06-14T23:02:00.000-05:00

This is a view down one of the streets in Antigua- Notice all the brightly colored buildings and cobblestone road! :)

Quick note

2006-06-10T22:51:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!
So for all of you that are reading this that don't live around Smithville or Liberty- this post won't be that interesting.
I was supposed to be going home on the 24th- but the travel agent that we use emailed me late last night to say that there are only tickets available on either the 21st or the 27th. All the other flights are completely full. So I am coming home on the 21st- which means, Anna- that I can return to work on either that Friday or the next Monday- whichever works- by the way, Anna, I don't have your email address- please email me joyful_janie@yahoo.com. thanks! Anyone else that doesn't have my email address but would like to email me is more then welcome to! :) Love you all!
janie

Spanish lessons

2006-06-09T17:20:00.000-05:00

I've now had 12 hours of Spanish lessons (in just 3 days!). My teacher's name is Julia (hulia) :) and she is sooo nice! We have the greatest time together and dissolve in to laughter several times during each session. I feel like I've learned a lot, but my brain is having trouble keeping up. I have 14 pages of words, phrases, and basic language to study and memorize by my next session. Heather and I have to take Lucas to Guatemala City on Monday for an appointment, so my next session isn’t until Tuesday- which is good news for my brain! J Julia doesn’t know a lot of English, and my Spanish is improving, but not great. I’ve found I can understand a lot more Spanish than I can speak. My lessons go from 9am until 1pm- by 12:30 my mouth and brain both stop working! She has been treating me more and more like a niece, and often tells me to find a husband! She has also said on more than one occasion that when my big American wedding happens, that she expects an invitation!
After my lesson today Heather and I had lunch and then went to an Artisan’s Market. It was a crazy place!! Never have I been more badgered to buy something! They had pretty much anything that you could imagine- and most of it (but certainly not all) was nice. I did get a present for one of my family members, and hope to go back another time to get other things- does anyone have a request?? Then heather and I (and of course- Lucas) went to a Jade store. Guatemala is known for its jade and there are several jade stores here. We had a great time and ended up getting a few birthday presents and a Christmas present. Again- any requests? J
I made my plane reservation today- I will be going home on June 24th. While I am excited to see all of my family and friends and to go to a Target J, I am also really sad to be leaving my sister and Lucas. As most of you know the plan was for me to be the “last leg” of the journey for them and to help bring Lucas home. But because of some delays, they will be here for at least 3-4 more weeks. Heather is expecting a few visitors- her sister-in-law, a cousin, and my best friend Karen are all planning on coming down here. I’m glad that she won’t be alone, but I still wish that I could have stayed here until the end. I will have been here for a month and 4 days by the time I go home.
But since I do have 2 more weeks, I plan on enjoying every minute while I also count down until I get to see everyone at home!
Until later-
Love you all-
janie

Hello!

2006-06-06T21:16:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! J It is really rainy outside today, but we are not getting good internet reception inside the apartment so I am sitting on our covered patio outside right now.
On Sunday, Heather, Lucas and I got a really neat opportunity! The family that lives next door to us consists of a little girl-who is almost 2 years old, a little boy-who is a little older than Lucas and is being adopted, and their parents- who happen to be from Rolla, MO! Anyway, the dad had to go back to Missouri for his job, so that left the Mom, Carol alone with both kids. They have been in Guatemala since late January and have been attending a church here since then. Heather and I offered to go with Carol and the kids to help out because 1. I like to help! And 2. I miss Church and I am always up for praising God (even if I can’t understand what they are saying! J) . We went to La Merced- it is a really big, really beautiful, really old Catholic Church. I have never been to Mass and it was completely in Spanish- so I truly had no idea what was going on- but I loved it! It was so neat to know that everyone around me was praying in Spanish and I was praying in English, and our Father knew every person’s heart.
Sunday night I started feeling sick again, but this time I was coughing, sneezing, and having trouble breathing. When I woke up on Monday morning, I diagnosed myself with bronchitis. I get Bronchitis all of the time, because of my asthma. So I called my mom at home and asked her to call my doctor to figure out what to take. (aren’t mom’s great?) Then my sister went to the pharmacy here and got the medicine. In Guatemala you don’t have to have a prescription or anything, you just go in and say “I want this” and they give it to you! It’s amazing! J So now I’m feeling much better and I owe a big thank you to my sister for taking such wonderful care of me!
Today we went out to lunch at a nice restaurant (even a nice restaurant usually costs 10-15 dollars for 2 people!), and then we stopped by a bigger store to do a little shopping. Heather and I decided I deserved to buy myself something because I have been sick so much. I got a really cute, hand made purse with a coin bag, and I got another little souvenir. It was so much fun! J
I’m posting pictures of La Merced and of my friend Trista at the Missouri Special Olympics track meet. Trista’s mom sent me an email and told me all about how well she did. I am so proud of her and I wish that I could have been there to cheer her on, but I am so happy to have pictures and the update! Trista and her mom, Linda go to Curves, where I work. They are two of my favorite people and I even get to hang out with Trista once a week outside of Curves!
I am planning on coming home on June 24th. My sister and Lucas won’t be able to return then because the adoption is taking longer than anyone expected. My original plan was to stay until they got to come home, but I can’t be away for much longer than a month- so everyone at home- I will see you in 2 and a half weeks!
Love you all-
janie

