11/22/06

Today we got up and were working on our computers when we realized Ricky wanted us to go with him in 10 minutes.
  Kelsey was still in her p.j.s…a common occurrence for her…so she had to move fast.
   We left with him to pick up a legal paper for his dad at the bank and then headed south to meet with a couple and a relative of theirs to sign papers for a piece of land that ChildReach (the other organization Ricky works for) has been trying to buy for 6 months.
  Ricky has been trying to get all the paperwork straight for all that time.
  The couple is old and since they still owed $3,000 plus on the land which they borrowed 14 years ago, they had to promise to pay that within a specific amount of time or they would be fined $1000 each month it wasn’t paid.
  The interesting part is that another paper has to be signed by all their children saying it is okay for them to sale the land and one of the sons has been unwilling to sign it.
  The paperwork was suppose to be done today, but there ended up to be yet another snag and so Ricky has to catch a bus for a 2 ½ ride south to an office to get a paper for them to sign and then meet them again to then sign those papers.
  He will pick us up to go with him again (today we waited with him 3 hours while they looked over the paperwork and made some changes in the contract) when he goes back to meet them tomorrow he’ll pay them $15,000 with another $10,000 when the past debt is paid for (they have 10 months to get it paid off).
 

After the one paper was signed today, Ricky brought us to a restaurant in the harbor town.
  It was right next to a beautiful pool where water rushes back and forth through a long tunnel under a mountain from the ocean.
  We had chicken and ceviche (raw fish soaked in lime juice and hot sauce).
  Then we walked a little around the harbor area.
  There were many boats that were back from their morning fishing.
  It was a beautiful, quaint and romantic area—Peruvian style.
 

Then we went to the orphanage Ricky and ChildReach are involved with.
  ChildReach is buying the property across the street from the orphanage to build a home for unwed mothers.
  The orphanage is owned by a Peruvian organization but ChildReach has done many things to help them.
   Ricky knocked on their door and out came many children ready to hug and kiss us and hang on us the entire time we were there.
  There are 15 orphaned children and 3 from the director and his wife.
  They showed us around the place with the private school, sheep, chickens, guinea pigs, and dormitories.
  It is humble to say the least, but the children are exuberant and happy.
  Robert felt lead to give Felix, the director, $120.
  Ricky thinks highly of the director and his wife and hope that he will come and work at the girl’s home that ChildReach is starting when his commitment with the orphanage is finished.
  The children are sent to the orphanage by the courts for abuse, rape, etc.
  It is amazing how much they want to be with us the entire time we are there and sad to see us leave.
  Kelsey had three to four girls happily vying for her attention.
  Two little girls settled on me and I enjoyed their affections and company.
  They were all very happy to hear that we would see them again tomorrow.
 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  I hope it is a wonderful time.  Julia said she thinks that is when it will hit her that we are really here and not there.  I haven’t asked Ricky if they celebrate Thanksgiving.  Kelsey said she thinks they do but on another day.  Their oven doesn’t work, so I’m not sure how I can make anything special for it.  Ricky’s sister-in-law and her two maids use the kitchen, too, so it is hard to know how not to be in the way and what is okay and what is not.  Since I can’t speak Spanish, it limits things much more.  I made a beef loin on the stovetop and beef stew.  All the food I’m used to cooking with is very expensive.  I’m not sure how to find out how to cook the way they do.  They eat a lot of rice and other things I don’t recognize.  Last night’s dinner looked good.  It looked like sausage, cabbage and potatoes.  Ricky added some aji sauce to the beef stew I made, so I did too, and it was a tasty addition to it.  Aji is a hot pepper sauce.  I had bought some in Hartford so am somewhat familiar with it. 

It is 7:30 here and Kelsey left with Ricky at 6:30 this morning for a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to a town south of here for a legal paper he needs for the ChildReach land acquisition.  We went with him to do that on Tuesday.  We saw the countryside which looked much like driving north to Trujillo.  They will come back around 11:00 and then we’ll go with him to what should be the final signing with the owners.  Afterwards he will bring us to the land where they are making a home for unwed mothers then to the orphanage across the street where he brought us yesterday.  He said we will buy them some food to bring there.