Well today is another day, and i think it will be an easier one than yesterday.

up to the hill nice and early, i grab a ride up with rodo and the anna marie, who runs phycology appointments with some of the children.

its the last day of painting finally today, we have to haint the large concrete skirting boards a dark redish/ plumish colour, almost the same colour as the floor, and then a few last rolls on the main

concrete beam, and columns.

whilst this is happening, we again have latino/ salsa christian music, hillsong songs, and il divo playing loudy on the stereo.

big julies husband is a local handyman, na has been very busy this morning connecting the new lighting and installing a new double power point.

we take anna marie to lunch, where we talk about a few of the kids on the hill and where they are at. i seem to have worked out where that is for some of them

while i have been here, these kids need help, and love and care and support and nurturing…… and thats what is happening , and will need to continur happening

as god works his miricles with these precious children of his on this hill at las lomas peru.

after lunch you guessed it, its time to wax the concrete floor as they do over here.

so we again boil a few saucepans of water, we purchases some stong floor cleaner and a couple of bottles of bleach( to make the floor dry faster),

and get to work mopping the whole floor again, but this time around the stacked up furniture from yesterday.    and yes it did dry very fast, and then the ladies move in with

the thick red wax that they spread over the floor with bag covered brooms.          most of the bad marks in the concrete fade away… i am in shock at how good it now looks.

i was being a bit of a doubting thomas, i think after seeing the state of the floor at the close of yesterday……. thank you god for making the floor look so good after the

painting has finished.

while the wax was drying, ( nobody could walk on it) for a while, i sat inside the kitchen with a couple of the boys and viewed some of the daily pics i had taken on the hill.

one of the older boys…. about 16 or 17 i think( but only looks like about a 13 or 14 year old……types me out a message to say thankyou for helping his brothers.

this little guy has no computer at home or even at his school…. he has also stopped going to school.  he always looks so sad, his face and his body language says it all.

yet he is one of the guys who has helped out almost daily with construction and painting and cleaning…….. when i return to peru……. i will want to somehow  get him to assist me

in physical tasks and give him a feeling of worth and value  and friendship.   His name is fransicso….. he comes from a family of 6 boys. he is the second eldest.

another day has passed, and another tired night is starting.

SECOND LAST DAY OF PAINTING.

wow what a mamoth job it has been, all hands on deck, young and old, short and tall, thin and not too thin.

up on ladders, standing on chairs, laying on the floor, squatting, bending, crouching.

rolling this, stroking that, taking a look, filling in spots and gaps, washing out the rollers and brushes,,,,

always with bottled water( we have none on tap here).

  it’s never as easy as you think, and always more work than you first think.

it has been a time of thinking about the family of god, how as a group we can accomplish great things, how we need to be accepting of one another…… our acceptance

of inperfections, our acceptance of differences, how we speak different languages but still seem to communicate gods love to one another.

its been a time of laughter, of joy, of fun times, of frustrations, of tiredness , of  wearyness, it has also been a time of thinking oh my, this is just too big a thing we have started/ will we ever 

complete the task?         but it has also been a time that i will never forget……..the spilt paint….on many occasions, the children and toddlers walking around while the task is being completed.

the parenting that has gone on while painting, i think even times of breast feeding……….this place has been a hive of activities over this last week.

it is a shame that we have been unable to conduct any english or cookery classes, but really we needed the time and the space and all hands on deck to get through.

 the mums have been great, they are just so willing to always help out with what ever tasks.

the band of boys…….about 6 to 16 year olds , have been great and we have had fun times pranking on one another whilst painting…. some of the pics taken( not by only me but

by the kids as well)….. they love using the camera… and actualy take some of the best pics.  they have worked many hours painting( when not at school)….. and hopefully

not when they were supposed to be in school????????    

cuppa te     breaks have always been welcomed( especially by me), its a time to sometimes down tools and put your feet up, ready for the next installment of painting.

we finally get all the furniture out of the place, and attempt to clean the floor.

wow does it look crap or what?       it also looks huge, this place has changed, and i just know that god has plans for this hill, it’s people and the vollenteers and workers.

we start to flood the floor with boiling hot soapy water…….with mops and brushes and brooms, and scrapers and finger nails…..its all hands on deck.

