Inch by inch it is a cinch – yard by yard it is hard

This was seriously our first full day of working in the various areas. Our group declined hospital and labor. We are assigned with children of various ages and sibling groups. We are all exhausted and excited. Our language skills are lacking unfortunately. Everyone´s efforts are great and no two groups or sessions are the same. Our routine is not established with a meeting at 8´o´clock, lunch about 1 and completion of our workday at 5. Our lesson this morning was about the local fruits and vegetables. We learned that asparagus is their number one export, that there are 2,000 types of potatoes and lucuma and chirimoya are local products.

There is no I in team

This morning the entire team seemed enthusiastic to begin our mission as members of Global Volunteers. During the morning we practiced some Spanish before meeting with the staff of PPA. I think they were impressed with our effort in speaking their language. We also toured the entire campus both outdoors and in. Around noon we went to a local restaurant for a very good lunch. After lunch we went into our afternoon assignments to work with the loving and very energetic children. We finished the evening with a lovely dinner at the mall where we also learned of the shops selling traditional Peruvian items. Some of us had our first Pisco sour -- but not our last.

Peru Team Jan 29- Feb 10

She didn´t know it couldn´t be done, so she went ahead and did it.

After just a few hours sleep we met with our very energetic and wonderful team leader over breakfast. The entire team met with Edith to set our goals and expectations. We took a tour of Limalearning of its history and points of interest. After a delicious and beautifully prepared dinner at the hotel we went to bed to rest up for what would be our first afternoon with the children.

Opportunity to serve...

I volunteered to come to Peru in order to participate in the facilitating of teaching conversational English at the National Agriculture University at the Molina. My personal reason for coming to Peru was to learn more about the culture of the people in Peru. I wanted to expand my knowledge about the people at this wonderful country.

After being here for a week, I have achieved my personal objective for coming. I am witnessing how a multiplicity of people co-exist. Although the USA is older as an independent nation, the Peruvian people can teach Americans how to coexist. A person’s ethnicity in Peru does not seem to be a negative trait.

The students see to enjoy attending our conversational classes. They are eager to learn. Two students told me that they are learning English so they could acquire gainful employment.

Facilitating the conversational English classes have been highly enjoyable. My acceptance from the students has been a joy to my current stay

I wish I could do more than I am currently doing. The students have motivated and encouraged me to enjoy my stay here.

My objectives for coming here can only be confirmed by the students, the university officials and Global Volunteers.

I wish to thank Global Volunteers for giving me an opportunity to serve.

Submitted by Rick Coger

Reflections from a 2011 CDLN Volunteer

It is always heartwarming and encouraging to read volunteer reflections as their service programs come to a close. We have already had numerous volunteer teams serve in Peru this winter and spring, and we would love to share some of the kind words shared by a recent volunteer. Enjoy, and become inspired!!


Final Day Reflections by Volunteer Shanna


"I have so enjoyed my stay here. The Peruvians I have met are kind, friendly and helpful.

Our guide Tatya has been so conscientious and gracious. Tonight she took us to a Peruvian restaurant named "Tanta" and it was just that - So Much. Since I think this is the last time I will write in the journal, I want to say how much I´ve enjoyed everyone´s company and how much I value these new friendships. This experience here in Peru, these friendships, and the faces of those energetic, beautiful and challenging boys will always have a place in my heart!"

Only Three Days Left...

TEAM JOURNAL FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2011

QUOTE: "A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one dad."


This morning we started with our usual morning meeting, faced our usual morning traffic, and proceded to CDLN. We all had full schedules for the day. Larry spent the morning painting. He wore his orange painting shirt, which worked fined until he quit using orange paint and switched to green!

Ingrid joined Shanna and I in varnishing "banos" and then tables. In the afternoon she rejoined her young charges. After lunch and dishes Larry returned to his family for painting and homework - followed by his debut as a soccer goalie. We will tell no tails about his performance.

Shanna and I returned to try to help with homework, but when the cheering started with the arrival of high school students to tudor, we knew our efforts would not be up to those standards. After the homework some of the family adjourned to play soccer. This was after the high school students left, because due to the volume of homework there was no soccer with the high school kids. The soccer game varied between 3 and 17 participants. Don´t know how they kept track of who was on which team, or, if they did.

At about 5 our whole team visited the family where Michelle had been working. (We miss Michelle and Andrew.) About 20 3-5 year olds were stretched out on the hard floor sound asleep. When it was time to wake them for dinner it was a major effort to get them all on their feet, which did not necessarily mean awake. We joined them on the early dinner shift. Some of them continued their naps by putting their heads down on the dinner table. After dinner we atteded the Prayer Service, as we did last Tuesday. It would be nice to bottle all of that energy displayed in the chapel. The leaders were very young and did a very impressive job.

It is hard to believe, but, as Ingrid has reminded us there only 3 days left after today.

JOHN BAGGLEY

Donations Made My Service Possible

Last year, through the Global Volunteers website, I raised enough money for my trips to both Peru and Ecuador. The only thing I ended up paying for was my flight on both trips. How'd I do it?

I put a letter in my church bulletin and received an overwhelming amount of supplies that I was able to split between both trips for donations. I ended up bringing at least one extra suitcase on both trips filled with supplies for the children. When I signed up for the trips, I wrote a letter explaining what I was doing and why, asking for any sort of donation. I sent the letter to all my family close and extended as well as family friends, neighbors, teachers, distant relatives etc. I received an overwhelming response and received donations up until the week before I was to leave to Peru on my first trip.

I took the semester off from school last fall, and when I found Global Volunteers, it was a perfect fit. I found out about the program through a girl at my school who had done a trip to Brazil with her mother a few years ago. The fact that Global Volunteers provided me with the means to create a fundraising page was very helpful. It was perfect for me to fundraise through. Global Volunteers is the only volunteer program I found that allowed you to fully fundraise all of your costs and helped you in doing so. All other programs were much more expensive and more of a volunteer 'vacation' rather than a strictly volunteer trip.

This has been a wonderful, fulfilling memory for me. I encourage you to do it.
-Meagan Minott