This week we watched various loose ends come together; yielding something that is starting to resemble more and more of a finished product.  We have started to get into the routine of gradually bringing down the existing furniture from the temporary school to receive a new paint job. 

Students at the temporary school have started to grasp the concept that they are moving and have been a great help by starting to pack their few toys and papers into boxes for the big day.  However, with the arrival of the cooker and fridge for the kitchen, we are running out of places to store things safely before we can finally start putting things in their place.

Volunteers are busy sanding, priming, varnishing, and painting the seemingly overwhelming amount of surfaces.  Thanks to the electrical expertise of Eric, we have managed to push the electricity along and lighting has been installed in the majority of the rooms.  Unfortunately, due to the bureaucratic process of setting up the electricity through the only, and therefore monopolizing, electrical company in Peru, we may not have power in time for the inauguration.  With the opening one-week away, and the electricity company telling us we have to wait another two weeks, we are realizing we will have to keep our celebration strictly within daylight hours.

Thanks to the generous, not to mention extremely laborious, contribution of Alina’s mother the children have all been handed new uniforms that they will proudly wear to the inauguration. The time and love put into sewing over 90 dresses and shorts was a truly generous gift and the children and teachers were all smiles, displaying their obvious appreciation for such a thoughtful act from a stranger.