( i dont think they have ever ever washed a floor with hot or soapy water before)?

the floor dries, and guess what….. it still looks dusty and dirty and horrible……. i was so dissapointed……..nothing that a good nights sleep wont make you feel better about.

then we return all the furniture, wow we are all starting to look tired, and grotty and weary. i think its time to go home to my casa on another hill.

Today has been a great day, got up early had some porridge and a quick wash, then off to the hill to continue the painting. ( check out the pics on my facebook).

the place is actually starting to look nice.  not that it was ever ugly, just dark and worn and old.    hopefully we will lighten up the place a little and freshen it up as well.

( probably wont need to turn the lights on in the day time anymore.)    hahahaha.

lots of music fills the air, then the smell of the paint woffs in. I am feeling good because we are running ahead of schedule with the painting. thank you god for watching over us all

as we help one another with all the rolling, brushing, and sponging around the bricks, as we sing together, do a little salsa( while painting of course), and for the chat i had with dan today.

things are moving along with the house on the hill, went to soleys tonight to try and get her skype up and running so that she can communicate with marg back in australia, she will also be able to

make regular contact and see her daughters and grand children in america.  her old computer is just so slow, it is taking forever to load everthing.

the kids are amazing at how much work they have put into the painting and the building project here, they never complain and always come forward with assistance.

the mums are having a lovely time as well, and it was great that this afternoon they felt comfortable to sit in the kitchen area to have their bible study group while the rest of us

continued with the painting and tidying up in the larger area of the building.

had lunch with dan, victor, gabriel, rodo and paul today……its always a time for some jokes and laughter and to share in a meal.. they really are a team of the nicest guys you

could ever meat…… even if they do talk in spanish most of the time….( oh yere     it is peru isnt it)?

the off white wall paint will be finished tomorrow i hope … about three coats everwhere, almost time to scrubb the floor, as you can imagine with lots of people all brushing and

rolling and sponging at the one time….splashes will and do happen.       the place will surely look spic and span…..

final job will be to paint the bottom 10 inches along the wall in a burgandy colour high gloss to match up with what we did in the kitchen and toilet areas…… i think one of two people only doing

that would be best.    feeling tired, sore back and neck from looking at walls and pillars and things all day…..( all part of painting really).

oh and one thing i almost forgot to mention……….

it is amazing how many times in the last few days people have been calling out my name…….like ever 10 seconds of so….. TREVOR…..    look at this   … is it good.

TREVOR   is this ok…..TREVOR     ( something in spanish i have no idea about).    TREVOR     this TREVOR that…….    

through it all, i keep reminding myself that i am here for one reason, and that is nothing to do with me, it is because god called me to show his love to the people on the hill at las lomas peru.

Got up early to skype with julie, had a birdy bath….too cold now for cold showers…….. and got a lift to the combi down the bottom of the estate for the trip up to las lomas.

i have the key this morning to open up by myself………open the place up, put ons ons of korah and start painting…… it was like reading the psalms on a hill top…infact i almost was on a hill top.

no traffic noises, no nothing , just me the paint the building and the singing of psalms. oh joy oh bliss……. you really must try this some time.

an hour or so by myself, wow,    then a couple of the kids drop over to say hi, and then later on a few of the mums join me to paint.

about five or six of us going at the one time, this is not going to take a week after all, god is good and has provided some assistance( as i was hoping for).   should never doubt.

stop work, down for lunch  and to buy a couple of pairs of shoes for a couple of the kids on the hill.

back to it, and before i know it we have three rollers and five brushes going back and forth along and up and down the walls and the bricks.  music loud, spanish christian music, even a little of al divo.

wow how good that sounds up loud on a hill,  laughter and mutterings fill the air, little kids helding out, splashes of paint everywhere, but it doesnot matter, we are having a great time,

sharing one anothers company, praising god, doing good deeds, and getting a task done.

time for afternoon tea and roll , so we all down tools, and have a short break, then back to it.

well it finally happened we ran out of paint, so wash out all the brushes for tomorrows duties.

