Pictures!

Money Makes The World Go Round

I thought it would be interesting for everyone back home to know about the financial end of volunteering. It can vary alot from agency to agency, and the process is different with all of them. I researched about the many different organizations and ended up applying to four different ones. There are websites that rate the organizations by participant so that you can get a feel for what their trip was like, and these helped me a lot in my decision process. One of the organizations I chose, sounded really good on the website but all the volunteers had fairly bad experiences so I crossed this one off my list. All of the organizations require fees to be paid. This usually covers room and board. After all my research and getting accepted, I decided to go with International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ). I decided to go with them because they were one of the only organizations that let you choose a starting and ending date. None of the other organizations that had good ratings were flexible. THey are also one of the cheapest organizations to go thought. One of the things they pride themselves on is that they don't charge anymore money than is necessary to cover living costs for the volunteer. Many people don't understand why you should have to pay to volunteer. The reasoning behind paying is so that the organization your woking for doesn't lose money paying for the volunteers housing and food. I wouldn't want to go work at an orphanage and make them lose money because they are feeding me too.

The actual cost of volunteering for me was about $2,400.00. My plane ticket was about $900.00 and the agency fee was about $1520.00.

Everyday costs include bus fairs, some food, and money for copying worksheets for my classes. I'm also trying to buy things for the orphanages and classrooms I'm in as I see needs.

With all the money you al sent me I raised about $2000.00. This money helped me get here and is paying for all the stuff I'm doing for the kids. We've found a new opportunity to help at a government funded baby house, a family who we can build a house fore, and we're going to have a birthday party for all the girls at La Punta! All the travel I've been doing has been paid for with my own money from graduation presents and working all summer (and the money i saved working in past years). The good news is that travel in peru is not costly if you don't fly. Because of this i have been able to see a lot of really cool places, without spending hardly anything!

It's The Weekend!

This weekend has brought a lot of cool sights. On Friday, we went out on the town. We went toBarrancco, which is beautiful at night! On Saturday we got up nice and early to go to Pachacamac.The guide book which said the drive would be about a 45 minute drive, was drastically off. It must have taken us 2 hours on a bus to get to the ruins. I'm not complaining though, sometimes the bus rides end up being the best way to see the city as it really is Not just the touristy parts, but the real Lima. I love the people that come on the bus trying to sell everything and anything you could think of. I've seen a girl selling pens and a manselling clips (which according to him, were not just any clips. His major selling point was that the clips actually clip and hold..wait for it, wait for it..PAPER. Yes, they do as a matter of fact hold paper…who would have thought.) One of my favorites was a group of four that just couldn't seem to keep the beat together to the song they were singing. I also love that you canget practically any food without getting out of your seat. Pineapple in bags, ice cream, chips, candy, and oh so much more. I'm starting to think that these people love food more than Americans?

The ruins we saw on Saturday were very nice, I never expected to see actualbuildings still standing. The tour was a little wordy, and I might have lost focus about halfway though, but I did get some wonderful pictures! We came back from the ruins and went to see Going the Distance at the movietheater. If you are Peruvian, going to the movies is a serious thing. You can get anything from muffins and ice cream to popcorn and hotdogs at the concession stands. I told you before, the love their food here. I thought that popcorn back home came in large sizes, but the large here must be double your average American large.

Today I went to mass at the Catholic church near my house with Jade, one of the other people living in the house. I really love this church, and thanks to my Magnificat I pretty much knew what was going on this time. We ate pizza for lunch on Pizza Street, which was amazing! Then we went to some Inca markets and I bought some gifts for some you all back home (GRandma and Hayley!!!). I can't wait to give gifts at Christmas! I also got myself a jumper and some socks! (I only brought 4 pairs and this house is absolutely freezing.)

We went to see some other ruins after lunch. They were pretty, but the tour was 45 minutes too long. 15 minutes would have sufficed. What I got out of the tour was that most of the ruins had been restored (so they were not real ruins) and that they had some really funny fake people at the end in loincloths. I'm not going to waste any more space on here telling you about them.

I really should go to bed now (it's 2:08)..I'm working at San Antonio's tomorrow!

Good night, I love yall!

It's The Little Things In Life

Yesterday, I went to San Antonio's for the first time in a week. I was supposed to go last friday, but I ended up at home sick. I'm not going to lie though, I really didn't want to go on Friday. I was almost relieved to be sick.

I went to mass on Sunday at the Catholic church on Sunday, San Miguel Arcangel. This was the second time I have been able to make it to mass at this church, and the third time while I've been in Lima. It was the first time that I took my Magnificat with me to read along during mass. Having the Magnificat with all the Mass parts, psalm, and reading, and gospel in English made Mass much more meaningful and enjoyable for me. I realized just how much I miss Christ the King and all my SEARCH friends. But, being in church made me feel very much at peace, and remember the reason why I am here.

