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WWW GLOBALVOLUNTEERS ORG
Global Volunteers service programs adhere to our over arching Philosophy of Service in every community Specifically local people are always in charge of work projects and volunteers contribute to community driven initiatives alongside local people At all times we observe our policy stating Safety Trumps Everything Orientation sessions are conducted on the first day in country and morning and evening meetings give volunteers time to organize and review activities The team journal shared at morning meetings is a mainstay of every Global Volunteers program A daily collaborative report by one or two team members it reflects on the day s work and experiences In many partner communities volunteers contribute to several projects in different locations during the day Through the team journal volunteers hear about the projects and experiences of their teammates While such journaling requires effort most volunteers report they love the variety of recollections and stories The journal becomes an enjoyable way to communicate shared and individual memories and becomes a unique keepsake for each volunteer team Volunteers tell us that many years later the team journal allows them to reminisce and cherish their time spent with local people and teammates This journal digest complete with photos is a collection of journal excerpts from volunteers serving in Peru 2
M e s s a g e o f t h e D a y Knowing is not enough we must apply Wishing is not enough we must do Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
SUNDAY TIM J o u r n a l E n t r y Welcome to Peru Today s journal entry recaps our first day which was primarily orientation day Daniel opened the orientation discussing and sharing the purpose of Global Volunteers Most importantly we want to make sure the lives of those who interact with the volunteers are enriched and fulfilled At Sagrada Familia they need food the most In week two Global Volunteers will have a rep from their team show the staff EarthBoxes and teach them how to grow their own food in them They also need help cooking playing with the kids teaching English and repairing desks We were given assignments Carrie is our Journalist the keeper of our journals and messages of the day Our Travel Informer is Thomasina and each day Chetna will be our Courier ensuring the emergency kit is brought with us and will mail our evaluations to Global Volunteers The Laborers who will repair desks are Tyler and Cole with Shannon as the volunteer leader of the project Each volunteer day we will rotate who writes in the daily journal and the following morning will read it to the team Each morning someone different will be responsible for the Message of the Day Our first team task was to come up with goals We narrowed our submissions to create four team goals 1 To support a community 2 To give back 3 To experience the culture 4 To grow personally 4
SUNDAY Next was to submit our idea of Characteristics of an Effective Team These included being flexible adaptable empathetic open minded willing patient confident cheerful appreciative compassionate supportive of each other helpful loving humble persistent and a growth mindset Global Volunteers guidelines were discussed including no personal gifts so important no physical intimacy don t promise anyone anything respect the local laws match labor and respect alcohol and tobacco policies A few housekeeping items including health is that you should not over extend yourself If you are super tired you need to reset Always travel in pairs Carry the medical emergency card and a copy of your passport with you at all times Be sure to drink plenty of water Do not eat raw food or ceviche and probably not ice either Cooked or fried food is safest When dining out as a group with Daniel one drink and one main dish is paid for by Global Volunteers and any dessert or alcohol you will need to pay While at Sagrada Familia be sure children do not see your cell phone Do not take photographs at Sagrada Familia during the first three days Carrie and Cole on Thursday or Friday the others during week two Donations will be given to the community leader on Wednesday Things can happen that are out of Daniel s control or anyone s it just a part of the culture This is not a luxury vacation and not always 100 reliable to match an exact itinerary so be calm and be flexible If you chose to share your email address or social media with others it s your choice to make We will wear our Global Volunteers t shirt only one day either Thursday or Friday Daniel will let us know which day 5
SUNDAY After orientation we enjoyed lunch Then a few of us visited the local museum From the museum we went to the fishing pier to catch a tour boat ride around the harbor and to the island with the penguins and thousands of birds We were grateful that Daniel joined us and translated as well as explained more about the history Dinner was only a few minutes after the boat ride safely returned us to the dock but chilly and a few of us wet and we were pleasantly surprised and greeted by Miguel from Sagrada Familia along with two girls who are sisters living at the orphanage During dinner we shared with Miguel where we were from and why we decided to come to Peru to spend our time with Global Volunteers We also had a great and rare Q A opportunity with Miguel It was a full day but informational and got us excited for the rest of the week and our time in Peru with Sagrada Familia and Global Volunteers Enjoy your time volunteering with this Global Volunteers team 6
