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!