<![CDATA[Amigos de San Manuelito - Blog]]>

<![CDATA[Amigos de San Manuelito - Blog]]>Fri, 22 Aug 2025 22:52:14 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Shopping In Lima]]>Sun, 10 Aug 2025 22:33:29 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/shopping-in-lima

We’re back from Peru. Gracias a Dios! Gracias to everyone who’s helped in any way; our families, our friends, everyone who donated, all our Amigos. You make this possible.

The adventure begins in Lima. We’re greeted at the airport by Pepe and Karina, our beloved nephew and niece, and stay at their home. The family welcomes us with gracious hospitality and serves delicious Peruvian dishes. Karina is the first Peruvian board member of Amigos de San Mañuelito. We have lists from the directors of each of our five partner schools telling their priorities. These are our maps for the journey. We review the lists and plan our shopping.

Shopping in downtown Lima means traffic. Hours and hours of traffic. Karina drives each day through vehicles squeezing into spaces smaller than they are, horns honking, stop signs ignored. She does it well; Francisco and I would never try.

We start with wheelchairs, my favorite purchase. We’ve found that a child who cannot walk and doesn’t have a wheelchair spends hours just lying on a bed or a couch. Once children grow too heavy for their mothers to lift, their life experiences are limited. A wheelchair gives mobility, a healthier, happier life. So anytime we hear of a child who needs a wheelchair, that moves to the top of our list.

We have requests for three wheelchairs, one small, one medium, one neurological (with extra support), and three walkers for toddlers. We buy them all, then also purchased a stander/walker for one of the schools to use in physical therapy.

We spend three more days in a marathon of driving, shopping, and online purchasing. We buy physical therapy equipment, toys and educational materials, a children’s play kitchen, a classroom swing, and other sensory materials for children with autism. We order an outdoor swing set with adaptive seats for one school and two lunchroom tables with attached benches, as well as a classroom table and chairs for another.

Then we pack – boxes and bags for each school, separated and labeled in Karina’s garage, three to ship by bus, two to take with us.

And then the real fun begins. I’ll write about it next time. Again I want to say, “Muchas gracias, Amigos!”

]]><![CDATA[Why we go]]>Thu, 19 Jun 2025 16:05:45 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/why-we-go“Why do you go to Peru,” my friend asked, “when there’s so much need right here?”

We’ve gone to Peru every year since 2010, except during the pandemic and a family emergency. There’s a magnet that pulls us, that keeps us going back. It’s the love we receive, the love we give.

We work with schools for children with disabilities; infants and toddlers, older children with autism, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy. Some cannot walk. Most cannot talk. Some live in shacks. Many are hungry.

Our dollars go further in Peru. We can purchase more wheelchairs, more therapy equipment, more vitamins, shoes, and food than we could here.

The world has become so small. Communication is instant. Forty years ago we’d mail a letter to Francisco’s father. A month later he’d receive it. The next day he’d write to us. A month later we’d receive his response. Today we talked on WhatsApp with the director of one of the schools. Our connection was instant. She was as close as our next-door neighbor.

We are one world. We’re sisters and brothers, grandparents, grandchildren. We’re family.

Francisco has been an American citizen for 44 years. But he will always be Peruvian. It’s his heritage, his language, his culture. This is the beauty of the United States. Except for our Native siblings, we’re all descendants of other lands. We all came here, or our ancestors did, some through choice, others through force, from somewhere else.

Yes, there is much work to do here. More and more every day, to be truthful. We are trying to help, by serving in the food pantry at our church. It’s a major part of our lives.

But then we go back to Peru, to the arms of Francisco’s family, to the schools, to our friends, to the children.

We go because we hear the call. Is it the call of God? I don’t know; I hope so. I know it’s the call of my heart.
e go because we hear the call. Is it the call of God? I don’t know; I hope so. I know it’s the call of my heart.But then we go back to Peru, to the arms of Francisco’s family, to the schools, to our friends, to the children.

We go because we hear the call. Is it the call of God? I don’t know; I hope so. I know it’s the call of my heart.But then we go back to Peru, to the arms of Francisco’s family, to the schools, to our friends, to the children.

We go because we hear the call. Is it the call of God? I don’t know; I hope so. I know it’s the call of my heart.But then we go back to Peru, to the arms of Francisco’s family, to the schools, to our friends, to the children.

We go because we hear the call. Is it the call of God? I don’t know; I hope so. I know it’s the call of my heart.

]]><![CDATA[Somos Amigos]]>Wed, 08 Jan 2025 21:52:33 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/re-introductionSince I haven’t written much in awhile, I’m going to reintroduce ourselves.

We’re Amigos de San Mañuelito. We work with five schools for children with disabilities in Peru and are excited to begin this new year.

