Paul Harris:

A school for disabled children, we volunteered here twice a week. We worked mainly in the youngest classroom with kids aged 3-5, since they usually needed the most help. These kids successfully stole my heart!

Mateo is the youngest, he is 3 and was the calmest, happiest little kid. But he loved exploring everything!

 This is Francisco, a little down syndrome boy who was a handful! But he's still cute. He liked smelling shoes for some reason. 

 The teacher and I with all the kids, eating lunch! 

 This is the teacher, Miss Yessica. She is incredible. I have such respect for Special ed. teachers. It is an incredible amount of energy that is needed for that kind of job, and to teach these children. 

 This is Ana Maria, she always came and gave me a hug, everyday. 

 Us and Mateo

My last morning in Piura, I woke with the sunrise. I miss it! But the time that I spent there was incredible and I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

Machu Picchu: 

My last weekend in Peru I decided to take five days with two other girls to visit Machu Picchu! We decided that since we were in the country of Peru, and this was probably the closest we would ever get to the ruins, we would go see one of the wonders of the world. And it really is a wonder, its amazing!

We met some special people in the airport! Elder and Sister Oaks!

 And Elder and Sister Grow! 

 This is the city of Cusco.

 In Ollantaytambo. My traveling companions Kiley and Amber K. with our Quechuan tour guide Rolando.

 Some ruins at Ollantaytambo.

 In the Sacred Valley, hiking from Aguascalientes to Machu Picchu.

 Machu Picchu!

 Kiley and I at the Inca Bridge

 The cool Hostel we stayed at in Aguascalientes.

 The Sacred Valley was an incredible place, and an amazing experience. It felt like I had stepped foot into a world of fantasy. Its amazing to think that a place like that actually exists!

Weekend trip to Mancora Beach near Tumbes in the North of Peru

We got to ride horses on the beach! It was so fun!

 A dead eel we encountered 

 Some of the other volunteers and I, we became really good friends. 

This trip to Mancora served to show me just how beautiful of a place this world is, and how beautiful the country of Peru is. 

 This is the street we lived on back in Piura.

Day trip to visit the city of Catacaos.

Us with a little boy we met in the main plaza named Cristian.

 Painting the mural!

 This is Victor. He is nine. And he is a cutie!

 This is Neyber. I called him vecino jokingly. Vecino means neighbor in spanish. It was a good teaching moment :)

We painted a tree, then I had all the boys use their hands in green paint to create the leaves. 

 The boys were all very helpful!

 Mixing different colors of green.

 The finished tree! 

 Painting the other wall with the boys.

 Noé and Victor, the two youngest boys.

Me with all the boys. From left top to bottom right: Neyber, Jhon, Aravel, Fabian, Noé, Michel, Gabriel, Nelson, Wilson, and Victor. (Two boys, Simon and José are sadly not in this picture.)

Part of the finished mural.

 Me with José and Neyber.

 Me with Victor, a selfie he took himself! The boys loved taking pictures. That's mainly why I have any pictures of myself with them at all! Because they took them!

 My country director Eliana, with me and Aravel, putting the finishing touches on the mural my last night there. 

 The whole group! All the volunteers who worked on the mural and taught english, with the boys and Luis.