‘Tis the season of school graduations!

Earlier this month, Billy and I had the opportunity to make a quick trip to Kusi, one of our homes for abandoned boys. The directors, Angel and Rosa, invited us to celebrate the graduations of 6 of their boys: 5 from elementary school (Arnold, Frank, Kevin, Martin and Mauricio) and Eloy, who graduated from high school. Since they were unable to attend the graduation party that their school hosted, Angel and Rosa decided to have a big party at home with the other Girasoles boys to celebrate their accomplishments.

Frank, Mauricio, Kevin, Eloy, Martin and Arnold

I’ve heard stories of what happens at school graduations, but had never attended one before. They are much more of an evening event compared to our high school graduations in the States. Whereas my graduation from Cranbrook lasted a maximum 2 hours, graduations here are more of a party that last all night. Wanting to make this party similar to what the boys would have experienced at their school, Rosa had a whole ceremony organized. The graduates were dressed in a (matching) shirt and tie, special graduation photos were taken, a cake was decorated, dinner was served and there was lots of dancing.

As the padrinos (godparents) for the party, Billy and I bought new Bibles as gifts for the graduates. We both were given the opportunity to share a few words- to tell them how proud we were of their accomplishments, how much we value their friendships, and most importantly, to tell them that they have a bright future and a God-given purpose for their life.

with Eloy and Martin

with Arnold and Eloy

And if we hadn’t had enough fun yet, to finish the party off, a group of friends from town joined us in an hora loca. Literally translated, the hora loca means a crazy hour, which here in Peru means a straight hour of dancing without stopping. It was so much fun to dance with the graduates and all of the Kusi boys amidst confetti being thrown, shaving cream-like snow in the air and lights flashing. By the end of the hora loca, the graduation boys were just dripping with sweat. (Lovely.)

It was a wonderful evening of sharing and celebrating. It truly is a blessing to be a part of this ministry and a part of our Girasoles boys’ lives.

The Kusi boys with the graduates

with Mauricio and Arnold during dinner

(…I have to share one last photo from the weekend. The newest boy at the home in Kusi, Socimo, arrived just a few days before Christmas. When Rosa, Billy and I were picking up a few things in town, Socimo came with us. He spent the whole afternoon holding either Billy’s or my hand, and then during dinner wanted to take a picture with me.)

To celebrate New Year’s Eve and to start 2012, Billy and I headed south to SU’s abandoned boys home in the city of Ica.

I’ve written about my experiences in Ica before. It is one of the properties that my group from First Presbyterian has visited every year since 2002, and it is where I most recently wrote about delivering water. Ica is located approximately 5 hours south of Lima, in the Atacama Desert – considered to be the driest desert in the world.

Wanting to do something fun with the boys for the holiday (and thanks to a generous donor), we were able to rent a bus and go with all of the boys and staff to the beach. Since the city of Ica is about 1.5 hours from the Pacific Ocean, going to the beach isn’t a frequent occurrence for the boys at the home.

Before we had even left the Ica city limits, I could hear some of the younger boys sitting behind me on the bus talking about how excited they were to go to the ocean, what they were planning on building in the sand, and wondering how cold the water was going to be. The closer we got to the coast, the more excited and anxious they got.

Upon arrival to the small beach, we piled out of the bus and walked to the water. Some of the boys immediately dropped their towels, took of their shirts and ran into the water while others sat in the sand and started to build their castles, trenches and one even dug out a mini pool.

After spending a lovely afternoon in the sun and salty water, we headed back to the house to anxiously wait the start of 2012. About 10pm, we gathered in the dining room to talk about the successes and challenges from the previous year, inspire and motivate for 2012 and enjoy a late dinner.

As the clock got closer to midnight, anticipation grew and so did the “what time is it?!” questions. To make sure we could wish each other feliz año right at midnight, an countdown clock was set and we spent the last 30 seconds of 2011 counting down (we couldn’t watch the annual special “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest”).

As soon as the clock struck twelve, the sky over Ica was lit up with colorful fireworks (I’m starting to think that with every celebration in Peru, there will be fireworks at midnight). Hearing this, the boys jumped out of their seats and ran outside to watch the colorful bursts in the dark sky. We set off our own fireworks on the soccer field, lit boxes of sparklers and distributed glow bracelets to all of the boys. They consequently spent the next few hours running around with sparklers and waving their glow bracelets in the air.

First photograph from 2012 at Girasoles Ica.

The next day, both Billy and I were greeted with a cheerful feliz año! from the boys. We spent a relaxing first day of 2012 in the sun, hanging out with the boys and even Skyping with friends in Dearborn.

Happy 2012.

Merry Christmas!

Living in Lima means that it has been a particularly different Christmas season this year. Unlike the traditional, snowy (or at least cold) Christmas that I am used to in Michigan, this has been quite the opposite. I can truly sympathize the song, “White Christmas” (I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know…).

In Peru, people have gotten into the Christmas spirit. Houses are still decorated in white lights, which a majority of the time are flashing at ridiculous speeds and accompanied by music. Department stores are decorated in reds and greens and host weekly (if not daily) sales, trying to entice customers in their doors. A few nights ago, Billy and I went to the newly restored Teatro Municipal in downtown Lima to watch a performance of the Nutcracker. Even Starbucks has decorated their stores with red berries, evergreens and snowmen and have started preparing their line of wintery flavored drinks.

For as long as I can remember, my family has had the tradition of spending Christmas Eve at Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. We would get more or less dressed up and walk around the museum, looking at the classic Christmas decorations from the mid-1800s onward. It was also when my brother and I would sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what we wanted for Christmas (to this day, I still don’t understand how we thought that by telling Santa the day before, he would have time to fulfill our requests – ah, I guess it was part of the magic of being a child). This wasn’t just a tradition we had while Randy and I were children, to this day, we would visit the museum on Christmas Eve – just only visiting Santa once in a while!