drop all the staff home, and then head off to the ferretaria store( paint shop), and purchase another 12 litres for tomorrow.

then off to dinner…. chinese tonight and home for icecream and an extreamly early night. feeling very  tired and sore shoulders and neck.  it happens with painting.

checking my emails , and i find marg online on facebook, so i get her to swap to skype and we hok up, a three way conversation with marg, gabirle and trev,,,,, the three amegoes.

today has been a very good day,

UP early today, must be ready for john and pete and doug to skype……

alarm set for 530 am…..wow thats early, but hey the benifits are well worth it….. and i really mean that.

thought today i would wear a chefs hat and also an apron, and throw around a soccer ball and rad a spanish newspaper for a bit of fun with the guys.

i also tried taking the laptop outside to show them around the street scape, and lighting, saw a man  who said hello or hola to them or me, and a lady and a dog.

back inside and ready for a good chat,    these guys are really amazing,   three of gods best creations, and also three of the nicest guys i have ever met.

doug is not available, but still rings and i talk to him ….. he sahres a couple of parables,,,,, and that ties in with a book i am reading about a team building activity which involves the pic of the sower…

so i explain that to the other two guys.

do you know how good it is to have prayer over a distance of 12500 km???? its pretty good.    and refreshes me for the last hawl of this mission trip.

painting starts today, cant wait…… a change from all the classes etc…. but it will be a long week   and i think it will take that long to get everything washed down, and prepared for the painting…

three coats i think should do it.  jsut like the kithen and toilet areas.

going to replace the cd player on the hill today….. it is so awfull, it hardly works and these guys here deserve better as they serve and listen on the hill.

got the new sound system, sounds fantastic, could almost blow the top of the hill away with it.

sounds even better with some christin music playing on it.

started to wash down the old walls, and in come three of the kids to help out.

but first gabriel must play a game of table soccer just to prove he can win i think……. the table is looking a little dusty even with a cover on…..this is las lomas though.

one of the little guys keeps touching the back of my legs with a cold wet cloth while i am up on a chair scrubbing the walls, thought it was a dog of something the first time,

the cleaning is done in no time at all, ( its time for some lemonade and chocolates) dont tell dan or rosita????????

time to move the tables and chairs into position for the ladies bible studies for this after noon.

lock up, go down and have lunch and purchase the paint and associated items for the task ahead.

back after a short break and lunch….. purchasing the paint only took about 1/4 the time it did a few weeks ago for the first batch.

it still amazes me how long it takes to buy anything in this country, even the checkout at metro… it takes for ever for the buttons to be pushed.

i think the machines are the same as the spanish language…… where it takes about 50 ooo words to say what we say in english in about 12 words.  really it really does.

even though i love the sound of spanish language and words.

the painting starts, the mothers have their bible study while the painting continues, then they ask if they can assist, and then next thing lugio arrives for choir practise and checks out the sound

and is impressed. next thing i know all brushes are moving up and down and across the walls at the same time as the painters are singing songs with lugios playing the guitar.

can you imagine how good this sounds and looks, just try and think about painting on top of a chair up against a wall, and the sounds of singing loudly to god, wow this is another

of the god moments in peru.

before we know it , two walls are complete with the first coat, not  much mess at all, time to wash out all the brushes and down tools.

have been invited to share in family celebrations for gabriels parents 30th wedding anniversary.

home for a quick change and clean up of hands, and off to a chinese restaurant for a wonderful meal, and a catch up with this beautiful family.

heard a testimonial from his mum and his dad, wow……. these two people are wonderful and have been changed by god . i feel so humble to have been invited to such an occasion.

at the end of the night , ( get this will you)…… gabriels dad says thanks to me for looking after his son……….. wait a minute i say, this guy gabriel has been the one looking after me

the past 11 weeks and doing a 100 percent great job of it.

another late night trip home from lima, and you guessed it i fall asleep on and off all the way home.

lucky i had pulled the sheets off the line before we went out as it is now raining, but i am too tired to make the bed, just lay down and sleep seems like the correct thing to do right now.

looking forward to catching up with julie by skype tomorrow morning…..to hear how her weekednd away was with some nursing friends.

