Dios me ama y por eso yo me amo

Laura and I recently started our group therapy for kids. We have been so busy planning and preparing materials that the last few weeks have flown by. Our first session with the kids was about hygiene. In order to teach the kids how to properly brush their teeth we made a small skit with puppets to show how cavities will come to live in your mouth if you don’t brush everyday. We then taught the kids how to properly wash their hands by putting paint on their hands and telling them it was bacteria. Then, we told them that they had to wash off all the paint while singing the song Happy Birthday, in order to wash for the proper amount of time. Besides the kids getting us completely soaked, and locking us out of the room once, I would say that everything went well and everyone had fun!

After a pretty stressful and full week, Laura and I decided to take advantage of the four-day weekend due to Valentine’s Day (yep in Peru you get vacation days for Valentines day so that people can travel with their significant other). We headed out early Saturday morning for Tingo Maria, which is about 3 hours away and the start of the jungle. We were able to get a full city tour in which we saw a huge bat cave, a waterfall, and the hot springs. We also spent a full day at La Laguna de Milagros (The Lake of Miracles). Apparently the lake doesn’t provide you with miracles (yes I asked), but if you are infertile and bathe in the lake you will bear children. Our nights were full of traditional food from the jungle, ice cream at a small heladería (ice cream shop), and many episodes of Friends and The Big Bang Theory. One of my favorite dishes from the jungle is tacacho y cecina. Cecina is pork that has been grilled and the tacacho is banana that is smashed and salted. Very delicious!

                                                The Lake of Miracles

                                                Tacacho y Cecina

                                                   The Bat Cave

                                     Santa Carmen Waterfall with Laura

When returning to Huánuco, I went directly to the shelter to spend my usual Wednesday with the girls there. Because we had a retreat at the shelter the next day, I spent the night there. It was a fun experience for me to be able to see what the nights and mornings are like at the shelter, and to spend some extra time with the girls. Bright and early Thursday morning we began our retreat. The theme was Dios me ama y por eso yo me amo (God loves me, therefore, I love myself). After singing songs and getting to know each other, we shared the story of the Samaritan woman at the well with the girls. This story was chosen to explain to the girls that even the women you are shunned by society, who have done everything wrong, who believe themselves to be dirty, unloved, and not valued are still loved by and important to God. After lunch, we had an aerobics class and games in which the girls had to work together. When it got dark we had a bonfire, roasted hot dogs, played games, and had a small reflection. The whole retreat went really well. I really enjoy all my time that I spend at the shelter, and I am starting to love all the girls there. Half the time, I’m not sure if I’m actually helping them, or if they are the ones who are helping me.

When we came back to Huánuco on Friday, Laura and I moved into our new home. The who, what, where, when and whys of my decision to change host families is not appropriate blog-talk. However, I can say that I truly believe that Laura was sent here to be my guardian angel. She never influenced my decision, but helped me to remember what I like to do, who I am, and most importantly, what I need. This is my last full week with Laura, which will be sad, but this month has been a wonderful learning experience for me. I thank God for her everyday.

“Self-care is never a selfish act -- it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give it the care it requires, we do so not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.” – Parker J. Palmer