The Highlight of My Life

I have been to Peru Luz de Esperanza 4 times and will go back just as soon as I can. The children are so so eager to learn -- and all the things for volunteers like housing, food, tours, and wonderful care by the local people in charge are flawless. One of the most amazing moments, before the new school was finished, I was teaching in a small room in Ahuac and one of the young girls was looking through my Castellano(Andean Peruvianspanish)-- dictionary for some words. I asked her if she had a dictionary. "No." So for the last class I bought these paperback Castellano-English dictionaries for all of this class. Well, they acted like I was handing them blocks of pure gold, and immediately started looking up words, and writing their names in the dictionaries. I don't think I have ever felt quite so happy. The school has wonderful ambitions and only needs more international volunteers to come and do what they do-- I teach English and photography because that's what I do; others build furniture for the children's homes--beds and chairs. But that day with the dictionaries still makes me cry with happiness, and longing to go back.