Up early, dont really feel like a cold shower today, so a warm birdie bath is the choice of cleanser for this morning.

thanen it’s off to lima to potential church, feeling a little home sick today, but dont worry long as god has provided once again…. an australian preacher from hillsong church in sydney.

Christine ( someone), wow was she good, and even better she had a real aussie accent to her voice( funny about that isnt it?)

she spoke about being where we are, so that god can use us, and then he can put us where he wants us to be( all part of his plan for us).

then after church started talking to this american tax attourney….Big  Jim everyone calls him.

this guy is very different to everyone else you have ever met, another one of gods creations for sure.

i dont know if i ever blogged about his story before????????? he lost his wife and all children in the 9/11  happenings.

anyway , he had been away in europe for 6 weeks so i had not seen him for a while, and we were talking about what we are up to on the hill, and he said that he would be happy to come out this week and help out with the washing down and painting of the place…… looking forward to seeing him about 10 am tomorrow.

he then takes gabriel and i out for lunch to his favourite chicken restaurant……. chicken, chips and salad and a drink of chicha…… oh joy oh bliss….. thank you god. again.

then its back to las lomas to pick up the staff ladies for the worship service on the hill.

the singing is unbeleivable once again, i am getting into the swing of singing in spanish…..even if i dont know what it is i am singing. it doesnt seem to matter though, as we all make a joyous

noise to the lord.    i am sure this happens all over the word on any given day?????

back down the hill to drop everyone home, then its back into lima with gabriel to cdv  penticostal church for the 730 pm service.

wow again, the music here is sooooooooo goood, and the translated message head phones work well tonight. 

this church is opening another campus  in a couple of weeks..in mireflores…… isnt that funny because i forgot to mention that potential church is also

opening another campus in lims somewhere very soon.

hamburgers for dinner after church …..as per each sunday night almost……

catch up with facebook, emails and internet new of aus…… and whats been happening.   looking forward to skyping with doug and john and pete 6am tomorrow morning.

well the day had finally come when marg was to return home to australia after 2.5 months in peru.

i know how it will be for her……….because it has never been the same for me… let me tell you all( again).

at 9am we call in to pick her and her cases up, she needs one of my spare ones to pack all her goodies into.

we arrive at the airport early at about 945 am…. the flight leaves at 1pm for santiago chile.

we sit around with cappuccinioes, donuts and pizza and fruit juices.   and talk about the things we did, and the fun times we experienced together,   and then in walks dan.

for a big big farewell wish for marg,     it has made her day.

we finish the drinks and head towards the departure doors for customs…….. and the farewells start.

when it got to me i had a half a roll of toilet paper rolled up in my pocket, and proudly display it in its full length and wrap it around margs neck, but then she give it half back to me.

there are lots of cuddles, and tears….. a lovely lady walks through those doors, with a promise to return in 2 years time.

we walk back to the van slowly, feeling down and sad and a bit teary.

have to drop all the girls up to the hill at 4pm, on the way must call into the market for supplies for kids groups.

wow, the flooring is now complete, the windows are in 9 including the glass), and now there are only three bits of concreting still to be completed……1. repairs to an overhead piller,

and then repairs to two sections where walls had been removed to form new ones.

a big job starting on monday morning with the start of the painting.

the childrens group is well attended with about 40 kids, followed by the junior youth group ….now this blows me away….. w extend the floor space in this place, and we get about 73 junior youth group….

wow this is amazing, totally amazing… god is alive and watching over things on this hill.

down the hill later on we have about 85 or so for the senior youth group.

a few of us walk back up the hill between the van loaded up with chairs and tables a few times….. to get it all back to the hill.

we have a lot of fun on that walk, especially with oscar and jhordie.

another late night, noone feels like dinner so we hit the beds and thats it for saturday night on the hill for tonight.

I  had planned to cook ( with the hle of a couple of the boys on the hill), a lovely chocolate cake for marg for afternoon tea as a farewell.

