Ensworth Is Doing Great

Hi Everyone! Just a quick note to follow up with what the students are saying. We are in a beautiful country with such friendly people, scenic views, and lots of important work to do. Everywhere we go, everyone says "buenos dias" as you pass them on the street. The mountains are breathtaking. We climbed up to 14,000 feet yesterday (and 15 miles!) and were definitely breathing a lot more than you regularly have to at 0 altitude. It was possibly the hardest thing I have ever done but also the most rewarding. We hiked down through the other side of the Sacred Valley from where we are staying, and were on a small, secluded, side path next to a river for over an hour. The plants were amazing!! We passed through herds of goats, cows, sheep, alpaca, and llama on the road. It was just like you would imagine rural Peru. We would be hiking for hours without seeing anyone and then all the sudden come across a boy tending his sheep.

Our service project is rolling and we have started to paint our murals. Tomorrow we'll go back to work and focus on painting, filling holes in the floor and walls, building tables, and hooking up electric sockets for the school's new computers- all while taking breaks to play with the kids at recess (it seems to last all day long while we are there- they are so interested in us and want to play all day!).

We are having trouble uploading lots of photos while we are in rural Peru but will add them to posts once we get back to the States so you can see all we are doing and where we have been going.

I just wanted to drop in and say the students have been amazing. They have been up for anything, keeping smiles on their faces and working hard at our service tasks and taking very good care of each other. I have been glad to hear the best parts of their days and things they appreciate about this trip each evening at dinner and reflection. I really appreciate your students and being a part of this special trip with them. They are awesome and I am very very proud of them! I told them I already knew them in Nashville but feel like I know them in a different way after experiencing this service trip with them. I am so lucky to be their teacher.

Tonight we're having a special 4th of July cookout at The Alberge, a nice hotel here in Ollantaytambo. On the menu- Alpaca steak and brownie sundaes. Yum!

Happy 4th,
Anna