Information Questions

Who?

Me, Gillian, or Yidian, as the Trujillo Starbucks sometimes spells it.

What?

I am updating my blog.

Where?

Starbucks.

Why?

Because I am kind of bored.

Why?

Because I am not teaching any classes this month.

Why?

Because I am going to be traveling for 10 days this month.

Where?

I am going to the United States for the first time in almost a year.

When?

October 14-23

Why?

Because I will be playing for the wedding of my dear friend.

Who?

Nicole Tyson and I'll also be catching up with my supporters, friends, and other vips in my life in South Carolina.


(Oh.)

If people watching were a contest....

There in fact would be no contest, as I would quickly win whatever title there was to be won.

Plaza Vea is abuzz this Saturday night with people on their way to the movies, to a restaurant, to get some grocery shopping in, or whatever other Saturday night fun they are looking for and here I sit, stationary in my corner booth at Starbucks (which makes it more than my once a week budget...shame on me, but I didn't eat out today so it works) watching the buzz, the twittering to and fro, the passing of people, couples, groups, families, whoever walks by the glass curtain wall. Tom Waits is accompanying me tonight, and I'm not sorry to say that I have a giant crush on Tom Waits' music.

Normally on Saturday nights, you would find me at the Larco Church youth group for their weekly Saturday meetings, however, my Saturday's have recently been burning me out a little bit. After going to Porvenir for music ministry at 3:30, leaving a little early at 5:15 in order to make it late for Choir practice which then goes until 6:30 (or 7 depending on the day) and then resting for an hour before youth group at 8, plus whatever other Saturday activities there are, I was getting a little burdened, so I am therefore on a brief hiatus from youth group until further notice.

It's kind of nice, I do miss seeing the people in the youth group a bit, however, this me date time is welcomed and appreciated muchly. I love people watching and unfortunately don't get to do too much of it because of a schedule that keeps me on my toes. This time is a good time to reflect, recollect, and finally realize that I am living in Peru. A pleasant awareness and comprehension that I am content.

Gaining Momentum (p.s. this is long...read it anyway)

As most of you already know, one of the projects I have been involved in down here is a music ministry in the very low income district of Trujillo called El Porvenir. You can click on the right side of this blog to read more about the structure and goals of the ministry. Over the past year, Ronald Serrano Moreno, the founder of the program, another volunteer, Rachel Jurkowski, and I have been working towards organizing and expanding the project.

We recently have some good steps towards the organization of the project by becoming an official NGO, as well as deciding on our official name- CompArte Perú (a fusion of two spanish words- comparte meaning share, and arte meaning art). We also are currently trying to build a website in order to share photos, stories, and post concert dates, etc. as well as giving our project plan, mission statement, history, and other things that we are pulling together right now.

Also, another exciting milestone for us was about 2 weeks ago, Ronald, Rachel, and I were interviewed by the Trujillo Newspaper "La Industria" about CompArte Peru. A large article was printed in the Culture section of the main newspaper of Trujillo, meaning that we are also gaining more recognition in the city. Please continue to be in constant prayer and support of this music project and especially for the children who participate in it, that the program will benefit the kids, their families, and the community as well.

Here is the translated article, as well as a color copy of the photo that accompanied the article:

"Proyecto 'CompArte' lleva el Arte a Niños Pobres- Cuando la música cambia el fulbito por los violines- dos chelistas estadounidenses son parte de importante trabajo cultural

"Project CompArte takes the Arts to poor children- When music changes soccer for violines- Two US cellists are part of an important cultural work"

Something is changing in El Porvenir. Now, in some corners of this heavily populated district, in place of traditional games of fulbito (soccer played on a court), children come together to play violin, treating it as if it were a small party. The motive? The results of an innovative new project called “Comp-Arte Peru” that well-known Trujillo violinist, Ronald Serrano Moreno directs.

“The idea,” says Serrano Moreno, “is to give children and youth with little economic resources the opportunity to accomplish their goals through music. Obtaining that kind of discipline, that confidence in the work they put into music can then be applied to other aspects of their daily lives as well.