I ended up here because of a series of complications with the whole college process. My mom thought a few of them were too "perfect" to be coincidences and had to be "God things." I came to believe this as the time to travel to Peru neared. It really did all work out just a little too perfectly to just have happened.

Going to mass made me remember that I'm here to do God's will, and that some of the things I'm going to be doing will not always be fun and exciting for me. On Wednesday, I went to San Antonio's with a new outlook. Yes, it may be tiring and boring at times to sit in a room with 15 two year olds, but they need to be loved. I remembered all the love and attention that my parents, grandparents, friends, and family gave me growing up and realized that these kids get about 1/10th the love that I got. Me just being there, holding them, talking to them, and trying to get them to be nice to each other, no matter how fruitless it may seem, makes a difference to them.

On Wednesday, something happened that made me want to keep coming back. We have two babies with down syndrome in the 2 year old room. I think that they must be older, but have been held back because they are under developed. Neither of them can walk, but one is starting to learn. Yesterday, he was in the back of the room by himself trying to stand up and take a few steps. When he finally managed, no one really noticed because they were busy with all the other kids. I was sitting on the floor holding two kids and watching him from across the room, when one little boy, who is usually quite a bully, came up to me and made me get up and go watch the baby with down syndrome walk. He was so excited for him, clapping and patting him on the back. I started clapping too, and you could just see the boys face light up as he was being encourage. He became much more determined to take those steps. I loved seeing one of the boys peers celebrate for him, it made me appreciate God's love and purpose for putting me here.

For you SEARCH people out there, the Bryan Adams song "Everything I Do" came on today in the bus home from Pachacutec. I was in the middle of grading papers that weren't getting very good grades and was really frustrated. We have spent a month learning what was on the test, and most of the kids still got a "C." The song made me stop and take a few deep breaths and realize that it will all be ok…gotta love SEARCH memories!

I have been looking for something concrete to give money to since I've been here. Today, I met with one of the 6th grade teachers. I am going to sponsor their graduation, which I will unfortunately just miss (December 16th). I think I will end up getting them food for the reception, graduation gifts, and someone to film the ceremony!

Thanks for all the love and support back home!

Quick Update

Today I gave my 6th grade classes a test, the first one I have given them. I'm grading them right now, and their ok. Some really good some really bad, most in the middle. I figure this is ok, we'll get better!

I also picked up my camera toady….IT WORKS!

My first picture!!! It's not of anything interesting, but its still exciting. Get ready for some pictures of Pachacutec and Lima!

A Few Pictures For You! (FINALLY!)

I might have mentioned it already, but we're not allowed to take pictures at any of the places we volunteer except Pachacutec. I will post some of my classes' pictures once I get my camera back (TOMORROW!!!), but for now I will just make do with some from other peoples cameras. It doesn't look like it from these pictures, but I have actually been volunteering:)

Horse back riding in Canta, the beginning of a 5 hour horse ride up the side of a mountain!

Group shot from half way up.

Another break, a little further up I think.

At the very top. We got there just before dusk, and got to see the sun set over the mountains!

Sun set from the top.

Learning to milk a cow!

We went to visit the catacombs during a weekend spent in Lima.

What should be a nice view of the city from the top of San Cristobal, turns into a nice view of the fog that covers the city...

National Reserve in Parracas. (More to come eventualy!)

The fountains on a night after dinner.

Just A Quick Note:)

Just wanted to let everyone know I'm feeling much better! I think I must have had a 24 hour bug or something, because I felt fine the next day. I still haven't really eaten yet, but I'm sure I'll be hungry soon! Thanks to all the family who facebook chatted me to ask if I was ok, it made the time I spent laying in bed pass a lot quicker!

One last thing, my camera will be fixed this Wednesday! I'm going to get some other people's pictures one I have it back, so I can show you all Pachacutec and the places I have traveled! I'll have my own pictures to share soon!! Yay!

Happy Sunday! ( I went to mass here this morning! Being in a church makes me feel at home, but it also make me miss everyone in my SEARCH family and from Christ the King..there's no place like home.)

See you all soon! (84 days to be exact)

The To Do List For Today

1. Make it downstairs in the morning to maybe eat breakfast…downstairs check, food nope

2. Make it back up stairs…check

3. Lay in bed and try not to move. Moving makes me sick…check

4. Walk downstairs to get crackers and water…check

5. Become best friends with my bathroom…check (with the amount of time I spent in there today we should be married)

6. Catch up on Drop Dead Diva…check and enjoyed

7. Catch up on America's Next Top Model…check

8. Catch up on SVU..CHECK!!

9. Watch The Secret Garden, one of my favorites from when I was little…check

10.Skype with my dad, grandparents, and mom to take up some time. Get some much needed medical advice from my mamma! Check

11. Take sporadic naps throughout the day…cheeeck

12. Eat some crackers and drink some water, keep it down, take some medicine…check!!!

13. Drink the gatorade Saludad (the nicest woman in the world, who cooks all of our food) gave me..pending

14. Find some more shows to watch…any suggestions?

15. Hopefully sleep. We shall see about that one:)

Very ambitious don't you think?

