Why I Go

Well, I am sitting in the Miami airport, waiting to board my flight home. We left Lima late last night and arrived early this morning. My body and my heart are confused, not sure what day it is or where I am…who are all these people speaking English, and what is that blue sky?? And my heart aches for the people I have left behind, the sweet faces of people I have come to love.
But don’t get me wrong…I will be so glad to see the faces of the people I love, sleep in my own bed, brush my teeth with some tap water, etc. etc.

This last week has sort of been like the end of a marathon…a 2 ½ month long marathon! But the victory of finishing is so worth it. I was asking myself today why I do this (as I dragged my tired body through the airport and sat for hours while my plane was delayed). Why do I endure long hours of flights in uncomfortable planes, eat weird food, get sick, miss my friends and family, sleep in a not-so-comfortable bed and all the other not-so-pleasant side effects of travel? Well, one, because I love it and being with these kids and moms give me purpose. But the main reason is because of what God has done for me. He gave up His Son for me so that I could have life…and I want others to know this love, this freedom. I can’t ever repay Him for what He has done for me, and He doesn’t ask me to….. but I can serve Him so that all peoples on earth may know of this gift and His love. And so I go…..

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, Selah. That Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.” Psalm 67:1-2

The Life of an Orphan

The life of an orphan isn't exactly the fun and games portrayed in "Little Orphan Annie." It's hard. Lonely. You have to grow up fast and fend for yourself. We are spending this week at an orphanage called Sagrada Familia, where 700 (yes, that's not a typo) children live. The story behind this home is really neat...a man lost his son and began to give things to kids on the street. One day, a kid asked him if he would take him home. So he did. Then one day, the kid disappeared...and brought back all of his friends off the street. So the man started this home and it has grown to 700!

Life here is hard...the kids cook their own food...their little noses are chapped b/c they don't have someone to wipe them....the babies have to feed themselves....four-year olds wash dishes for the house....when you are sick, you don't have a momma to come pat your back....there is one person per 40 kids, so forget many hugs and snuggles...your head is infested with lice....you learn to stuff things in your pocket b/c that's your only chance to get anything....

BUT these kids are still so happy and joyful. And they have umpteen friends/brothers/sisters to play with. One of them told me today that she would be sad to leave, that she would miss the home. Her brothers and sisters actually went home with her mom, but she chose to stay. In this home, they are so loved. And fed. And getting an education. And in reality, life in the home is often better than a life outside in abject poverty. But still, the life of an orphan is hard..so very hard.

Independence Day

I have written a lot this summer about my friend "Sofia." She has become so special to me...I hesitate to say this because I have witnessed so many wonderful things and met so many people near to my heart...but knowing Sofia has been the best thing I have done all summer thus far. I love so much to invest in people and get to know them, which I have been able to do with her. I have gotten to build a friendship over the summer and get to know her slowly. That is hard when you only spend a week in a place, like I have at some of the other homes...think of your best friends...it takes years to get to know them! But constant visits to this home have enabled me to grow a friendship with Sofia.

Only getting to share in her life would be enough for me..and the birth of her child...but God gave me so much more this week. Sofia was having a really hard time this week and just broke down on Monday crying. Being a mother is not an easy thing, MUCH LESS for a sixteen-year old who has been raped. And as much as I wish I could, I can't fix her deep pain and hurt. But I have experienced the healing hand of the God who can.

On Tuesday, Giuli and I were sitting and talking to Sofia about what she was feeling. I asked her if she wanted to have new life. ..to replace this anger and pain inside with hope. Giuli and I continued talking with her about what it means to have this new life...to put your life in the hands of God and let Him transform you. And she told us, yes, that she wanted to exchange her pain for this new life. Giuli asked her if she wanted to pray, and she told us yes. Sofia began to pray after Giuli, and she got to about the third word before a dam broke inside. She began to sob as she handed her life over to God (and I might have cried a little too...) It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.

After we finished praying, Giuli asked Sofia what day it was...to remember that God gave her new life this day. She thought for a moment and we all realized that it was July 28....Peru's Independence Day. Now Sofia's Independence Day.....freedom from the past, hurt, anger, pain, darkness, sin.......into joy and hope.

