Christmas Parties, The Peruvian Way

I mentioned in my last blog that I would be preparing for another Tamar Christmas party, but this time triple the size. I forgot to mention that I would also be helping with another Christmas party on Thursday for the women who are victims of physical abuse. Needless to say, it’s been a busy week.

Things I did this week to prepare:

-Cut out around 300 adornos (ornaments) in the shapes of balls, stars, angels, and stockings. Honing my art skills.

-Cut out three life size trees for the activity. The tree, in case you are wondering, represents life, and by putting their ornaments with their names on the tree, they are acknowledging the fact that all of their lives are a gift to God.

- Cut out Feliz Navidad six times for different departments in the office.

Basically, I went through a ton of paper, and the cutting muscles in my hand are incredibly tired, but everything turned out beautiful! Thank God.

During these Christmas parties, or any party at the office really, I wear many hats. I’m the official carrier of the tampón (ink pad) for the women to sign their names when unable to write. I’m also the official PowerPoint slide changer (intense, I know), and the backup photographer. I help hand out all the food and pour all the drinks... and then refill all the drinks (I can pour a mean cup of juice). I am then the official garbage receiver and sweeper. As you can see, I am acquiring many new skills, and perfecting others! The good thing is that there is never a dull moment, and the women and children really enjoy themselves.

One thing that I think is very important is the fact that I serve the women and children. First of all because almost all of these women and children come from extreme poverty, and are normally the ones serving others. Secondly I think it’s important because I am a “gringa” or person from the United States. There is a way of thinking here, and in many other countries, that people from the United States are better and should be treated extremely well, better than everyone else. I love breaking that stereotype. I never say a thing, all I do is serve them and clean up after them. It seems small but I pray that it speaks volumes to them about the fact that they are just as valuable and special as I am. That my white skin and green eyes don’t make me any better, or display that I deserve better treatment that them.

                                            My girls practicing their dance!

This coming week is filled with office parties, which means lots of panetón and hot chocolate. I did learn how to make the hot chocolate from scratch though. Super easy and incredibly delicious! Then on Friday, Sean, one of the other YAVs, is coming to celebrate Christmas with my host family in Huánuco. Then it’s off to Lima to meet my family! Thank God for family vacations in Peru!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Much love from Peru!

Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. –Martin Luther King Jr. 

Opening Wings

"Hope is folding paper cranes even when your hands get cramped and you eyes tired, working past blisters and paper cutes, simply because something in you insists on opening its wings." -Elizabeth Barrette

This past week was a whirlwind of emotions, planning, and activities. On Saturday we had our first of two Christmas parties for the Tamar girls or the victims of sexual abuse. We held the party this week in Tingo Maria, normally about a three-hour drive from Huánuco. After working hard all week to make sure everything was in place, we set off at 6:00 am Saturday morning. The road to Tingo Maria isn’t exactly what you would call straight. In fact it is probably one of the more windy roads I’ve ever been on, which made for an interesting trip full of breathing techniques and “It’s gunna be fines.”

When we got to the church, we quickly set up and started our two-hour party for the girls. We had speeches of welcoming and thanks, a sermon on the true meaning of Christmas, and the activity that I had planned. My activity was a simple task in which I made a tree out of paper (yep inartistic me!) and then made ornaments with each of the girls name on them. One by one the girls came up, placed their name on the tree and received their gift. All the gifts were bags of second-hand clothes that people had previously donated. It didn’t seem like much, but the girls really enjoyed it and the parents were incredibly grateful. One thing I found incredible was that there were only 12 victims at the party, but around 40 people. This is because parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all came to help support the girls and to give their thanks for all that Paz y Esperanza does. This insured in me that we not only help the girls, but their families and communities as well.

Everyone was then given pollo a la brasa (baked chicken that comes with french fries, a specialty in Perú) and panetón (fruitcake). Luckily we had just enough for everyone! To me, these Christmas parties are very special because most, if not all of the girls will not be able to celebrate Christmas the way most of us imagine. Most won’t receive other gifts or eat as well as they did at this party. Therefore, it’s an incredible blessing to be able to share with these girls, give them peace for a while, and a little bit of hope for the next year.

So, while I had a fun week and weekend, I was and am completely exhausted. Each time I thought I couldn’t possibly do more, I thought about the quote I put at the top of this blog. Seeing how incredibly happy the girls were to have a Christmas celebration and how thankful the parents were, made it all worth it. Though I had to work hard and struggle to stay awake at some points, I got to see their wings open, and for that I am grateful.

Now is a good time to mention that Panetón and hot chocolate are a common holiday treat. And by common, I mean that they eat it at least once a week during December and for every special Christmas celebration. While fruitcake is not one of my favorite holiday treats, Peruvians can devour a panetón in three seconds flat.

Now onto another full week of putting together gifts and cutting out paper ornaments for the next Christmas party! 

                            My host sisters and I at Jonathan's graduation party

Peruvian Thanksgiving

Peruvian style Thanksgiving was such a blessing in so many ways. I took the night bus over to Lima Tuesday night. Now the night bus may not sound fun, but it is actually very calm. Plus if you are lucky enough to sleep, the carsickness doesn’t hit you. It wasn’t the best night of sleep I have ever had, but I was welcomed with open arms by all of the other Peru YAVs, my site coordinator Debbie, her husband, and freshly made French toast!