MONDAY PAUL J o u r n a l E n t r y After breakfast and our Morning Meeting off we went to Sagrada Familia We are all excited with anticipation of what this place might be like The short drive there offered much to look at for those of us seeing the landscape for the first time in the daylight Lots of variety in the look of the houses Then we arrived We entered the gate and then went off to go to our assignments Bev Theresa and I each went to a different Pre K room Most of the kids were around four years old and were there to learn some very basic school room things ie colors manners how to make things sing and play It seems as if Bev s class was the liveliest We helped the teachers get the kids their snacks and helped with cleaning up and the craft project After working at the Pre K for the morning we had lunch Sagrada Familia feeds a lot of kids Our lunch meal was rice with some bean and or potato stuff I found it to be pretty good One might think we shouldn t eat that many carbs for lunch but I m thinking we will be needing them to run on this afternoon because it will be back to day care After lunch we met up with Malcomb and Mike who had been tending to the day care for the whole day so far Malcomb might be sore tomorrow as he decided it would be awesome to lift all the boys up above his head so they could reach the ceiling Besides keeping an excellent track of our forks Jan was teaching all day with high schoolers along with Alan It sounds like they had a little trouble with teachers showing up but all in all had a good experience 7
MONDAY Day 1 at Sagrada Familia ended and we are all exhausted As we waited by the van for everyone to arrive to go back to the hotel we received many handshakes and kisses of greeting from the older kids as they went to church It s as if they could see the weariness in our eyes and thought we would need some love or we wouldn t come back the next day So far Jan is the winner of being the best CEO of logistic assignments as Mike left a water bottle and Bev left the First Aid kit at the site but all the forks came back Yeah Jan I didn t have a chance to talk to Rosemarie about her day at the clinic so hopefully she will be able to share her experiences at dinner and or when she does the journal Once we returned to the hotel everyone was ready for a shower drink of some sorts and a quick rest up before going to dinner 8
TUESDAY HELEN J o u r n a l E n t r y Ahhh caf The smell greeted us earlier this morning Cereal jam peanut butter and yogurt is how we start our day with Global Volunteers Anne Marie s beautifully written and reading of yesterday s journal and Dan s Message of the Day about hope still ring in my ears Water check Forks check Toilet paper check Off we head to our van and friendly driver Alfonso Once entering Sagrada Familia we were greeted by several young men with a kiss on the cheek and a handshake Such a beautiful Peruvian custom Our first stop was the nursery There were about 15 children between the ages of one and four years Hildegarde and I amused the children by playing with big plastic balls and picking them up and spinning them The other volunteers had children on their laps or clinging to their legs We spent about an hour there until Daniel came to gather us for our tour On our way to the health clinic we were stopped by Miguel Rodr guez and asked to proctor a math test Dan and I offered to and spent the next two hours watching students complete a very hard math test that was a practice entrance exam While there we met a young woman named Erica who was also helping proctor the test She told us a little about herself and that she hoped to study psychology at the university After the test I was interviewed by two students who wanted to practice their English speaking and writing skills I felt completely honored to answer their questions and help them with the spelling of certain words I am in awe of their eagerness and tenacity to improve 9
TUESDAY After that we returned to the nursery Members of our team had been there playing feeding and cleaning up toys and the kitchen area Some of the children were sleeping on mats in one room and cribs in another Our next stop was lunch in the cafeteria We had noodles in a tomato sauce The children ate silently by their houses and whenever anyone entered the room they would greet them politely There was a child from each house who would both serve and clean up after eating After lunch we worked with ten to twelve year olds creating decorations for the celebration later They worked hanging garland ribbon and artwork created by the children Our trip home was a quiet one with all of us lost in our own thoughts after our day at Sagrada Familia Dinner followed with ice cream and great conversation 10
M e s s a g e o f t h e Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game Babe Ruth D a y
