Friday, November 26, 2010
...Thanksgiving in Chile!
It was an interesting Thanksgiving to say the least. We went to a cemetery and got to go in an underground grave and spent the rest of the morning running errands. We went to a place like home depot, then the hospital, and finished off with sushi for lunch. Then it was back to the hotel to work before heading out on the town! We got to explore Santiago for a few hours, and had a lot of fun! For dinner we had a chicken teriyaki sub from Subway. No turkey. At around midnight when we left the hotel, before coming home, we walked around the Bohemian part of town. It was really cool. We finished off the night with smoothies and then went home!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Alot has happened since we last blogged....
Not sure where to start...When Andrea got sick in the north of Peru, we were strongly encouraged to leave the small city of Chulucanas, as soon as we could. And we listened to the advice and left 5 days later for Lima. We had to pick up a bag in Lima and then head on to Chile. We had a flight booked for Tuesday night at ten, but there were some problems with the reservations and we had to look for another flight. As it turned out, we ended up booking the same flight again for ten pm Tuesday night. Yet another time there were problems with the booking of the flight and we ultimately ended up on a flight Wednesday night to Chile. It wasn't until Tuesday afternoon, when our good friend Sarah arrived back in Lima from northern Peru, that we realized why God did not want us on the Tuesday flight to Chile. Right after Sarah got back we took her to the private hospital in Lima. After many tests and waiting, the doctors confirmed that she had pneumonia pretty bad in her right lung. Its too long of a story to write but after 7 hours, communication problems, many tears, and a miracle, we left the hospital with all our problems solved. We could never have done it if we flew out on Tuesday! It was an incredible experience.
We left Wednesday night and flew to Santiago. Spent the night there then headed off to Chillan, which is a few hours south of Santiago. We spent 2 nights there with Andrea's aunt, and then went even more south to Temuco. There we visited a large number of Andrea's family. Then it was back to Chillan for a night, and now we are back in Santiago. For the next 3 weeks we will be helping out in Andrea's aunts bed and breakfast hotel. We were trained today in how to make the beds, do check in's and out's and pretty much everything else you could imagine needs to be done in a hotel! We even learned how to specially fold toilet paper! It was fun. This afternoon we went for a walk around beautiful Santiago! It reminds us of Washington D.C., because the ugly modern buildings are mixed in with the 200 year old archetecture. They have a metro here....we weren't expecting that! Anyways, we look forward to exploring the city and hopefully finding a childrens home to spend our free time at.
After 3 weeks we will head back to Chillan, and maybe back to Temuco, but very briefly because we will then we moving on to Argentina to spend Christmas in Buenos Aires. After Christmas we'll begin helping probably in a small Catholic school there.
Please keep us in your prayers, and all the children in Peru that we miss so much.
-Andrea and Kelli
We left Wednesday night and flew to Santiago. Spent the night there then headed off to Chillan, which is a few hours south of Santiago. We spent 2 nights there with Andrea's aunt, and then went even more south to Temuco. There we visited a large number of Andrea's family. Then it was back to Chillan for a night, and now we are back in Santiago. For the next 3 weeks we will be helping out in Andrea's aunts bed and breakfast hotel. We were trained today in how to make the beds, do check in's and out's and pretty much everything else you could imagine needs to be done in a hotel! We even learned how to specially fold toilet paper! It was fun. This afternoon we went for a walk around beautiful Santiago! It reminds us of Washington D.C., because the ugly modern buildings are mixed in with the 200 year old archetecture. They have a metro here....we weren't expecting that! Anyways, we look forward to exploring the city and hopefully finding a childrens home to spend our free time at.
After 3 weeks we will head back to Chillan, and maybe back to Temuco, but very briefly because we will then we moving on to Argentina to spend Christmas in Buenos Aires. After Christmas we'll begin helping probably in a small Catholic school there.
Please keep us in your prayers, and all the children in Peru that we miss so much.
-Andrea and Kelli
Monday, November 15, 2010
-Lima-
So we've been in Lima since Friday morning. Its been a lot different than our first time here. We are back to doing simple chores around a house full of well cared for children, as opposed to changing the living situation of children in an extremely poor home. Its completely different. We miss the home and the kids in Chulucanas very much. But its nice to see all of our friends here!
So after a lot of flight confusion and frustration, we hopefully finally have a flight on Wednesday to Chile. But the way things have been going, you never know!
Tomorrow our friend Sarah is coming back to Lima, we are excited to see her again, but she is coming back because she is really sick, so please keep her in your prayers. Andrea as well has a cold, so please pray for her too.
Andrea and Kelli
So after a lot of flight confusion and frustration, we hopefully finally have a flight on Wednesday to Chile. But the way things have been going, you never know!