On Wednesday we spent the morning at the Ann Sullivan center, which is where Sarah, one of my lovely Peru YAVs works. A woman who noticed that not enough was being done for children with special needs started Ann Sullivan. Sarah mainly works with autism and down syndrome, but with other needs as well. It was incredible to hear how much hope and love the center gives to the people who have lost their hope. The Ann Sullivan center does a variety of activities to help the kids learn how to act in public as well as teach them everyday skills such as cleaning and cooking. One of the things I found to be really fun is that they have a laundry service in which the kids do everything from washing to folding.

                                The Crew with our lovely tour guide at Ann Sullivan

Thursday was full of cooking the Thanksgiving feast and sharing with friends. Sean and I decided to make sweet potatoes with marshmallows and steamed vegetables. We got a huge laugh out of the fact that the Metro (shopping center) only had flavored marshmallows. So our sweet potatoes had a tangy, colorful feel to them, but were still quite delicious. We were able to celebrate with a few friends from La Red Uniendo Manos office, where Debbie and Kaley work, another missionary couple in Lima, and other volunteers from the United States. Though it wasn’t home, it was fun to celebrate and share with friends and our new family here in Peru.

                                           Our Thanksgiving Feast!

Friday during the day was very relaxed, full of sharing stories and discussing problems or uncomfortable situations. This is always one of the most important times during retreat for me because it is such a relief to express a problem and have others tells you they understand or that they have been through the same thing. That night we went to watch a show that had traditional dances from all over Peru. It was an incredible cultural experience, and it was also a lot of fun to be able to dance when the actual dancers were taking a break. At one point, Mary and I went up to swing dance and then realized we were the only ones besides another couple. It was slightly awkward but we had so much fun that it was more than worth it. I will admit that my hips hurt a bit the next day, those salsa dances can really take it out of you!

                                                  Mary and I dancing!

Saturday was a really fun also! We were all extremely exhausted from being out till 2:30 in the morning the night before, but still had a great day. The best part was getting to visit one of Shane’s churches for their youth group. We were welcomed with open arms and many smiling faces. Each of the YAVs were paired with one or two of the kids for all of the games. We made a complete fools of ourselves during incredibly fun games such as “Spell the name of the state you came from with your body.” That one was quite hilarious especially when poor Mary and Kaley had to spell Pennsylvania and Mississippi. Each of our partners also made us a card or picture telling us about themselves and welcoming us to their church. I think everyone had a lot of fun, not only seeing what Shane does weekly, but getting to know the young kids.

Sunday was filled with church, a potluck and getting errands done. Then we all went on our own ways to head back and get ready for another full week of work! I had such a wonderful time joking around and laughing with my other YAVs. So much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and now…. the Christmas celebrations begin J

Yo soy un adulto protector, y tu?

This week was prevention week because November 19^th is sexual abuse awareness day. In order to honor this important day, Paz y Esperanza held events throughout the week. Most of the events were conferences and speeches, but also included carnivals and activities for children. The theme of this year was “Yo soy un adulto protector, y tu?” This translates to “I’m an adult protector, are you?” One of the most important jobs for the people at Paz y Esperanza is just to inform people about sexual abuse, and let them know that help is available. Huánuco is in one of the poorest sections of Peru, and it has one of the highest rates of sexual abuse. Statistics are hard to come by, but it is believed that 70% of sexual abuse cases are never reported due to not having information or understanding their rights.

On Thursday the office held a carnival in the Plaza de Armas (main plaza of Huánuco) for children. This carnival was a chance for the children to learn about what sexual abuse is, how to prevent it, and what to do if ever faced with an abusive situation. Most of learning was done through games including puzzles, bowling, and stories. Despite being exhausted from all the preparation work, I really enjoyed watching the kids play and learn. 

 On Sunday we held another carnival for the Sunday schools of all the main churches. This carnival had the same games and idea, except that is was focused more on God. I was suppose to be filming most of the games and speeches, but I found myself constantly encircled by young children asking me who I was, where I was from, why I was there. The children were amazed that I was so white and that I spoke English. It was quite adorable, even though I was suppose to be working!

Kids playing memory

                                      

                                                   

All in all, prevention week was a success and I’m completely exhausted. Now I’m off to Lima to spend Thanksgiving with the other Peru volunteers. Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

Little Miracles

Most of you know that I have been working with an 11-year-old girl every Monday through Wednesday. For those that don’t know, I’m teaching her to read and write because she never learned in school, and yes I am teaching her in Spanish! I was advised one day that maybe she might need glasses. After, while working with her, I started to take notice to how she had to have the paper super close to her eyes. When I asked her to move the paper away from her face, she told me that she couldn’t read it. So I told my supervisor Doris and we scheduled a time for her to go to the hospital.

The first time we went to the hospital I was stunned. The place was jammed pack. There were people everywhere trying to get the help they needed. The system for the hospitals here is different also. When going in for a consult you have to pass through the triaje were they weigh you, check your pulse, etc. There is only one triaje in the hospital, so needless to say we waited for a very long time. We eventually got referred to the eye doctor’s office, where we again had to wait. When we finally got to see the doctor, he checked her eyes to see if there was anything medically wrong with them, and then scheduled an appointment for a vision check two weeks later.

So on Thursday I picked her up early and accompanied her to the hospital. I was supposed to meet my boss, Doris, there, but she ended up being late due to something at work. Alone with this little girl, I started to panic because I had no idea where to take her, and I didn’t want her to miss her appointment. So while I anxiously waited for Doris, most likely looking panicked, a woman who works at the hospital came up and asked me if she could help me. I explained that the girl had an appointment, but that I didn’t know if she had to go through the triaje again or if I could just take her to the office. The woman explained to me the system, and then she graciously took us to the place where we were supposed to wait. It was an incredibly sweet gesture. I’m sure that she had plenty to do with people in every part of the hospital looking to receive help, but she took the time to help me, the panicked gringa, with something that was probably a simple task for most Peruvians. She was my miracle that day.

