Thoughtful Thursday

Pictures of some of the children I met in Peru this past February. No 'thoughtful' words necessary here. I'll let the images do the talking.

I'm back, but I'm sick

And this is the reason why. Meet Fabian. Fabian is 18 months old, has a seizure disorder, some cognitive/attention problems and does not walk unassisted. Every morning while in Lima, Fabian and I would work one on one with the psychologist from PPA and a physical therapist. Fabian got extremely sick early last week. Sore throat, crankiness and a high fever. The fever is what predisposed him to experience a seizure. Not to worry, that wasn't his first seizure with me (so I had an idea of what was going on).

Fabian, in his effort to "compartan" (meaning 'to share' in spanish), proceeded to pass along his sick germs. I was on the mend, but my trip home set me back in my recovery. So, here I am, home safely, but working on day 6 of being sick.

Although I feel miserable, how can I be mad? Just look at him. Ain't he a cutie? Want to know what makes it even better? Fabian took his first unassisted step on Thursday! Walked all by himself for a length of 4-5 feet!

More adventures to share . . . once I get over this fatigue, cough and congestion (not to mention sore throat).

It's almost time!

When I told y'all I was going to volunteer at an orphanage, how did you picture said orphanage? Maybe a big dorm like structure? At most, a handful of buildings? That's what I had pictured. Honey, was I wrong.

All volunteers received some additional information last week that gives us more details about our volunteer program. Puericultorio Perez Aranibar (PPA), the orphanage, is like a college campus. There are over 30 buildings set on a piece of land one kilometer long and a half kilometer wide. For those of us who have trouble remembering the metric-english conversion, here it is: one kilometer is equivalent to 0.621 miles. No wonder the pre-program information emphasized that volunteers had to be flexible to time/schedule. Classes rarely start at the appointed hour. No wonder! It ain't easy moving a class of 4, 5, 6 years old (or even older) children. The best analogy I've heard is that moving a group of young children is like herding cats . . . only the kids are bigger and can talk back. Yes, this will definitely be an exercise to demonstrate flexibility of one's mental self.

Even after three pages of emailed details on the program, which contained "be flexible" in every other sentence, I am not deterred. Nervous? Yes. Who wouldn't be? Single female, traveling to a South American country with a reputation that a tourist can not leave unless they get the please-just-let-me-die bout of diarrhea or pick pocketed. I'll be sure to update you on which option was given to me.

Oh, don't worry about my husband. He has a freezer full of homemade bread and meals. I'm more worried about my little, furry, orange shadow, Ginger. This cat is so funny. She even partakes in our pre-trip preparations by napping in open suitcases, leaving a toy mouse in my husband's suitcase, becoming super-shedder-kitty leaving telltale orange fur all over our clothes and giving us those you-really-really-don't-want-to-do-this-to-me eyes. My husband tells me that when I'm traveling, she roams the house calling for me. How's that for a guilt trip?

In closing, I should have internet access while in Lima. If that is the case, I'll try to post at least two short updates on the volunteer program.

February 9th is getting closer and closer

In three weeks I'll be in Lima! My gosh! Doesn't leave me a lot of time, so I'm asking y'all for some help.

Along with the 56 items on the packing list (I kid you not, the list is four pages long), there is the following paragraph;


"Each day, as you and your fellow volunteers gather as a team to discuss how everyone is doing and how things are progressing, part of the discussion will include someone reading a 'thought for the day' as a simple reminder of where you are and why you are there. With this in mind, you should think about bringing a copy of a favorite poem, letter, excerpt from a book or whatever you think may be appropriate to share with your fellow team members. Use your imagination."


The floor is now open for suggestions. I have no problem coming up with quotes or 'Christa-isms,' but I get the sense they want something deeper than that.

Any thoughts?

Regards,
Christa

P.S. There is still time to donate! Please contact me if you are interested in donating to my program fee.

Habla espanol?

As part of my exercise, living peaceably with myself and others, I am participating in a 2 week volunteer trip to an orphanage in Lima, Peru. I have so many blessings in my life; yet, somehow I lose sight of that. Giving back, making a difference (even if it is only for two weeks), perspective and an understanding of Peruvian culture are just some of the reason for the trip. I leave on February 9th (less than 5 weeks!). Below I've detailed some of my "prep work" for this exciting adventure.

Valid passport-Check
Air travel ticket-Check
Fundraising efforts-In progress
Knowledge of remedial Spanish . . . .

This is the one I'm working on. Three years of Spanish in high school and none since then, has left me with a gap in my language skills. So, I've rented out the CD set, Immersion in Spanish. Nine CDs in all and I've only gotten through one, the alphabet. Now don't get me wrong; I'm studying, but I can only absorb so much at one time. Besides, I should have a solid foundation. This is the basis of the Spanish language!

So, I listen to the CD a few times, write down the alphabet, pronunciation and practice. Takes longer than it sounds.

Global Volunteers does not require you to have a vast knowledge of the Spanish language. However, it is exceptional helpful to know some more basic words and phrases. Not all the Peruvian staff at the orphanage are proficient in English.

So, back to more studying!