Jounrnal Entry #12 - A summer day at Pat's Place, Peru

Life: an adventure, a journey with Jesus!
A Summer Day at Pat’s Place, San Juan de Lurigancho, Peru

This journal is about our stay with a very unique family, the family at Pat’s Place. Sharing it is our way of giving you insight into a normal day of life (come to think of it, what is normal?) at this shelter for abused women and children that we have grown to love over the years. Director Heather Bowen is from Alpharetta, GA and has left her home country to serve our Father in this desert area by providing a safe, nurturing environment for the women and children who are residents, showing them her love and the love of our Heavenly Father. Our friendship with the Heather started 9 years ago and our visit to her home has been such a privilege and joy.

Morning begins around 6:30 – 7:00 a.m. (Since this is summer, it’s a little later than usual.) One can hear the morning porridge begin prepared on the 3rd floor and the children, one by one, gathering in the dining room. Breakfast at 7:30 includes a warm cooked cereal with a fruity taste and very smooth texture. It’s quite tasty. Hard rolls are also available and have one of the following options inside: butter, sweet potato, cheese or jelly. Don & I do have the option to make ourselves a cup of instant coffee when we return to Heather’s apartment from the dining room. Each morning everyone is greeted with a personal hello and kiss on the cheek. The children call to us as they hear our footsteps and Papa Don and Mama Joy are repeatedly called until each one is individually greeted with a Buenos Dias and a kiss or pat on the head. As we make our way around the table one notices it is actually 4 folding tables lined up next to each other so we can all see and hear each other. Breakfast is a time to chat & chew! It’s a delightful way to start the day with a family of 14. The children range in age from 1 yr. 7 months to 13 years of age. There are 3 mothers presently at Pat’s Place, Heather and Blanca.

Daily chores are completed by the Mothers and the children enjoy a visit from the social worker who sings and spends time with them as a group or one-on-one if needed, three days a week. Each day a mother, and the 13 yr old girl who is here without her Mother, have assigned tasks including a day to hand-wash their clothes. A tub of water, soap, scrub board, and rinse water is available and they sit in the driveway with their children toddling around or playing as they complete this part of their weekly jobs. The noon meal is one plate of rice accompanied by a sauce which includes a vegetable/s (garbanzo beans, for example). Afternoon naps are taken by the younger children, and the elementary school aged children may go to the park, or play games, and do homework. Heather, being a former teacher, recognizes their challenges with math and tutors each of them throughout the summer. They do math work sheets and she corrects them, and if there are word problems, she reads them (since the math sheets were donated by Bridgeway Christian Academy and are in English). After homework is completed, they are rewarded with free time. A smiley chart is in the dining room and keeps everyone on their toes.

Beginning at 7 years old the children have a rotating schedule of chores to do as well. As in any family, everyone must pitch in and help. The children are responsible to wash the cups used at each meal, go with their Mothers to buy the daily bread, dust the balcony handrails and woodwork, wash windows within reach. Their rooms are spic ‘n span because if they are not they end up with sad faces on the chart (and everyone would see it)

Since this is a family, made up of people representing 6 families, there are plenty of opportunities to work together and yet challenges as they try to do so. Assistant Director, Blanca, is a wonderful Christian Peruvian who Heather adores. She manages the mother’s day-to-day activities and Heather manages the children’s. Personally tutoring nine children individually takes a lot of love and patience along with precious time, but Heather finds it rewarding and the children benefit from the individual attention along with the increased practice of math concepts. Blanca’s daughter-in-law, Sandra, works for them and brings her son, Mattias along with her, to everyone’s delight. He is a two year old, so Heather has regular entertainment on site! The adults do the housekeeping, cleaning, laundry, cooking and daily hygiene of their own children. Heather is the administrator who has such a love for the women and children that they are regularly at her door step looking for affirmation, a hug, answers to questions, or just want to consult with her for guidance.

Here at Pat’s Place there is a free-standing swimming pool in the courtyard. It’s been difficult to keep the algae out of it and at present it has taken over the pool. Since the children cannot play in the water any more, this family is toting the water pail by pail to use for household cleaning, hand washing of clothes, and doing the dishes. Think of carrying buckets of water up three flights of stairs throughout the day for whatever purpose you need water. Think of the inconvenience. Well, here at Pat’s Place they are thinking of being resourceful and the sols (money) being saved on the water bill. It’s just part of life and there is no complaining about what needs to be done. Some of the women probably came from areas where water was not even available daily, so they gladly share in the tasks at hand.

Afternoons are long as the evening meal is not until 7:30 p.m. but the children do head to bed immediately following dinner. Devotions with the women are led by Blanca and it’s a time where the spiritual growth of the ladies becomes really evident and they learn how to be in the word and in the world, but not just for a season. Parenting is difficult when you are a single parent. It is more difficult when you have been abused yourself; and, of course, even more difficult when you did not receive good parenting growing up. These women arrive at Pat’s Place with baggage many of us cannot conceive. But, as Heather and Blanca work with them, side-by-side, modeling the Christian walk and faith, the women begin to learn and grasp onto hope for the Lord to live in them and work in their lives. Their lifestyle changes, they mature, they begin to love themselves, their children, and the Lord Jesus. The women participate in a healthy family life for the first time. They see the benefits of turning their lives over to the Lord Jesus and start to walk by faith and exercise a prayer life. It’s slow. They tend to give up at times. It’s difficult. But, with the constant examples, this family, and the love of the Lord permeating this place, they get back on board with the house rules and activities and find a forgiving spirit accepting them where they are and holding their hands as they take a step forward.

Since we have been here, there was a birthday party the whole family was invited to. Don and I played a memory game with three boys one night and found that they didn’t even have to pay attention, but successfully over and over again, they chose the right cards to turn over and reveal matching pictures. We would attempt to say the word the picture represented (it was written on the card) in Spanish. They would then say the word in English. We all giggled a little at ourselves as we tried to speak the words but they had no fears or inhibitions about speaking the English words. They also went to Sunday School and church as a family. Today, as I sit in the quietness of the large home, the squeals, and laughter are missing. They are on a field trip to a water park (taxi, entrance fee etc., cost $50 [US dollars] for 16 people). One might wonder how they can afford an outing such as today, but they work to sell hand-made chocolates, jewelry, purses, etc. to the American’s when they visit and combined with donations from kind Christians, Heather is able to pinch and save enough to give them a fun-filled day.

Last night one of the children brought her flip flops to Heather to show her the strap had pulled out of the sole and wouldn’t stay in. The whole had been enlarged and torn so it was too big for the strap. With a nail, rubber washer, rubber cement, and a hammer, Don and Heather were able to “mend” the flip flop with the hopes it would last a few more weeks. School shoes and PE tennis shoes are required beginning in March. However, flip flops are the norm for summer days – just like in the good old USA!