“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.

Since 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.

Well, 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.

It’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.

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