And there's MORE....later that week, after we talked about how God removes our "chains," four more girls decided to put their lives in the hands of Christ...freedom indeed.

"He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.." Psalm 107:13-15

My How They Grow!

We spent the last week at my favorite home (ssshh, I know I am not supposed to have favorites and I really do love all the other homes!) But I have spent a lot of time at this home this summer, as well as last summer....and I have a passion for mommas and their babies. (This is the home for teenage mothers who were sexually abused.) These girls are just wonderful...they have grown-up and taken on the responsibility of caring for another human being..but they still love to laugh and have fun.

Monday we arrived to find that they were having a parade for Peru's Independence Day..so instead of our planned program, we got to enjoy the girls dancing (welcome to Peru..where plans are always tentative..I have learned a great lesson in flexibility this summer!)

There are twin boys at the home..they are A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E...they danced for us, along with little Eduardo..and I almost fell out of my seat laughing. Click below to watch them!

Besides this fun treat, we were so surprised to have another girls' home join us at the parade...not just any girls' home, but the one I spent last summer at! I haven't seen these girls since then! I was so shocked when they came up to me that I hardly recognized them, especially Katherine, below...last summer, she was a depressed, pregnant girl who would barely talk. Today, she is a joyful mama with a sweet baby...she just laughs and is so happy.

ThenNow

I thought you might like to see how much this one has grown since last summer too...here is Eduardo..

My how they grow! :)

What is Contentment?

I am still trying to catch up writing about our weekend...Saturday we got the opportunity to play Santa Claus to a needy family here in Lima. Let me tell you the story of this mom..she's a pretty cool lady. A year ago, the government came to take away her five children because she was leaving them home alone to go work. She is a single mother and that was the only way to provide for them. But she said "No way am I going without my kids" (or something like that :) and she moved INTO the orphanage with her kids. They lived there for a year, but in July, they had to leave. Now this is where we come in. I spent a week at this orphanage in June with my interns and a church group from Indiana. We heard her story and the church and my girls decided to help...they took up a collection and left it here with Buckner to purchase household items for this lady and her kids.Fast-forward to last weekend...one of the Buckner staff went and bought mattresses, a refrigerator, kitchen items, blankets, etc. And on Sat, we got to deliver it all! When I say this woman has nothing, I mean nothing...but her church and the orphanage bought her a little four room house that was a luxury for them. There were no floors..only dirt. She told us she has to pour water on the ground to keep it from being dusty. They have no running water. No bathroom. No electricity. But they were so grateful and thankful for the few things we brought them. The children are just adorable. We learned such a lesson from this experience..about contentment...in America, we have everything we possibly need AND want..but still we want more. We are so blessed...yet we complain about minor nuisances (I am including myself in all this!) The poor people of the world suffer and lack many material things...yet they are rich in the fact that they know contentment...and they truly see their need for God.

Joy, Laughter..and Cheetos

It's always so hard for me to try to capture an entire week in one post with just my words..because every day here is so full and rich (and sometimes hard and sad). I wish I had the time or ability to record every detail...but I do my best! Here are some of the highlights of this past week working at Caritas Felices....

Party!
Sweet Karina..for some reason, she attached to me the last time we came and never left my side. She said she first came to give me a hug because no one else was hugging me.

The girls working hard on their painting projects...we made a big black mark through their paintings when they were done to teach them that people do bad stuff to us in life, but we can chose to make it in to something good (i.e. repaint it)

Oh, what you can do w/ Play Doh

*One of the first days we were there, the girls sang every word to a worship song we taught them in June (I don't even remember all the words to it!) It was a beautiful reminder that God is using us to make some sort of impact.

*We did a lot of comforting...it is hard to see these girls cry, because you don't know why they are crying..if it is from something minor or their deeper pain

*BUT we also shared a lot of laughter and teasing too!

Two cuties and Meredith (well, she's cute too!)

*Each of us interns shared our testimonies with the girls, to show them that we are real people with real hurts too. God has been teaching me all summer that He uses my pain for His good and to help others.