The results are easy to see. Not only have the children accomplished learning a musical instrument, but now they also look at the future with much more optimism. “The purpose of the project is to stimulate and motivate the lower class children using music. They come underprivileged, they don’t have many toys or games, but through music, we hope to help them set higher standards and reach their goals” explains Serrano Moreno.

However, the motivation does not stop there as the most outstanding students of the project advance to be a part of the Teófilo Álvarez Dávila Youth Orchestra (Orquesta Infantil Juvenil Teófilo Álvarez Dávila), a group that has already given commended musical concerts around Trujillo.

For Love of the Arts
The project has even pulled in two young volunteers from the United States who have been working in our city (Trujillo) for over a year- Gillian Baikie and Rachel Jurkowski.
Gillian Baikie is a cellist who graduated from the school of Education (correction: School of Interior Design) at Anderson University of South Carolina. Before living here, she had already visited Trujillo and had seen the condition of some parts of Trujillo and wasn’t shocked by the poverty of the area. Her only problem upon arrival was in fact the language barrier, a stumbling block that she has overcome, as she is already speaking like a “Trujillana.”

Gillian teaches cello to the children and youth in El Porvenir and is happier for the experience she has had. “It’s been great, a child gains confidence and then that ability in music serves as way for him or her to set goals for his or her life, a way to grow as a person,” says Baikie.

Above all, she takes pride in seeing the progress of her pupils. To watch them as they are able to play beautiful notes on their instruments and to see the smiles on their faces. “They want to play, they love it and that love is contagious,” recounts Baikie, “I remember one Saturday, some girls from the neighborhood found out about our project and came by because they wanted to part of our group. The kids in the project are an example for the other children.”

Miss Baikie came to Peru with Peru Mission (Misión Reformada en Perú) and now, in spite of the meager state of the area, wants to stay another year and continue working with the children of lower income families. It has been here in Trujillo that she has made many friends who have helped in everything, even in procuring a cello for her to continue practicing her passion.

“This project gives children the opportunity to rise to greater heights, to appreciate music more, to discover talents and to be an example for the other kids,” she said convinced.

Likewise, her compatriot, Rachel Jurkowksi, who graduated from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana with a degree in Music and Philosophy, came to Trujillo with the intention of doing volunteer work.

“Ronald told me about the project and I told him ‘Sure, let’s go see,’ reflects Jurkowski.

The beginning, as with everything, was difficult. Jurkowski was quiet, shy and the economic disparity was an obstacle for her assimilation in Trujillo and with the children. However, with time, she and her students began learning. “They loosened up a lot,” she says, “Now they laugh, converse, and there is a connection between them that allows them to learn more quickly.”

In fact, the majority of the children in the same position have a common, passionate desire to learn more and more about music.

“These children work so much harder because it is all they have; and for that, they dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to practicing,” concluded Rachel.

Two for One

Ok since up until last night it had been so very long since I had written a new blog, I've decided that the only way to make it up would be write two within 24 hours of each other. And since I accidentally forgot to bring my student's papers to grade for my weekly starbucks visit, I have nothing else to do.

By the way, I added a few new features to my blog, the first one is a link to a PDF about the Porvenir Music Ministry. A second is a chance for you to sign up to "follow" this blog, I think how it works is that it'll send you updates about when I write a new blog (however few and far between the posts actually are). So, you know, check it out on the right side of this post!

So here I sit in the only starbucks in Trujillo, where the prices are still the same as in the US and not conducive to my Peruvian stipend; the same starbucks that gives me a fantastic opportunity to exercise self control by only coming here on Thursdays. Usually my roommate Heather and I have Thursday morning starbucks dates. However, roomie is sick and that leaves me all by my lonesome to sip on my latte and blog till my heart's content.