Tomorrow our friend Sarah is coming back to Lima, we are excited to see her again, but she is coming back because she is really sick, so please keep her in your prayers. Andrea as well has a cold, so please pray for her too.
Andrea and Kelli
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thank you.
We just want to let everyone know we made it safely to Lima! Our last days, in Chulucanas were pretty hectic, but truly some of the best days of our entire lives. We miss it very much. The kind of work we were doing there was incredible to be a part of. The children were so inspiring and we really hope to be able to return to check up on things some time during our time here in South America. For now we will be in Lima until Tuesday, then off to Santiago, Chile and the surrounding areas.
We are so grateful to everyone who contributed to the home, in any way. Please watch this video that we made of the differences that you made in the lives of the abandoned children of Chulucanas, Peru.
Gracias por todo.
Andrea and Kelli
We are so grateful to everyone who contributed to the home, in any way. Please watch this video that we made of the differences that you made in the lives of the abandoned children of Chulucanas, Peru.
Gracias por todo.
Andrea and Kelli
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
So much has happened...
So much has happened since we last posted, this will be our attempt to mention it all!
November 2nd: We worked in the morning, and in the afternoon there was a party for one of the girls at the homes birthday! It was a lot of fun; they tried to teach us how to dance like them...gringos just can't move their bodies like Spanish people can!
November 3rd: Our friends, Sarah and Morgan, arrive! Just to clear things up, "our friends" are originally from the U.S. The four of us met for the first time at the home in Lima! And now we're a motley crew that works great as a team!
November 4th: We began working on the actual murals! And just a random thing that happened...Kelli got electrocuted!
November 5th: First thing in the morning, we found out that a friend of all of ours, Librada Rose Cantu, who was another volunteer at the home in Lima, had died the night before. She fell 3 stories, and died within the hour. She had just turned 20 and was from the States as well. Because of this news we stayed in, except at night when we decided to bring the kids at the home the toys that Morgan and Sarah brought from Lima.
RIP Lily <3
November 6th: Well the day before Andrea wasn't feeling so well, but then in the middle of the night she got very sick. Luckily we were able to wait till morning to go and get an American doctor that happens to be here too, to come check her out. Long story short, she ended up in the hospital to be tested, and then we spent the night and a lot of the next day in the living quarters of the American doctors with her hooked up to an IV.
November 7th: Andrea came home! Also we were strongly encouraged to finish our work here as soon as possible, and leave. Because of the amount of times Andrea has been sick, and especially how serious it got, this most recent time, we decided that this would be the best decision. So we booked a flight to Lima for first thing Friday morning. Also the door we had the carpenter install was finished this day!
November 8th: We went and paid the carpenter and then asked if he knew someone who could remove the huge pile of trash that has been sitting, stinking up home for who knows how long! He and his brother had the place clean by the end of the day! It was really a huge pile of trash, and he charged us 2 dollars and 50 cents to take it all out!!! Everyone at the home was so excited to finally have the trash out! They got right to work on cleaning the area where the trash used to be! It was so great to see them so enthusiastic about, and take pride in their home! Also I'm not sure if we mentioned this, but the clothes at the home used to be everywhere. All over the floor, everywhere. It was horrible. That is why we bought a door. We removed the beds from one room, had a door put in, so now only one room has clothes! Since there is a door now with a lock, only the older girls can get the clothes that are appropriate for the day! It is so great! Everything is so clean and organized! It has made such an improvement in the overall cleanliness of the home!
We also bought a 2 new trash cans for the home, as well as 2 small couch-like furniture that is typical for Chulucanas, 4 chairs, 2 small tables, and 3 mats. The furniture really makes the orphanage feel more like a home! The kids really love them.
*No more Trash!!!*
-The clothes room! The older girls did such an amazing job!-
November 9th (Today): First thing this morning we met with a woman who works for the diocese about getting the babies at the Home, to the therapy that they need. The meeting went really well and with whatever money we have left when we leave, will go to their therapy. We should be able to pay for quite a few months of therapy for each of them, which should be enough to catch them up with other kids their age. After breakfast Sarah, Andrea and Kelli went into Piura to try and find a rug for the home. The trip was successful we got two huge rugs that make such a difference in the feel at the home. This afternoon we painted and finished a few of the murals! The place looks amazing, a true transformation! Pictures to come! Keep us in your prayers; we are extra busy this week!
Andrea and Kelli
November 2nd: We worked in the morning, and in the afternoon there was a party for one of the girls at the homes birthday! It was a lot of fun; they tried to teach us how to dance like them...gringos just can't move their bodies like Spanish people can!
November 3rd: Our friends, Sarah and Morgan, arrive! Just to clear things up, "our friends" are originally from the U.S. The four of us met for the first time at the home in Lima! And now we're a motley crew that works great as a team!
