Hey... I just thought that I'd write you a quick note telling you how our center went from a boring jungle center to a party with the president. Let me back up. When I went to school this morning I was told that we might get a chance to go down to the hangar where there was going to be a celebration for a dedication of six new drug enforcement boats. All of the "important" Peruvians were to be there and there was a rumor going around that the president Fuji Mori might show up. So we were gonna get out of school. : ) So at nine-fifteen we got a call saying to go down to the hangar. We all ran down and found lots of army-police people there and everything was beautiful. So, we waited for a long time. Uncle Dave A. told us that the Commandante told him that the president wasn't coming. We were pretty disappointed but they said that the next in command was coming instead. So we waited forever. Nothing happened so at eleven o'clock we went back to school with the promise that if the president did show up we would be called. They had been called from town saying that he might be coming soon. So we got back at school to find that he was here. He was driving around trying to find the hangar with about 7 other cars. Mr. Hankland got in a truck to show them how to get there. So we all ran back. Well, we got there in time to see the president come out. Some man gave a loooong speech and then Fuji Mori did. It was so awesome to see him TEN feet away. Everyone said that that was the closest we'd ever come to such an important man. So they all got in the boats and drove off. We got so many pictures and it was so awesome. Well they were gone we talked to the VIP's that were left behind. It was so cool. Well they came back and the president was shaking everyone's hands and then he said that he wanted a picture with all the kids that had been sitting there listening. So, I GOT TO STAND BY HIM WITH MY SHOULDER PRESSED AGAINST HIS AND HE SHOOK MY HAND. Every TV camera was pointed towards me and him for about five minutes and about 30 pictures were taken. Dad was taping the whole thing. Then they had the closing ceremonial stuff with the band playing and all. When he left we got to taste the white wine they had and maybe I had to much `cause now I'm in a great happy mood. I actually only had a little bit, don't worry. So we missed tons of school (three classes) and met THE PRESIDENT. Afterwards I talked to some older Peruvian man that was so nice. What was really funny is that while we were taking so many pictures of everything, two band members came and asked Shannon N. and Mary B. if they could take their pictures with them. It was funny. Oh yah, Josh gave the president a picture that he had drawn of a tiger and he walked around holding it for a while. Uncle Dave thought that he really liked it. It was such an awesome valentines day.
From an important person who knows an important person in Peru, Hannah
Josh