It feels like it was just yesterday since I was last here at Nueva Esparanza. Much seems the same. Many of the same familiar faces greeted us upon our arrival and those who no longer work here or have graduated still manage to come around. Nelva was our cook last year but her son had some personal issues so she went to live with him (a 10 hour bus ride away) for most of the year. Julia, one of the 6 from our team from last year who has returned to live here for an indefinite period, told Nelva that we were coming to visit. She decided to visit while we were here so we could reconnect with her and enjoy her wonderful cooking. We greeted each other happily and I jumped on the opportunity to go with her and Judith to the market where we saw many familiar but unusual items, including the hanging chickens complete with heads and feet. It was there that I shared, en espanol of course, my theory that if we in the US had to butcher our own foods or shop for complete chickens, we would probably starve. (We are not as strong as they).

Our coming here last year, this year, and 6 of our team from last year coming separately to live and work, has spoken volumes to the people here. One of the major impacts our group has had is how we can love their Peruvian outcasts. David and Debbie Bolos, founder of the Home and parents to Tony, who ran the Home with his wife Julie , when we were here last year, explained that the common thought on abandoned children is that they are rats and they should be gotton rid of. There is no hope for them outside of a Home like this where Debbie aspires that one of them becomes President of Peru one day. 

While we miss Tony and Julie, the apple didn't fall far from David's tree (they are practically identical in looks, mannerisms, and speech) and Debbie reminds me of Julie with their hearts so full of love for Jesus and these children. Debbie explained to us that without Christ it is very hard for many of the women she works with to understand what it means to love your children unconditionally, that if the father of your child is replaced by a new boyfriend, you don't give up your son. It is thru their tireless efforts and the transforming nature of the gospel that she hopes parents who are still in touch with their children at the Home can be reconciled with love and forgiveness to their parents. It is often the forgiveness of the children towards their parents and abusers that astounds Debbie and helps her to let go and let God transform her heart towards them too.

Some things have changed here. There are some new kids, a new stockpile of donated clothes, we brought, three beloved little boys who are gone because they were thankfully adopted by Italian families, our friends who now live here, and a new team from Liberti Church & co. Our group is 15 strong plus a family of 4 (including two daughters ages 5 and 7) who sadly leave us tomorrow. [The tears from Olivia, the elder of the two, nearly had us in tears as she is already feeling the pain of separation from the good friends she had made since her family arrived last Saturday]. The balance of us are 11 women and 4 men. I don't know about the others, but that many women in one house sharing only 2 bathrooms, made me a little nervous! Women are complicated creatures and I wondered how we would get along . To my surprise and pleasure, this group is awesome. We passed our first 24 hours of travel and our second 24 hours of playing with the kids, organizing clothes, and talking and praying through our book study (The Prodigal God by Tim Keller) with flying colors. I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone on the trip even better and make new memories with them, while recalling the special times I had last year. Being here is a huge blessing to me and an honor; I am so glad to be back. 

~ Stacy Sanseverino