Jen in Peru: Changes...

Coming home to the albergue after my trip through southern Peru and Bolivia was a bittersweet ordeal. I was sad that such a perftect vacation was coming to an end and that Steve was going to have to leave soon to go home to the States; but, at the same time, I was looking forward to getting back to work and seeing all the kids again, and was really excited for Steve to finally meet everyone at the albergue.

Before his flight back, Steve spent three days hanging out with me in Trujillo and volunteering at the albergue, doing maintenance work in the mornings, then helping out with joyeria (jewelry-making) and in my tutoria (tutoring) group in the afternoons. Edwin, Abel, and Italo really seemed to enjoy having him there to help them with their homework, and they showed their gratitude by showering him with hugs and gifts (in the form of drawings) on his last day.

Italo giving Steve the picture he made him.

It was funny because the drawing started out with a

bunch of little hearts on it, but then Italo must have decided

hearts weren't manly enough or something, so he

crossed them all out before letting Steve see it.

Steve with Edwin and Abel

Since getting back at the beginning of June, many changes have taken place at the albergue. For starters, a lot of people are leaving. The day before I got back from my trip, Susanna, one of my fellow volunteers, who was not scheduled to fly back to the U.S. until July, ended up having to pick up and leave early, due to a family emergency. To be honest, I didn't really believe the other volunteers when they told me she'd left for good first thing the morning I arrived. I'd heard stories before about huge pranks the people here have played on past volunteers, so I figured they were probably just joking with me, perhaps trying to get me back for previous pranks I'd pulled on them. Susanna had also been one of my roommates, and I don't think it really hit me that she was gone until I walked into our apartment and saw her empty bedroom across from mine. Although I was really sad that I never got to tell her good-bye and that I missed the last-minute despedida (a formal going away ceremony) that everyone at the albergue threw for her before she left, I was glad that she was able to go be there for her family when they needed her.

Only a few days later, we had to say good-bye to two other long-term volunteers, John and Lori. For their despedida, Elizabeth, Courtney, Becca, and I performed a choreographed rendition of "Say a Little Prayer for Me," inspired by the television series "Glee." As is custom at albergue despedidas, many kind words were spoken by staff members, and the kids performed some cute songs and dances. Overall, it was a really beautiful, albeit tear-filled, ceremony.

John and Lori with Brigitte and Camila,

waiting for the despedida to start

Yuliana, our oldest child, was very attached to John and Lori.

She managed to hold back her tears through most of the despedida,

but she broke down and sobbed as soon as she received

her parting gift from John and Lori--her very own copy of a photo of them.

Estefany and me at the despedida

Jennifer, Isabel, and Yamelit performing a dance

that Isabel choreographed all by herself.

I'm convinced she'll be a famous dancer some day.

Rehearsing for our "Say a Little Prayer"

despedida performance

We are now in the process of even more good-byes, as Courtney heads back to the States this afternoon, followed by Becca, who leaves tomorrow. We had their joint despedida on Friday, only two weeks after John and Lori's. Once again, it turned out to be a very tear-filled ceremony. Elizabeth and I put together a 10 minute video for them, titled, "Hogar de Esperanza: The Musical," made up of a bunch of photos and little video clips of the kids, plus a brief "Glee"-inspired music video, starring us. It is now available for your viewing pleasure at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRLzwXbWWXs . Try not to cry.

Courtney and Becca holding Sofia and Camila at their despedida

Carmen, the albergue secretary, trying to help

some confused kids rearrange their acrostic for Becca.

Miss Aly and the Miller School kids

presenting their acrostic for Miss Courtney

Planning and watching the recent despedidas have made me start to think about what it will be like when it's my turn to leave the albergue at the end of August. I think it just hit me that the next despedida we have here will be my own, and I am no where close to ready to leave this place. By tomorrow, six out of the seven original long-term volunteers living here when I arrived will have gone. Without a doubt, things are, and will remain, different around here without them. It was such a blessing to be given such an amazing group of people to make up my volunteer family at my home-away-from here in Peru. I'm definitely going to miss living, working, playing, and laughing with them on a daily basis, but at least I know that it's not unlikely that we'll be reunited again some day in the States, so I'll have that to look forward to. What scares me the most about leaving is the simple fact that I will have to say good-bye--possibly forever--to 39 of the most amazing children I know. Watching the final version of the video at Becca and Courtney's despedida really made me realize how incredibly difficult it's going to be and how very deeply I'm going to miss each and every one of these kids. I'm just going to have to try not to think about it too much and instead just focus on enjoying my last nine weeks with them.

People are not just leaving though--we've also had some new arrivals recently, which keeps things exciting. We got two awesome new volunteers this month, Sarah and Lee (Elizabeth's brother), and several more will be arriving throughout July and early August. We also just received a couple new children. Two Sundays ago, the albergue doorbell rang and Luis, a little boy in a wheelchair, had been left at at our gate by a relative of his. We are still not positive how old he is, where his family is, or how long he'll be here, but we are trying to take care of him as best we can as long as needed. Then, this past Friday night, when Becca, Courtney, and I were on our way out the orphanage gate headed into town, we met Fiorela, a beautiful seven-year-old girl who was being dropped off by a social worker. She had traveled over two hours from her home town and was still wearing her school uniform. We stopped to say hello to her, told her we were happy she'd come to stay here, and asked her how old she was. She wouldn't answer and instead just stared at us for a minute. Then she smiled, walked right up to me and gave me the biggest hug ever. It broke my heart. I didn't know what I could possibly say to comfort this precious little girl that must have felt so scared and alone, so I just held her until she was ready to let go. Then she went and hugged both Becca and Courtney. I have no idea what kind of environment and family (or lack there of) Fiorela comes from, but I am happy knowing that she is now in a safe place where she will at least be guarenteed a warm bed to sleep in, food to eat, and plenty of people willing to show her love. It was precisely the kind of moment that reminds me why I'm here, and why I love my job so much.