VIVA PERU!!!!

Sophie and Judi returned from Peru yesterday after being gone 2 weeks.  We went with a Humanitarian group called Eagle/Condor who focus on projects in Equador and Peru.  We spent time in a village at 12000 feet- helping rebuild a little school, building greenhouses and working with the kids.  It was extremely primitive and yet the people were beautiful, welcoming and happy.  Sophie was beyond a champ!!!! She worked so hard scraping paint, building cabinets and playing with the children.  There was no language barrier! Without speaking the same language, Sophie laughed and played with about 60 kids- with her big bellowing laugh being heard all day.  She was like the Pied Piper!  She was the darling of our group of 40 teenagers!  She kept them laughing constantly, and was enormously friendly to everyone.  She was constantly on boys shoulders, skipping with arms around girls, sitting on laps, and laughing with her big, wonderful laugh.  She really brought the group together.  I couldn't have been more proud of her work ethic, her emerging maturity and her ability to make it all fun!!!!

Sophie got right to work bargaining in the market!  At first she thought that if she talked really loud and really slow- and  added an "o" to any English word they would understand her... She was an expert "bargainer" and could only think about all the things her brothers and sisters and baby niece would want.  She got enough Spanish down to get to work in the market!!!

We got right to work on the little school up in the village of Minka.  We immediately fell in love with the kids.  Sophie made about70 new friends...no Spanish required! Everyone speaks "love".

Soph worked hard scraping and repainting all the old furniture in the school

Constant laughing and playing with new Peruvian friends...

We had a few dances with our new friends

Sophie became close to all the teenagers.  She helped with all the building...

Soph may never get the blue out of her hair!

Walking a new friend home

Sophie got adopted by the "Four Muskateers" and the "Four" became the "four and a half!"

Could there be anything cuter than a baby Alpacca?

Part of our darling group

Sophie made sure the kids didn't get out of shape...

Snuggling a new little friend

Sophie was on the "scaping paint contingency" with the kindergarten...

Our work crew

Looking out over the village...

Our finished kindergarten!

The children gather to receive our gifts of school supplies

Some of the mothers in the village come to visit...

"Judi! put the baby down - and just walk away.....!  You can't take her home!!!"

Resting with darling new friend

Sophie- walking home with three new friends.  In the kitchen they had a little cage of about 20 guinea pigs.  Soph thought those were fun pets until she realized they were dinner!!!

Soph was a champion baby Llama wrestler...

At Machu Picchu!!

We ended our trip in Lima- at the temple

We had an amazing time together and with all the new people we met.  It was a very primitive village with none of the comforts that we have come to expect in our lives.  We were amazed at the kindness of the people, and how much they loved their families and how hard they had to work to just live...We were changed by the experience...we had a real love for these people- just as God does. We were humbled and filled with gratitude for all that we have.  Our hearts were softened and changed.  I believe Sophie added to her life experience with a new "reference point" for the joy of serving others, realizing how alike we all are- even if our cultures are very different.  I saw her ability to be unselfish grow and her "world view" expanded and broadened.  Her confidence grew as she kept our entire group laughing and happy.  She learned that with kindness...she can be home anywhere.