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Billy, Kate & Will in Perú

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Scripture Union

Summer Camp

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2012 Leave a Comment

It’s summer in Lima.

You might have seen my numerous tweets about sunny days in Lima, or the beautifully blue sky reflected in Facebook photos. While students in the States are in the middle of their second semester, Peruvian schools have just a few more weeks of summer vacation and people are enjoying the hot, sunny weather to go to the beach. And with summer vacation in full force, the Scripture Union camping ministry has been busy putting on weekend and 4-day camps at Kawai.

Earlier this week, I was able to help with a summer camp organized by Carmen, one of our schools workers in Lima. During the school year, she goes into classrooms and leads values education discussions with students – teaching them values such as honesty, respect, and integrity through Bible stories, skits, songs and activities. This ministry is then complemented by camping program during the summer months.

In addition to visiting various classrooms, Carmen also works with an organization called Aldeas Infantiles SOS, bringing values education to the children and teens that are part of their program. Similar to our Girasoles abandoned boys ministry, Aldeas SOS works with disadvantaged families and operates homes around Peru (and the world) providing a home life for children who for certain circumstances cannot live with their own family. This past week, Carmen hosted a camp in Kawai for the teens she works with at Aldeas SOS.

There were 27 campers and 6 guias (guides) helping lead the camp. Since this was my first Scripture Union camp, I didn’t have my own campers, but rather was entrusted with the task of documenting the activities and events of the 4 days with my camera and video camera so each camper could receive a CD of photographs and videos from the week.

Since Kawai is located right on the Pacific Ocean (our property ends at the public beach) and being summer, the campers wanted to spend as much time as possible in the water, whether it be the beach or the pool. Between trips to the beach or pool, we had time for games, team building activities, and morning and afternoon devotionals. With the exception of 2 campers who I had briefly met over lunch a few months ago, all of the campers were new faces. I spent the 4 days getting to know the girls in the group, sharing a part of my life in Lima and the States and learning a bit about their families and life in Aldeas SOS. Once they discovered I also speak English, I found myself teaching phrases and words here and there.

One of the best activities of the week was the bonfire on the final night of the camp. By this point, I had gotten to know most of the campers and they had bonded within themselves. During the bonfire, we sang songs and listened to a handful of campers and guias share their experiences from the previous days. Listening to the campers share funny stories and “remember when” comments helped realize the importance of the camping ministry. While these and thousands of other students are reached on a weekly basis in school, a camp gives them 4 days of fun, laughter, encounters with God, games, and fellowship with other students their own age.

Here are some of the photos I took during the week.

One of the tents the campers stayed in.

One of Kawai’s beautiful summer sunsets.

The Aldeas SOS campers and guias before heading home.

Posted in: Peru | Tagged: camping, Kawai, Peru, photo, Scripture Union

A Lima Vacation

Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 1 Comment

A few weeks ago the boys from our Kusi home have been here in Lima on vacation.

Thanks to a generous donation, Angel and Rosa (the directors) were able to make the 9 hour journey with their 40 boys and staff and spend 10 days touring the city of Lima. Being a slow time of the year for volunteer groups, Billy and I were able to help the staff keep an eye on the 40 boys in a city of 10 million.

It was a busy 10 days, but so great to be a part of it, and great to share a little bit of this large city I have come to love. For many of the kids, it was their first time in Lima – and just a mega-city in general (most of the boys from Kusi are from small pueblos in the Andes and the largest city they might have been to would be Huaraz at just 100,000 inhabitants). In addition to the first time in Lima, for most, it was their first vacation (unless they go to stay with family somewhere else, most people don’t take vacations here – between expenses for food, transportation and a place to stay, in addition to missing time from work, they just cost too much).

Since everything was new, every time we boarded the bus to go somewhere, many intently stared out the window, taking in as much as they possibly could.

Wanting to take advantage of every opportunity during the 10 days, Angel and Rosa had organized a busy schedule of things to do with the boys. They stayed at the church in Villa El Salvador that Angel & Rosa attended when they lived in Lima and used it as their home base.

