Mixing Things Up

A large part of our work is having the ability to adapt to change. Change is one of those things that whether you prepare for it or not, when the time comes, it is still a challenge. As challenging as it might be, change is one of those things that tends to come in a cluster.

Since our arrival in September of 2008, the only change that has come our way, in terms of our family here, was one girl, and her daughter, leaving us to go live with her family. Although challenging to swallow, it went fairly smooth. Within these past two months, we have had some slightly larger changes. We have had 4 girls leave for one reason or another and 2 new ones come in (more girls are on their way).

For us, new girls coming in can be challenging, but it is a huge blessing. It allows girls that need a safe haven a place to be. For us, the challenge has been not so much saying welcome as saying goodbye –especially to the girls you have grown so close to, the ones you have formed bonds with and the ones you consider family.

A hard lesson to learn in life is realizing that everything you have to offer i.e. health, education, food, love, etc… is not always what the other person wants. Just like everything else in life, there are choices. We usually have people trying to guide us along the way, but some of us (myself included), need to learn by doing things ourselves and physically seeing or emotionally feeling what happens because of it. Sometimes however, the lessons that we learn paving our own path are what get us back on the right track.

Here at POPPYS House our two new girls are beginning to settle in well. Each one is finding their nitch and becoming accustomed to life out here. We are excited to have them and see our family grow.

A church campout in the jungle

The church we attend had a youth campout a few weekends ago. We, Kelly and I, accompanied by 8 of our girls, went along with about 75 other people up the river 3 hours to a small town called Indiana (so small that they only have power a few hours each night from a generator). We all crammed into the organizations boat, and away we went. In Indiana, there is small (and breathtaking) Adventist run camp that we stayed at. They have a kitchen, dining hall, multiple cabins and a lake/pond.

After we all got settled, we got together and formed into 5 different groups. The group idea was great because it evenly split up our girls forcing them to interact and engage with others –they even split up Kelly and me. All weekend we focused on spiritual exercises, workshops, group/team building exercises and positive interaction (both in small groups and one large group). Everything we did was awarded points going towards a big prize (it ended up being food) on Sunday.

Saturday afternoon, each group had to physically depict a story in the bible with things they could find in and around camp. Our group finally decided on portraying Abraham taking Isaac up the mountain and offering him as an offering to God. I was chosen to be the live ram stuck in the bush (I found some awesome branches that looked like horns). It was pretty funny.

The next day we finished with a volleyball and soccer tournament based on your teams. Some of our girls were even on the winning team (I suppose that is not a huge feat however considering that we had girls on every team…). It was an amazing weekend for all of us. Since that trip, our girls have been more actively involved and participating in the youth program. We are so happy and excited for them. We all walked away from this trip feeling fulfilled –socially, physically and spiritually.

Here we are engaging in a nice, friendly game of volleyball.

Here are two of our girls, Rosany (left) and Milagros (right), playing around with our camera.

Here is a small group worship.

Here we are, all 75 or so people, crammed into the People of Peru Projects boat. It was a cozy ride.

Meet Llerly

We have a friend we would like you to meet. His name is Llerly (pronounced Jerly). He is a tall, friendly, respectful, God-fearing and compassionate person that has quickly become a genuine friend of ours. He is 21 years old and lives here in Santo Tomas with his family.

Several months ago, Llerly came to us wanting to get a college education. He had been out of school for 3 years, working on random jobs, trying to save enough money to get into officer school. We were extremely hesitant at first since we knew we didn’t have the means to put anyone through school, and had recently requested funds to help another young man out.

We could tell Llerly was a hard worker, very intelligent and had a lot of potential. He presented his case very well and we had remembered him as different from the typical young men of this town. Most times we had seen him before, while passing his house going to and from school, he was reading books and trying to learn on his own. Most guys will just sit around and drink, but not Llerly. We prayed that if God wanted us to find a way to help Him, then He would open the doors.

