New Shoes

Great story, I hope I do it justice in telling it:

(they really are sweet girls)

Early on Tuesday morning I was half asleep and I hear the wailing tears of Sandra. Sandra is 1/2 of a set of twins, she is 9 years old, and an absolute gem! I have barely seen her upset, but this Tuesday morning she was distraught to tears over something 10 feet outside of my door. Laura and I decide to go out and see what is going on. All the other kids have already left on the bus and Sandra, sitting in her school uniform, hair in pig tails, continues to cry sitting on the arm of an overstuffed green chair. I sit next to her and ask what is going on. But in her state of despair she can't breathe let alone say words. So the other girls tell me that she doesn't like her shoes, they are boys shoes. I don't know about everyone else, but when I was a 9 year old girl having to go to school in boys shoes might as well have been going to school with a shaved head. That is basically the worst form of torture. I guess the day before the school said that the heel on her school shoes were too high and she couldn't wear them again. I kneel down next to Sandra and convince her to go to school and after school we will go into town and buy new shoes for school that are made just for girls! She begins to cry even harder, which confuses me. She says that the bus has already left, so me in my pajamas, unbrushed hair and teeth, barely awake self grab her book bags and run with, a crying Sandra, about 1/3 of a mile up a mountain to hail a taxi. On the way to school the tears cease and she appears to be ok. We pull up to the school and she freezes! Absolutely freezes, she asks if I will accompany her. So me in my pajamas, unbrushed hair and teeth, barely awake self walk into a school filled with students and teachers to take Sandra all the way to her classroom. After school I ask how school went and of course all was well. She was back to good ole all smiles Sandra. So Sandra, Carolina, and I go shoe shopping. We find delicately fabulous shoes for school for the both of the girls, have a little ice cream date, and head home. All is well in the world of the New Hope Twins.

I wanted to tell this story because this shoe shopping venture wouldn't have been possible without all the people who support me here in Peru both in prayers and with money. So thank you! Thank you for giving, praying, and loving these kids along with me for the past 9 months.

Love Much! Love Often!