 One of the other projects that I have been getting involved in is with a group of women that have been physically or sexually abused by either their husbands or other men in their lives. My job for these meetings is to come up with an activity for the women to do that helps them with their health, be it emotional or physical. So this past Thursday, I gave each of the women a piece of paper and a colored pencil. I then asked the women to draw their alma (soul). I advised them to draw a shape or thing that expressed who they were inside, how they viewed themselves. While going around the group, I was amazed to hear explanations such as, “I drew a rose because I am sensitive, but it has thorns because I am tough.” Another response was, “I drew a tree because I am strong and can handle anything that blows my way.” My favorite, unlikely response was, “I drew an elephant because I am strong, kind, and fiercely protective of my children.” I was so incredibly proud of the women for not only expressing themselves, but for thinking about themselves in such strong and positive ways. One of the things I love most about these meetings is that each time one woman shares the story of her life. The others listen and then after can give positive feedback or advice. It’s such an empowering experience to see a woman who has been abused and hurt receive love, advice, and strength from 20 other women who have gone through experiences like hers. These women are my miracle every other Thursday.

One of the views from my office of the walking bridge in Huánuco, another little miracle because it's such a beautiful view           

Baking for the Weekend

After a short week at work wrapping up the Christmas card project, I had an incredibly busy weekend! Saturday my host mom and I woke up early to go to the feria (Saturday’s market) and buy all our fruits and vegetables for the week. After the feria we started to bake. We made two birthday cakes for Jimmy, one of the guys at our church, because he does all the music for free. Then we made oatmeal raisin cookies for the almuerzo (lunch) after church on Sunday. Our church does a lunch after every Sunday that we have Santa Cena (communion). This is just to come together, share, and spend more time getting to know each other.

                                                 Baking, baking, baking

                            My host mom decorating one of the birthday cakes :)

Saturday night we had our regular youth group service, but after we had the birthday celebration for Jimmy. We played games, ate cake, and completely embarrassed Jimmy with songs and memories. One of the games we played was called Ping, Pong, Pan in which there are three people in a group. One person says ping, one says pong, and the other says a type of pan (bread) to get another group to go. Now somebody thought it would be a good idea to put the gringa (me) in the position of pan, and of course none of the types of pan were easy to say. So I basically made a fool of myself each time my group had to go, what else is new? Our team also lost, due to me of course, so we had to sing a song in front of everyone. So as you can guess the night was full of embarrassing moments, but also a lot of fun and many good laughs. 

The only thing that has been keeping me down is homesickness. There comes a point when you start to think, did I really understand that I was going to be here for a WHOLE year? I’ve always been the kind of person who is ready to go. I was more than ready to leave high school, couldn’t wait to leave college, and was dying to leave the United States. I’ve just always been ready for a new adventure, but now that I am here, I’m starting to wonder, “Did I actually know what I was getting myself into?” I can’t help but long for the comfortable and familiar home that I was so eager to leave. I forget how easy and carefree the days were when I didn’t have to strain to listen and understand every word that was said. The days when I understood the cultural norms and never had to worry about being unknowingly rude, saying the wrong thing, or out later than 10:00 pm. These feelings create doubt. Am I actually helping? Is there a reason for me to be here?

On the rough days I send little prays to have a moment that will let me know that I will be okay. An example of one of these moments was while I was starting this blog, feeling down, and in need of chocolate. My coworker Medali walked in and asked me if I knew the song Hakuna Matata. I told her “Why of course I know Hakuna Matata, it’s practically one of my theme songs!” So we spent the last half an hour of work singing the song we both love, first in English and then in Spanish. For those that don’t know the song, Hakuna Matata means no worries, and can instantly put you in a good mood. It’s amazing how relief, warmth, and happiness can just take over your whole being. It’s the moments like these that keep me going. It’s the kisses on the cheeks, the running around with my host brother, and the baking with my host mom. Some days are hard. Some days a year seems like a lifetime, but poco a poco, day by day. The key is to see beauty in each day and be grateful for the moments that allow me to get out of my ruts.

Now off to work! Loving and missing everyone at home. Abrazos a todos (hugs to all)

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

Charles R. Swindoll

So Much Free Time, Yet So Much To Do

Books I Have Been Reading:

-Lamb- Fun fiction story of Jesus’ life through the eyes of his best friend Levi, called Biff of Nazareth.

-Lost Women of the Bible- an interesting view of struggles fought by some of the most important women in the bible

- The Art of Racing in the Rain- Book told from the view of a dog, great so far!

It is official; my best friend in Peru is my 11-year-old host brother. We do everything together. If I ever leave the house he asks if he can come along. He can even be a little protective of me when walking and people start to whistle or give kissing sounds. He calmly says, “Just keep walking Hannah,” and pretends not to notice. It’s quite adorable actually. We spent even more time than usual together this week because I had Monday and Tuesday off work due to the holiday Día De La Muerte, which is celebrated on November 1^st.

On Saturday, Jonathan and I woke up bright and early to go running in the park. Which turned into racing for half and hour because that is way more fun than just jogging, I’m still sore. Then we went to the market to find any kind of fruit we could, and returned home to make two pizzas de frutas (fruit pizza). Everyone loved the treat. My host dad was hesitant at first and said, “It’s basically just fruit salad on bread,” but he was a good sport and enjoyed it. The reason that they make their pizzas here is because it is very expensive to buy pizza. To feed a family it would probably be around 50 soles, which is way more than most families pay for a weeks worth of dinners. 