In addition to the first vacation, it was a week of first times for most; their first movie in the theater (Alvin 3), their first time to see the ocean, the first time swimming in the ocean, first zoo. Boys that are 14, 15 and 16 years old instantly turned into little 7 and 8 year olds when we did something completely new to them.

For me, one of the best part of the week was to see their reactions when we went to the zoo and they got to see lions & tigers for the first time, or how they youngest boys reacted at the beach when they discovered the ocean water is salty. I was able to relive some parts of Lima that I have come to take for granted and spent the week looking at things with a child’s eyes.

On Tuesday, we watched the sunset from the beach in Chorrillos – and stuck our feet in the water for the first time.

Wednesday, we went to the pool.

And then spent an evening at the Circuito Mágico del Agua (a park with about 20 fountains in downtown Lima).

Thursday was a day in the sun at the Parque Huascar in Villa El Salvador where we played games.

And saw an ostrich at the small zoo they had. Apparently it captivated the 4 boys I was with…

On Friday we went to the Parque de las Leyendas (a real zoo) and saw tons of animals from the coast, mountains and jungle of Peru, but also from all around the world.

Saturday was museums and lunch at a restaurant together.

And Sunday, we went back to the beach. This time we went swimming (and played in the sand)!

The nightly bus rides back to Villa El Salvador were full of chatter about the day’s activities and anticipation for the next day (I can’t tell you how many times I heard boys talking about how excited they were to see animals at the zoo!). The boys truly enjoyed their time in Lima and it is something that these boys will always remember. It was a blessing to be a small part of their adventure.

And, if the week wasn’t exciting enough, in the middle of all of this fun and new experiences in Lima, I turned 26. While I missed spending the day in Dearborn with family and friends, I could not have asked for a better birthday in Peru. On Thursday, my birthday, we spent the day at the Parque Huascar playing games and enjoying the amenities at the park. Later on that evening, once we had returned to the church the boys were staying at, I sat around with a handful of the boys talking about birthdays and how they are celebrated in the States, among many other random things.

Little did I know that their questions and the spontaneous walk around Villa El Salvador with 4 of the boys and Rosa, the director’s wife, was so that Billy and all of the other boys could get Rosa’s home ready for a party. After walking around Villa for a good 45 minutes and apparently killing time, we arrived at Rosa’s house and found the boys hiding in the dark, waiting to yell “surprise!”

Throughout the night a few of the boys stood up and spoke, a clown came and did a mini hora loca with us (remember the hour long dancing from the graduation party?), we ate cake and took lots of photographs. It was a wonderfully, fun, hilarious and exciting night, and a perfect way to celebrate my birthday.

Posted in: Peru | Tagged: Girasoles, Kusi, Lima, Peru, photos, Scripture Union

Happy Graduation!

Posted on Saturday, January 28, 2012 2 Comments

‘Tis the season of school graduations!

Earlier this month, Billy and I had the opportunity to make a quick trip to Kusi, one of our homes for abandoned boys. The directors, Angel and Rosa, invited us to celebrate the graduations of 6 of their boys: 5 from elementary school (Arnold, Frank, Kevin, Martin and Mauricio) and Eloy, who graduated from high school. Since they were unable to attend the graduation party that their school hosted, Angel and Rosa decided to have a big party at home with the other Girasoles boys to celebrate their accomplishments.


Frank, Mauricio, Kevin, Eloy, Martin and Arnold

I’ve heard stories of what happens at school graduations, but had never attended one before. They are much more of an evening event compared to our high school graduations in the States. Whereas my graduation from Cranbrook lasted a maximum 2 hours, graduations here are more of a party that last all night. Wanting to make this party similar to what the boys would have experienced at their school, Rosa had a whole ceremony organized. The graduates were dressed in a (matching) shirt and tie, special graduation photos were taken, a cake was decorated, dinner was served and there was lots of dancing.