La merced

2006-06-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

This is La Merced, where Heather, Lucas and I accompanied another woman and her two kids to church on Sunday.

Trista on the podium!

2006-06-06T20:40:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of my friend Trista at the Special Olympics track meet in Missouri. She won first in the 50 meter dash and the softball toss, and she placed 4th in the long jump! Obviously she is the one doing the superstar pose! :)

Trista during the 50 meter dash

2006-06-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

This is Trista during the 50 meter dash- that is her in the middle lane. Trista finished first in her division!!! Way to go Trista! :) I'm so proud of you!!

Hello :)

2006-06-03T12:07:00.000-05:00

So not much is new here but I have to tell you about our thrifty, thrifty dinner! Last night Heather and I (with Lucas in tow) went to dinner at a place called Dona Tona's . The first time I saw this 'restaurant' I thought it was a family party or something. Dona Tonas is a tent and a few tables and chairs that a woman sets up in front of her house- it is a local favorite, and is quickly becoming my favorite!! :) Anyway, Heather got 2 tosdadas and I got 2 tacos- which, by the way, are nothing like taco bell's tacos! They are rice or potato or something (we haven't quite figured out what it is) wrapped up in a hand made tortilla and cooked. But the price for two people's dinner on a friday night? 13 Quetzals- which means that because the exchange rate is roughly 7.5 Quetzals for 1 US dollar- it was less than two dollars!!! I was so excited- I think that everyone should fly down here and get dinner or lunch sometime! it is so cheap! :)

A spanish tutor is coming by the house later today to talk to me about intense Spanish lessons- we discovered that not only is a private tutor cheaper than the schools, this way we know that the money is going to the teacher. (sometimes the teachers get next to nothing.)

I know I usually talk about the good things in Guatemala- but here is one thing that is soooo gross, I cannot wait to be back in the US.
Are you ready? This is seriously gross . . . . . When you use the restroom, you cannot flush the toilet paper!!! In every restroom there is a little trash bag or can. Even in the nice restaurants!!!! Apparently their sewer system can't handle it- but I find it soooo gross- don't you?
Anyway, I just had to vent for a moment--
Love you all!
janie

Dona Tona's

2006-06-03T11:50:00.000-05:00

This is Dona Tona's- Notice that it is just a tent and a few chairs?? It is the greatest though!! :)

2006-06-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

Just a picture of one of the streets in Antigua- the sidewalks are very narrow and there always seems to be people hanging out on them. :)

2006-06-01T14:32:00.000-05:00

This is the complex where we are staying, our villa is the first one on the right. It is a really nice area and is surrounded by a big wall. :) We have a duplex, the family that is next door to us is adopting a little boy named Jonah, and already has a little girl that was adopted from Guatemala last year named Nina.

The view

2006-06-01T14:26:00.000-05:00

This is the view from Cerro de la Cruz- it is a spot overlooking all of Antigua- the Volcano in the background in Volcan Agua. It was a very clear day- usually you can't see the top like that.

Our Villa would be in the bottom left of this picture.

Lucas and his Tia Janie

2006-06-01T14:14:00.000-05:00

My cute, cute, cute nephew Lucas and I:)

Hola!

