Christmas Vacation 2011, Florida

We left after school Wednesday, December 14, to drive to Anchorage where we met Aimee to take Sheldon's truck during our family vacation. We flew all night and all day? to get to Orlando by 5 p.m. Thursday! Sam, Marilyn, and Willie met us at the hotel that night so we could all play at Universal Studios "Islands of Adventure" Friday, December 16, before our flight to Lima on Saturday.

The warm weather was nice as we got thoroughly soaked on one section of rides!

Favorite roller coasters were the "Incredible Hulk" and "Fire and Ice"!

Saturday, December 17, we flew Spirit Airlines to Ft. Lauderdale for a long layover...

... until our 6 hr. flight directly to Lima by 10 p.m.

We were so glad to hear Larry's voice and finally see his face in the masses at the airport as we came out of customs! Evelyn and Andrea helped us get taxis home, and we met Larry's boys - Pocho and Kevin. They were so great with our boys!

Sunday morning, December 18, we checked out our surroundings. Larry's apartment is in a pretty new building, and we rented a unit just a floor below his... so nice!

The kids ran up and down and shouted back and forth between floors, great to feel safe in the big city of 10 million people! :)

The view from our window... usually early morning fog. It doesn't rain in Lima (it all gets caught up in the Andes), so people don't worry about holes in the roof!

Sunday mornings the street out front by the park is blocked off to play... soccer, roller blading, and bicycling!

A beautiful park - just don't walk on the grass!

Folks were going to mass at the Catholic Church on the corner.

We walked out to the beautiful plaza above the beach coast...

... and spied the beach down the cliff through the fog!

By the time we made it down the hill, the sun burned through, and the boys enjoyed a HOT game of soccer on the concrete slab! (and we all wished we would have put on sunscreen. :)

Rosa, one orphan visiting Larry from the Cusco orphanage, enjoyed the ocean for the first time in her life.

Back to the apartment for lunch, Kevin opened his Christmas present in Larry's room.

Larry had asked us to bring a laptop in our suitcases, and Kevin was pretty excited!

After lunch, we got to meet our sponsored child - NICOLE! She calls us Mommy Kathy, Daddy Sheldon, and her 3 brothers. Ahh... She had to ask Evelyn why our skin was so red?

She was pretty bashful at first, but warmed right up to all the boys! Nicole doesn't live in an orphanage, her folks are gone, but she lives with her Grandma and big brother Derek in their family home across the city. Nicole had to finish 2 days of school before their 3 month summer vacation, so Evelyn's little sister Sheila brought her on a bus to visit for the afternoon!

Larry's "Lost Children" partners in ministry and translation are Evelyn Orrillo and friend Andrea (front) who share a bedroom in his apartment. Little sister Sheila (back) is just finishing high school and beginning university studies in a couple months.

My boys were happy to discover they have X-box, laptops, and cell phones in Peru!

Sheldon even found Sports Center - with a lot of soccer highlights. He couldn't understand much except the occassional "GGOOOOOOOOOOOAALL"!

DAY 1 VBS: Monday, December 19, Larry rented a safe and comfortable bus for us and all the kids during our 4 days of travel and ministry... the first 3 days we drove an hour and a half north through Lima to Comas.

We took in the sights as we traveled from the richer to the poorer districts.

Some performed or sold drinks at the stop lights for coins.

The streets and medians became very littered with trash!

Downtown Comas featured many colorful street vendors and markets.

Then we made our way up the hill to the shacks of the poor...

... and Wilma's sponsored orphanage dream! Right now the 3-story brick building is a daycare/school for single moms.

We found 50 children ages 3-8 gathered on the middle floor inside for their last day of school and our first day of VBS!

Our family acted out the Nativity story while Evelyn translated, and then we handed out the corresponding bilingual coloring activity books we took along in our suitcases.

Sweet little ones SO CAREFUL in coloring their books and backpacks.

Gorgeous big eyes.

Clayton made new friends and helped out!

Sheldon loved his job of HUG master!

We walked across the hill to see the single mom's shack to be replaced with a new home and concrete floor through our church contributions.

Marisol is a beautiful and hardworking gal with 2 little children - the answer to Wilma's prayers for whom the LORD desired to bless with a house!

Evelyn introduced us and translated our desire to help get a roof over her head and a floor under her feet. She wept tears of gratitude and promised to move everything out that evening!

We stopped at the local "lumberyard" on the way home to make sure the concrete and the walls were all ordered for the next couple days' project.

DAY 2 VBS: We rode the bus back to the orphanage and met Wilma's "taxi" from down the hill.