WEDNESDAY LINDA J o u r n a l E n t r y We started our day at 7 30 a m once again eating bread peanut butter cereal yogurt delicious juice jelly and coffee for breakfast It was delicious as always Afterwards we finished getting ready before coming downstairs to discuss the journal from the previous day and hear the Message of the Day that embodied our thoughts and feelings of the previous day perfectly Both were very well said We then got in the car and headed off to Sagrada Familia We were greeted with the traditional Peruvian hugs and kisses which made us feel so welcome We went into the chapel that s not actually a chapel and we listened to Miguel as he told us his life story including his childhood what inspired him to take on the task of giving kids who didn t have a home a home the hardships he faced getting started and how he owed everything to God He also told us some stories about something that happened at Sagrada Familia A funny one involved huge knives lies children and 50 60 ducks The kids didn t want to have to kill their ducks for food so they hid them under their beds and wrapped their beaks so that they couldn t make noises Miguel also made the point of how everything s better when you put your troubles and problems and worries in God s hands because they re the safest hands It was so inspiring to listen to his story and so fascinating to watch his facial expressions and body language while talking He s been through so much and the emotions were written all over his face It was beautiful He s on the same level as Mother Teresa somebody said After that the team was spilt into three groups to determine who would dance with and teach dance to the kids who would teach English to the kids and who would sort and wrap presents for the kids since it was almost Christmas Laura and I were picked to dance Mary Dan and Jessica were picked to teach English and my mom and Linda were picked to wrap presents 12
WEDNESDAY Laura and I had a great time dancing practicing tumbling and doing yoga with a group of girls mostly around the ages of ten to twelve They were so talented fun to be around and kind with unique personalities I really enjoyed my day with them Mary Jessica and Dan taught a group of mostly high schoolers which was both challenging and exciting They noticed how some kids were more eager to learn than others so they were especially impressed by these kids The whole experience was very rewarding My mom and Linda who are both very detailoriented sorted clothes by gender and size and wrapped presents for the Christmas Eve celebration later They enjoyed this low key task At about 1 00 we left Sagrada Familia and headed back to the hotel We discussed our schedules for the upcoming weekend as we waited for our catering The meal consisted of turkey ham with cheese brown rice potato salad a regular salad applesauce passion fruit and the purple drink to drink and cake and ice cream for dessert It was all around incredibly delicious so we all stuffed ourselves There was great conversation as well involving terrorism Cuba and a bunch of other topics that I have yet to familiarize myself with It was fascinating to hear about the origins of Lima though After we finished eating this delicious traditional middle class Peruvian meal we all went to go do our own thing during the four hour free time that we had I m not exactly sure what everybody else did but my mom me Laura and Mary went to go take a walk on the boardwalk all the way to the end It was a great day to do so with the breeze and many sights around us When the four hours were up at 8 00 we all met downstairs before we left for the Christmas celebration 13
WEDNESDAY Upon arriving at Sagrada Familia we were met with the same welcoming greeting that we re getting used to and we realized that Sagrada Familia is an especially beautiful place at night with the stars the lights from nearby shanty towns and the dark night sky Some of girls that I danced with earlier asked me to do some gymnastics so I did They loved that Also Laura and I talked to a boy named Luis for a while He was the same age as me and his English was impressive He asked us so many questions about our family our likes and dislikes and he was able to answer in good English It was cool to see how eager he was to improve his English After a while we all went into the Chapel to begin the celebration So many kids trickled in and you could see the excitement on their faces After we prayed we got to eat our meal which was chicken and French fries with the spicy yellow sauce and mayonnaise and a sugary drink to drink There was also ice cream and sherbet for dessert After everybody finished it was time to dance The kids were super excited for this The lights were turned off and the music was turned on Everybody was having an amazing time The other volunteers and I mostly danced with little girls and boys while the older ones were in their own world up front It was so nice to see so many happy kids At midnight everybody went out to the basketball court area to see the fireworks There were so many in a variety of colors and there were also firecrackers everywhere making deafening sounds It was the time to be alive for sure In fact it almost seemed magical It was a great way to end our night to say the least 14