*I got to spend some sweet time with my friend Norma, who I met last month. We really have become friends, and we just got to sit and talk like two teenage girls.

*We had an "all you can eat" junk food party. These girls barely get enough "real" food, so we decided to let them be kids and stuff themselves silly. We refilled their cups with soda and their napkins with Cheetos until it all ran out. They would stuff their faces just so they could have another serving. Little Fiorella ate more than her body weight..we were afraid she was going to throw it all up, but she just fell asleep after the sugar high :)~We will be back at the teen mothers home for the week..I LOVE these girls, so I can't wait. Please pray that that Isaiah 61 will become a reality for them. Thank you!

Yahweh Yireh

This week we have been talking about God as our Provider...Yahweh Yireh...and we have experienced this firsthand through our work at a home for sexually abused girls. These girls often don't know where their next meal is going to come from...one day when we were there, they had to kill their chickens so that they could have lunch. One day this week, the girls didn't have breakfast b/c there was nothing to eat. But God has provided food for them...and most importantly, he provided His Son for us. Here are some pictures of the week and all we've been up to....

Little Diana concentrating on her volleyball game

The girls' first ride on public transportation..they loved it!

Peru's version of Sam's club...take it outside and add a little smog

Singin' in the Rain..what a glorious feeling...

Little Ruthie..she has a 'tude...but she is the sweetest thing ever

Little Fiorella showing off the baby kittens (I could eat this girl up w/ a spoon..she always comes running towards you for a hug and then flings herself into your arms!)

Cusco Girls

Well, I am back "home" in Lima after a great week in Cusco working with the kiddos there. We arrived Tuesday and spent the afternoon at the boys' home there. Unfortunately, only 13 of the 50 boys were able to play with us because most of them were recovering from colds/flu. They wanted so badly to get out of bed and play though..grinning at us as we stood in the doorways and passing our soccer ball from bed to bed.

We spent the rest of the week working with the girls' home, which was a special treat because usually teams only spend an afternoon there. The girls gave us a celebrity welcome, complete with traditional Peruvian dances and refreshments at our own special "queen's" table.The girls at this home are just beautiful...many are from the highlands and have this rich, creamy skin..a lot of them speak a local language, Quechua, as well. This week was really my first opportunity to get to truly know these girls..and it was a joy.

We spent the mornings telling the story of Esther, making masterpieces out of foam and glitter glue (ha) and playing a thousand games of Red Rover. The afternoons were my favorite part, though, as we had free time to play and truly get to know these precious girls. They fixed my hair (I'll spare you the pictures..cosmetology is not in their future job descriptions), took off with my camera for impromtou photo sessions and shared their hearts and a lot of laughter.

One of the most special parts of the week for me was getting to talk with Vaneza (above), who helped us translate. Vaneza lived in the girls' home for three years, and now she is part of Buckner's new transitional home in Cusco. This is a house where five girls live with a "mother" after they have aged out of the home (at 18). Buckner provides all their needs, from clothing to schooling (all the girls are studying at university). Vaneza truly is an inspiration to me...she has had an unimaginably rough life, but she is not bitter. She has such a bright future ahead of her..she wants to be a teacher..and she has fully yielded her life to wherever God wants her. AND I found out that she is the sister of a a girl I fell in love with last year. I was really sad in June when I came to visit and Sofia, Vaneza's sister, wasn't there. I had no idea though that she was Vaneza's sister until this week! They are both precious girls.

Here is a "summary" of our week!

A Couple Pictures....

Just a few pictures of our week so far at the girls home in Cusco...I will write and put up some more later this weekend!

I think this is the cutest picture EVER. The girls got a hold of my camera and I was so happy with their photo shoot! :)

The view from my window in the hotel...

The beautiful Andes mountain and clear blue sky...

The strange "dust storm" we had today....

Me and a couple of cuties! Hope you have a great weekend....

~Kelli

Hope

I don't even know where to begin as I try to put an entire week and my heart into words. Sorry I have left you hanging for so long...there wasn't much to write the beginning of last week, as we had no team or interns. It was just a "normal" few days living the Peruvian life! However, on Wednesday, a group of people from Azle, Texas arrived and quickly became my new friends and co-laborers in Christ.

