I Did
from the journal of Natalie Miller of Mapleton, Utah who served at the Sunflower Orphanage of The Sacred Valley of Peru, summer 2009
June 29, 2009
We woke up and went to breakfast, then got on a bus and headed to the orphanage … wow … the kids had petals they threw everywhere when we arrived. They did a traditional Peruvian dance and then some kids grabbed me and danced with me! After the celebration of our arrival, we started our work day. We split into groups with specific jobs for the day. My group took off our shoes and socks and began mixing mud with our feet to make the cement for the new building. We all started singing together and that was kind of cool. After lunch and started another job - sifting rocks from the dirt so it could be used to make the cement.
We put it all in wheelbarrows and took it up a hill which we did for a few hours and it was so hard. All the little boys would try to help us which is unbelievable cause they are all so tiny and totally not afraid of work. It’s incredible.
We got to play sports with the kids after work. Then we went to dinner and came back for family home evening with the children. Afterward, one little boy came up to me and gave me some beautiful earrings. He told me in English that he loved me. I almost cried because I couldn’t believe he could love me when I had seen him only one day. All of them are so wonderful.
We got back and did devotional and then all the girls came into my hotel room and played games together. It was fun to get to know them all. Everyone treats each other like they have all been good friends for years.
- Natalie Miller"I can’t even express how beautiful everything is. The hotel, because its so crooked and imperfect, is so wonderful."
July 1, 2009
When I got to the orphanage this morning, we got to start some cool jobs. My group painted a whole room in the new dormitory. Not too long after we began, my group all started singing hymns together. It was beautiful. We went on and on and the day went pretty fast probably due to all of our singing.
Then, after working, all the children and us jumped on the bus and went to the soccer field and played for hours. Wow, so much fun! The Peruvians are good! After dinner and devotional, we were taught how to pray in Spanish ... so I practiced tonight so I never forget.