We took Llerly around to various trade schools to see what he was interested in. It was quite apparent that his parents were trying to influence him to become a heavy machinery driver or a mechanic, since they were fast certification programs and he could begin working soon. He didn’t seem to have his heart set on such goals, but was too timid to ask for something greater. Finally, after checking out a few trade schools, Aaron and I were not convinced that driving a tractor was his life dream. And you all understand the American viewpoint of wanting to help someone in a way that will be a good investment for their future, not just a quick fix.

We sat down with Llerly and his family and told them very directly that if there was a way we could help him, we wanted him to choose a career that he wanted, not what anyone else wanted for him. We offered to take him to check out some local universities and had him make a list of questions he wanted to ask to the people teaching and/or working in his field of choice.

The following morning, he showed up, ready to go to town…to learn about the field of psychology. He was so excited to be able to consider something beyond field work. He admitted that his dream was not to drive heavy machinery or to fix motorcars. He spoke so much more passionately about psychology and couldn’t wait to check out some schools.

We found a great school on our side of town. The amount of money needed for a semester of tuition is about $700 (US Dollars), including additional costs, such as books, supplies and transportation. Just weeks before the deadline to pay for the first semester, we received a donation from a family member that covered the first semester, and this family member didn’t even know about Llerly yet. We took it as a sign and got Llerly enrolled.

Llerly ranked 7th place on the entrance exam out of the 200+ students who took the test. Not only that, he went fishing everyday for two weeks (up until the exam) selling what he caught to help pay for some of the expenses related to registration (something he was not asked to do). He has the smarts. He has the desire. He applies himself.

Currently, Llerly is over halfway through his first semester. He frequently comes over to get tutoring, use the computer, or just hang out and talk. He is doing very well balancing time, studies, and life. He has been maintaining very good grades and we are very proud of him.

The next semester starts in January and we have raised $200 thus far. We have seen God come through time and time again, and not just in Llerly’s case. With God, where there is faith, there is a way. If you have any questions, comments, or would like to help in any way, please contact us.

New Monkey On Campus

We have had a new face around the facility for about a month now. Nathaniel, Lisa’s cousin, has been down here volunteering from Texas. With his arrival came a new monkey. Meet Leo. This is the craftiest little critter we have met. He loves spiders, rice, bananas and chocolate cookies –I know…

While eating a chocolate chip cookie the other day, this little dude came flying out of nowhere, climbed up my body, launched himself on-top of my cookie, and then jumped down to the ground to hoard his new finding. It happened so fast that a reaction was not possible. I was so bummed. We NEVER get chocolate chip cookies down here (they don’t sell baking soda).

With two monkeys now on the premises, Herkie openly displays his jealousy. Herkie still has his prejudice towards Leo, however, they were spotted playing together the other day –hopefully this will develop into a friendship. Without trying, we have developed into a mini zoo. We will wait and see what comes next.

Papa Kendall Arrives

My dad came for a 3 week visit. It began as a quick trip along the “gringo trail” of Peru (Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Machu Picchu) and ended in the great jungle Amazónica. Dad’s friend, Chris, also came for 2 weeks to enjoy the sites of Peru. It was so wonderful to have family come down and experience the Peruvian life. Not only that, Dad even brought some wonderful books on Colorado to help prove to the girls that Colorado is the greatest state of the 50 we’ve got up there…much to Aaron’s dismay. I believe he has finally accepted that Oregon is a close second.

We enjoyed many meals of chicken, white rice and fish with their faces still staring at you. That came as a shock to dad…hehe. The girls enjoyed their time with “Papa Kendall” and I was excited to share my wonderful dad with girls who were never blessed to have a good dad in their lives. He gave several worships for the girls, with great words of wisdom and helped us through several moments of crises in the home. It was sad to see him go, but we look forward to seeing him again on the other side of the world.

We love you Dad! Anyone else who would like to come is more than welcome. (hint, hint)

Here we are shortly after Keith was made Chief of the Boras which apparently comes with 7 wives...

Here is a photo of Kelly holding some adorable baby sloth´s we found on one of the outings with dad. They would not let go of each for anything. They stunk, but were incredibly cute.

Potty Training

With two little boys running around, potty training has been an epic goal (the girl already knows the stuff). It is proving to be much harder than I, personally, remember it to be. Both boys are learning –it is taking lots of time and patience –but we had a major breakthrough the other day.

