San Andres News

Father's Day - Día del Papa

Some cute little things in Kindergarten

I thought I should keep up to date with all the things that have been going on in San Andres in the last wee while especially since I have only a little time left here in Peru.  


On Friday we had a special breakfast in school for the fathers of all the primary and kindergarten children to celebrate Father's day! Peruvians really do celebrations in a big way whether that's a birthday, Christmas, Father's day or Mother's day or just a national holiday! So although the Father's celebrations were a lot less extravagant than the Mother's day ones, it was still quite a fuss for someone like me who isn't really used to having a party every few weeks! On saying that, there is a lot we could learn from the Peruvians about learning to appreciate our loved ones and making the most of what we have since the majority of us have so much more than many, many others.  On Friday the chaplain led a special service for all the "papas" reminding them of the role they play in the lives of their children and of the responsibilities they have as a father.  He also reminded us all that we should take our example from our Heavenly Father who is the perfect father and who cares for his children however old they are and however much they think they don't need Him.  

Feliz día papito - Happy Father's Day, Dad

Interhouse sports day

4th Grade races

On Thursday I spent the day at the race track in the Bohemian heart of Lima: Barranco.  The children had an Interhouse athletics competition which involved lots of very over excited children, quite chilly Lima winter weather and constant megaphone announcements about the next race on the track.  All the teachers were given jobs to do and myself and Rosa found we were in charge of the "lanzamiento pelota" or shot putt.  How difficult could that be I thought to myself as I prepared to mark the spot the ball landed in for our first competitor.  2 hours and many re-throws later as well as dodging the odd stray ball and getting a good workout getting them back, I was pretty exhausted! Luckily we did get a lunch break and the afternoon did go past a little faster than the morning since we were on race track duty! By the end of the day I don't know who was more tired the pupils or their poor teachers but I was sure glad I'm not a PE teacher!


My Assembly
Last Tuesday I faced my biggest fear (making a fool of myself in front of a Spanish speaking audience) by taking the primary assembly in school.  San Andres is a Christian school and so every morning we have a 20 minutes assembly where the children sing a few worship songs and one of the teachers leads us all in a Bible study to suit the children.  Well, I had been asked a few times by Clive (the headmaster) to take the assembly.  "It'll be a good experience for you" he said, "It'll be such a benefit for your Spanish" he said.  Very reluctantly I agreed simply because himself and his wife Ruth have been so good to me since I arrived here and I felt if I was going to make a fool of myself for anyone, it should be them!  Well, I am glad I did and it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be although standing in front of a room of 400 native Spanish speakers and giving a talk in a language you're just learning was quite a nerve-racking experience but I felt a peace while I spoke which could only have come from God and I know that this was His will.  It also gave me a good idea of how I've improved in my Spanish as I could never have done that when I arrived 6 months ago.


Megan's Visit

Myself and Megan with our Anne of Green Gables style hats!

On Thursday Megan , another Scottish volunteer who worked at San Andres before Christmas and in Moyobamba at the Annie Soper school since, arrived in Lima on her way home to the states. Megan is a good friend of mine and I was happy to see her and share stories of how our time in Peru has unfolded. We went to the opera together on her last night here, visited the Ambassador for the Queen's jubilee celebrations and had a few Starbucks together (a kind of tradition for us) We spent a few days together and she left on Wednesday night bringing her 9 months in Peru to an end. I met Megan here in Lima in January just after I arrived and we've kept in touch since.  I spent a great week with her in Moyobamba in May and we plan to stay in touch when we're both back in Scotland in September. So it wasn't so much "Goodbye" but more "See you soon".
Her departure reminded me that I have just 4 weeks left here and the goodbyes I say then may really be goodbye.  How quickly time flies! (or maybe I'm just getting old). 


My Birthday
Speaking of getting old, I was 21 of the 3rd of June! I remember years ago, when I was still in school, chatting with friends about how we'd spent our 21st birthdays. I never dreamed I'd be spending in in Peru! I had a lovely day although I wished my family and friends at home could have shared it too. We went for a nice meal in a fancy restaurant in Miraflores called Vivaldinos.  Another year gone already and my time in Peru quickly coming to an end.  Sometimes it would be nice to have a pause button.  I wonder where I'll be 21 years from now, the future is unknown but God has been so good to me in the past year as He has always been and I can face the future knowing He will always walk by by side wherever I go.

Myself and some of the 3rd year girls