Buenos Dias!

Hi Everyone! We are just beginning our third full day in Piura, and we are having a truly memorable time! On Sunday afternoon, we visited an orphanage with about 100 girls living there, ranging in age from 6 to 18. The girls are brought there if there is a dangerous situation where they live, or if they lose a parent(s). The girls were delightful, and seemed so happy to have visitors! Unfortunately, this place has just been robbed in the past few months, so there are several German Shepherds patrolling the premises. One was named "Jeffrey", and we got a chuckle out of that! The girls performed native dances for us, and then asked us to join in...what a sight -- my boys trying to keep from tripping, as they danced with these young girls. We were able to get Preston to do his Russian Dance,(picture squatting with low kicks...that's the one) and that was a crowd favorite.
Earlier in the day, we went to Mass at San Jacinto Church, where they have a relic of Saint Jacinto, who lived not far from the church we attended. The story of Saint Jacinto is a moving one, based on having faith during trying times. After the Mass, the congregation scurries to the back to the back of the church to receive their final blessing of holy water by the preist. They hold up their bibles (and their babies!)as well as holding their arms in the air for a blessing. We were served lunch by some of the parishioners in a lovely spot close to the church. Our lunch was delicious, consisting of goat, rice and beans, fried plantains, and a vegetable that was a cross between a sweet potato and beet.
We then travelled to an open air market, where "Grande Martin" followed us closely, making sure that no one took advantage of us. We bought a few lovely items, and had a great time looking at all of it. Many times, a child would approach us, asking for money. Finally, at the end, several small boys came up to us, carrying wooden boxes and offering to shine our shoes. If any of you have ever seen my Preston's disgusting Adidas, this was worth a try! We were so thrilled to get a few pictures of these darling boys earnestly brushing and polishing those sneakers, probably the most disgusting shoes a tourist has ever asked him to shine!
Better get going now! I love waking up each morning, and being able to hear Padre Jose saying 7 a.m. Mass, along with multiple horns and the occasional rooster! It is such a unique place, to put it mildly. I have so much more I could write, but can't now. We are going to build a house today, so I'll have lots more to tell!
Talk to you soon!
Kel