Almost three months in....

First I need to apologize to everyone for taking so long to update my blog. I will try to keep things brief and if you have any questions please comment and I'll get back to you.

I arrived in Peru on August 31st around 11pm. I realized from the moment I got on the plane how kind Peruvians are. I had two women helping me fill out my immigration papers and go through the airport when we first landed. The women I sat next to on the plane was very nervous to be landing in Lima because it was the first time she was going to see her father in 15 years. This is a thing I love about Peru--people are not afraid to tell you how they feel or what is going on in their lives.

I live in a house of 18 other volunteers. Our host mom Lidia runs our organization and her family lives with us as well. All together there are about 25 people living in the house. We're a unique, creative, kind, and loud crew of people. Our age range so far has gone from 18-32. We've had people from Switzerland, Canada, Brazil, Australia, England, USA, Portugal....you get the point. Everyone is coming from a different walk of life and it's so interesting to sit around a table hearing the different accents, experiences, and opinions. The accommodation is nicer than I could have imagined. We have a cook in the house with us and also a lady that cleans our rooms. We also have a golden retriever puppy! We live in a nice part of Lima called San Miguel. There's adorable corner stores everywhere that we frequently visit to buy ice cream, candies, soda, etc. The volunteers eat meals together, watch movies, go shopping, and just hang out together all the time.

My week schedule...Monday-special needs orphanage & womens shelter (3-6 yr olds), Tuesday-teaching English, Wednesday-special needs orphanage and Spanish lessons, Thursday-teaching, Friday-baby orphanage. Last week I started working at the special needs orphanage for younger children. Previously I was working at the one for older people. At the new orphanage, we work with the physical therapist. We took groups of children into the therapy room, massaged their legs, did stretches, and introduced different textures and tastes to the children. I absolutely loved it! There is a girl named Dana there and she is so giggly, snugly, and happy. I always feel so blessed to work with such lovely women.

Teaching English....I have yet to settle into teaching English. We teach in a poor area called Pachacutec at a primary school. At first I began by teaching a 5th grade class and institute classes on Saturday mornings. Institute is a class that people pay to take. I had a class of 4 boys from 9-14 years old and they were absolutely terrible. After a few weeks I quite teaching them because they were unmanageable and so rude. I found out later that the class consisted of brothers, a cousin, and one crazy friend. I have to admit though...I wouldn't want to study on Saturday mornings either. After that I began teaching high school at a school near by. I can no longer teach that because while I was away traveling there was a shooting outside the school and now it's too dangerous to go to. The high school was my favorite program. The students are some of the most kind, respectful, and smart people I have ever met. I'm currently trying to work out a way for the students to continue learning English because they've been messaging me on Facebook and asking me to come back. They want to learn English so badly. After that I was helping to teach 1st grade classes which I love as well. When I walk into the room the children swarm me, hold my hands and give me crackers. However, things have changed again so I'm not sure what classes I'll be teaching this week!

Womens shelter.....woman is not exactly the right word to describe the people at La Punta. The GIRLS range from 3-18 years old and they've come from all different situations. Some of the girls have run away from home, some have been taken off the streets from prostitution, some have been raped, or taken out of an abusive situation. La Punta is the American equivalent of protective services. There are no men allowed into the building--only female volunteers can go there. The girls spend all their time inside because they are too afraid the girls will try to run away if they are taken outside. The government provides food, beds, showers, etc for them. The most heart-breaking situation I've experienced yet was a 14 yr old girl that was pregnant with her grandfathers baby. However, a few weeks ago the girl told me that she has lost the baby. I'm not sure if she was forced to abort it because of incest, if she was too young to carry it, or if it was self-induced. Also, last week a girl explained to me and a friend that she has been pushed between houses her whole life, she's been abused, abandoned, and never felt at home. We go to La Punta twice a week and we spend the first half of the time teaching English and the other half of the time doing a fun activity like painting nails, dancing, doing hair, etc. Some of the girls are there for only a few days while others are there for three or four months. We are currently trying to incorporate more schooling into our time at La Punta because the girls have no other means of education while they are there. This means that some girls go four months without any schooling. We are the only people that come in and visit them and it's only for 4 hours a week all together. They spend the rest of their time simply watching TV or writing.

Baby orphanage....this is an orphanage that is comprised of children ranging from 0-7. I've worked mostly in the room with the babies. There is one room with six cribs and one mama looking after them. I help to feed and play with the babies. Some are very small for their age and are very sick. Last week we just got a 2 month baby. There's also another room attached to this baby room with children ages 1-2. I take them outside and help feed and entertain them as well. I really hate feeding time at this orphanage. The children eat rice, and potatoes everyday and they despise it. You have to actually force feed them. They spit it out, cry, and sometimes refuse to open their mouths. It's interesting because all of the children are out of shape because of all the carbs they eat each day. Sometimes for breakfast they'll just have a piece of potato. Also, the milk I feed the babies is so thin and looks like very watered down formula.


Peru is an amazing country. I've traveled most of the south and it is extremely diverse. I've seen ocean, sand dunes, and mountains in one four hour bus ride. The food here is incredible...I've gained some weight! The people are welcoming, intelligent, and completely loving. It's safe to say I've fallen in love with this country and it's going to be so hard to leave. I'm so happy to be here....I'm so blessed to be able to work with these children, become friends with these volunteers, and wake up everyday with a meaning and purpose. I want to thank everyone for their support and I miss you all so much! I will write more...I have to write about my exciting adventure from Peru to Bolivia. Sorry again for taking so long to update you all!