Hey again! So the trip went really really well.... Delfor, with Kindness Connection who contracted the bus and prepared all the food with his wife Carmen, along with Joshua and Alan met me at the school at 7:15 with all the kids. The kids were on time for the most part, so we were set and ready to go by 8:20ish. We dropped by to pick up Carmen and Anita (Emily Broxterman's friend who came to Arequipa for the month of February for a hospital internship) and we on the road by close to 9.
The ride on the way to the beach was just as eventful as time at the beach itself. The guys were trying to get the seat belts for the kids (which were hidden deep into the seats) for the first half hour while we handed out bananas and bread as well as foam visers (big hit!) that I had found in the volunteer supplies. I remembered that the road to the beach is really curvy so I told the kids to let me know if they were feeling sick at all. A few minutes later, the girls in the back started yelling that little Maria (going to fourth grade and really smart, btw) was really dizzy. So I took her to sit with me...To make a long, grueling story short...she ended up throwing up about 5 times. She threw up on her clothes, so I had to dress her in my cover-up dress. She threw up so much I thought she was gonna faint at times from dehydration. Luckily, she was fine and was able to enjoy the beach. No one else on the way there got sick, so we had plenty of plastic bags left over...for that time being...
The kids were really well behaved at the beach. Alan and Joshua stayed in the water and the kids stayed in between them and were not allowed to go deeper than the guys were. For the most part, all the kids followed these rules with the exception of some of my girls from girls' group (they don't really listen to people other than me...gotta work on that). Kindness Connection provided all the food as well, and the kids were all satisfied:) They had lots of fun building sand forts and such as well as just playing in the water for hours.
On the ride back from the beach, Maria got sick again. Only this time she threw up about 8 times:( Then another couple kids got sick and threw up...AND Maria's older sister, Patricia, threw up just as we were reaching Horacio (gross, I know). The bus smelled like vomit, sand, and sweat by the end of the night....BUT the trip was still a success. All the kids were accounted for and everyone got home safe and happy (for the most part).
This Wednesday we are having a meeting at the school to finally work out the schedule for my classes. My start date for the school year has been pushed back due to the lack of attendance amongst the children. So, this Wednesday I'm going to present ideas about the library such as how to make it a functioning body (lending system and hours and potential for community involvement) and talk about ideas for a volleyball court and potential for a sports program of sorts. I will also get to formally introduce myself to and formally meet all the teachers:) In the meantime, I have lots of lesson plans to finish and lists and outlines to make.........
P.S. In case you didn't know, you can click on the pictures for a larger, clearer image.