THURSDAY MICAH J o u r n a l E n t r y Today Jessica and I volunteered to teach There were 20 teenage boys in the room who have been studying English I was very uncertain about whether my Spanish was good enough to be a teacher Jessica made up for that She had Spanish lessons loaded on her phone and a portable speaker The kids were impressed with her knowledge of technology and Spanish We practiced greetings and having kids write and spell their names A boy with a playful look wrote his name and numbers When I looked puzzled he asked me in English to call him Thinking I didn t understand he looked surprised when I pretended to call him and have a short conversation The other boys in the class thought it was funny A boy asked Jessica about verbs and away she went Soon the verb to eat was conjugated in first second and third person singular and plural present tense Then the same for past tense Then the same in question form And even future tense All done in English and Spanish Can any of us remember all that She is a natural teacher She repeated this skill with the next class of girls Mary Ann Marie and Laura had miscellaneous duties They picked up the grounds peeled potatoes then went out of the locked gate where they found a local market selling miniature bananas squash yucca root and granadilla a fruit that has ridges like a brain on the inside A pig s head nestled on a platter and rows of plucked chickens hung in the open The question remains of what is done with the many many chicken feet Dan and Hildegarde played soccer on an outdoor court There are small patches of grass in places in the compound but mostly concrete or dirt Hildegarde impressed all the guys by scoring two goals One boy wanted her autograph Everyone here follows adult soccer teams Lunch in the dining hall was a bowl with rice mashed potatoes with a green vegetable and a generous piece of chicken We had a warm herbal tea with some sugar 15
THURSDAY We were very pleased to be invited to an arts and crafts afternoon Boxes of materials appeared Card games Memory Jenga Legos bead stringing puzzles fingernail polish with glitter dots All children seemed at ease and pleased to have us there and showed interest in what they were doing Our challenge was deciding which group to join since there were so many that seemed to form automatically and then shift fluidly as kids moved around Do you follow the child you were just talking with when s he moves or stay at the activity The room was filled with the sound of children talking and laughing While we were the primary adults in the room my impression was that the children could self manage and would help each other even if we had not been there Time to leave came quickly I was busy watching Gabriella s delight in beating me at Tic Tac Toe She repeatedly asked me to stay but once someone told her I would be back on Monday she was ok No doubt at six years old having someone you can beat at a game is a real accomplishment We were all quieter on the way back than last night after dancing understandably Even high energy Daniel took a nap in the car with Ana s head on his shoulder Daniel and Ana work well together and seem to anticipate our questions I am also touched by their affection for each other apparent when they look at each other tenderly when they think others aren t looking at them I remind myself that these children are not like any that we have known nor is Miguel Their happiness appears to come from within from the sense of stability that comes from belonging not necessarily having belongings The number of adults available may not matter as much to them as it does to us because they provide each other with the love and guidance needed for learning healthy relationships What we are seeing and experiencing might be called sustainability of the human spirit 16
FRIDAY NANCY J o u r n a l E n t r y Allen Mike Malcolm and I spent our morning monitoring the exam for about 200 kids in the cafeteria Quite a feat Different exams for different levels and they filed in in four different groups depending on the test packet they were to receive Of particular interest was that they had the kids from group one sit only two a table leaving room for the next group who has different tests to fill in between the first group The goal was to separate kids with similar tests to prevent or at least reduce cheating by sharing answers It worked for the most part but then again there were several kids found sharing answer sheets or talking about the English word s meaning in order to try and answer part of the English test Our team agreed that the boy with the English Spanish dictionary won the most innovative cheater award Malcolm defended him as he was using the if you don t know the answer look it up principle He wasn t let off the hook but we don t know what the penalties were going to be The key words for the morning were no tocar no hablar and no copiar in addition to the often used silencio The monitors teachers volunteers assistants got their steps in with the constant pacing up and down the aisles from 9 00 until 11 30 Post exam time was a group lesson experience with 80 100 kids per group and quite a challenge to review English words or learn new ones Mike and my group did Head Shoulders Knees and Toes while Allen and Malcolm s group was busy learning new English words 17
FRIDAY In the meantime Bev and Joyce were in the kitchen peeling and chopping garlic and chopping carrots onions and beets for the best lunch we ve had and a welcome change for them from their previous childcare challenges Teresa has found a comfortable routine in her pre K room and the afternoon day care and Rosemarie was again carefully evaluating the quality of the nurses docs and their qualifications and using her fluent Spanish to share her medical knowledge and make some suggestions to some of the patients Lunch found us with only the live in kids as the rest were off for the afternoon After a group photo we were free to wander around and see how those students spent their non school time Laundry was big Group washes or individual washings of their own clothes and shoes in buckets of water with soap followed by buckets of clean water for rinsing Unfortunately the breeze would blow some of the laundry off the lines A vigorous game of soccer was played on their concrete field Other kids were playing various soccer moves in circles playing volleyball without a net watering plants picking tomatoes reading quietly using a shaver for haircuts or shaving or walking around A very peaceful contrast to the loud boisterous change over times between classes Our memories continue to build 18
