Chichicastenango

Hola again from Guatemala!

It's been a busy weekend for us in Guatemala. Saturday morning, some of the nurses woke up bright and early to go zip lining in the mountains. The girls who went said it was a scary experience--but certainly worth the trip! Not too many people in the world can say that they've gone zip lining on a volcano.

Natasha made a friend at the restaurant we ate at.

After they returned, it was off for a 2.5 hour drive through the mountains to Chichicastenango. Linda, our translator, gave my some Peruvian medicine for motion sickness before we left and--success! No car sickness whatsoever!

After arriving in Chichi, we checked into our cute little hotel and had a nice dinner as a group. Between our Spanish classes, separate homestays and clinical visits, it's hard for us to get the entire group together, so it was wonderful to share each other's company again. We went to bed early so we could be rested up and ready to tackle Chichi.

This morning, it was up and at 'em! We started the day with a two hour tour of Chichi, where we got to hike up one of the smaller hills and look at a Mayan ceremonial spot. Something I find truly wonderful about this culture is how they've blended some of their religions together. The Catholic church here has a Mayan alter in it, and the Mayan ceremonial spot had crosses in it.

Amanda (left) and Stephanie at dinner!

After the tour, it was a big day of shopping in Chichi. Chichi is all about bartering, so we had to have our Spanish numbers memorized pretty well. By the end of the day we were all fairly exhausted, but happy to have experienced one of Central America's largest markets. We took a van to Panajachel, then a boat back to San Pedro. San Pedro has truly started feeling like a home to us, many of us were saying "home, sweet home" when we stepped off the boat.

After another nice dinner together, it was back to work--we all have homework to finish up for class tomorrow. In the morning, we're up bright and early to shadow some local midwives, then it's back to class.

Buenos Noches!

-Melissa

Hello from The Philippines!

Hello everyone! This evening concludes our second full day in the Philippines. After 31 hours of travel we arrived late Friday night to Manilla. We were very tired and slept comfortably in a nice hotel. Saturday morning an outreach staff member, Val, picked us up from the hotel and drove us to Cabanatuan City, where we will stay primarily in the next couple weeks.

Saturday was filled mostly with driving, and because of the 14 hour time difference from here to the Midwest, we were very tired and disoriented. Understanding that, the OPI (Outreach Philippines Incorperated) staff left the evening for rest and dinner.

We all fell asleep early that night, but were wide awake at 5am the next morning! This was okay though, it gave us plenty of time to prepare for church. We attended a small Community of Christ congregation where we were welcomed by friends. Our group enjoyed the music, message, and fellowship. It was such a neat experience for all of us, as COC members, to experience our church in a new culture.

OPI workers and church members were very happy to see all of us. Particularly, Ethan who participated in this trip last January, and is now back for his second time. Ethan also had been so excited to see these friends. He says, "It feels like no time has passed."

After church, lunch, and purchasing some $1 sunglasses, we gathered at the OPI head quarters for an orientation meeting. We were able to get a better grasp on what the next couple weeks will entail in that meeting. Chris, Becca, Andrea, and I, who were not here last year, learned more about last years work. And also about the steps we will be taking to learn and address needs of the community.

We shared dinner with the staff, which was filled with laughter and adventures. Andrea accidentally tipped over a bottle of water trying to share her dish. Before any of us could react, majority of the liquid had emptied directly on the crotch of Chris's pants. Turns out looking like you peed your pants is funny in any language! Later in the meal we began discussing interesting foods that are common here. Pigs blood soup, fried chicken heads, and a variety of intestines were all mentioned. But what horrified us the most was a hard boiled egg in which the chicken fetus is partially developed. We joked about it for a while, and soon it was realized that a vendor carrying these treats was right outside. Emily, one of the OPI staff, and our bravest Enactus member, Becca each ate one. We were so impressed and of course captured it on film.

Tonight we are all still tired. Our minds all seem to be full of hopes, ideas, and some concerns for how the next few weeks. We are all definitely excited to see what they will hold. More later. Thank you!

Kylie Bassett and
Philippines Enactus Team

It works!

Danica here, finally! I've had Internet access but was experiencing browser problems with Blogger. So, where to begin?! Last week seems like ages ago- I have been through KC, DC, London, Johannesburg, South Africa, and Livingstone, Lusaka, and now Ndola in Zambia. Physically travelling is not so fun for me, so I am glad we are in Ndola for 6 days.

On our day trip exploring London between flights, I rode my first subway- the Underground! It was cold and grey outside and everything reminded me of Harry Potter. We were able to see Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Parliament and Big Ben, and the Royal Horse Guard. I ate fish and chips for lunch and a tart as a snack...When in London!

In Johannesburg, we visited a lion park and were able to pet lion cubs, feed and pet giraffes, and see a whole field of different animals- zebra, gazelle, giraffes and ostriches!

In Livingstone, we visited Victoria Falls (my second visit) and it was as breathtaking as I remember. Truly beautiful.

Yesterday in Lusaka, we traveled to a highly developed community school called Chikumbuso that was very inspiring to us in our goals for the Health Ed Connect schools. Our tour guide, Mama Gertrude, told us her incredible personal story while showing us their library (complete with laptops!) It had a profound effect on me, and I know that this experience will be both joyous and heartbreaking for me, and I'll have to process it in a positive way.

