everything else (other than the finca)

So as sweet as the finca was, there's been a ton of other stuff going on recently. This past Friday was the Jornada Medica (medical fair thing) that we did for this school in Ciudad Viejo (like 10 minutes away up the volcano), and let me tell you it was a blast! My teacher Lucky, member her? Yeah, she teaches 1st grade there in the afternoon so she and I went ahead of the other nursing students to get stuff set up for the jornada. All the little girls and boys came running out with Lucky and I came and gave us kisses and hugs. So cute. But when we looked in where Lucky teaches in the afternoon, there was no teacher in the 2nd grade class (this is not abnormal, remember I'm in Guatie), so I decided I should probably teach them some English. So I walk in and fake yell at them to sit down and then start laughing. I taught them all about the weather in Minnesota and we did head shoulders knees and toes. That was fun, especially when we did it really fast and they got all flustered and I couldn't stop laughing at them. Then we went in to the 5th grade class and I gave them a 15 minute talk on hygiene. It was actually pretty cool, they were really responsive. Then the other girls did stations with the kids (eyesight, hearing, height and weight, lice), and being that I didn't have a station (because I did the talk) I got to teach them English and sing with them and we had so much fun! The kids would hang on so tight to you (all except 3 had lice)! So anyways that was amazing. We also started our ministry sites this week, so for me (and the nursing students) it's a clinic in Chimaltenango (like 20 minutes away) and it's B-E-A-UTIFUL! It's owned by an Italian doctor and has like marble walls...it's part of a convent, so on the property there's a school, an orphanage, housing for all the sisters, everything! It's so cool. The doctor is so smart, it boggles my mind. We have a blast. We alternate 2 at a time being with her seeing patients and organizing the pharmacy. It's actually not so bad (although I'm still not feeling called to pharmacy). But seeing patients is the best. It makes me realize how much I love medicine and how much I still need to learn (obviously). Yesterday was hard, we did a ultrasound on this indigenous girl (18 years old) who has chronic renal failure. Her whole abdominal cavity was filled with fluid and she's on dialysis. She was all yellow and in so much pain and barely spoke Spanish (mostly Quiche, her native language). Her dad hadn't let her get treatment before because he didn't want her to see a male doctor, and he thought God would take her when He wanted to. Well as she's laying there the doctor explains to Hannah and I that she won't live another year. It was so hard to see. Even if she could have a kidney transplant her body wouldn't support it because she has diabetes too. As much as it broke my heart, I felt kinda wierd because it didn't seem to affect me as badly as it did Hannah. I don't know if I'm just heartless or what, but I think I've just learned already to separate myself from patients (thanks to momma and dadda). You can't think of them as a family member, but a patient. You do what you can for them but can't take everything on yourself. I guess it's important to learn. It was cool though we saw an ultrasound of a 5 month fetus which was CHEVERE (Fernanda taught me that word, she's from Colombia). We got to tell the momma that it was a boy! Hoorah. Fernanda is the cutest woman, she's an eye doctor that works at the clinic and she's a blast! Seriously so beautiful and fun, likes to go dancing and always invites us to everything. I just found out today that her husband lives in the US right now (1.5 years out of the 2 that they've been married) and she can't get a visa to live with him so she's all alone. That's why her and the doctor hang out so much. It sucks to see problems like that that you have no control of. Our culture in the US is so "you gotta fix it yourself" that it frusterates me so much to not be able to do anything. I'm thinking about just giving Bushy a ring-a-ling. Crap I hope I still have his cell phone number. Well that's about it. It's about time for class (we're taking the holistic ministry and human needs class right now Tu and Th in the afternoon with Profe Hector). Salsa tonight, I need to get a picture of Carlos. He's great (not gay though I found out, bisexual!). Hope all's well in the world. Thanks so much to all who have sent me emails, it means a lot to me. Loving it here!

Cmokaboji