2006-06-01T13:56:00.000-05:00

Buenas Tardes!
I have been sick for the past two days so i have not been very good about posting. Sorry! :) But I feel alot better now so Heather, Lucas and I went out to lunch at Dona Louisa's and stopped by their bakery to get bread. Oh wait, Lucas wants to write something dfjdjfj oidjfdsifh dujghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhj h g`.
Anyway, it is a nice day here in Guatemala it is probably in the lower 80's and sunny. One thing I was thinking about today as we were walking through the town was how it is kind of nice how there is no Walmart or superstore of any kind here. Usually you go to multiple stores for all of things you need to buy. The closest thing to a mall that they have here is an artisan's market. It is where people have set up booths inside a building and they are there selling different items. Usually though, the building it is housed in is a few hundred years old.
I have been feeling kind of homesick today so I would appreciate emails- :) It looks like I won't be home for at least 3 1/2 more weeks- heather and Lucas might have to stay longer, but I can't be away from work for much more than that.
Through this whole experience I keep being reminded how big and great our God is- Not only did he create a masterpiece all around us, he's blessed us by allowing us to communicate through smiles and body language- even though we might not speak the same language.
I guess that is all for now- I will try to figure out how to post some pictures.
Love, janie

Guatemala

2006-05-29T15:39:00.000-05:00

So I have discoverd that I really like Guatemala- the weather stays between 65-80 degrees and the town we are staying in, Antigua is really beautiful. We are surrounded by volcanoes and hills. Some of the Volcanoes are active and on really clear days, you can see smoke coming out the top of them. Antigua itself is a perfect mix between old world and modern conveniences. There is a McDonald's, but it is really fancy! There is a big courtyard with a fountain and benches and then you look over and see the big plastic Ronald hanging out on one of the benches!! Many ladies here still dress in traditional garb- colorful skirts, wrap shirts, and they carry big baskets or bundles on top of their heads. Just when you are thinking that it looks like you would imagine, a cell phone starts ringing and they reach into their basket to answer it! :) The people you meet on the streets are very friendly, and I am constantly saying Buenas tartes! (Good day) We walk everywhere- today we walked to the bakery to buy bread, then to the cookie store for some treats, then our last stop was the Bodegonia (like a small grocery store), where we bought a few essentials. About halfway through the Bodegonia, I started to feel very sick to my stomach so we got a Tuk-Tuk to take us back to the apartment. A tuk-tuk is a three-wheeled vehicle that is a cross between a motorcycle and a golf cart. Anyway, it is a very bumpy, very loud ride, and by the time we got to the apartment, I felt so sick that we hurried to pay the driver and get out. As soon as we did, however, we realized we had left all of our purchases in the Tuk-Tuk! So it looks like we will be going back tomorrow.
My spanish is getting a little bit better- I can ask someone how they are- I can order my meals, I can say hello- but I am going to look into a one week spanish course that one of the schools teach here- I just feel so inept! :)
Lucas is adorable and I love him so much! I love playing with him and holding him while he sleeps. His smiles light up the room. :)
I hope to hear from you all soon!
Love, janie

2006-05-25T17:29:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!!
Well, I arrived at the apartment at 10 or so last night. Mark met me at the airport so I wouldn’t be alone, and our driver, Ceszar was very nice. J I was so excited to see Heather and meet Lucas I almost forgot to pay the driver!! Lucas was asleep when I got here and I was so excited and overjoyed Valerie had to remind me to take my backpack off! I thought that I already was head over heels in love with him through pictures and what others had said, but that doesn’t compare to the overwhelming love and joy I felt the first time Heather set him in my arms. I only held him for a few moments, as his mama wanted him to get a good night’s sleep. This morning at around 6:30 I got to have the first day shift with him! I know everyone talks about their “firsts” with Luke, but I feel I must share my firsts with him!! I got to feed him breakfast, and he helped me prepare mine. He wanted to help me eat it also, but I didn’t think that peanut butter and 4 month olds got along. I changed his diapey for the first time where Lucas discovered that if he wraps his fingers through my hair and pulls he can attempt to do a pull up!! We had our first play time together (many more attempts at pull ups) and I held him for his first nap with Tia Janie. Of course I had to dress him in a really cute outfit that I had bought him- he is a very dashing fellow!! All in all, it has been a great time so far!!
Love you all- janie