Final Week (Week 6)

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**Note: This is from a long time ago and I had written it but forgot to post it. Sorry!



Monday (Oct. 3rd)
My first day back at work again after I was sick and I was a bit scared for my reception by the girls at Casa Acogida. Last Tuesday I felt like I connected with them really well and I was worried I lost that by ditching them all last week. But it was fine. I apologized and then promised them a small fiesta this week to say goodbye, so I think they forgave me. We did exercises and played volleyball as usual and then I showed them the posters I had bought to put on their walls. I had a numbers poster with numbers 1 through 100 written in spanish and english as well as a world map that I used to show them where Peru is and where I live which was really cool for them. After work this morning I went to Peru Treks (my company for my Inca Trail trek this weekend) to pay my balance and while I was there a bunch of other people came in for their briefing for a trek leaving Wednesday, so I just listened as well. This afternoon was my first time back at San Judas since last Tuesday as well and the kids were so happy to see me! We had finished the books for Rosa and Analy (the two little girls) last week and the woman in charge didnt have new ones for them, so they had to take turns each doing a page in another big book. It was really hard because while one girl was working the other one was constantly annoying me ( pulling my ears, hitting my legs, trying to tickle me, saying ¨miss, miss¨ over and over, etc) as little kids will do. Hopefully they get seperate books again tomorrow.

Tuesday (Oct. 4th)
Trying to coordinate with the four different women in charge at Casa Acogida for a party is ridiculous. Three of them have said okay to have it Thursday evening, but I still have to run it by the overall coordinator and she was busy today. But I will make this party happen! There were 3 new girls today who were actually eager to do my exercises which was cool. I had some of the girls tell me what stretches and such to do because I want them to actually learn what they are doing so they can keep doing it when I leave. Most of the girls today didnt want to play volleyball today but when I asked if they would rather do more exercises more of them joined. I ended up using the same book this afternoon at San Judas, oh well, and the girls were even more distracted and distracting to me. But when I left some of the littlest girls hung on to me all the way to the door which was really cute. I will be so sad to leave them! This evening Maria Elena took all of us volunteers to El Molino again to buy more movies, supplies for our respective orphanages (mine wanted pencils, erasers, etc.), and I wanted some peruvian chocolate and reggaton CDs before I left as well.

Wednesday (Oct. 5th)
This was the first morning at Casa Acogida that I didnt do exercises with the girls. They said that one of the women in charge had done some with them, so we just played some volleyball and then hung out talking. One of the new girls was so excited to see me this morning and calls me ¨mami¨ like they call the women in charge which was incredibly heartwarming. It was nice to just sit and talk with the girls for once and I will miss them so much! They keep asking me if I will come back to visit or when I will return to Peru and I wish I could tell them that it will be soon, but who knows when that will actually happen. They all make really sad faces when I say I am leaving this Friday and it breaks my heart. They really are incredible girls for all they have gone through and for all the goals they have for life.



Thursday (Oct. 6th)

Fiestaaaa! This evening I had a goodbye party for the girls at Casa Acogida. I bought a cake, cookies, and soda for them and corn to make popcorn! The girls were so excited when I got there, they set up a table, arranged the cookies on trays, and placed everything nicely on the table. Then the party started. They blasted music (reggaton, hip hop, cumbia, etc) and we danced for 2 hours before finally eating the cake, which was delicious. I finally had to leave but I am so glad I was able to give those girls a party and it was so much fun!



Friday (Oct. 7th)

My last day today and it was very sad. I printed a bunch of photos of the girls at Casa Acogida to give to them this morning and we just hung out talking for a while. It was very sad to leave them but I made them promise that they would continue their exercises and keep going to school. This afternoon at San Judas Chico was even more sad. I brought them cookies to have a little goodbye party as well and then the girl´s in the younger classroom did a little presentation for me. It was the most adorable thing. A group of them did a little skit, some sang in Spanish, others in English, and then they all sang a song called ´Ojos Azules´ because my eyes are blue. It was about not crying when the singer left and it almost made me cry! I played a bit with the girls but then it was really time to leave. It was heart breaking to have the girls cling to me and not let me out of the door and I literally had to extract myself from them to be able to leave. I love those girls and I will miss them so much. At last I went home to pack my things and say goodbye to Amelia, Brittany, and my Peruvian mother Maria Elena. Too many goodbyes for my liking, but overal a great last day!

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