Living about 3,700 miles away, I didn’t participate in this long standing family tradition this year. In fact, Christmas Eve was quite different in Lima. Instead of a wintery (or at least cold) day, Billy and I went to the beach in Chorrillos. Instead of sweaters, winter coats and mittens, we were wearing sandals, sunglasses and t-shirts.

Since the past month hadn’t felt very Christmas-like, in an effort to recreate at least one tradition from home, we spent a part of the evening at a candlelight service at a church in San Isidro. Very similar to the 11pm candlelight service at First Presbyterian, the night was pure lessons and carols. If I had closed my eyes, it would have felt like I was sitting in a pew in Dearborn.

During the carols, I was thinking about what my favorite Christmas carols would be. I could literally listen to Ave Maria and O Holy Night forever. The words and melodies are just beautiful – especially when sung by a classic like Frank Sinatra, or more modern-day, Josh Groban.

But if I could name just one more favorite, it would be “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” While I love the whole song, the third verse is what gives me those warm, loving chills down my spine every time I hear it.

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

There is just something wonderful about the lines, “born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth” that gets me every time. Of course we sang this as one of the carols, and like every time, I could truly feel the magic and reason for this season.

Today, after opening presents in the morning (if we were Peruvian, it would have been last night and we would have set off fireworks at midnight, but that’s a story for another time), we will continue celebrating. We’re heading out to the “suburbs” of Lima, to the town of Chaclacayo, to spend the day with the General Director of Scripture Union and his wife.

So this year, I’m incorporating new traditions into the season (I think going to the beach will be a favorite…) while remembering why we celebrate.

May you have a wonderful Christmas with friends and family, wherever you may be.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

It has been four months since I returned to Lima and I am slowly getting a grasp life in the “City of Kings.”

In addition to traveling with work teams, lots of translating, scheduling teams for next year and working on the new SU website, here are a few things that I did during the past few months in the city:

- I officially became a Peruvian resident! With my carnet extranjeria I can open a bank account, travel within the country and not have to carry my US passport, and pay the “Peruvian prices” for things such as transportation and events.

- I started attending services at Camino de Vida, a church nearby where a handful of other SU staff go. Starting in January, I will be participating in their Escuela Creativa. (Photo from CDV Facebook)

- Scripture Union Peru moved into new offices in Lima, not too far from where I live. This means I have a desk and space to go work instead of covering my dining room table.

- Billy and I went on a tour of the Palacio del Gobierno (the Presidential Palace, or the Peruvian White House).

And, after the tour, we were invited to come back to watch the changing of the guards from inside the gated patio.

- Much to Billy’s delight, and thanks to Living in Peru, we discovered a simple Mexican restaurant in the hip neighborhood of Barranco. There aren’t many menu choices at the Burrito Bar, but it is amazing. (And considering it is one of 3 Mexican restaurants in a city of 9 million people, I can’t complain!)

- We celebrated the tenure of our General Director, Paul Clark, and welcomed the new General Director, Weider Hidalgo, who begins January 1. We aren’t saying goodbye to Paul; he will still continue to help train and mentor other SU staff.

- And, last but not least, I have moved into my own apartment! Sadly, Rachel, another person on the International Relations team returned home to England earlier this month, but I was able to take over her apartment. Clearly, I haven’t gotten around to putting photos in the frames or things on the walls…

I’m looking forward to another few months in Lima before the busy travel & work team season starts up again!

About a month ago while I was scanning my Facebook news feed, I noticed that a few of my friends had mentioned that they were away on “business trips”. I love to travel and the idea of being able to travel with work always enticed me. I know it would be work, but the adventure of going somewhere always sounded great. While reading the wonderful places my friends were jetting off to, like London, San Francisco, Venice and Washington DC, I found myself wanting to trade places with them and go myself. But after a few minutes, I didn’t think much more about it.

A couple nights ago, I returned from spending almost the past two weeks on the road. Starting in Kawai, our property located 88km south of Lima on the Pacific Ocean, I helped a water filtration team from Tennessee install a system on the property. Kawai and I have a long history since it is the location that I visited on my first trip in 2001, and then kept returning to for the 7 years with a group from First Presbyterian. It is a beautiful piece of beach front property with lots of green grass, palm trees and wonderful people. After a few days in Kawai and another couple days in Lima, we boarded a plane to head north to Iquitos and our boys home at Puerto Alegria. The water team had an installation planned for a church in the district of Punchana (just outside Iquitos) and wanted to perform some maintenance on their system at Puerto Alegria. Since the team spoke little Spanish, and part of their program includes teaching about the importance of using clean, purified water and how to properly and effectively wash your hands, I went with them to help teach.

Working with the children a church in Punchana.

The Living Waters team with their install at Kawai.

After spending a couple weeks with the group, it was time to return home. As packed up my suitcase and boarded the plane to Lima, I couldn’t help thinking, “Why would I be so silly and want to trade places with my business traveling friends?!” They get to go to neat places and travel with work, but hey – so do I! They go to cities where they only know work colleagues, stay in impersonal hotels and just work all day. But when I travel with work, I go to work with friends, stay in their homes and not just “work” all day, but get to have fun. Lots of fun.

I get to see people like Jherry, our house father and director of the home in Puerto Alegria.

I get to spend time with people like Wixler, who I have known for many years.

And, I get to take silly photos with silly boys. (Thank you Luis for that photobomb…)

So, even though I’m not going off to the same wonderful places I dreamed of as a child, I’m going to familiar places – to where people know me and I know them; to people who greet me with open arms and to a job that is never completed.

And all of that is just fine with me.