And now...

Remember that 48-hour thing...?  It only got worse.  The 3rd or 4th day, I passed out in the cafeteria.  A day in bed and the doctor came... "Hospital for testing, or home."  I chose door #2. 

So here I am, home for a while, slowly but surely recovering (still waiting for some test results, but obviously not life threatening).  And these are my parting thoughts:

I'm very very glad I went, and crushed that I needed to leave early.  Tears... for friends made, tasks left undone, children who just want love.  In spite of no hot water, too much noise and rice and diar.-filled diapers, I am grateful I had the experience, even if it was only for less than two weeks.

It confirmed yet again truths I've known since I was young... culures and language are irrelevant when it comes to an individual's or a community's life.  

- There many many more people who want good for others than ones who wish ill.  

- Kids just want to be loved.  

- You get as much out of life as you put into it.

- Money is pretty much irrelevant compared to a smile. 

and... Dirty diapers need to be changed.

Ciao, you all!  Thanks for following along.

Finally... Some pictures!

Finally figured out how to post some pictures!  Just hope I can label them without a separate entry for each!  (I'm going to put some of them in previous posts, so you'll need to backtrack for those...)

Not going to try to label them, most are self-explanatory...

Make that 48...

Just ate for the first time since day before yesterday... not sure that was a good idea.  We´ll see later tonight, I guess.  Forget that for now.

Everynight the other volunteers (and I) get together at the local cafe (well... the only cafe) for a beer.  At the moment, most are from France.  While my fluency died a long time ago, I´m nonetheless amazed at how much I do, in fact, remember.  Especially the more I hear it.

I do feel like the old lady... all the other (and I do mean All) volunteers are either in or recently post-college.  They´re all very nice to me, however.

Missing you all... hope all is fine up north!
Ciao for now.

(And yes, I'm "only" 58, not 60... and it's from Lima, not Argentina.  Nonetheless, the sentiment stands!)

Montezuma has had his revenge!

The past 24 hours have been NO fun, but I´m hoping the worst is over.  Even being religious with the bottled water and hand-sanatizer... Apparently ALL the children have parasites, so it was inevitable, especially with the little ones who hug you, kiss you, and whose poop you change several times a day.  Pretty much slept nonstop since lunch yesterday, which has undoubtedly done as much good as anything.

The abject povrty is disconcerting.  Yet even so, to see the folks, both local and international volunteers, who spend time with these kids is amazing.  This is an experience I would not trade, even with the past 24 hours.  Talk about putting your life in perspective.  I rather feel like everyone in the US should spend even one week here... They couldn´t help but change their evaluation of what is important and what is not.

So thank you for reading!  Still haven´t had a chance to try to load pictures, but I promise I will before too long.

Count your blessings, folks.  You have no idea how good you have it!

too bad there´s no washing machine

Need a new pair of jeans everyday... but I end up hanging them up outside, where it´s at least misting, if not raining.   Pair washed two days ago still damp, but I´ll need to wear them anyway tomorrow!  No more than one day, after dirt, spit, poop, et al everyday!

 There´s a group of French volunteers   ( all college age) that have been great at including this old lady!  Most are leaving next week, so I´ll  miss them.   Hopefully the next group  will be just as great!  Time´s up on the computer already, so ciao for now!

By the way, diapers and toilet paper are at a premium, especially TP!  Looking forward to buying some next week when I get a day off to go into Lima!

New definition for ¨tired¨!!

My schedule: 6AM awake with fourteen 1 and 2-year olds.  breakfast of bread and gruel, play until 11:30, naps, then lunch at 1. Play until 6, dinner, bed for them at 7:30.  Wow!  I´d say it´s a safe bet even if I don´t lose weight, I´ll be in a lot better shape six weeks from now!

Having said that, so far I´m loving it.  The work, that is.  The downside to babies, is that it´s rather difficult to learn the language.

May have figured out how to upload pictures.  Hope to have more time tomorrow to try it.  

Ciao for now!

Arrived

So, I´m here.  Wow... saying it´s back to basics is an understatement!  Quite poverty.  But that´s okay... It just confirms that I will probably get more out of this than they will get from me.

Not sure how I will post pictures, but when I figure it out, I will.  They do not have a way for me to use my own laptop... only theirs in the internet cafe.  But I will keep you informed this way as best I can.

I´m starting with the little ones... appropriate until my Spanish improves a bit.  Although I must say, considering that until 2 months ago I spoke no Spanish at all, I´m actually doing pretty well.  Yeah for Rosetta Stone!  It really does work!

My break is over, so I´m back to being crawled over and hugged by the little ones.  Until next time... Ciao!

...Go!!

So... I'm off !
Bags packed... too much stuff of course!

Pictures coming...

There's the plane... no baking out now!  Prayers now... for patience, wisdom, knowledge. And the openness to be used however God wants.

More soon...

...Set...

Round 1 of packing complete...  Now to unpack it all and winnow down.  Six weeks of cold, rainy weather, followed by one week of hot Floridian summer... makes for interesting packing.  It's okay... I'll get there.

Must admit, I'm getting nervous... at least a little.  It will be a challenge, yet I'm sure very satisfying.  The important thing is: I'm doing it!  I've been so fortunate in my life, through no effort of my own.  Great parents and siblings, lovely daughters, very good friends... God has given me so much.  Now is my chance to give some of it back.  I don't yet know what it is that I will be able to contribute, but I know there is something of me that God can use.  I guess I'll know better after I've been there a few days.  Who knows?  It may be nothing more than a warm body to paint walls.  Or perhaps give hugs to some of the younger kids.  Or maybe teach some teenage girls how to crochet.  As I said... nervous... and excited.

Just three days and I'll be there.  Tomorrow I put Susan Alexis on a plane to spend the rest of the summer with her father.  Caitlin is firmly ensconced in Vermont, making great food for lucky vacationers.  Monday morning, a good friend is taking me to the airport shuttle, and off I go.

Wow!  Been planning this for a couple of months, and here it is already!

Santa Martha

By the way, this is where I will be...  The Santa Martha Home, outside Lima, Peru

Santa Martha Foundation Home

Ready...

Life:  Ready... Set... Go!!!

Act 1: Growing up - age 0-22
Act 2: Getting a life - age 22-30
Act 3: Following dreams (aka midlife crisis!) - age 30-36
Act 4: Marriage and Children - age 36-58
Act 5: Finding myself... again - age 58-???
     Scene 1: Missions in Peru

So, here I go!  The beginning of a new chapter in my life, a new adventure.

Passport: check
Visa: n/a
Ticket: check
Insurance: check
Vaccines: check
Spanish lessons: check (though not certain how much help they'll be!)
Visit to the folks: check
Packing: !!!

Okay, so maybe not quite ready!  But excited, nonetheless.  Leaving in just over a week, and beginning to be a hair overwhelmed.  

Missions... something I've thought about most of my life.  But it takes a certain kind of person, and a calling, to make it your life.  I don't know if I am that kind of person.  I guess we'll find out.  Hopefully six weeks is enough to know.  

So this will be the tale of this adventure.  The last Act has finished, a new one has begun.  What does God have in store?  As usual, it is not mine to know.  But He will be there, and keep and protect me (as long as I actually let Him!) through the next months.  And then when I return, hopefully I will have a clear direction of where He wants me to be.

Now to finish packing!!!