Profesor Layne? Who'd a thunk it?

HONK HONK! I wake up in the mornings to a symphony of Claxones (horns) in the street below my bedroom window. The markets are beginning to come alive by 6:30 am, while 80 year old women open up their tiendas just as they have for the last 70 years. So if I can get a little more sleep then I absolutely try, otherwise my day starts early. Abby and I get ready for the day and head downstairs for a breakfast with our host family. The food is light, usually consisting of Papaya, a tangerine, and some homemade biscuits, which I quickly scarf down! Typically, the grandmother in our house offers a coca tea or Hierba Buena to wash it all down.

Abby and I work in separate non-profits in the mornings. She walks around the corner in the crazy market modelo, and proceeds to the back of one of the niches, and assists children with their homework, draws with them, and does whatever she can to brighten up their day. Most of these children help their parents who work in the market. They have no free time to show their kids basic arithmetic, and they do not know English, so they will not be able to show them basic grammar. Abby helps them do this. Hopefully these kids will go on to succeed in school, and possibly aid in the development of Huancayo or Peru as a whole. Some of them might follow the same cycles as their parents and takeover the Carnerías, selling raw meat, or growing vegetables. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but hopefully some of the children can be a part of a generation who will help advance medicine, infrastructure, or education.

On the other hand, as Abby hangs near the house, I jump on a bus and travel the chaotic and random streets for 20 minutes until I arrive at a very small pat of town. This is dirt road with several abandoned buildings, and a couple dusty stores. In the midst of this, there is a single room consisting of you would hardly notice if you weren’t looking. It has 2 tables, that can fit up to 18 kids, dozens of books and puzzles randomly placed, and handmade posters and pictures taped all over the walls. I come here to be with two Peruvian social workers who dedicate their time to helping the children. The kids I get to work with live in humble homes with parents who are not there in the mornings. Many of them are farmers who commute to the outskirts of the city, and others may be single parents who do whatever they can to make a dollar.

My time with them is short but intense. 3 hours consisting of homework help, counseling about troubles in the world, and reading them books in English. I have to translate most of them to Spanish so as to decrease the blanks stares. For instance, the Berenstein Bears “Old Hat, New Hat” became “Sombrero Viejo, Sombrero Nuevo” haha! My favorite part of the morning is the last hour reserved for juegas…(games). I go outside with the 8 or 9 boys and play Futbol! They run me ragged! Not only are we at 10,000 feet…but these guys can ball! They spend the first 10 minutes fighting over which team I will play for, screaming “Profesor! Aqui en mi equipo!” I wish middle school had been this easy to get picked on the team! Dad, my soccer skills are improving, even though I’m playing 12 year olds.

In the afternoons, after a lunch with my family, Abby and I grab a Cambi (very small public transportation), and go 45 minutes outside Huancayo to the CASA project. Where once again we assist 15 or 16 children with their homework, and then spend 45 minutes teaching English. Abby and I team up with our fellow volunteer from France, Sarah, and do our best to make it interesting. We’ve covered the alphabet, shapes, and some animals, but I don’t know how much they’ve retained! We’ll probably review tomorrow.

For those of you still reading…I know it’s a long blog! The food here is hit or miss in my opinion, occasionally we have a delicious meal, and I quickly ask what it is so I can request it again…but other times, there are very interesting flavors revealing themselves. Jungle veggies, and funky chicken sometimes result in Abby and I slowly turning to smile at one another as we chew the first bite…I have not allowed myself to taste the local delicacy Cuyo…or Guinea Pig for all you native English speakers….

Well, I’m going to have to write about our experience trekking over a mountain range and up a glacier will have to wait till tomorrow! I am sorry for the long pause between updates. I have been a busy boy, but I promise that Abby and I are alive and well, trying to make a difference in the world! I love you all and we pray for y’all every day.