Pictures (in no particular order)

Josh and I haven't had time to work together on getting pictures on my blog, so I am winging it!  I have put many of the same pictures from facebook on here, but I have also included a few others. They are extremely out of order and I didn't include any of the site-seeing pictures, just because of the haphazard way I put the rest of the pictures on here.  I am not sure if the video will work or not.   I am taking a chance!

All of our team with their Child Development and Leadership Development Sponsored Children.

This is Xiomara, the girl I chose to sponsor while I was there.  This was just a few minutes after we first got to know one another.

This is Elias, the child I have sponsored for almost 3 years, and Xiomara at the amusement park.  Aren't they so cute?

Elias loved the rides!

Saying goodbye.  Bittersweet.

A Compassion Child Survival Program worker going through a development exercise with a child  who is enrolled in the program during a home visit.

This is one of the churches.  The rooms on the top floor have just recently been built for the teens and there is a hydroponic garden in the left corner.

Our welcome at the first Child Development program we visited.  There were boys who met us about 2 blocks away and ran beside the bus to usher us in.  It was so overwhelming and it was difficult not to get emotional.  It almost felt like what entering heaven must be like - even though we won't know everyone, we all share the same love and the same God, so we welcome each other with open hearts and open arms.

These boys were typical for boys their age.  They were sharing inside jokes and jabbing each other with their elbows.  And they could get away with it pretty easily, since I was the only one in the room who had no idea what they were saying!

This was our welcome at the second child development program.  The kids were so excited to be able to pop those balloons toward the end of out visit.  This is the program where several of our team sponsored children the day we visited. 

This is Xiomara and her beautiful, joyful mother Olga and her not so joyful sister Sandra.  Xiomara's older sister is also in the CDSP and has a sponsor.

This is Elias and his father Emanuel.  I really enjoyed getting to meet them both, since we have been sharing letters and I feel like I know them already.

This is Soledad and Elia.  They were our trip leaders from the Compassion Peru office.  They work so hard and spent very long days with us all week.

The staff at one of the churches housing a CDSP.  They disciple our sponsored children every day.  It was so great to be able to talk to them and pray for them.  If you are a sponsor, please remember to pray for the staff workers.  They have a huge responsibility and they have their own families to care for as well.

The staff at another program.  The reason they are wearing different outfits is because some of them work in the Child Survival Program and the others work in the Child Development Sponsorship Program - but they all work together in the same church building and community.  I didn't get a picture of the staff at the third program we visited. 

This is Mapi, one of our translators.  She really helped me deal with my anxious feelings the night before I met my sponsored children and their parents.

This is Clarita and Emanuel, another two translators.  It was so interesting to hear their perspectives on our visits and to see them with the kids.  They are very talented at what they do. 

This is Cecilia.  She and I didn't get to talk much, but she was a lot of fun. (As a side note, I had a wonderful young lady named Francesca who translated for me the day I met my sponsored children and I didn't get a picture with her.  She was really great with the kids though and was a GREAT help at helping communication!)