Peru is Francisco’s native country – and my favorite place to be.

Our mission is to help children with disabilities in Peru become more independent. We partner with their schools, families, and communities. We went to Peru every year from 2010 to 2019, became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2014, missed four years due to the pandemic and a family emergency (though we did send money for food for families living in poverty), and returned to Peru last June.

We work with two schools in San Ramón, in Peru’s central jungle – San Mañuelito (our namesake school), for children with severe multidisabilities, and PRITE (early intervention program) San Ramón, a program for infants and toddlers with disabilities or at risk. We also work with three schools high in the Andes mountains. These include PRITE Divina Misericordia, an early intervention program in Huancayo, capital of the region; as well as PRITE Juan Pablo II, also an early intervention program, and Domingo Savio, a school for children with severe multidisabilities, both near the mining town of La Oroya.

We work closely with the directors of the schools. They tell us their priorities and that’s where we focus. Each school is different. Last year we provided physical therapy equipment built by a local carpenter and new tables and chairs for classrooms. We took 31 babies and toddlers, with their mamas, shopping for shoes, and provided food for 31 families. We’re giving ongoing support to several families living in extreme poverty.

The directors, teachers, and therapists have become dear friends and extended family. They, the families, and the children give us much more than we could ever give them. They give us joy.

This, along with the food pantry at our church, are what we believe God is calling us to do at this point in our lives. We’re incredibly grateful. Muchas gracias, Amigos.

]]><![CDATA[Muchas Gracias, Familia y Amigos]]>Wed, 18 Sep 2024 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/muchas-gracias-familia-y-amigosWell, we came back from Peru and had major computer problems. It’s finally mostly resolved. So here I am, two months later. Our trip was amazing!

We left with four partner schools and returned with five – three early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities or at high risk and two schools for children ages three through 22 with severe multidisabilities. We traveled to the central jungle and high in the Andes mountains.

We were welcomed with music, dancing, food, and friendship. And we have stories to tell.

But before we talk about the schools and tell their stories, we want to thank our team of Peruvian family and friends who made it all possible. They welcomed us to their homes, cooked for us, drove us, helped us with taxis, traveled with us, took us shopping, shipped packages to schools, went with us to schools, set up computers, helped babies and toddlers try on shoes, took us to visit families in their homes, shared numerous ideas and insights.

Entonces familia, amigos, amigas - nuestro equipo – muchas gracias. No podríamos hacer nada sin ayuda de ustedes. Los queremos a todos. Que Dios los bendiga siempre.

]]><![CDATA[We're going to Peru!]]>Sun, 09 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/were-going-to-peruIt’s been five years – 2019 – since the last time we went. Since then we’ve had the pandemic, family emergencies, political turmoil there, other reasons we weren’t able to go. But today we’re packing.

We’re Amigos de San Mañuelito. We partner with San Mañuelito, a school for children with severe disabilities in the beautiful Chanchamayo jungle, as well as with three early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities, one in Chanchamayo and two high in the Andes mountains. We work with school directors, teachers, therapists, and families. They tell us their dreams, their stories, their needs. We work together to meet their priorities and receive much more than we could ever give.

We’re packing toothbrushes and toothpaste donated by our dentist, Dr. Brandon Robison at Robison Family Dental in West Jordan, Utah; computers donated by Affordable Laptops in Riverton; school supplies donated by the women’s group at Granger Community Christian Church in West Valley City. In Peru, we’re going to buy food for families, purchase chairs for classrooms, and take babies and toddlers shopping for shoes. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped in any way. Muchas gracias, Amigos. May God bless you all.

We’re going to Peru. We’ll see beloved family and friends. We’ll see the children. I’m so happy.

]]><![CDATA[Nada, Tengo Todo]]>Tue, 17 Jul 2018 01:13:28 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/valentina Valentina was one of our first two children to receive leg braces back in 2012, when students at Kauri Sue Hamilton School in Riverton, Utah first donated their outgrown braces to children with disabilities in San Ramon, Peru. We got to see her take her first steps.

Valentina was five then and now she’s twelve, a beautiful girl with cerebral palsy who lives with her grandmother. She lives in extreme poverty, attends a regular school, and walks with difficulty.

“I’d like to get you a present,” I told her. “What would you like?” She was silent for a moment, then glanced around her small home and answered, “Nada, tengo todo.” Nothing, I have everything.

We got her a new walker and some new shoes and socks. And the gift that she gave us was priceless.

]]><![CDATA[The Pull]]>Sun, 10 Jun 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/the-pull What is this pull that Peru has on me? I step off the plane and I want to go back.

Our trip was amazing. We have so many stories to tell.

Here are just a few things that happened. I’ll write more about them in coming weeks.

