Girls Go To College

But actually, Mom and I went to Madre del Buen Consejo- the co-ed Catholic school.

This photo was taken off the Santisimo Sacramento website

Mom and I went to MBC for the morning and went to 3 English classes. The first was for 5 year olds, the second was for 3 year olds, and the third was a 5th grade class. If you knew us back when we went to Ireland in 2001, I'm sure we have told you about the time we went to a Catholic school there and how cute the little kids were in their uniforms. The students here were, naturally, adorable, but boy, were they also smart! They were learning English from a teacher who would only speak English to them. It was weird being on this side of the language barrier for the first time this trip! Mom's teaching skills came in handy and I was trying my best, too. 

The fifth graders were learning what the teacher called "present progressing"- I am running, she is playing, etc. We were asked to write examples on the board for the students to change and, having been beaten over the head with gender stereotypes when teaching family members, I couldn't help myself when I had a little girl come up to the board and write "THE GIRLS ARE GOING TO COLLEGE." I had had an hour of teaching 3 and 5 year olds that "mommies clean, daddies work, boys play with soccer balls, and girls play with Barbies." 

We also helped a student with her pronunciation when singing "God Bless America" and "You Raise Me Up," which she will be performing for their Fourth of July celebration. I'd go into more details, but Mom actually taped her on her phone because she was so moved.

While we were at the school, the reality of the living conditions that most families in the area live in came back to Kathleen full force when she was out delivering food . We are off to see our "family" that we adopted in 5 minutes so I will have more of an idea of what that was like in a little while. Then it was back to Santisimo Sacramento for lunch and siesta.

In the afternoon, I was asked by a couple from Oklahoma to stay back and translate for them. They had "adopted" a girl from Madre del Redentor about 9 years ago and lost contact with her about 2-3 years ago. They reconnected via Facebook, saw that she has a 2 year old daughter, and, naturally, wanted to catch up. Her story is heart-wrenching and I'm still processing it myself so I'm going to beg off sharing it here. Maybe in time.

Mass and dinner were wonderful, per usual and it has been great getting to know the other groups here. Later that night, after going through 2 large suitcases sorting things for our "family," I was able to talk to Sr. Betty from Ursuline Academy in Delaware for a little bit outside. It was one of those hazy overcasts nights that look like it should be a painting. Sr. Betty and Amanda, another chaperone, brought 9 high school girls to Piura as part of an immersion program. Both Sr. Betty and Mom agree that these types of service trips are so important for us- us meaning those privileged enough to go to a private, Catholic high school and grow up without want. 

(Four hours, 3 trips in the back of a truck, 2 sunburned Irish girls, and 1 German-Dutch woman who tans later)

We just got back from visiting our family! This is Tuesday now, by the way. Our family lives way outside Piura and today we went to meet them and bring them their food. We also went to see what they needed for their home. Honestly, we could have bought them anything. You know those heart wrenching commercials you see on TV of people living in 3rd world countries in bamboo huts with dirt floors? That is roughly where our family lives. I am purposely calling them "our family" not only because we adopted them through SS but also because we were reminded last night during Padre's homily. What is your identity? What does it mean to lose your identity? Are we all not children of God? Are we all not brothers and sisters with Jesus Christ? Everyone is our family. Since we were young, one of the (many) messages hammered into us was the importance of family. How, then, can we not help each other with the most basic of needs? As it turns out, this includes bunk beds for our family in Peru.

Our family consists of 2 parents and 5 children. Their home has straw walls, dirt floors, no bathroom, and a hole in the floor for cooking over a fire. Unfortuntely, because of lack of access to gas, we can't buy them a stove; however, we did buy them 2 sets of bunk beds and 1 double bed for the parents. After a very entertaining and hot trip to the open market back in Piura, we found out that no, you can't actually get 6 fully grown adults, 2 sets of bunk bed frames 1 double frame, 5 mattresses, 5 mosquito nets, 5 sheet sets, and 5 blankets in a single pick-up truck, no matter how tightly you tie 4 of the mattresses onto the top of the truck. Needless to say, riding in the back of that truck back to the parish was the most fun I've had since I've been here. Coincidentally, it is also probably the dumbest and most unsafe thing I've done in years. We're going back to the house at 3 to assemble the beds. Patience is not extactly my strong suit when doing really anything in English. Pray for me as I try to do this in another language. 

It is currently 1:48, 84 degrees, and I'm signing off to go take a much needed siesta. Nos vemos!

-Erin-