November 4th: We began working on the actual murals! And just a random thing that happened...Kelli got electrocuted!
November 5th: First thing in the morning, we found out that a friend of all of ours, Librada Rose Cantu, who was another volunteer at the home in Lima, had died the night before. She fell 3 stories, and died within the hour. She had just turned 20 and was from the States as well. Because of this news we stayed in, except at night when we decided to bring the kids at the home the toys that Morgan and Sarah brought from Lima.
November 6th: Well the day before Andrea wasn't feeling so well, but then in the middle of the night she got very sick. Luckily we were able to wait till morning to go and get an American doctor that happens to be here too, to come check her out. Long story short, she ended up in the hospital to be tested, and then we spent the night and a lot of the next day in the living quarters of the American doctors with her hooked up to an IV.
November 7th: Andrea came home! Also we were strongly encouraged to finish our work here as soon as possible, and leave. Because of the amount of times Andrea has been sick, and especially how serious it got, this most recent time, we decided that this would be the best decision. So we booked a flight to Lima for first thing Friday morning. Also the door we had the carpenter install was finished this day!
November 8th: We went and paid the carpenter and then asked if he knew someone who could remove the huge pile of trash that has been sitting, stinking up home for who knows how long! He and his brother had the place clean by the end of the day! It was really a huge pile of trash, and he charged us 2 dollars and 50 cents to take it all out!!! Everyone at the home was so excited to finally have the trash out! They got right to work on cleaning the area where the trash used to be! It was so great to see them so enthusiastic about, and take pride in their home! Also I'm not sure if we mentioned this, but the clothes at the home used to be everywhere. All over the floor, everywhere. It was horrible. That is why we bought a door. We removed the beds from one room, had a door put in, so now only one room has clothes! Since there is a door now with a lock, only the older girls can get the clothes that are appropriate for the day! It is so great! Everything is so clean and organized! It has made such an improvement in the overall cleanliness of the home!
We also bought a 2 new trash cans for the home, as well as 2 small couch-like furniture that is typical for Chulucanas, 4 chairs, 2 small tables, and 3 mats. The furniture really makes the orphanage feel more like a home! The kids really love them.
November 9th (Today): First thing this morning we met with a woman who works for the diocese about getting the babies at the Home, to the therapy that they need. The meeting went really well and with whatever money we have left when we leave, will go to their therapy. We should be able to pay for quite a few months of therapy for each of them, which should be enough to catch them up with other kids their age. After breakfast Sarah, Andrea and Kelli went into Piura to try and find a rug for the home. The trip was successful we got two huge rugs that make such a difference in the feel at the home. This afternoon we painted and finished a few of the murals! The place looks amazing, a true transformation! Pictures to come! Keep us in your prayers; we are extra busy this week!
Andrea and Kelli
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
November First
For Halloween we had a party for the kids! With a piñata, balloons, masks, tons of snacks and dancing! Though they do not celebrate Halloween in northern Peru, we all still had a really great time!
Yesterday felt like Sunday, because here it is a public holiday. Everything was quiet and most things were closed. In the afternoon we went to the pastoral center expecting to help out with the medical mission, but instead we were surprised to find that they had put a team of physicians together for us! So we took them to the orphanage. They checked all of the kids, and got a lot of information. I guess now we are just waiting for them to process the information and then figure out how to get them the care that they need.
Last night after mass we decided to go to the cemetery just to see the customs and traditions that they have on the eve of today, The Commemoration of All Souls. When we got into the moto taxi we didn’t know the word for cemetery so we guessed. Well it turns out that we were off by one letter and he brought us to the seminary! So we tried again and then he brought us to the monastery! Luckily, the sisters were waiting outside of the monastery for taxis as well and corrected us! They also decided to send one person from their group with us, since we had room. It was a 16 year old girl named Maddy! We instantly became friends! When we got dropped off, she showed us where to go! While we were walking through the crowded streets that were full of vendors, selling anything you could imagine, her friends met up with us! They all were a lot of fun! Once we were inside of the cemetery it was really interesting to see how different the graves were. To them it is inefficient to bury people under ground, so all of the graves are stacked on top of one another. There were people everywhere, singing, praying, lighting candles, and leaving flowers. Most of them spend the entire night there!
Since most people spend the night there, today is kind of an unofficial holiday. School is open but no one goes, and only about half the stores are open. We were asked to help with the medical mission this morning but they didn’t need us so this afternoon we are going to begin some more work at the Albergue. We are very excited because this week and maybe a little of next we are going to move all of the clothes into one room and organize it. The way it is right now is horribly disorganized.
Please of course as always keep us in your prayers, and also pray for our friends Sarah and Morgan, who will be travelling here tonight and tomorrow to help us with the home!
Andrea and Kelli
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