                                                            Fruit Pizza!

Monday and Tuesday were spent painting the church and running errands in our free time. The church was in need of a good paint job, and after about a week of hard work, we are finally finished and it looks 100% better. Jonathan and I also got our haircut. For the both of us, it cost 5 soles (roughly 2 dollars), I might actually be able to keep up with my hair at that price!

                              The church before Sunday service, freshly painted!

                                 The pool in the church because I live in eternal spring

                                      The new paint job! I did all the blue sections.

                       The TAMAR girls are still working hard on the Christmas cards!

Now, it’s back to work to start off the beginning of a new month! Love to all!

Real. Strong. Women.

Interesting foods I have tried:

-Alligator: tastes like fishy chicken!

-Fried cheese, as in cheese in a frying pan with bread and jelly

-Turron: A dessert only found in October made of honey bread, honey, and sprinkles (delicious)

Real. Strong. Women. This was the motto I lived by in college. It was the motto of my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and something that I really tried to identify with. Back then being a real, strong, woman meant giving 100% to school, golf, and friends. It meant doing the right thing, giving back to the community, and creating opportunities for my future. After being in Peru for two months now, I have seen many different, but equally important definitions. One of the most powerful images I have seen is the women who carry a baby on their backs, a sack of potatoes in one hand, and hold the hand of their other child as they walk down the street. I can barely walk down the street with a sack of potatoes, let alone with two children. But that is what she needs to do in order to provide for her family, so she does it. To me, that’s a real, strong, woman.

My days at work have become incredibly busy! Which of course is a good thing for me. I am designing and preparing Christmas cards so that they girls on Saturdays can put them together. We then sell the cards so that the girls learn how to work hard and earn money. It’s a fun project for me that definitely challenges my creative abilities. My desk is constantly covered with paper trees and ornaments, and my fingers always have glue on them. But I get to listen to music or talk with the girls in the office while I make them, so I enjoy the challenge.

The other main project I have taken on is teaching the young girl who comes to our office three days a week, to read. She was working with Carol, a teacher from Brazil, but when Carol returned to Brazil, they asked if I would help her. Yep, that’s right, me the one who is still learning Spanish and has no teaching experience whatsoever, is teaching a young girl to read. However, it has been a really good experience so far! Luckily she is far enough along that she can read syllables, so we slowly read stories and poems. She also draws pictures for me, and writes a few words every lesson. Carol told me that progress would be slow, but poco a poco is the theme of my life here, so that is nothing new to me. The great thing about teaching is that I am learning more Spanish words and how to pronounce them correctly. What a good learning experience for us both!

As I work on all of these projects and continue to learn more about the Peruvian culture and the language, I sometimes feel like the woman I described earlier. I feel as if I am carrying too much, I am being challenged to the max, and I’m learning skills that I didn’t know I had. At the end of the day I am exhausted, but I am also extremely happy. Though sometimes is feels hard to do, I know I am doing something important. I am helping, growing, and learning. I am also creating a new definition of a real, strong, woman, for myself, while appreciating all the examples of a real, strong, woman that they women here give me daily.  

 "Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right using of strength; 
 and strength is not used rightly when it serves only to
 carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory. 
 He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own." - Henry Ward Beecher

                                          Christmas Cards! 

The Physical Therapist in Me

When I first arrived in Huánuco, Becky asked me what I studied in college and what I wanted to be. I told her I studied Biology, but that my goal was to become a physical therapist. Her eyes lit up the minute I said this because they had been praying for a way to help a 14 year girl who had become paralyzed about a year ago. This little girl is a victim of sexual abuse and was either pushed off or fell off a cliff, breaking her spine. After spending a good bit of time in Lima receiving therapy and care, she was doing better. However, since returning home she hasn’t received any physical therapy, and desperately needs it to improve her quality of life. Becky and I were able to track down a physical therapist here in Huánuco who was willing to make the 4-hour trip with us. He and I met a few times before to go over potential exercises, a potential diagnosis, and medical supplies that she would need.

On Tuesday, Becky, Elmer (the physical therapist), Carol (teacher from Brazil), and I left at 5:30 am to visit her. After doing the trip, I can understand why it would be hard for a physical therapist to visit her regularly. For those 4 hours I bounced up, down and sideways around multiple sharp curves in order to pass over three mountains. Let’s put it this way, if shake weights actually work, I may have lost 10 pounds… too soon to tell. When we finally arrived, we had to walk another 15 minutes up the mountain carrying all of our own bags, as well as all of the necessities that we had brought for the family.

Now it’s important to understand that this family speaks Quecha, and they only understand some Spanish, so most of our conversation was through hand motions and examples. We began by examining the girl, asking for pain and sensation in which she had none below the bellybutton. We then began to notice how flaccid and weak her legs had become, and tried to explain to the family how important exercises were for her muscles. Her sister then sat with us and observed all the exercises that we wanted the family to help her with including leg raises, pushups, and sit ups. I was even able to show and explain some of the exercises, which was incredibly fun for me! After her physical therapy session, Carol gave the girl an hour lesson on reading. Carol also provided her with games that would require her to use her arms and fingers. We then left and began the four-hour trip home, but promised to return and check in on the family.

For me this is an exciting project because I get to think like a physical therapist, and I also get to compare the differences in physical therapy here in Peru to everything I have observed in the United States. I have always thought about doing medical mission trips after I have become a physical therapist, so this gave me a great idea of what that work would be like. I also need to make a book for the family with pictures and drawings of all of the exercises, so that if they don’t remember, they will have a guide close by. This will keep me busy until we visit her again, hopefully, in early December.