Things are going well here in Trujillo. SALI has been growing literally by leaps and bounds. We have shattered another enrollment record for this month at 292 students, we are very close to our lofty goal of 300 students by December, which is especially good to know when just 6 months ago we were hovering around 175-200 students. SALI also for the past few months has reached its goal of being self-sustaining financially, which is very good for the mission, the community, the students, and just good in general. With self-sustainability we are able to improve the institute and expand our resources without depleting any funds from Peru Mission, giving Peru Mission the opportunity to give to other parts of the mission that run in a non-profit way.

It's the ciiiiiircle of liiiiife. I mean Circle of Missions.

Other than that, things are going well. I'm gearing up for a trip back to the United States in October to play for a wedding of a dear friend in Anderson, SC. Which means that I will be able to visit some of the churches and individuals who have supported me in my time here in Peru. I'm excited/nervous. Excited because I get to see friends that I haven't seen in over a year and spend time with my dear friends and family in Christ in Anderson. I'm nervous because I haven't stepped foot on U.S. soil for 10 months now, and I'm not sure what it'll be like. I'm sure it will be fine though. More than fine. Great!

Also, I may regret putting this on the internet, but I have signed up for a skype phone number to make it easier for me to contact family and friends in the states as well as to make it easy for friends and family in the states to contact me. So with that said, my new internet phone number (which works just like a US phone number) is 303-242-5543. I have voicemail with it too, so you can also leave me funny or heartfelt message, whichever strikes your fancy.

Strangers and creepy people need not call. Thanks.

Friends, Pets, Outings.

So much to say, so little energy to write.
Why do I get to this point?! I do this alot! I don't blog about things when they happen because I think, Hm...that was a pretty big event my Peruvian life so surely I will blog about it soon.

Wrong. Super Wrong.

I forget, or keep pushing it away until it ends up being a month since I last posted and so many things have slipped through the bloggy cracks that I cant even figure out what I've missed
writing about anymore. I did however change my blog layout to give people the impression that I did write something new. Nope. Lies, all lies. I just changed the colors around.

Anyway, I'll try to give a brief summary of what's been going.

I am surely blessed by the Lord, because three new additions have recently come into my life. The first, a lovely new 3 bedroom apartment which I share with 5 other peru mission interns. The apartment is furnished with some ugly furniture, an awesome kitchen, a laundry machine, and is somewhat of a step up from the 1 bedroom that my roommate and I were renting before. It's not uncommon for rooms in a house to be rented out, which is what we had before, however, it's kind of like living in a college dorm again, but without alot of other college kids around you living in the same situation. So although my old room was nice for a year, I am enjoying the benefits of a living room and kitchen.

The second addition is also found in our apartment and was bought for 8 soles (roughly 3 dollars). He has blue eyes, gray fur and fits in one hand. He is...Kitty. A little kitten that we recently purchased at the Mayorista Market where you can buy anything and everything, including 8 soles cats. He's fluffy, sleeping on my lap right now and although he runs in between my feet when I'm walking, he's still pretty cool. We're going to have to work on the desire to jump into the fridge everytime it's open though.

The third addition once again is found in the new apartment, lives next door to me and answers to the name Julie Rogers. Yes, my dear friend Julie from Anderson University recently arrived in Trujillo Peru as a new missionary intern for the San Agustin Language Institute. I lived with Julie Senior year in the ministry house and am glad that the Lord decided that one year of us living together was not enough, so he gave me some more Julie time. It's been fantastic, I love having her here! She's a fabulous addition to Peru and has already been making Trujillo a sunnier and more vegetarian friendly place.

Part of the fun of having Ms. Rogers here are the photo excursions. We went on one yesterday when (surprise surprise) there was another transportation strike, which meant no classes yesterday. The good news was that Trujillo saw the first hint of spring with a delicious dose of vitamin D which made for some excellent excursion conditions. Heather (my roommate) and Julie and I spent an excellent day with cameras in hand to explore a little more of our dear city of Trujillo. Here are some pictures below and more can be found on my flickr webpage by clicking on the photo link to the write of this post.