We got to Chiclayo on Sunday afternoon, after a long straight drive through desert and thorn trees, where we met Tom and Carol (the American missionary couple that started the orphanage 3 years ago) who then drove us 20 minutes out of town to Estrella de la Manana (Morning Star) in 'pueblo neuvo', or the new town.
So, a little background info... The orphanage currently has about 15 kids, between the ages of 2 months and 17 years, a 'foster' mom and dad, and a helper, and there is also a pre-school on the property. We're staying above the orphanage with 3 American girls (one of whom speaks Spanish and spends most of her time translating for the rest of us), who are here volunteering for their university summer holidays, and are running english classes in the pre-school. We help them out in the mornings at the pre-school, and in the afternoons we've been doing all sorts of things; visiting a child with cerbral palsy, maintenance tasks, taking the kids for a picnic, helping with homework, (while they help us with our Spanish), helping hold the 2 babies (and what an experience that has been, Steven just wants to know where the 'off' switch is), and just having a good time with them as they're such a bunch of characters...
Peublo Neuvo is a scruffy collection of dusty streets along which donkeys, moto's and mangy dogs tread hardened paths, and dusty, hurriedly built houses. The orphanage is on the border between this dusty unfriendly feeling place, and rural farmlands, and it feels like a bit of a never-never land compared to everything else outside.
Lunch and dinner are mixed up here. Lunch is a small meal at dinner time (olive on a roll anyone?), and dinner is a big meal at lunch time (normally involving rice, lentils and chicken, and sometimes an unedibly sour salad containing pepper and the juice of 3 lemons).
So far we've been having an amazing time here, and Wednesday when we leave is sneaking up muy rapido...
hi you two, so nice to hear about the orphanage - hope you are enjoying it. sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHi, gordon has an email: gordono@uj.ac.za. We've been okay, learning a lot about each other, ourselves and God! And at the end of it all i can say is God is amazing! Praying that you will really feel His hand of care and provision as you look after these little ones, it'll probably be quite an emotionally draining experience, are they very poor? Love you lots and hope to hear from you soon, will be good to chat:)
ReplyDeleteAwww Steven and Lisa, we miss you two already! It's rather sad to have our kitchen back to ourselves and we were feeling a bit melancholy when you guys left =o( How was your trip? Was it fun traveling with the girls and was this bus better than some of your other bus excursions? I hope so! You'll have to keep us updated! Hugs
ReplyDelete~Tina
Hello you two. I don't have time to read everything now but I like the photos you posted and I am happy to see that everything seems to go rather well. Feel bad that I am only connecting to your blog now. I knew about it from long ago and I am selfishly looking now knowing that it won't be long before Nathalie and Daryll join you. This means that it wont be long before I get back to Johannesburg myself after 3 months around Europe + Turquie. My last travel out of Brussels will be to accompany Melinda and Sébastien on their way back to London next Monday (Alain is taking an earlier train to go straight to the office). 4 days in London before I am back to pack in Brussels. God bless the rest of your trip.
ReplyDeleteUpdate this thing already!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, Hannah and Laura!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment!
Missed that kitchen and you three neat room mates :)Hope you had a fantastic rest of time there :)