I tagged along as the group spent the week at a home for boys in a very rural area of Lima called Ancon. I spent a bit of time at this home last year, but most of the boys are new this year; therefore, I wasn't expecting to get very close to any of them. Oh, but God had a different plan! The first day, one of the boys, Alexis, (above) caught my eye for some reason. He had a "cool guy" veneer, with his vest, flipped-up sneakers and rapper-style vest. But his outward appearance was just that-an appearance; underneath, he is the sweetest, most childlike little boy. Somehow in the midst of our whirlwhind of activities (an ice cream party, building derby cars, going to the movies, playing a game with a flying pig, being captivated by Giuli's Bible stories and getting a laugh out of me playing "futbol") we became friends. It was very common at the home for the boys to ask us to be their godparents..however, Alexis asked me to be his "mom." It was just a game (to me at least) for the week. However, on our last day, I realized it was so much more than that. Alexis became so sad during the movie, anticipating our goodbyes that afternoon. He asked me who was going to be his mom when I left..and then as we said goodbyes, his cool guy veneer came crashing down as he sobbed. All of the other boys were in tears too as the team left, shedding their tough exteriors...because someone had finally come to love them, and now they were leaving. Even a little boy who I had barely gotten to know but had in passing (I thought) asked me to be his godmother, cried as I left. I know I don't understand the level of abandonment and lack of love and care that these kids feel. And it is so very hard to have to leave them with a broken heart and without someone to love them. But I am learning (slowly) that God is their Father and He is more than able to take care of His children. And what we can give them is hope...hope in a God who loves them more than a person ever could, hope in an eternal salvation.

Here are some pictures of the week and the fun we had:

This was my "family" for the week...Alexis, my son, Kenlin, my husband, and Juan, my little brother :)
The boys made and raced derby cars (the church group built the track!)

Ancon, the area where the home is located
My new interns arrived Friday night and they are fabulous! We are in Cusco for the week working in a girls home. I would appreciate your prayers, as I have some sort of upper respiratory infection. Please pray for these girls to know and experience hope...thanks so much.

*Update on the little baby...she actually isn't going to be Giuliana Kelli b/c the nuns made Sofia name her something else..oh well. But here's a picture of the sweetie...she and her mom are doing well, but please pray for Sofia to know freedom in Christ*

Peruvian culture vs. Americana

The 4th of July passes quite unnoticed in the far corners of the world, ignoring the fireworks "bursting in air," the cookouts and red, white and blue waving. It is a bit strange to celebrate a holiday celebrating your nation while in another. There are so many things I am thankful for in my country..the freedom to worship, the opportunity to get an education, the freedom that women have, and so many more. And I long for the beautiful summers of the South..walking through the grass barefoot and hearing the cicadas....

BUT there are many charming things about this place that has become my home for the summer. Like the little man that rides up and down the street in the morning calling for recycling....how the windows in the houses are always open...the way everyone kisses each other on the cheek in greeting...the way time runs slower here...the brightly colored homes, and the beautiful beach with the waves crashing...the fruit and flower stands that line the street. And of course, there are the "less" than charming things...the car alarms that wake me up in the morning (and these are not normal..they go WEEWOOWWHOOOOOOPWOWOWOWOW..ugh, so annying!)...the smog that covers everything, including the sunshine, and the crazy traffic. Despite these things though, I love this place. People ask me what I like about Peru, and I really don't have an exact answer...I just know that I love this culture and its people.

And of course, it wouldn't be Peru without the bus rides..it is a cultural experience of its own. There is a man that hangs out the door, yelling where the bus is going, trying to get people to get on. The different buses race to see who can get there faster. When you first get on, you have to wait for a seat usually, so you have to stand and hold on until a seat opens. And sometimes, the insides are so packed that you can't move and are face to face (or back to back) with strangers. And you never know who will get on the bus...people get on to sell things, tell stories, play guitar, you name it. You have to come just to experience it! Here is a video clip someone made of the craziness: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybxy-4f4ihY

Here are some random pictures of Lima..it is very hard to capture its essence, a city of 9 million, as it would be to show all of New York City.