Visiting the “Hogar”

Today some of us went to the Hogar, which is a home for young girls that are sent there for protection from the dangers of the jungle, and for schooling. I have made many friends, whom I  met the past two trips here. My friend Jola is one, and she will be leaving to go back with her family in the jungle because her family wants her home. I ‘m going to miss her, and I wish the best for her and her family… May God bless them in any possible way He can!

While we were at the orphanage, Fr. McNeely said the Mass for them. Now, he can’t speak much Spanish, so Sr. Martina – a nun who is accompanying us on our trip with two  other sisters – translated for him. (In the end, he made all the young girls laugh!)  After Mass, we went outside and Jola braided my hair to the side and also put some flowers in it.  Then we all played volley ball with them and, let me tell you, they are GOOD! Jola is only 13 or 14 but is by far the best volley ball player I have ever seen; she serves the ball by kicking it! That’s not easy. After Jola’s team beat the other team, we watched a 12 year-old girl climb a long ladder up a palm tree and knock down lots of coconuts… I followed Jola with her coconut and she nonchalantly wacked at it with a butcher knife. (I was having all kinds of thoughts racing through my head, as you can imagine.) “Don’t cut your hand off, please!” were my thoughts exactly. She finally got to the nut, and at the same time we had to leave. As I climbed into the van to leave, she rushed up to me with a coconut that had a straw inside of it. I said thank you  and goodbye and we drove away. I took a sip from the coconut; I wasn’t a fan. Thank goodness the other missionaries were!

I am so happy to be here, I’ve missed it! They are such good and loving people and I love them very much.  They are becoming like family to me, and I do hope to come back again. I also hope to learn so much more from the people of Peru, that is if there is anything more to learn than that is to love. Thank for your prayers and May God Bless you all!

– Mary