As the padrinos (godparents) for the party, Billy and I bought new Bibles as gifts for the graduates. We both were given the opportunity to share a few words- to tell them how proud we were of their accomplishments, how much we value their friendships, and most importantly, to tell them that they have a bright future and a God-given purpose for their life.


with Eloy and Martin


with Arnold and Eloy

And if we hadn’t had enough fun yet, to finish the party off, a group of friends from town joined us in an hora loca. Literally translated, the hora loca means a crazy hour, which here in Peru means a straight hour of dancing without stopping. It was so much fun to dance with the graduates and all of the Kusi boys amidst confetti being thrown, shaving cream-like snow in the air and lights flashing. By the end of the hora loca, the graduation boys were just dripping with sweat. (Lovely.)

It was a wonderful evening of sharing and celebrating. It truly is a blessing to be a part of this ministry and a part of our Girasoles boys’ lives.


The Kusi boys with the graduates


with Mauricio and Arnold during dinner

(…I have to share one last photo from the weekend. The newest boy at the home in Kusi, Socimo, arrived just a few days before Christmas. When Rosa, Billy and I were picking up a few things in town, Socimo came with us. He spent the whole afternoon holding either Billy’s or my hand, and then during dinner wanted to take a picture with me.)

Posted in: Peru | Tagged: Girasoles, graduation, Kusi, Peru, photo, Scripture Union

New Year in Ica

Posted on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 2 Comments

To celebrate New Year’s Eve and to start 2012, Billy and I headed south to SU’s abandoned boys home in the city of Ica.

I’ve written about my experiences in Ica before. It is one of the properties that my group from First Presbyterian has visited every year since 2002, and it is where I most recently wrote about delivering water. Ica is located approximately 5 hours south of Lima, in the Atacama Desert – considered to be the driest desert in the world.

Wanting to do something fun with the boys for the holiday (and thanks to a generous donor), we were able to rent a bus and go with all of the boys and staff to the beach. Since the city of Ica is about 1.5 hours from the Pacific Ocean, going to the beach isn’t a frequent occurrence for the boys at the home.

Before we had even left the Ica city limits, I could hear some of the younger boys sitting behind me on the bus talking about how excited they were to go to the ocean, what they were planning on building in the sand, and wondering how cold the water was going to be. The closer we got to the coast, the more excited and anxious they got.

Upon arrival to the small beach, we piled out of the bus and walked to the water. Some of the boys immediately dropped their towels, took of their shirts and ran into the water while others sat in the sand and started to build their castles, trenches and one even dug out a mini pool.

After spending a lovely afternoon in the sun and salty water, we headed back to the house to anxiously wait the start of 2012. About 10pm, we gathered in the dining room to talk about the successes and challenges from the previous year, inspire and motivate for 2012 and enjoy a late dinner.

As the clock got closer to midnight, anticipation grew and so did the “what time is it?!” questions. To make sure we could wish each other feliz año right at midnight, an countdown clock was set and we spent the last 30 seconds of 2011 counting down (we couldn’t watch the annual special “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest”).

As soon as the clock struck twelve, the sky over Ica was lit up with colorful fireworks (I’m starting to think that with every celebration in Peru, there will be fireworks at midnight). Hearing this, the boys jumped out of their seats and ran outside to watch the colorful bursts in the dark sky. We set off our own fireworks on the soccer field, lit boxes of sparklers and distributed glow bracelets to all of the boys. They consequently spent the next few hours running around with sparklers and waving their glow bracelets in the air.


First photograph from 2012 at Girasoles Ica.

The next day, both Billy and I were greeted with a cheerful feliz año! from the boys. We spent a relaxing first day of 2012 in the sun, hanging out with the boys and even Skyping with friends in Dearborn.

Happy 2012.

Posted in: Peru | Tagged: Girasoles, Ica, Peru, photo, Scripture Union

Lima: The City of Kings

Posted on Thursday, December 22, 2011 1 Comment

It has been four months since I returned to Lima and I am slowly getting a grasp life in the “City of Kings.”

