No!That's Not a Blog in My Pocket and Yes! I am Happy to See You

There comes a time in every blogger's life when they realize, wow- you suck at keeping up your blog. I have come to that point and can't believe what an incredibly lazy blogger I have been. Ugh. I don't even have a good excuse but I do however have plenty of pictures so please do enjoy...

Mancora April 2011. I had the chance to spend what felt a lot like Spring Break but was really a Peruvian Holiday weekend- I believe they call it Easter weekend- in Mancora Peru. A touristy beach town on the Northern Coast that has a ton of shops, delicious foods and plenty of sun. Volunteers from all over Peru came and it was such a fun and unforgettable weekend.

PROPRE Training 2011. We recently had an HIV/Aids training for the 5 schools my site partner, Alyse and I work with. It was a two day training where we gave kids the tools so they can be educators and leaders at their schools. Jonathan, a volunteer from Piura came to give us a hand and was a great help.
                                      








                                   

My friends Ashley and Jaime from Orlando were so kind to send me a box full of goodies including sidewalk chalk. On a breezy Sunday afternoon I brought out the chalk and let the kids color the town. Literally :)

          

 


May 13 2011. I took a plane back to the U.S. of A. and went to my sister's wedding. It was a beautiful and wonderful experience <3 She is absolutely beautiful and here are a few candid shots of her.

Guyaquil Ecuador 2011.

  

 

I work hard for the money. Shots of me getting things done.

Teaching a class on nutrition with a group of mothers in my community

 My site partner Alyse.We work together :)

 Eslhy is my community partner. She helps me get all of my projects off the ground.

  

        We had a training in Chiclayo and it was so much fun seeing my fellow volunteers.

You've Got the Love I Need to See Me Through!

The final trip I took in March was a technical exchange in Ancash, Peru. One of the things that I do here in Peru is help train youth to become peer educators and leaders in HIV and Aids prevention. We receive money from PEPFAR, the U.S.President's fund to eliminate AIDS worldwide and conduct a series of trainings and events throughout the year creating peer educators. Alyse, a health volunteer from cycle 14 and my work and site mate coordinated an event where we took 5 high school kids, 2 professors, and a school Principal with us on a field trip to Ancash, Peru. It took two buses, 20 hours each way, and a concussion. The purpose of the trip was to have an educational exchange, the kids gave HIV prevention presentations at the local Ancash high schools as well as a cultural exchange, they got to see parts of their country they might have otherwise never seen. The kids were absolutely wonderful.They were energized, worked hard and played a little harder. Spending a week with them was this unforgettable experience I will cherish always. It gave me such great pride in the work I am doing, this trip changed me just as much if not more than it changed them. When I finally got back to Tumbes, I returned wit this new found energy and confidence as to why I am here and why it matters. Part of it was Early In Service Training but most of it was this trip. I hope to coordinate my own exchange within the next year. Here are your fotos...

                                

 

Sometimes I Feel Like Saying Lord I Just Don't Care!

The second stop on my train o' fun in March was in Trujillo, Peru for Early In Service Training. It was the first time that the graduating class of Peru16 had been "reunited and it felt so good". We received supplemental training the first couple of days and then were split up into groups and sent to different parts of Peru to do some hands on training.For the second half I went to Sicchez, Piura with the dream team. It was so wonderful to get to catch up and spend time with some of the people I got closest to during those first three months of training. We laughed, we cried, we sang and of course, we took pictures...