Wow ok where to begin... the last post that I made was right before Christmas and I was able to tell you guys the awesome thing with all the gifts that came in unexpected! So cool and on Christmas Eve we were able to go around and pass all those gifts out and all the clothes out to the kids and to the families in need. We actually walked up the hill from where we are staying now and the houses just begin to look worse and worse as you walk up the mtn. Huge families of like 10 are living in these chantilly built homes that have damage from earthquakes. The people living in most of the homes have no running water and if there is water then there is no hot water. It's crazy to see such poverty right across the street from a club that costs about 30,000 US Dollars a year to be a part of. I guess it is just hard for me to understand. But it was nice to walk around and hand out the gifts and everyone was so happy and excited to see that they could receive something on Christmas. We walked back with some of the boys and we had a few boxes of gifts left for some of the families that we weren't able to see that night. We allowed the boys to look through some of the packages that we had to take what they wanted... I looked over and watched a boy that was about 15 years old rummaging through this box with girls toys in it and watched as he picked up doll after doll searching for the best one and then he noticed that I had been watching and said "por me hermana." Which means for my sister. I was so touched at the fact that he had reign to all the toys there and yet could put aside what he wanted and looked for something to give his sister on Christmas. It amazes me to see that in a culture where it is pretty dog eat dog for what you can get that there are still hearts like the one this boy showed that night. Andres tells us that these boys have come a long way over the past year or so. It shows and gives me so much hope that changes can be made here for these boys. Most of the kids here are surrounded by crime and drugs but most families are pushed to these means to provide based on the fact there is literally no work or people aren't able to get work based on lack of education. We see quite a bit of dropouts because there is no reason to look higher because there is really nothing to look higher for. You can make twice the money dealing drugs here than you can with some of the highest paid salaries so there is a bit of an endless cycle and way of thinking that has a lot of these kids almost trapped. We hope that we can help to educate a bit better of the things that are possible when you put your mind to something. We are trying to encourage the boys to dream and to dream big and to go for it... whatever their interests or desires may be.
Along with the passing of Christmas and New Years and some awesome Pisco Sours (the drink of choice by most Peruvians) came the completion of our NEW HOUSE!!! OK well just our room is finished as of now and we are completely moved in with shelves, bunkbeds, and a sweet window that looks out towards the ocean. We finished this room in a little under 4 weeks and will begin construction on the second part of the house at the end of this week. Andres along with a couple of the other guys who are running TPC have dreams to make a camp here that is sustained year round that volunteers can come and help from other countries much like we are doing now. Andres wants to have a school and a surf school where kids are taught how to provide for themselves through fishing, making and selling art and just whatever other avenues are open for kids here. Its so cool to think the house that we have been so blessed to be a part of building will be used for years to come as this place grows and others come to help. I have no doubt that God will continue to bless what is going on here as He has already began a good work here. We are going to be traveling to the North in the next couple of weeks where we hope to meet with another group that began something very similar to what they are trying to do here. The guy that runs the organization is actually from the states so we hope to talk and gain some perspective as to what we are getting ourselves into. Andres is such a passionate guy when it comes to these boys and wants so badly for them all to see a bigger picture of what is available for them to do but beginning with treating each other with love and respect which is amazing!
Surfing classes and English lessons began last week and we travel to the south tomorrow to help with a surf camp. We are heading these classes up right now and they seem to be going really well. You can begin to see just a small picture of what it all could look like one day. But as we have all said... one step at a time.
We have been eating some of the most amazing food and surfing a lot and just spending a lot of time with the boys. They are always around and we are joking and learning each others' languages. Its so much fun and I am beginning to grow very fond of this place. I appreciate the prayers for safety and protection and just the moral support from friends and family but just saying hi on skype or something. It has been so amazing to keep in touch as well as we have. I wish we could do more but hey we ARE in different countries. But thank God for technology! Well like I said I am up early in the morning to head south. Entonces, ahora voy a dormir!!! So then, now I will go to sleep! haha. Im learning slowly but surely!
Love you guys and please post questions if there is anything you guys want to know more details about!
I will post again soon!
Chris
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