M e s s a g e o f t h e Always remember that you are absolutely unique Just like everyone else Margaret Mead D a y
SATURDAY SUNDAY ANGEL J o u r n a l E n t r y On Friday evening and Saturday people embarked on various weekend adventures Kathryn Kim Laura and Bruce departed for a weekend in Miraflores Casey headed for the mountains and Machu Picchu before returning to Utah I think we all agreed that we had spent a satisfying and fulfilling week and deserved the weekend off Bruce Laura Kim and Kathryn spent the weekend in the district of Miraflores at Hotel Antigua a beautiful restored manor house with wonderful antiques artwork fountains and patios Bruce took a private tour of the historic center of Lima and went exploring on his own Kathryn and Kim had a wonderful time walking along Parque del Amor Love Park on the Malec n in Miraflores We all found wonderful things at the Inka Market I am always excited with all the vivid colors of goods for sale Lots of baby alpaca wool Two little girls with chocolaty hands entertained me while I waited for my companions We walked to the open air caf Buena Vista overlooking the coast and the Pacific for quiche teque os and yuquitas Delicious Laura and Kim taxied to Barranco for another museum tour while I organized my week ahead On Sunday I went to the Anglican Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd where I enjoyed a refreshing worship service plus two coffee hours We returned to Ventanilla by 7 00 Sunday night and prepared for Monday morning The smaller team of two weekers is looking forward to another week of challenges and surprises 20
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MONDAY NANCY J o u r n a l E n t r y Yesterday was the beginning of a new week week two Everyone was getting back from their exciting and relaxing weekends after a week of hard work We started the day with our normal meeting and then headed to Sagrada Familia We were pleased to hear we would be able to teach English to kids today and could help put together a lesson plan for future groups Upon arrival at Sagrada Familia we had only a few minutes to prepare for our first class Beverly Thomasina Tyler and I spent the first hour working on English with teenage boys The next group was eight to 14 year old girls We colored and played games with these girls Chetna had teenagers in the chair today for teeth cleaning One 16 year old had never seen a dentist and when asked if he had any pain he said he has been in pain for eight years Chetna and Ana started using ceons for the first time which is something that protects your teeth She said it was a slower day since they had to spend more time on each child The posters that she and Ana made were a hit My grandma Bev started the first half of the day in the kitchen preparing what seemed like endless peas and other foods I painted desks and my mom and Thomasina sanded down the desks Lunch was spaghetti with tuna in the sauce which I thought was very good After lunch I played Uno and Memory with some kids for about 30 45 minutes My Grandma Bev joined my mom and Thomasina in the sanding of the desks For dinner we tried a new catering service which was very good We had turkey rice cake and many other kinds of foods 22
TUESDAY LISA J o u r n a l E n t r y All of us are now used to the morning routine up early breakfast and Morning Meeting We started off in the van as usual and I once again appreciated that we have an excellent driver Daniel and I headed back to the school to work on refurbishing desks Four girls ages nine to eleven came to help We got many desks prepared and painted We are slightly ahead of schedule and should have all desks done by Friday We hope the students appreciate the new desks Our third member was Dale and she helped organize the girls and also helped prepare and paint several desks Ann Diane and Elaine were in day care and had only four children That created a different situation with so few kids The children had to learn to wait for their turns to use a particular toy Casey our Bob the Builder worked with a crew preparing for the installation of a new kitchen very hard work scraping old paint and finish His great love of children makes him a favorite He always has an entourage Donn spent the day teaching English using role playing and vocabulary games to help in sentence structure and pronunciation Ann and Diane gave English lessons in the afternoon to 15 boys Ranzo stayed and practiced his English and played his guitar for us He also explained about his college plans and how his first set of college entrance papers was lost by his high school He plans to reapply Dale Elaine and Lauren were busy with day care duties in the afternoon A rabbit appeared with Dale and the kids were very excited about him 23