While I was serving dinner in the kitchen, I heard a mumbled, “Pichi (pee)!” I passed it off as random-dinner-talk, but then I heard it again. One of the girls came running in letting me know that Marcos, our youngest, needed to use the bathroom. I came out, asked him if he needed to use the bathroom, and he exclaimed, ‘Si!” and then continued stuffing his face with rice –he was hungry. I shot into panicked-parent mode, lifted him out of his highchair, and then frantically calculated which bathroom would be the closest. With him floating high in the air (in my arms), we made a mad dash for the bathroom in the kitchen all the while with him saying, “pichi, pichi.”

We made it to the bathroom, I got him all ready, and then realized (almost too late), he was about 6 inches too short to make it into the pot. I quickly lifted him up (he was now letting it flow freely), aimed him at the pot (sadly the toilet seat was down providing an even smaller target), and away he went. Before he was even done with the process, he was already telling me to flush it down. Once finished, we high fived, and waved goodbye to the pee as it left the toilet. Phew. Close call.

-I feel as though only the parents will realize the excitement we felt…

Marcos Hits the Dance Floor

Marcos and I have been feverishly working on a dance routine. After much practice, here is the final product…

Life without water

As a kid, I remember taking late night stand-up baths because I thought they were quicker. You just wash what matters most, and then off to bed you go. Well, having reached adulthood, I never imagined going through that same process again. Fast forward now to the last week of August, 2009, and I am going through the same motions. Our water has been out now for three days, but fortunately we have a well. We haul water all day long –making sure that all the bathrooms are equipped, buckets in the showers full, and all the sinks in the kitchen ready for action.

For whatever reason, our well also has an abundant supply of dirt. This makes taking showers tricky. With a full bucket of water, you need to allow the dirt to settle, and then take your stand-up bath trying desperately not to disturb the dirt particles now resting on the bottom. Our showers have been less, our odor has been more, but life has still continued with this kink in the chain.

Our water pump is now being worked on, but being well accustomed to the Peruvian, “Oh, sure, that will be done tomorrow,” will allow me to still be surprised when the pump actually shows up –which in fact will not be tomorrow, or the next day, or probably this week. Someone finally brought over a little pump the other day, but the poor little thing has half the power. We now have water; occasionally. So, our bathing journey continues. When our normal pump finally does come, we will rejoice, but until them, we are loading up on deodorant and Axe. 8)

How is Felix doing?

After spending two semesters in Lima at the Adventist University, it has been decided that Felix will now come back to Iquitos. He is pursuing a degree in Psychology (having switched over from Architecture) and hopefully will complete that degree at a local university here in Iquitos.

He experienced some challenges in Lima, the biggest one being grades. He enjoyed the university tremendously, but faced some challenges of homesickness, friends, feeling like a small town kid in a big city, etc… Currently, he is on a 5 month work program to show that he truly wants to further his education. This break will hopefully allow him to get back on track, and get himself ready for continuing his education come March.

Please keep him in your prayers. We will continue to keep you updated.

Micro-Finance Update

This last week, we kicked off another group full of amazing women. This group is carrying over the same people who were in the first group, with the addition of one more person. With that being said, we have one group of 6 women (already started upon their three month journey) and another group of 5 women (which will start their 4 month journey on September 21). Thanks to some additional funding, we were able to add 6 more ladies to the original 5 (now we have 11 in all).

Each lady commits to coming to every single meeting for the duration of the loan. They each bring ideas to the table. The purpose of this loan is to assist in starting, or expanding, business ideas with people in the community. Their participation is key. We try to provide some necessary resources in order to help them, but ultimately, the choice is theirs.

From what we have found, the group concept provides some great pressure and responsibility to the members. They hold each other accountable –not wanting to let the others down. This scenario, we have noticed, creates a family atmosphere. This, along with constant involvement from the leaders, has tremendously assisted in the consistent repayment from the ladies.

Anyone that has interest in this program, please contact me (linfoot.aaron@gmail.com). This is an incredible program that has so much potential. Ultimately, this is Gods program. He will help lead this where it is meant to go.