                                                                The view

                                            Me being a Physical Therapist!

Then on Friday night all of the other Peru YAV volunteers arrived in Huánuco for our first official retreat! I don’t know if I have ever been more excited for three buses to arrive. We stayed at La Granja (the farm) where we could hear nothing but nature for 4 days. The food was incredible; lots of fresh yogurt and cheese along with Pachamanca and of course rice and potatoes. The first two days consisted of sharing our experiences; the good, the bad, and the ugly. We also took frequent walks around the farm, visited the cows, and learned how to make the yogurt and cheese. On Monday we all woke up bright and early to catch our ride to Tingo Maria at 5 am. In Tingo Maria we spent approximately 4 hours climbing waterfalls. Some waterfalls required harnesses and ropes to climb bit by bit, and others were more like actual rock climbing. Tired and sore we finally reached the top where we were able to swim under the last waterfall. Maybe it is because I am from Oregon, but there is nothing I love more than being completely surrounded by nature, muddy, wet, and tired from an outdoor adventure.

While hiking down the waterfalls, I couldn’t help but think how much rock climbing could teach you about life. At first the mountain seems impossible, but you find your footing, go poco a poco (bit by bit), and all of a sudden you find yourself at the top enjoying the view.

“God never promised that it would be easy, he just promised that it would be worth it.”

Love from a very sore, but happy me!

P.s. I would like to publicly thank my mom for my great balance, it saved me from a few potentially muddy falls <3 

Home With A View

Things I have learned:

- Ecco is a popular drink in the morning. It tastes like coffee, but it’s made of wheat. They normally mix it with a little bit of hot water, a lot of cold water, milk and sugar.

- The Happy Birthday song in Portuguese is officially my favorite version of the song.

- I need about 10 soles every two weeks to recharge my phone, equivalent to about $3.50

Illiteracy surrounds me. It’s something that I am not even aware of most of the time. Paz y Esperanza requires signatures for all the help they provide, but a good majority of the people have to use ink to make a fingerprint instead. I feel incredibly guilty every time I ask for a firma (signature) and the person says “no puedo” (I can’t). I feel guilty because I have taken for granted my ability to not only read and write in English, but also in Spanish. I crave time to read, it’s my time to just escape and be totally immersed in a book, but do I really need the escape? If anyone needs an escape from their daily lives, it is these women and children who suffer, the ones who are unable.

On Monday through Wednesday every week a young girl comes to our office to receive extra help in her classes. She is 11 years old and can’t even tell you the alphabet. This is not due to anything but the fact that the education in her small town is not the best. She has gone to school her whole life and never learned how to read or write. For an hour a day she is taught by a private tutor and receives homework to take home with her. She lives about 30 minutes or so from Huánuco, so her mother drops her off on Monday mornings and picks her up on Wednesday afternoons. During those few days she stays with Kurtis and Teresa Smith, missionaries from Louisiana, who have four young kids to help entertain her. She spends all of her extra time in my office with Medali, Becky, Doris and I. It was her birthday on Friday, so we all decided to make the trek to her house to celebrate with her.

Early Friday morning we left the office and drove to the girl’s school to pick her up and take her home. While giving us directions to her house she said, “Stop here, we have to walk from here.” I was shocked; we were on the side of a highway… where exactly were we going to walk to? When we asked her, she pointed up the mountain and said, “Up there.” Her house was so far up the mountain that I couldn’t even see it from where we were, but I could see the little trail that they had made to climb the hill. So we grabbed her presents, food for her family, our own bags and started the 20-minute hike straight UP the mountain. I like to think I am in pretty good shape, but this walk had me panting and sweating. How they do that everyday is unimaginable to me. When we finally reached the top, not only were we welcomed with smiling faces from her family, but also with one of the most incredible views I had ever seen. Mountains surrounded us, and the view of the valley and town below was breathtaking.

Her father and uncle were making Pachamanca for her birthday. This is the dish I had mentioned earlier in which they make it in the ground, using hot rocks to cook the meat and potatoes. While waiting for the food to be ready we rested on the hill and talked with her family. Then Doris, my boss, decided we needed more cookies. That meant that Medali and I were going to have to make the trek back down the hill, buy cookies at a little tienda, and climb back up the mountain. Let’s just say it was a good thing that I hadn’t run that morning!

When we returned, the little girl smiled at me and asked, “Does your house look like mine?” Now how exactly do you tell an 11-year-old girl that your house has windows and doors to keep the cold out at night? How do you tell an 11 year old girl that you don’t have to sleep in the same room as your family, in fact you have a room all to yourself? How do you also explain that to bathe, you don’t have to climb down a hill to the creek, but that your bathroom has a shower that produces hot water? I had no idea how to approach this question, so I simply told her, “Yes, my house looks like yours, but you have a better view that I do.”

Her family then graciously provided us with lunch. We were first given a soup made of noodles, potatoes, and cilantro that was delicious. Next we were given a huge bowl of rice, caramelized onions, potatoes, and chicken. Mind you this family doesn’t have much money, but made sure that we were fed well. We all struggled to finish the plate given to us, and just kept saying, “Muy rico,”(very delicious), knowing that if we ate another bite we might die. We then sang Happy Birthday to the little girl; first in Spanish, then in English, and finally in Portuguese because her tutor is from Brazil. Then as we tried to say our goodbyes, her mother insisted we stay for Pachamanca, which would be done soon. Doris, being wonderful in these situations and knowing we couldn’t possibly eat more, simply said, “We would be happy to stay, but can we take it to go?” Her mother happily agreed and after about half an hour sent us back down the hill with bags of Pachamanca, full stomachs, and smiles on our faces.

