We Have Been Challenged, We Have Grown!

Wednesday, December 29th

Quote of the Day: "Do one thing every day that scares you." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Our week at PPA has been one filled with great adventures and many moments which have pushed all of us out of our comfort zone. We have seen so much and done so much with the Children at PPA.

So off we went to our tasks of holding and playing with babies and doing crafts with the older kids. We found that we all worked seamlessly as a team today and managed to shuttle ourselves and any books, games or crafts to the various groups throughout the day. There were moments of sheer joy as the kids came running to us and requested games and crafts we had done with them the day before. There is something unique and special about being in a foreign country and being welcomed and recognized by children with expressions of joy in their face and their arms opened wide.

We have been challenged, we have grown as a result of this experience. In our hearts we can leave knowing that we brought a lot of love, care, compassion and joy into the lives of children who need so much and have so little.

Written by Julie Deignan

Today's Mission: Paint, paint, paint!!

Thursday, December 23rd

Quote of the Day: ¨It´s not the number of years in your life that count, but the life in your years.¨ - Abe Lincoln

Myrian started our team meeting around 9am. Addy and Judith delivered a remarkable account in our team journal. Mary added a tender message from her friend in Daytona, FL, who is an orphan. We were given information about our Christmas celebration for the next day and our flight plan logistics for the airport. Unfortunately, we´ll miss our team members, Elizabeth, Cammy and Missy who leave Friday a.m. After breakfast our traveling troup left for CDLN.

The mission today was - paint, paint, paint! We did manage our mission well, consequently, the San Antonia and the San Martin pavillions are better - with colorful aspects. At the end of the day, we were in agreement that our highlight today was finishing our project.

We participated in the CDLN lunch routine. Most of the volunteers sat individually with the boys at their group tables. We talked and listened to the children. At Lane´s table, the question was asked, “Who is your hero?” From the group of four boys, one said his mother, two said Jesus and one said himself. Although the the English-Espanol was broken, the conversation remained interesting.

We experienced relating to the boys more in depth, but we as team members experienced relating with each other. For example, it was mentioned that Mary is an absolute astute Foreman or rather Forewoman. She is el jefe!

Connections become important. We learned that Millie, one of the CDLN office workers and previous GV staff, is going to Dallas, TX in order to study for her Masters in Social Work. We saw the children connect with some of our team members in a special way. They made pictures with messages thanking them for their service.

At 5pm we returned to our vehicles for the trek back to our "home away from home," the Torreblanca Hostal.

Written by Lane York

Day One of Our Journey

12.21.10 Journal Entry

Thought for the day: "To whom much is given, much is expected." - John F Kennedy

Day one of our journey began with a great sense of easy and comfort with our group of volunteers. We were eager to begin our work with the children. the trip to CDLN was an eye-opener for all of us as it was our first real look at the economic situation on the District where CDLN is located.

When we arrived on site, we received a tour of the campus and Brother Hugo distributed our assignments in each of the Pavilions. We then observed the Christmas celebration in the cafeteria and much to our surprise Barney was the center attraction for the children. The boys were so excited to see Barney that they pinned him to the wall while attempting to hug Barney in a way which resembled mauling him.

As we went to our individual assignments, we were all so excited to be of service to the children. At 5pm, feeling exhausted and in need of showers, we headed back to the hotel with a palpable sense of pride. Tomorrow several of us are likely to be very sore when we get out of bed.

Written by Melissa Walker

"Spring into Service" in Peru!!

“Spring into Service” with Global Volunteers to receive a special limited discount offer for our March and April teams!

Four or more volunteers who apply by January 31 for any of these 28 teams in 16 countries will receive a discount of $200 off our standard service program fee, per volunteer, for one-, two- or three-week international programs or $100 off our standard service program fee, per volunteer, for USA programs. No other discounts apply.

Please encourage others to volunteer in our five fundamental project areas: education (especially promotion of girls education), labor and community infrastructure, health care, child care, and food and nutrition.

Call us at 800-487-1074 for details and we'll assist you every step of the way. Our worldwide host communities can’t wait to welcome you!!

Check out this link for more details & service program dates: http://globalvolunteer.org/special/springspecial.asp

Peru Service Program Dates, March & April Teams:
12-Mar-11 to 26-Mar-11
26-Mar-11 to 9-Apr-11
23-Apr-11 to 7-May-11

Vote for Global Volunteers this Weekend!

From November 15 - November 21 the Star Tribune newspaper is holding a contest entitled 'Full Page Project' amongst MN non-profits and the winner will receive a free full page ad in the paper!

Please vote for us this week ~ you can vote once per hour!

Here is the link where you can register and then vote for Global Volunteers (please copy and paste the link): http://startribune.upickem.net/engine/Registration.aspx?contestid=22815

We would also encourage you to pass this link along to your family and friends, and post it on your personal Facebook page. Let us know if you have any questions, and remember voting goes until 5 p.m. Sunday!

Thank you for your support.

Team Journal - October 15th

Friday, October 15th

Thought for the day: "Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven." Henry Ward Beecher

Hooray! Just some clean-up and a little trim paint and our two-man team has repainted the study hall at Pavilion San Antonio. The second coat went on he baseboards after Jose helped with the paint formulation and technique.

In addition to getting brown paint on my green pants and pale skin, I worked with Flor again on her English lessons. We studied the time of day, locations and directions, distinguishing between 'at' and 'on'. One of the multiple choice answers was the location of the Mississippi River and Lake Superior. Being from Michigan, I could easily draw a map of Lake Superior, so I went ahead and filled in the continental U.S. with the Mississippi and the Rockies and the Appalachians. Then I sang out the rhyme that many of us learn in elementary school: M-I-S-S, I-S-S, I-P-P-I. Flor got the biggest kick out of that. And even after lunch she was still practicing it. Comparing our learning, we found that volunteers from Michigan, Maryland and even Idaho are taught the same way -- now we`re bringing it to Peru. Just wait until Flor hears the alphabet song!

Since I`m the first to leave Lima, and my flight is fairly early, I wouldn`t be able to have dinner with the group as usual for a Friday. So Myrian accommodated my schedule by having the 'farewell' dinner tonight. The Junius restaurant puts on a fabulous floor show of some traditional Peruvian dances and music. We had a front row table too. Truly and enjoyable evening, with or without pisco.

There were so many experiences, it`s hard to distill it down to one thing, one instance, or one feeling, but the closes I find is 'vibrant' -- whether it`s the colors of historical native dress, the facades of the homes, the lights and neon of the casinos and businesses, to the people selling even the smallest candies in the streets, and the energetic boys at CDLN, Lima is alive and vibrant.

Denise Hazelrigg

Team Journal - October 11th

Monday, 11 October

A fun Monday, we started the morning by finishing the painting on the doors in the kids building. Some we had worked on last week. Several pointed out to me that I had a sore head. What had happened was a lump of paint hit me there, and wiping just smudged it. Finishing the painting on the door, I became an English teacher with 2 of the ladies working there with the boys. I do not know their names, but I will be teaching them again on Tuesday. While I do, they each teach me new Spanish words too. I felt proud of myself at lunch, most of the guys wanted me to sit with them. After our lunch, they wanted me to take part in their dance class too, but I just watched. Some boys practiced their English with me, and I practiced my Spanish with them, we all learned new words.

I forgot to tell you that I taught the boys math too. It did take me a while until I saw what their math symbols meant, I`d never seen division signs that the boys used. All the way back in history to Greek development of geometry, and Issac Newton`s calculus. They`ll have to learn standard symbols used in physics and engineering... perhaps later.

Barry Serini