7 months

As I sit hit writing this I hear pigs squealing, kids playing baseball, and sweat is literally dripping down my face.....and oddly enough this has all grown pretty much normal for me. Throw in a Doña walking her cow down the street and (when the light arrives) blaring bachata music, and then we can call it a day. I can then hop under my mosquito net and light my divino niño candle and escape into a world of mind-erasing trashy novels in english to the soothing sounds of roosters crowing.

Yes this has been my life for the past 7 months...still hard to believe it´s been that long. I finished my community diagnostic ...interviewing every house in my community (all 43 houses) and the neighboring community (30 houses) and presented my results at a conference in Santiago in February.

I found that about 20-25% of the houses suffer from either, or diabetes and high blood pressure and more than half the houses suffer from flu like symptoms every 2 months. Some pretty big problems I know, which is why I´m excited that my nutrition course starts this month and I am writing a grant to get money for latrines. Lack of latrines play a huge rule in the flu like symptoms and general hygiene of both communities, so as of now, getting these people their basic sanitation needs met is my number one priority.

I am also planning a monthly education and check-in session with the people who suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes. As well as a monthly baby-weighing to check the growth process of each infant under 5 years old.

The youth group and I have started an after school tutoring program that I am really excited about. Each child meets with a youth twice a week for one hour to go over homework, learn to read, as well as learn other subjects, but they also have three goals to complete for the program. Monthly we will have an all inclusive meeting to check the progress of each child. Sadly the majority of the kids (aged 6-12) do not know how to read, so I´m hoping this program will help with that. In the future I would love to fix up the school (it´s in TERRIBLE condition) and install a small computer center and library....because none of the children have ever used a computer and have very lilttle access, if any, to books.

Other than work, I have moved into my own house and I LOVE it! I love having my own space...even if I do have on average 3 kids in my house at any given time.

My house

My kids

Reminder on packages.....

This is what I need-

towels

markers

crayons

lots of chocolate

tea

poptarts

candy

blank paper

t-shirts

vitamins

calcium pills
advil

and anything else you can think of. plus my b'day is this month, so please send.

And come visit me!