On the way back to Huánuco, I kept thinking about how little the family had, but how incredibly happy they were. It also made me think of the people I knew who had so much more, but who were unsatisfied, myself included. It reminded me of the quote I frequently see that says, “Rich people are not ones who have the most, but the ones that need the least.” This family might not have much, but they work hard, love each other, and get to wake up to an incredible view every morning. That seems like more than enough to me.

               Jonathan in traditional dance costume for a school anniversary celebration

                                            Me wearing his traditional hat

God gave me you for the ups and downs

Things I have learned:

- Hot showers are a luxury. My “hot” showers usually consist of cold water with spurts of warm water. Needless to say, I have become excellent at taking 3 minute showers.

-Lucuma is a common flavor here in Huanuco. It’s a fruit but the ice cream flavor tastes exactly like birthday cake ice cream.

- Fireworks are very common to hear throughout the day, no idea why, but they are beautiful to watch at night.

I have learned in the past couple weeks that I was incredibly lucky to be given the family that I did. Though progress has been slow, I am starting to find my place. Almost every night I help Jonathan with his English homework (more for my benefit that his), and the girls are definitely opening up more. I even got them to laugh a few times, which for me, means success. My host mom has been incredible, not only will she sit and talk with me multiple times throughout the day, but also whenever she is going somewhere she asks me to tag along.

           Another picture of my family: Joana, Luis, Cathy, Ingrid, and Jonathan in front :)

However, I think the thing I am most grateful for is my family’s eating habits (strange, I know), but in Peru, the people eat some form of potato, white rice, and meat, everyday, all day. In my house we eat all those things but we also eat lots of vegetables, which is very uncommon. Another thing that I love is that the fruit plate is always full with a variety of fruits to choose from. For those who know me well, this is a dream come true. Another interesting fact is that in most houses they pre-make all the plates of food for everyone. This means that the guests sometimes have to eat more than they are comfortable with in order to not offend anyone (because it is in fact very offensive to not eat what is given to you). However, in my family everyone serves themselves, which is an amazing blessing for me. Every now and then my host mom will ask me why I didn’t eat much? Did I not like it? Do I want something else? But I have found that I can simply tell her that I wasn’t very hungry because of this or that reason and she doesn’t mind at all. I must also clarify that by not “eating much,” that means I only ate one big plate of food, instead of two. I’ve also found that my host mom buys me one mango a week (my favorite) and will also buy me wheat bread if she stops by a specific panadaria (bread shop), an incredibly sweet gesture. This may seem like a silly thing to be grateful for, but I have heard over and over again that the food situation can often be the most difficult thing to deal with. Site coordinators are constantly challenged to explain to the families the need for smaller portions or more fruits and vegetables without offending anyone. Therefore, I have been incredibly lucky.

On Saturdays, I get to help Medali with a small group of adolescents who have been sexually abused; most have children from the abuse. Each Saturday we do something different with the girls including dances, games, and art projects. This past Saturday we went to a remote camp about 30 minutes outside of Huanuco. After taking a bus, we all walked another 20 minutes away from the main highway to reach our destination. When we were almost there we realized that we would have to cross the river to get to the camp. I, being the silly gringa, thought “we’ll we can’t cross the river with three children and all of our stuff, so we are going to have to stop here.” To my surprise the girls all started taking off their shoes and before I knew it all the girls had crossed, children and all. At the camp we played a few games, had an apple-eating race and let the girls take pictures by the river. Afterwards most of the girls wanted to bathe in the water. All of them were prepared with soap and shampoo. I sat there stunned realizing that I complain about not having a hot shower, but most of these girls don’t have a shower at all. It is quite an experience to watch a teenage girl bathe herself and her son in a freezing cold, brown colored river and be blissfully happy about it. How incredibly blessed I have been my whole life and not even realized it. 

                                             A view from the camp we went to

                       Another view to give you the idea of what the farms look like in Peru

While most of Saturday was a wonderful day, it also was a hard day for me. Not only was I not feeling well, but I was not informed that we were going to be out in the sun for six hours (darn language barrier). Needless to say I got burnt, which is something that I try to prevent at all times because I am so pale. When I came home my host mom could tell that I was upset and simply listened as I explained that I was mad at myself for not thinking to bring sunscreen. As I started to cry, she gently reminded me that I didn’t know where we were going, how could I have known. She then promised to have Luis talk to the girls at work and make sure that they inform me whenever we are going somewhere so that I can be more prepared.

 It’s a very humbling thing to be vulnerable and have to ask for help. It’s something that I am not very good at, and something I need to work on. I prefer to help others and brush my own feelings aside, but being here for about a month now has taught me that at some point we are all going to cry, no matter how strong we try to be. It is just important to realize you are being helped, be incredibly gracious for the help, and return the favor when the time comes.

The quote that gets me through the tough days:

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow.”-Mary anne Radmacher

Besos a todos, Love a lobster red Hannah 

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway

More facts about Peru:

-The toilet paper is scented, interesting right? I’m guessing it’s because all the toilet paper goes in the trash

- Most Peruvian’s drink juice with every lunch, if not every meal, but I don’t mean they buy juice, I mean they fresh squeeze fruit everyday to make the most delicious juices ever. Jamba Juice has some competition.

- The main form of transportation in Huánuco is a mototaxi, which is of course is a mix between car, motorcycle, and taxi. Interesting little buggers, but very inexpensive!

“It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and to drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.” –Quote by Henri J.M. Nouwen in his book ¡Gracias!