I hope everyone is doing well back home!

Love you,

Maemie

Out In The Wild

This weekend we were given the opportunity to go on a trip, guided by three guys who are starting a tour company. We paid for our expenses, but they got us good deals with the people they knew, and we didn't have to pay them for their "guiding skills." The trip, which was estimated at around 150 soles, was a steal so pretty much everyone in the house decided to go.

We left on Friday, and headed for Canta. A small town in the mountains that doesn't see many tourists. We got to Canta, in about 4 hours which included a few stops. One of which was to see a Saint Rose of Lima Wishing well. When we arrived in Canta, we are a light dinner and headed to bed. We woke up at 5:30 on Saturday morning and walked 45 minutes to a local farm, where we got to milk cows. It was nothing like I expected, but wasn't actually that hard! Then a van took us back into town, where we ate sandwiches for breakfast and got ready to go horseback riding. I somehow ended up with the biggest horse, and was a head taller than everyone else. We rode for about five hours, to the top of a mountain to see some pre Inca ruins. The rid was a ton of fun, because we weren't on a path, so we actually told the horses where to go. It wasn't one of those rides where the horses know the path so well you could ride with your eyes closed. You definitely wanted to watch where you were going, because we were on the edge of a mountain, going straight up for most of the way!

Once we got to the top, we ate lunch and explored the ruins. Then, we got to watch a shamanic ritual, giving thanks to Mother Earth. After this was over, we very carefully headed down the mountain to the car that was waiting to take us back, since riding horses in the pitch black would be rather difficult.

We got up the next morning, to leave bright and early, and in typical Peruvian liking, we were told the man who was going to drive us back had to do something else in the morning and couldn't actually come until 1:00. So, we had a few hours to walk around and soak up the sun (which we never see in Lima thanks to the covering of smog/clouds). We ended up going to a waterfall and just laying out in the sun, and had a lot of fun!

We got back just in time on Sunday for dinner, and then I hit the sack rather early to get ready for volunteering the next day.

Today, I went to Pachacutec to teach my 6th graders. This is the first time I wrote out my own lesson plan and taught it. It went really well! I think that they are starting to retains some information, because most of them remembered what I taught them last week without much reviewing. I introduced simple present verbs, and suing them in simple sentences (I run. You run….very simple). But, they were writing them themselves by the end of class, so we're making progress! One of the teachers would only let us teach for 30 minutes today instead of 45, because they were working on math, so I guess I need to keep working on them to have their full support. She almost wouldn't let us in at all. I'm trying to think of a kind of "peace offering" to bring to the teachers for the lass room, but I don't know what they might need…any suggestions would be awesome!

The School In Pachacutec

School in Lima is very different than back in the US. Kids here go to school in the morning or in the afternoon. This limits the time the teacher has to teach the kids. At the school in Pachacutec, it always seems as if the kids are running free, just doing there own thing. Ask them why their not in class, and you will probably just get a shrug. Every school here has uniforms. Right now, most of them consist of sweat suites with the school logo on the breast or on the back. Even the poorest public schools seem to find a way to get the kids in uniforms.

Our job is to teach English. We get each class for 30 to 45 minutes once a week. This is not enough time for them to actually learn English. With the coming and going of volunteers, the organization of the teaching program has disintegrated. When I came into the program, there was and still is not a set curriculum. The volunteers are expected to come up with lessons on their own. Giving a volunteer with no teaching experience the job of making and teaching lessons, does not end well. I get the impression that the spanish classes have evolved into singing the "ABC" song and "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" over and over again, which does not teach the kids much English.

The teachers are not too keen on having English classes for their kids. You might ask why not? We see English as something that will help them in the future. Not having the teachers support, makes it hard to teach. But, I understand why they think our classes are a waste of time if we are just singing with the kids. Without their support, there is no way we are going to get more teaching time. And without a curriculum, we are not going to get the teacher's support.

In the time I've been here, there have been a few people who really seem to care about the way the program is going and about the kids. One guy who is a spanish teacher back home, wrote a very rough outline of a curriculum. It is very basic, and only consists of a list of points to hit throughout the year. Another volunteer who is still here, has been helping me and other volunteers write lesson plans, and is helping Lidia, the pogram director, come up with a more in depth curriculum. I think the ideal point that they need to get to to benefit the kids the most is to have a book with lesson plans for each week already written, so that each volunteer can take the plan and teach it. That way, there would be continuity throughout the English classes.

In the past two weeks, since I have been teaching, we have been having concrete lessons. No more singing for thirty minutes. In this time, I reallly think that the teahers have become more welcoming to our presence in the classroom. I hope that if we can get a good solid curriculum, we can then build better relationships with the students teachers, and then maybe one day we could have more time for English. It's a work in progress, but it's happening!