Wilma loves to sing and the children shared a song we learned in "Fiesta" VBS a couple summers ago... "Yo Tengo Un Amigo!" They played a musical chairs game...

... did lace up Nativity cards we brought for a craft project...

... and heard the story of the candy cane with their sweet snack!

Wilma's heart and vision refueled my passion for children's ministry.

At the construction site, Marisol's house had been replaced by a pile of concrete!

Her little girl was watching pretty closely!

Sheldon and the boys got to help the crew a little bit - picking out the rock on the backside toward a more "level" slab, and shoveling the concrete to mix with the water.

It was pretty rough when we left, but the crew came back after their lunch to add the top layer.

That evening, Evelyn's aunt (their Grandma) brought Nicole and Derek to stay with us in our apartment the rest of the week!

They shared the couch to sleep at night. XOX

DAY 3 VBS: Wednesday, December 21Back with the Comas children for concluding Nativity story activities, games, verses, making paper chains, and eating popcorn!

Each one received a Spanish New Testament from our children's summer VBS offering.

!Feliz Navidad, nuestros amigos!

Sheldon got to help stand Marisol's walls and bolt them together the third day... and what a smooth slab was ready!

The panels just had to be laid out and secured.

They were thrilled to find out he could reach the bolts without climbing on top of the wall. :)

Ta Da! They promised to finish the roof the next day...

!Dios te bendiga, Marisol!

We had the gang over for a taco dinner in our apartment.

Thursday, December 22, we took a 3 hr. bus trip north on the Trans-America Highway... beautiful road through the desert near the beach, with occasional hills and long chicken houses!

A little more small town, middle-class feel welcomed us.

Still plenty of people and traffic!

The kids enjoyed another ocean view with...

... fishing boat seiners!

We visited another tiny dirt-floor home of a precious family Larry has worked with for years. His mother Norma Goode sponsors the young twin boys.

Friends Alaska sponsored a chicken and french fries lunch at Norky's for all the children from the orphanage for Christmas... Mmm!

Many of them wrapped up the chicken to save for later or others.

Nicole enjoyed some more family time!

The orphanage in Huacho is where Larry first met his boys Kevin and Pocho.

GOD, heal this little one with such hurt and scars so young!

Cakes and treats for the FIESTA!

A clown put on some games, so Jordan played musical chairs with the kids. :)

Sheldon found some more kids to hug!

Larry was presented a special plaque by the director for his contribution to the orphanage.

A gift was presented to each child from the sponsor's donations.

God, bless these precious children -

may each one know You as his loving Heavenly Father!

Friday, December 23, we headed across the city to Nicole's home to celebrate her 6th birthday, a day early before all the Christmas Eve celebrations.

This is the Vargas family home where Nicole and Derek live with their Grandmother on the first floor. Their mother was tragically shot and killed by their father here shortly after their separation when Nicole was 2. The dad tried to shoot Derek, pointed the gun at his temple as well, but it misfired! The little guy has such a weight upon his shoulders as he takes good care of his little sister who is still very afraid of the dark and going to sleep. An aunt and her family live on the second floor. An uncle and his family live on the third floor. Our monthly sponsorship goes to buy food and clothes and to provide an education for Nicole.

Our little girl was all fixed up in her long lavender satin gown and fancy hairdo with tierra... una princesa hermosa!

The bedroom where Nicole sleeps on the bottom bunk with her Grandmother. Derek sleeps on the top... tiny space, but CLEAN.

Ready to party again... a toast with Peru's national softdrink, Inca-Cola!

The clown led the evening's party events, games, dances, and competitions!

Nicole did a beautiful dance to the LOUD music,

twirling her pretty dress. :)

Sheldon shared our parent's speech, welcoming the guests and thanking her family for the opportunity for us to partner with them in loving and providing for Nicole.

The castle cake...

Time to sing and blow out the candles!

And then the LOUD music continued as we danced out into the streets with balloons, confetti, whistles, and leis! Pinata, more food, and prizes... our princess traded her dress for something a bit more comfortable 2 hours later. :)

Grandma shared her appreciation and dismissed the guests.

Finally, the close family stayed for the opening of all the gifts.

Nicole scored! !!Feliz Cumpleanos, mi Hija!!

She and Derek came home with us late for one more day together.

Saturday, December 24, Happy Christmas Eve!

Andrea and Larry made a beautiful ham dinner.

!Feliz Navidad! Dinner and gifts at Larry's.

!Adios, Amigos! Goodbye to our dear friends Nicole and Derek, Evelyn and Andrea as they traveled back across the city to spend Christmas with their families. We love and miss you!