Day 9: Off to Chincha & Huacachina we go!!

Today we had to say good-bye to our cute apartment & head south.  Our final destination is Huacachina and the Sand Dunes, 4 hours away. We stopped in Chincha on our way for lunch at the infamous Mamainé's restaurant, a mix of Perú and Creole.  Delicious!!

We finally arrived around 7 to Huacachina, an oasis in the desert...literally. Hard to see in the dark allll the Sand around us. We're staying in Las Bananas, a hostel on the lagoon. Hostel life is new for the PV kids, but they are enjoying it!! Got settled in our rooms, filled their bellies with pizza, and everyone was happy. 

Tomorrow we hit the dunes!!

Day 8: Gracias Las Lomas

Monday was bittersweet as it was our last day in Las Lomas with the kids. Just wanting to spend time and make memories with those beautiful children,  chat with the families,  etc... Some of the girls bought nail polish and painted the nails of the little girls...and boys...and some of the mom's. A beautiful moment of sharing. Inside, a group of us did a craft activity...fleece tie blankets. We invited in kids who didn't participate last month and worked with them to the the knots. How proud they were to finish their blankets and show it off to everyone!! How warm they'll be snuggled in their blankets during the Peruvian winter.
Abuela Dinah and i went up to the house of Nicolas to gift him a blanket and vitamins. He was playing on Tuesday and a big kid wasn't watching and accidentally ran over his leg...and broke it. The mom was grateful to see us and happy to accept the gifts.
Hard to leave & say good bye to those precious faces. What a week of laughs & love!!
Our last soccer practice went well. Even the Gringos got to play!! We were also able to pass out vitamins to the 1st division team. Simple gummy vitamins mean the world to them!
Bittersweet leaving, but warm hearts knowing we brought smiles to their faces as they brought to ours!!

Day 7: LOBOS

Today we headed down to Callao to go swim with sea lions (Lobos).  Last year when we went we nearly froze,  so we were more prepared this year with warm clothes, blankets & towels.  The water wasn't as choppy, but we all still took a form of Dramamine from the boat dudes.  Eventually the sun came out and it was a perfect day.  All the kids jumped in - so proud of them!  There were thousands of sea lions swimming all around and under them!  All commented afterwards they were glad they went - some were scared at first, but all faced their fear and in they went!  They stayed in the water nearly 30 min before returning to the boat.  On the return back, we approached another island and saw penguins.  With some sun on the way home, the kids got some rest....and some sun!
Back at the apartment for showers and a quick snooze and then off to dinner at Papacho's!  Their speciality was burgers - boy were they good!  Got in some shopping time at the mall and home we came.
Tomorrow is our last day at the school as we are heading to the sand dunes Tues - Thurs.
The kids are surely enjoying their time and will be coming home with new, fresh eyes for the world around them.

Day 6: Saturday

Went down to Miraflores today along the Green Coast. They call it the Green Coast because of all the greenery as well as green for all the money there too.
After a stop at Starbucks, we hit Park Kennedy, also known as Cat Park. There were many artists out today pedaling thfor work. Kids did some retail therapy at the Inca Market.  Grabbed some delicious lunch and off to Owansa we went.
Every Saturday they have Owansa (Awana) for the 6-14 yr olds. They play games, sing, do Bible studies, and have a mini sermon...and end with snacks.
Next up on Saturday nights is Youth Group. All the boys in the club have to attend twice a month. Some of the little kids attend as well as community members.
It was a beautiful night!!

Day 5: Blessing others

Sorry I'm behind in my blogging. I've been exhausted at night when we get back and am fighting a cold. But no worries, I'm not sick like Daniel. He ate/drank something on Monday and has been ill ever since. We haven't seen him all week, pobrecito!!
This morning Abuela Dinah & I got up early and went to the Preschool to see their program. It's their National Holiday next week, so the kids had been studying the different regions in Perú and each age level studied a different region and dresses in costume.  They had to decorate a wall, bring in food from that region, and learn a dance. I was asked to be a Judge!! What an honor!! Amazing what they did and how proud they are of their country!
Afterwards, we took donations to Wawawasi, a day care in another village. The moms leave their kids for 33 cents/day so they can go to work and have a safe place to leave their kids. We arrived at snack time...some were happy to see us and others sure were not.
Next stop was the neighborhood with the handicapped residents. The caretaker of the neighborhood took us around, knocking on doors so we could gift them blankets, as it's quite chilly in Perú in the winter. What a blessing to be able to bring some joy & comfort to people's lives!!
Back up to Las Lomas we went for some more fun & games of Duck Duck Goose,  Musical Chairs, Tug of War, and Dodgeball. All fan favorites!!
Last stop of the day was soccer practice. All 3 teams had practice on the artificial turf, non regulation sized field. Afterwards, we passed out vitamins to the players to help with their nutrition. We also gifted Coach with a new ball pump, a couple stop watches,  and a new whistle.
Simple things can sometimes make the biggest impact.

Day 4: More fun!!

Another Starbucks run, and off we go! Our drive to the school takes us about an hour as traffic in Lima is horrible at all hours of the day. We picked up lunch from Victor's sister. She cooks all our amazing food...tiday was Lomo Saltado...a Peruvian specialty...and a favorite of the Gringos. The kids did some organized games again today with the kids:  Duck, Duck, Goose; Dodgeball, and Tug-of-war. We played Gringos vs. Peruanos (Gringos lost) and then played Girls vs. Boys. Best moment was in Tug-of-war,  Gringos vs. Peruanos. We decided that on 3, instead of tugging, we would just let go of the rope. All the little kids went flying....it was priceless!! I never laughed so hard! The little kids thought it was hilarious!!!
Had lunch at an Italian place last night and wandered to get ice cream...a great end to another beautiful day!!