I had no idea of the farewell party the afternoon before, and had organised the boys ahead of time, so we still cooked the big chocolate cake and decorated it with a giant m for margaret.

ad we also made lots and lots of pancakes with jam and marg.   a few teabags, and a bottle of nescafe and we had afternoon tea.

so after the craft classes had been completed we hoed into the chocolate cake etc.

this was infact the final time that marg went and returned from the hill at las lomas.

thought we should do something on her last night so we wait for gabriel to return from the airport from dropping off a couple of the other yanks who were returning home.

and then we met him at a local pizza shop for a quick bite to eat.

went for a night time drive around ventinilla for marg, then off home for a final sleep in peru.

when i got home i finalised my farewell letter to marg……. boy was that a hard letter to write.

( CATCHING UP WITH BLOGGING TONIGHT).

Well today is the last day of marg’s english classes on the hill, and probably the last of the cooking classes( unless we get the painting and the cross construction ahead of schedule)?

Marg is very sad today, a little tear in her eye when we pick her up for the journey up the hill.

I am also feeling a little sad thinking about the end of the english classes and that marg will be travelling home on saturday at lunch time.

The two lessons go ok, and little did either of us know, that the ladies of the hill had organised a surprise farewell party and presentation for marg.

the hall was completly full of mums and kids, the mums had brought with them( hidden of course), packets of dry and sweet biscuits, cakes, lollies, crisps, twisties and that sort of thing.

Two of the children presented marg with necklaces etc, and then sarah the elder lady of the hill presented marg with a couple of stuffed dolls, she also got shawells for the babies, and a

poncho, and an artificial flower display in a lovely green vase.  the speeches were very nice, and were translated by rodo.

we sang songs, and danced, the kids and the mums joined in, and we got some fantastic pics.  i think it will be a day marg will not forget.

Little did marg know that on that night at soleys( where marg had been living for 2.5 months), we had planned a surprise farewell dinner in her honour.

what a night of fun we had, lovely company, pisco sour and champagne and the food ….totally wonderfull.

another late night, so will be tired tomorrow.

Well today, i woke up all aolone in the house.

had a lovely cold shower,,, wow i am really awake now.

hop into a local taxi and travel down this hill, to the highway. then its freedom time….a 15 minute walk into metro in vantinilla.

( can you beleive this is only the second time i have been allowed to travel by myself since arriving on 29th april 2011?)

freedom, and being able to do what we like, where we like and when we like is something we really should think about daily…….

anyway, meet up with marg and her daughter laura and son in law oddy, grab some change from the atm, and a taxi ride into lima for the day.

first stop the presidental palace, then they want to see the chapel of saint martin, ( this is when i go for a 1.5 hour walk by myself around shops and street).

i have fond memories of walking these streets with julie last year, wish she was here with me right now.   maybe next time, yes i am sure next time.

then off to a little cafe down a lane for lunch, then catch another taxi to the inca market across town, then off to the shopping centre built into a cliff face for a real coffee and an alfahor chocolate.

then, a treat of all treats……..marg is taking us and gabriel, out for a farewell dinner to the best restaurant in all of lima…….  rosa nautalis…….on the old pier above the waves…

wow this place is unreal, the service fantastic, the wine, the cocktails, and the food…… the food was to die for……

what a great night we had, lots of laughing, stories to share and relive, some good pics…….will have to wait and see them from margs facebook page tomorrow.

another late night, oh well……. no classes till the afternoon tomorrow.   it was so nice to spend / share the day with marg and part of her family……felt like i knew them already,

i am sure i will be catching up with them on many occasions in the future back in aus.

tomorrow is margs last english class on the hill, i am feeling teary about it already, so how must she be feeling.    lets not go there…..right now……

i am just so blessed to of met such a lovely christian lady back on 29th april, i had no idea i would be working along side another aussie.

we have spent times of laughter, giggling, laughing so much that we have tears rolling down our cheeks………….especailly when we go shopping in markets……

i always seem to be able to knock down the prices….when marg goes has to move away cracking up completly when i start the negotiating process.

currently working on ideas for the cross design…… i want to try and include a bit of carving of the hills, and the cross on the path that you look at from the basketball court.

and some words in spanish… such as  worship, pray and sing…or something like that.

must go….its time to go shopping for this afternoons last cooking class for the children…………     hopefully painting will start next week.