TUESDAY Lauren was busy in the clinic in the morning and was a welcome additional help in the day care in the afternoon Kim had a great day teaching with the fifth grade her vivacity always a plus in the classroom Meanwhile Kathryn spent a great day with pre K and toddlers Laura and Tracy spent much of their time in the kitchen peeling slicing and preparing squash for the later dinner and next day lunch Hard but fulfilling work so necessary for feeding the 1 000 children who depend on Sagrada Familia every day It was a great busy day Now squash is ready for the pot Lunch at Sagrada Familia was again great More and more kids have been welcoming us each day and they seem happy and excited to see us I believe we all feel accepted and appreciated It is a nice feeling Everyday it s new and always great fun 24
M e s s a g e o f t h e The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched they must be felt with the heart Helen Keller D a y
WEDNESDAY BILL J o u r n a l E n t r y I continue to be amazed and impressed by every aspect of Sagrada Familia As we start to get to know some of the children better their enthusiasm engagement curiosity kindness and intelligence become even more striking Across all ages they are smart interested patient and generous with their time and care towards each other Lunch was delayed by about 20 minutes because more fish needed to be fried and every single child who had already been served waited patiently not even considering the food in front of them until everyone was served They want to hear about our lives and also share their thoughts interests and opinions I don t think there s a part of my day when I m not in awe of the place and the people We discovered a children s book in the library created by the kids that had been published with the financial support of the national airline and featured the Peruvian version of a Dora the Explorer character so I m clearly not the only one impressed Dave and Daniel continued to rehab desks for the upcoming school year In the morning Lauren performed wellness checks at the clinic while Ann Elaine and I had fun with the children at the day care We brought over some new books from the library and the children loved turning the pages being read to and telling their own stories Elaine and I spent the afternoon practicing English with ten girls between twelve and fifteen years old We played counting games with a deck of cards and guessing games with shapes and names Towards the end one girl told us that it was another s birthday we ended the day singing Happy Birthday in both Spanish and English clapping laughing and giving affection on all sides Ann and Lauren spent the afternoon at the day care and continued to enjoy the books and games with the kids Another successful day at Sagrada Familia 26
THURSDAY SUE J o u r n a l E n t r y Routines have been established relationships within the team and with the children and staff at Sagrada Familia have been forged and assignments continue to be dutifully completed Today like each day this week had its challenges and its rewards its frustrations and its joys more or less in equal measure There is really no typical day here each day is an adventure unto itself At school Jan and Allen each assisted in several English classes with teachers and students that they ve worked with before as well as some time assisting in day care The familiarity of working with children of all ages helps us all improve communications and be encouraging and supportive The kiddos continue to be comfortable with us as we wander around giving us hugs kisses and handshakes It is hard to imagine a happier or safer environment for children who come from a wide variety of settings and have been dealt some bad cards in life Sagrada Familia is teaching them how to love and live with others As I near the end of this one week experience at Sagrada Familia I am already thinking ahead about how I will answer the inevitable questions when I return friends and family will ask So how was your trip How can I answer that How can I explain to someone who wasn t here the experience of being warmly greeted and hugged everywhere I went by young people who didn t even know me How can I describe the beauty and joy in the dark laughing eyes of the children at the day care center 27
TUESDAY What words could I ever use to share the experience of dining in the commissary the long tables and narrow benches the simple meals prepared on wood fired stoves in pots the size of small bathtubs served to more than 1 000 students each day from a kitchen staff that has no certainty about where the food for tomorrow s meal will come from How do I tell them about this oasis in a desert this place of such fullness and vibrancy and love that is surrounded on all sides by such abject poverty How would I ever explain how this dusty plot of land that was so worthless that no one even bothered to protest when it was first settled has now become a place of hope and promise for so many young people I want to describe this community in a way that does it justice that respects its resiliency that honors its people and its history that expresses the struggles it has overcome and the struggles it continues to face I guess there are no simple answers to the question How was your trip and I suspect that most who ask it will not have the time or patience for the details and nuance that an honest answer would require So perhaps I will just keep this part of my Peru trip to myself in a special place in my heart and memory to be shared only with those like my team who had the opportunity to experience it Tomorrow I will go to Sagrada Familia one last time I will stand again in the current of that river of children that flows through there and try to remember all the sights and sounds and smells of the place the color and the movement the energy and the love And I will be forever grateful for this time spent in the warm embrace of this generous community I guess you had to be there 28