In addition to traveling with work teams, lots of translating, scheduling teams for next year and working on the new SU website, here are a few things that I did during the past few months in the city:

– I officially became a Peruvian resident! With my carnet extranjeria I can open a bank account, travel within the country and not have to carry my US passport, and pay the “Peruvian prices” for things such as transportation and events.

– I started attending services at Camino de Vida, a church nearby where a handful of other SU staff go. Starting in January, I will be participating in their Escuela Creativa. (Photo from CDV Facebook)

– Scripture Union Peru moved into new offices in Lima, not too far from where I live. This means I have a desk and space to go work instead of covering my dining room table.

– Billy and I went on a tour of the Palacio del Gobierno (the Presidential Palace, or the Peruvian White House).
Residence

And, after the tour, we were invited to come back to watch the changing of the guards from inside the gated patio.
Patio in front of the Palace

– Much to Billy’s delight, and thanks to Living in Peru, we discovered a simple Mexican restaurant in the hip neighborhood of Barranco. There aren’t many menu choices at the Burrito Bar, but it is amazing. (And considering it is one of 3 Mexican restaurants in a city of 9 million people, I can’t complain!)

– We celebrated the tenure of our General Director, Paul Clark, and welcomed the new General Director, Weider Hidalgo, who begins January 1. We aren’t saying goodbye to Paul; he will still continue to help train and mentor other SU staff.

– And, last but not least, I have moved into my own apartment! Sadly, Rachel, another person on the International Relations team returned home to England earlier this month, but I was able to take over her apartment. Clearly, I haven’t gotten around to putting photos in the frames or things on the walls…

I’m looking forward to another few months in Lima before the busy travel & work team season starts up again!

Posted in: Peru | Tagged: Lima, Peru, photo, Scripture Union
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katebruder

Traveler. Spanish speaker. Michigan native✋🏻. Peruvian citizen 🇵🇪. 📍Lima, Perú

[late post] May have been chastised for taking a p [late post] May have been chastised for taking a photo on the sidewalk in front of the embassy last month but thankful for the opportunity to participate in free and fair elections while overseas. I only wish the ballot drop off hours had been longer so Will could have come with us 🗳️✉️
Thankful for a church that loves its kids, generou Thankful for a church that loves its kids, generously invests in them and shares that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

@caminodevida @kidscdv #fundayfestcdv
A visit to the Palacio de la Moneda in Santiago 🇨🇱 

#littlewilliamnoah
Spring break trip to Santiago, Chile 🇨🇱 A de Spring break trip to Santiago, Chile 🇨🇱 A dear friend has been working in Santiago and thanks to some great points redemptions for flights and hotel, we made the trip to see her and explore a new city and country. We were amazed at the differences between Santiago and Lima (amazing public transportation! open spaces and greenery!) and loved spending time with @minazavala 😘
Spent the morning in Callao for a track meet. Will Spent the morning in Callao for a track meet. Will competed with the San Borja team in 4 races in the U8 group (50 meters, 200 meters, 4x50 meter mixed relay and 5x50 meter boys relay) and earned a medal in every race. We love watching him have fun and see how his hard work in practice pays off! 🥇🥈🥉🥉 #littlewilliamnoah
Slow days and late summer evenings on the water wi Slow days and late summer evenings on the water with family 🐟☀️ 

#littlewilliamnoah
After 3 years, we finally enjoyed a glorious Michi After 3 years, we finally enjoyed a glorious Michigan summer for a few weeks doing all the outside things possible. Spent way too much time delayed at the Atlanta airport and not nearly enough time with family. 

#littlewilliamnoah
Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God m Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise. - Andy Stanley

Happy Father’s Day, Billy! The legacy you are creating for Will and the example you show him daily of how to be a father and husband is our greatest blessing. We love you. 

#littlewilliamnoah
Last night Will went to his first professional soc Last night Will went to his first professional soccer game, a friendly match between Perú 🇵🇪 and Paraguay 🇵🇾. Even though the game started after he normally goes to bed and ended in 0-0, he was so excited to cheer for @labicolor and loved it ☺️⚽️ #littlewilliamnoah
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