Amigos de San Manuelito, our nonprofit organization, has our first board member in Peru.

We met a girl whom we thought needed a wheelchair – and we ended up buying her a bike.

Even though we had promised ourselves we wouldn’t, we added a new school. It started with an ice cream cone.

And we visited a 12-year-old girl, our friend since she was five, who lives in severe poverty, in a one-room home with her grandmother. I told her, “I want to buy you a present. What would you like?” She was quiet for a minute, then answered, “Nothing. I have everything.” We bought her new shoes.

Every time I close my eyes, I see the children’s faces.

]]><![CDATA[Dia de las Madres]]>Tue, 22 May 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/dia-de-los-madres

Mother’s Day 2018

I want to honor the mothers of children with disabilities in Peru –

. . . the mother whose daughter with severe cerebral palsy is 12 years old, cannot walk and talk, and has never had a wheelchair. This family took us shopping. The mother went in the store with us while the father waited with their daughter.

. . . the grandmother raising her abandoned grandson with severe multidisabilities. She also cares for her invalid husband. She’s just one of several grandmothers we’ve met who are raising their abandoned grandchildren.

. . . the mothers of children with seizure disorders who cannot afford their medication.

. . . the mother of the little boy with autism, holding his hand as we walk to the shoe store, hoping he won’t run away, hoping he’ll sit still to try on shoes.

. . . the mother of the child who just turned 20, who will receive no adult services because the family cannot pay.

. . . the mother of the 4-year-old who received a new wheelchair. The school director tells us, “You’d cry if you could see where he lives.”

These mothers are our heroes. They welcome us, often into their homes, talk with us, tell us pieces of their stories. They laugh, cry, and dance. They bring their children to school, walking mostly, because there are no school buses. The school is their place of hope, their place of friendship, their place of understanding. The love in their eyes is as bright as their children’s smiles. Their faith in God carries them through difficult days.

We listen, learn, grow from their courage, their wisdom. We give what we can – climbing equipment; shoes; money for medication; sometimes, not often enough, a wheelchair; toothbrushes; leg braces; a bicycle. Then we go home. But their words stay with us, their faces, their fears, their dreams.

These mothers are our heroes. Happy Mother’s Day, 2018, to the mothers of children with disabilities in Peru.

]]><![CDATA[Almost time]]>Wed, 18 Apr 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/almost-time ALMOST ready . . . for our trip to Peru, to work with our amazing friends and colleagues there at two schools for children with disabilities and two infant-toddler early intervention programs.

Thank you to everyone who’s helped. We’re so grateful.

Thank you to Dr. Brandon Robison, our dentist in South Jordan, UT, and to King Fish Towing in West Valley City for their donations of toothbrushes and toothpaste. Thank you to Brian and Jason, at Affordable Laptops in Riverton, who donated computers. And thank you to the children, parents, and staff of Kauri Sue Hamilton School for children with severe disabilities in Jordan School District who are letting us find new homes for outgrown braces and giving children thousands of miles away the opportunity to walk.

Thank you to everyone who has donated.

In a sense, you all go with us. We pack a lot of gratitude into our suitcases.

Muchas gracias, amigos. Que Dios los bendiga. Hasta luego.

]]><![CDATA[Endless Learning]]>Sun, 01 Apr 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.amigosperu.org/blog/endless-learning We’re going to Peru! It’s been almost two years and I’m homesick for our second home.

We’re partners there with two schools for children with disabilities, one high in the Andes mountains and one in the jungle, along with early intervention programs for babies and toddlers at each location.

This will be our ninth trip in eight years. Thanks to generous friends and family, we’ve been able to provide wheelchairs and walkers, seizure medications, a refrigerator, computers, communication materials, a playground.

But that’s not what I want to talk about. I want to talk about what our Peruvian family and friends give to us.

The teachers become our teachers. The children with disabilities become our teachers. People begging on the street become our teachers. The priest running a food pantry at the Catholic church becomes our teacher. And I have much to learn.

Francisco’s family becomes my family; my sisters and brothers, my nephews and nieces, my cousins. They take us into their homes, feed us papa a la huancaina, lomo saltado, leche asada. A niece washes our clothes by hand. A nephew drives us across the Andes, takes us on paths where we see llamas, alpaca, vicuna. We dance on a rooftop, join hands in ancient songs. We talk late into the night, hearing tales of their parents, their grandparents, their struggles, their dreams.

We belong to a world where we are sisters and brothers, extended family, beloved friends. I go to Peru as a teacher, or I think I do, with gifts to contribute to them. But I’ve found, each time we’ve gone, that I am the student, sitting at their feet, astounded at their wisdom, grateful, beyond words, for their love.

Muchas gracias, familia; muchas gracias, amigos; muchas gracias a Dios.

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