I found this quote just the other day while reading ¡Gracias! and it just explains my situation so wonderfully that I had to read it over and over just to make sure. I keep feeling like I should be doing more, I should be planning a game, event, anything that could really help, really change lives. But day after day I spend most of my time just conversing with people in the office and the women or keeping up with the news on NPR. The other day I was ecstatically cutting out 300 little sombreros (hats) because it was something to do. Don’t get me wrong, I am constantly asking for things to do, but they keep reminding me that it is only my second week and things will pick up. So when reading this quote I realized that I am doing alright. I may not be creating inspiring lessons, but I am conversing, listening, and learning. And for now, that’s all I need to be doing.

On Friday I had a half-day due to my working Saturday afternoons, so I accompanied my host mom to the hospital to visit a little girl named Anita. Anita was born with some difficulties that have set her back, I am a little confused whether they are physical or mental disabilities, but Anita, like many children with disabilities, was abandoned. She was merely left in a room day after day without food, support, or affection. Paz y Esperanza has been desperately trying to help her, but it’s been difficult because her mother has custody and keeps taking her back to an isolated life, each time returning worse than before. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I saw Anita, but I was shocked to find an 11-year-old girl who looks no more than four. She has a feeding tube, oxygen and is by far the skinniest person I have ever seen. We didn’t have much time to spend with her, but I plan to make an effort to see her semi-regularly because a hospital is no place for an 11 year old to be alone.

On Saturday, my host mom and I went on a two-hour walk around Huánuco, in which people on the street yelled me at constantly. It can be quite annoying, but I found that it’s hard for me to understand the difference between “gringa” (white girl) and “linda” (pretty girl) when people yell. So I have decided to just believe that they are all saying linda. It’s just a small trick to make the walks more enjoyable!

Sunday was by far the most successful day I have had in Huánuco. After church I met Eliana (cousin of Mimi, niece of Dámaris). Eliana lives in Huánuco and was more than willing to spend some time with me. We went all over Huánuco, taking pictures, doing a boat ride around a little lago (lake) and getting ice cream. Eliana paid for everything and wouldn’t allow me to chip in at all. The best part is that I could understand her perfectly; I only had to say ¿Como? (What did you say?) a few times, so for about two hours I had a regular conversation with someone… in Spanish! Then just to make me remember that the world is always smaller than you think, Eliana and I ran into two missionaries that have lived in Huánuco for around 30 years. Eliana knows them through her family, but I was amazed that they were wearing Oregon State shirts!! After talking for a few minutes I found out they were from Corvallis, OR (literally an hour from home), and they were gracious enough to invite me over to their home here in Huánuco whenever I would like.

I guess that means that I can say Go Beavs all the way from Peru! Much love to all!

Gringita (Little Gringa)

Great books I have been reading:

• Heaven is for Real (Super cute, read it in two days)
• Little Bee (Sad but very interesting story about Nigerian villages being killed for oil)
• Gracias (Interesting perspective of missionary work in Latin America)

Every Saturday in Huánuco starting at 5:30 am is a faria (Saturday market) where all the people from the mountain pueblos bring their fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, and bread to sell. The market takes up the entire street, and most of the people who bring their produce are people who speak Quechua (one of the indigenous language of Peru). My host mom Cathy decided we would go to the faria at 6:30 am, yep bright and early for a Saturday, but it was an amazing experience to just listen to the women speak their native language and admire their colorful dress. Cathy told me that sometimes the produce can be more expensive at the faria than at the store, but it’s important to support the people in the mountains because they are the ones that lack the most basic necessities.

Saturday night I went to a service for young adults at one of the churches close to my house with Joana and Ingrid. It was similar to the Wednesday night services we use to have in high school, except this one was two hours long. I didn’t mind that it was so long though because I was so incredibly happy the whole time that I could actually understand the pastor and the lesson he was giving. I also love all the songs that they sing here in church. Most are about (If I understand correctly!) the difficulties in life and how their faith in God is the only thing that gets them through the dark days. It’s so passionate and heartfelt.

On Sunday I went to the church that my host family started. It is basically just an open room that they have made into a church for themselves and a few other people who didn’t enjoy the other churches. It was quite an experience for me because the whole family ran over at around 9:30 to set up chairs, the projector, Sunday school, etc. My whole life I have never ran to help set up church even though my dad is a minister. In fact, my mom and I are usually late! At 10:00 the service started with only about 15 people, but it was wonderful and reminded me of the small group I always went to church with at Allegheny. My host father Luis is the pastor and he gave a great sermon on love and the characteristics that people who know God have. Again it was a two-hour service. I’m going to have to adjust to sitting for long periods of time and not fidgeting the entire time. While sitting for those two hours I did acquire approximately 15 bug bites (picaduras) on my feet. As Trent, one of the other missionaries in Huáunco says, that’s what we call suffering for Jesus!

So all in all it was a great weekend! Roxana and I even decided to start working on English/Spanish together each Sunday after church. This past Sunday she wanted to work on pronunciation, but all we had was our bibles. So for about an hour she would read a passage in English and I would help her, then I would read the same passage in Spanish and she would help me. It turned out to be a good way to practice and we got a few good laughs out of it as well.

On Monday, Medalid and I walked one of the women to her doctor’s appointment because she was having pain in her stomach. She then needed an x-ray and other tests (which can only be found at different parts of town) so we spent the whole day going from place to place in order to get the medical attention she needed. Medalid and I mainly just sat and waited at each location for her, but the women was so grateful just to have someone to go with her that it was worth the time we spent. I’m finding that most of the time all I can give is a smile or hold a hand because I can’t fully express myself yet, but I’ve also found that it seems to be more than enough.

