Live an Adventure. Change Lives.

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If you’ve been a long time follower now, you have most likely already heard me talk about Peru. I spent most of my teen years living in this amazing country, and without a doubt, it changed my life drastically and played a huge part in who I am today. One of the many reasons I am the positive person I am is because I have seen first hand what it’s like to be “without”. So I know no matter what my circumstance, it could ALWAYS be worse. There are so many amazing people in the world who don’t have food or even a roof over their head. I am so very happy to say that I have never gone a day without either of these things. But as a missionary kid, there were times in my life where we didn’t have very much at all. My parents did the best they could to provide for us, but because you sacrifice a lot to be a missionary, there were times we had to wash clothes by hand, make our own milk from powder, and share a room with all of my siblings. We didn’t have the conveniences most Americans take for granted such as Target, a car, air conditioner, etc. No, for the first couple of years of living there, we shopped at an outdoor market. And not the cutesy kind you’re imagining in your mind right now… No, the kind that smells awful, and looks awful too. Living in Peru was never easy, especially at first. Life in America is SO easy and everything is so super convenient. You have no idea until you live in a 3rd world country just how incredibly blessed we are in the United States.  Peru taught me so much. I will be honest, it was SO hard living there at first. I was 11 years old, didn’t speak Spanish… and had been taken from my easy life in America. But they say what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger and without a doubt, Peru made me stronger. I can look back now and thank God that he brought my family to Peru. The experience of living there molded the very woman that I am today and I am so so so thankful for the adventure I lived in this unbelievable country. I lived in so many different parts of Peru…. the dessert, the mountains and the jungle… yes, the jungle!! I’ve seen more of Peru than most people ever will and I feel SO lucky to have experienced some of the things I have seen. Honestly there are NO words to describe it. I wish I had time to write from beginning to end, the 6 years of my life that I spent in Peru. Maybe one day I will. But for now, just know that I love Peru. I sort of feel like it’s one of those forgotten about countries… but if you ever want to discover beauty, Peru is it. Not only for the visual part of it, but for the AMAZING people that live inside of it.

With that being said, I am SO excited to announce that I will be taking a trip to Peru this August and YOU CAN JOIN ME!!!! It is one of my dreams to take a group of people to visit Peru and this year it’s finally happening!! You may have seen me tweet or facebook about this trip for a couple of months now. Planning a trip like this takes a lot of time, but I have finally gotten everything together. : ) I am SOOO excited and truly hope you’ll consider joining us on this trip of a lifetime.

The trip will be a total of 10 days, beginning August 2, 2011 and ending August 11, 2011. We will be visiting an orphanage the first part of the trip and then visiting Cusco, Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley and MUCH more the second part of the trip!

The orphanage is run by Camino De Vida (Life Missions) church in Peru. This is the church I spent a lot of time working under while I lived in Peru and it is one of the most amazing churches I have ever been a part of my entire life. Pastor Robert Barriger started the church about 28 years ago (yeah, pretty much around the time I was born!!), and has done some AMAZING things in the country of Peru. Including starting this amazing home for orphans. You can see their website here. The orphanage has around 40 children. I have been to this orphanage several times in my life and I can honestly say it is the ministry I personally hold dearest to my heart. The children of Peru are so precious… they will melt your heart in a matter of minutes. It’s amazing how different they are from most children in America. It’s generally a lot harder to entertain a child in the states with our day and age of Wii, Xbox, Playstation, etc. All you have to do is simply smile or play with a child in Peru and it rocks their world. Truly. They are in desperate need for love and attention and you now have the opportunity to give it to them. Anyone can donate money to a good cause such as sponsoring a child, but there is nothing quite like going to the actual country and getting to know these beautiful children first hand. You don’t even have to speak the same language as them and they will immediately captivate your heart and change your life forever.

Besides that part of the trip, we’ll be flying to another part of Peru called Cusco, where we will spend 4 days visiting several AMAZING places that will completely blow your mind. Including one of the wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. I’ve personally been to Machu Picchu twice in my life, and to this day, it is still the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed with my own eyes. It truly is a WONDER that I wish everyone could see. Now you have the opportunity to!!!! We’ll also be visiting the Sacred Valley, Urubamba, Sacsayhuaman and so much more.

With this trip you will have the opportunity to see and experience things most people dream about and I guarantee you, it will change your life. Especially if you have never been outside of the United States, this is the opportunity to have an eye and heart opening experience that you will never forget as long as you live.

So what are the details!??! Here is the scoop:

Dates: August 2-11, 2011. (10 days)
We will fly out of New Orleans, Louisiana on August 2nd into Lima, Peru and fly back on August 11th. You will have 8 full days in Peru. Anyone can join us that is 18 years or older. Even if you live outside of the United States, you are welcome to join. : )

Price: $2250
This includes almost everything. All flights, transportation, excursions, hotels and several meals. The only thing it does not include is all dinners, a few lunches and 1 breakfast. Basically the only thing you will need extra money for are those meals, and anything you want to purchase while in the country. Lunch is approximately $8 a day and dinner is approximately $8-13 a day, depending.  You are responsible for getting yourself to the New Orleans airport on August 2nd.

Group limit: 15 is the max amount of people that will be able to go on this trip.
So the sooner you let me know you’re going/pay your deposit, the less likely you will lose your spot on being a part of this adventure!

Deadline: May 1st, 2011
You must let me know by this date if you are coming on the trip. You will need to pay a deposit of $1500 by this date to mark your spot. This is so that flights, hotels and excursions can be booked for the trip. Your balance ($750) is due by July 1st, 2011. All payments must be made via check or there will be a 5% credit card processing fee added to the total if you must pay via credit card.

Very important: You will need a passport to come on this trip.

Ready to sign up?
Email: peru@dellafiora.com to let me know you’re going to be joining us on this trip of a lifetime or if you want to get additional information such as the exact schedule of the trip, etc. Or if you have any questions. : )

If you won’t be able to join us on this trip, but would love to make a donation to help someone else go, please contact me: peru@dellafiora.com — you can of course make donations to the orphanage as well.

I am SO SO SO freaking excited about this trip, you have no idea!! I really and truly hope you will be able to sacrifice your time and money to join me on the trip that I am certain will change your life forever!

I searched high and low for photos of me in Machu Picchu, but no such luck. The last time I was there was when I was 15 and I have no idea where the photos from that trip are. Sad I know. My mom found this one photo of me posing in Machu Picchu at age 13. Oh yeah, I was rocking those pink pants like nobody’s business. *cringe*

The following photos were not taken by me.

Random facts about Peru:

Population: 29,496,000
Capital: Lima – approx. 8.5 inhabitants
Primary language: Spanish
Additional information: Peru is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico civilization, one of the oldest in the world, and to the Inca Empire, the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century and established a Viceroyalty, which included most of its South American colonies. After achieving independence in 1821, Peru has undergone periods of political unrest and fiscal crisis as well as periods of stability and economic upswing. Peru is a representative democratic republic divided into 25 regions. Its geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast to the peaks of the Andes mountains and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country with a high Human Development Index score and a poverty level around 36%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, fishing, mining, and manufacturing of products such as textiles.
Learn more about Peru here.