FRIDAY OLGA J o u r n a l E n t r y We started out the day with breakfast amongst friends discussing issues such as Nutella how to crop photos and our beloved pets We boarded the van and headed off to what would be our last volunteer day We met with Liz and she told us her incredible story She told how she has lived at Sagrada Familia since she was ten and how it was her home both in location and in heart She was fortunate to study English in North Carolina She told us of her early struggles with the English language how Miguel as well as volunteers helped her to have the confidence to believe in herself and how she truly succeeded She also described the efforts of the teachers trying to help the children learn the English language Chetna provided hygienist services to a few children in the morning at the cl nica with the loyal assistance of Ana Daniel s lovely wife Thomasina checked in with the preschoolers day care children in the morning but she didn t feel her services were needed as there were only three children Then she went to the kitchen to see if they could use her help She helped cut and squeeze lemons for a while Shannon and Tyler cleaned up the classroom used for the major stripping and sanding of the student desks They scraped off the stuck stripping material and removed paint litter from the classroom floor swept and nicely arranged the completed desks to be ready for school They also cleaned up at the desk stripping and sanding debris from the walkway the stairs and the walkway up to the dining hall As Shannon stated We need to leave the place we worked looking better than when we arrived They certainly did that 29
FRIDAY I worked on the EarthBox project again with Daniel this morning We planted the last 15 strawberry tomato and onion plants in our two newly prepared EarthBoxes After that I went to the kitchen after Thomasina had left and helped peel potatoes After lunch we were free to mingle with take photos of and say our goodbyes to the children and staff Shannon brought her new Polaroid camera which prints out small color photos that she gave to each child The children were delighted but didn t want photos of themselves they wanted photos of them with us The children were very sad we were leaving but had a great time taking photos of all of us with them Finally the dorm moms said goodbye to us too and we all sadly and reluctantly climbed into the van It was very difficult for all of us to say goodbye to those happy loving kind children As soon as we arrived back at Anc n we left for the restaurant Deli Bakery on the side of the hill at the end of the road in the bay We had a wonderful dinner After dinner we all went back to our hotel to pack for our morning departures to Lima Airport We had a great team on this volunteer trip and hopefully will keep in touch with one another as we all branch out to other trips and projects and share our photos with one another At 10 a m Shannon Tyler and myself climbed into David s car with only four suitcases instead of the seven we brought three of the suitcases we left at Sagrada Familia filled with toys and school supplies for them to have 30
FRIDAY In conclusion we accomplished enough for all of us to feel proud of our contributions Although the tough job of stripping sanding and repainting the desks did not get completed on our service program we still were able to teach some English with the children get the EarthBox project started play with the preschool children and play and interact with the older children a few times through the English lessons and games activities Shannon Tyler and Beverly brought for them We also helped prepare lunch each day for all the children staff and volunteers hung up the Bougainvillea bushes in the front entrance to the campus played volleyball with the children and Lily and tore out the windows and frames in the upper floors of the girls dormitories in preparation for new windows donated by another group from the U S Chetna provided much needed dental hygiene care to as many children as she could possibly see every day of our service program often missing lunch in order to help just one more child Ana assisted Chetna each day to interpret for her and to make detailed notes on each child s dental health and or issues to leave behind for the clinic s dentist It was a very good day for all of us albeit a sad day The children kept saying to us Please don t forget about us None of us will forget about these precious children They are so very blessed to have Miguel Lily the dorm caretakers the rest of the staff at Sagrada Familia as well as all the groups of volunteers from various organizations and countries taking care of them 31
GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS 375 East Little Canada Road St Paul MN 55117 1628 USA 800 487 1074 toll free 651 482 0915 fax globalvolunteers org email globalvolunteers org GlobalVolunteers globalvolunteers globlvolunteers