One of the main ideas of the YAV program is “Being, not doing.” A hard concept to follow when you have been going non-stop your whole life. So my goal for this year: Learn to do nothing, but just be

Abrazos a todos (Hugs to everyone)

La Granja

Some more things I have learned about being in Peru:

-It is totally acceptable to take a day off work for your birthday, but if you don’t everyone in the office will sing Happy Birthday songs to you and after the songs each person says something about how special you are to them.

-Keke is a cake without frosting, torta is a cake with frosting (important to know your desserts)

-The women in the park at 6:00 am take their yoga very seriously, sweat suits and all

-In Spanish it is important to have the right accent on words or else you can say weird things like stretch marks (estría) instead of to stretch (estirar), yep I did it

Yesterday (Thursday) I went to the La Granja (farm), which is an organic farm that makes yogurt and cheeses. It also houses Albergue, a safe place for women and children to go to leave their abusive situations. We went to have lunch there because it was the first official anniversary of the Albergue, technically it has been housing women for years unofficially. But it was quite an experience to get off the bus and be welcomed by so many smiling faces, children and women alike.

We had pachamanca for lunch, which is a specialty in Huánuco, I’m told they have it on every special occasion, and they even have a pachamanca festival every year. Traditionally pachamanca is made in the ground in a hole covered with stones. It only takes about an hour in the hole to cook perfectly. Pachamanca is made of carne (meat) in a green sauce, a papa (potato), and camote (sweat potato). It was absolutely delicious. For dessert we had masamorra, which has the tendency to look like snot (something the YAV volunteers and I had fun with constantly in Lima), but this one was actually quite delicious and apparently is really good for digestion! Who knew?

                                                  What pachamanca typically looks like

After lunch everyone went separate ways to play different games. I was fortunate enough to play volleyball with some of the girls who live there. Most of the girls had a volleyball team shirt on so I knew that they really enjoyed it. I did not realize, however, that I got into an Olympic volleyball match! Some of these girls were amazing, and me, well let’s just say I haven’t really played since high school and it was most definitely not my main sport, but the girls didn’t seem to mind. In fact they loved that I just took the time to play with them. What I enjoyed even more than the girls smiling was how confident they looked when they played. It’s essential to understand that these girls were victims of sexual abuse, most had children from that abuse and had to leave their families in order to find safety and peace. Yet they can still smile, love their children, and go to school everyday to make a better life for themselves. What power, hope and faith. It was breathtaking.  

My first days in Huánuco

So far life in Huánuco has been a success, I met my first friend Roxana at church, she is a volunteer also but she is from Huancayo, Peru, which is about a six-hour bus ride away. Roxana lives above my family in an apartment by herself. She went on a walk with Jonathan and I one day to see all that Huánuco has to offer. There are many plazas for people to sit and enjoy and there is also a really nice park that has a track, a playground, and courts for every sport. Roxana and I were talking about how we both like to run and it’s safer if you have someone to go with, so she said she would run with me in the mornings three times a week. We went on Monday at 6:00 am and only ran for about 20 minutes because Roxana has to catch a bus pretty early, but it felt great to get moving and have someone to talk to also.

                                    My family in Peru! Minus Luis the father and Dama the dog

                                                  Cathy, Jonathan, Ingrid, and Joanna

My first day of work was intense, not that I did a lot, but just meeting everyone in the office and learning about Paz y Esperanza took most of my energy. My host mom, Cathy, walked the six blocks or so with me to my office, which is super easy to get to, literally I take one left turn and I’m there. Debbie tells us to take different routes to work each day so that they don’t see the “gringa” walking the same way every time, but my host mom told me to stay on the main street because its safer, with people and light. I will have to switch up my route when Luis, my host father, is with me, but Luis is the driver at Paz y Esperanza and most days he is driving someone to a pueblito (small town) outside of Huánuco, sometimes as far as 4-5 hours.

                           This is my desk at work, doesn't look like much but is more than enough

So when I finally got to work, one of the girls I share and office with, Mirabel, took me around to meet everyone, and I mean everyone. This office may look small, but it houses a lot of people. Paz y Esperanza helps with legal help, pastoral care, psychological problems, and social problems so there are offices for all of those groups and then there are administrators, communication experts, and then other people who oversee everything. It’s quite an organization and they do wonderful things for the community and people in nearby towns. Peru has one of the worst statistics for violence against women and children including sexual abuse. So Paz y Esperanza is crucial for the people who suffer.

After meeting everyone I was given books to read about what Paz y Esperanza does, in Spanish of course. So there I am, reading this book with my Spanish/English dictionary sprawled in my lap. At 1:00 pm, everyone leaves for lunch and we return around 3:00. Perfect amount of time to eat and take a little catnap, I think I’m going to love the pace here J When I returned they gave me a couple projects to start thinking about, including creating an exercise plan for a girl in a wheelchair who lives in a small town about 3 hours away, and making a game for a festival in November to help inform people about sexual abuse and how to prevent it.

My house is still great. Jonathan, my brother is having a lot of fun giving me exams on Spanish words for things. So we go around the house, he points at things, and I have to tell him what it is or he teaches me. It’s fun for him and great practice for me. He and I have also been playing a lot of cards because he loves to play any type of game. My sisters are very nice also, still a little shy around me but I’m hoping I can win them over soon. My mother is still adorable, I’ve been having stomach troubles so she has been buying all sorts of good food for me, giving me advice, and even rubbing and praying of my stomach for me. Adorable.