We also met with Samantha Chula, the director for the Room to Read program in Zambia. It was founded by a man who worked with Microsoft and left the corporation to follow his passion in educating youth in extreme poverty. They have two focuses, literacy and the girls program to keep girls in school because they have drop out rates due to pregnancy and caring for the home. I took 7 pages of notes, so I definitely found a lot of their ideas interesting, especially their theory on teaching in a mother tongue till 4 or 5, then teaching in English,

Ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kafwe center at Chipulukusu and worship service- after a half hour walk there due to the tremendously poor road conditions (many, MANY potholes.) Update you later!

Terremoto!

Natasha and Karlee outside the clinic in San Juan

It's another beautiful night in San Pedro!

Today was my day off from the clinic, so I was able to spend my morning doing a little homework in the hammock outside my room. The nursing students that went to San Juan today had a unique experience--they experienced their first earthquake! Never fear, none of us were in danger--in fact, my friend Karlee and I didn't even feel it.


Tortillas! Nom nom nom.

Before lunch time, Karlee and I joined our host mom, Melida, in a little tortilla making. It was enjoyable but I have to say--I make some ugggg-ly tortillas. After lunch, it was back to school, where I struggled through the past tense in Spanish (and can I say I hate the word 'Hacer?' Because I do.) After a quick coffee break, my teacher Nicolas and I walked around San Pedro, delivering food to families in need. The school we go to, La Cooperativa, donates money to the community to help needy families, build houses and help fund local students' educations. Nicolas and I dropped off food at three houses, one where the father was blind, and two where the fathers had died. The experience reminds me of just how lucky I am to have what I have. I may drive a '95 Taurus and I might eat my fair share of Ramen, but I am truly blessed to have the things that I have.

After school, Karlee and I played dominos with Melida's daughter. I had never played before, but I somehow learned a new game in Spanish.

Tomorrow morning, we're headed out to Chichicastenango, where one of the largest markets in Central America is. I have to admit--I'm a little nervous to be driving through the mountains again, but the trip will surely be worth it! That's all I have for you tonight--hasta luego!

Nursing in Jamaica -- Last Day on the Job

Hello, readers! Guess what?

We did it!

Five days of working in the clinic is coming to a close, and what a grand finale it has been! Today, the team was split into three groups and sent around Falmouth.  One stayed at the clinic, and though I've heard it was busy and there was only one doctor and the dentist, I've also heard it went very well.

The second group was able to go to a the public health department down here.  The woman in our team worked very hard to make the right connections so that a team could go there, and I can't tell you how big of a deal it was that she was able to set up the clinic there.  The look on her face when she found out they had agreed last night was all the information I needed on how wonderful it was.  They set up a clinic and did well-infant checks.  I've heard it went amazingly well.  I haven't been able to sit any heard stories yet, but if I hear anything more worth sharing, I will post it later.

The third group (including myself) was sent again to the All-Age School.  And boy, what an experience! It was the first time I really got to work with kids, and even though sometimes the school sounded like a scene out of a World War II film, the visiting I got to do with the younger were awesome.  They were very excited to have us there, and kids who weren't even there to see the doctor would come in to meet the white medical team. Some would hug us, and they all wanted to listen to their hearts with our stethoscopes.

Most were there only for minor colds and check-ups, but we got to treat a few head wounds who showed up at the office, blood still on their faces.  The good news about that is all the wounds were minor and they were able to be cleaned up and sent out the door.  One little girl was shaken up and I sat with her and let her play games on a teammates phone until she was smiling again. 

In short, if I needed something that would validate my desire to be a pediatric nurse, it came today.

Lesson for today:   I want to do this again.

Okay, so maybe I already knew that from the first day.  If I had a dream of working as a nurse in the global mission field before, it has become even stronger until it is a passion.  It is more than "I want to do this again", but "I want to do this for my whole life".  Being a nurse in a foreign country, as been such a wonderful experience.  The welcome and the appreciation I have felt here is difficult to describe.  Even though the feelings of homesickness are finally beginning to sink in, I am proud of what I and my school and all the others who joined us were able to accomplish this week.  And when I leave the dorm tomorrow, I will miss the new friends I have made.

Tomorrow, we go to the resort. It will be a full day of food and the beach.  I doubt I will take a break from all the fun to blog, but I will be sure to tell you the adventures I have the following two days when I land safely in Missouri.  Okay, so maybe after I've had a long, long night's sleep.

Have an awesome weekend!
~Chante'

Hello from Zambia! First writing!

Sorry all! This was my first copy, but I had thought the computer I was using lost all my writing so I wrote a shorter one posted minutes ago. Feel free to read both. See my first one below:

We made it and are having a great time! I have been blessed to be a part of a great community that has grouped together in hope for a better tomorrow.
From the start of our journey we have toured London for a day seeing some amazing sites like Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and got to eat fish n chips for lunch! A great way to start a trip. Then for our second night in a row for an airplane chair as our bed we landed  in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning. There we got to go to a lion park seeing lions, giraffes, zebras, gazelles, water buffalo, and hienas all for the first time! I found out that I am amazed and absolutely love giraffes (besides the slobber on my hand when I was feeding and petting it)! The lions! Wow, seeing them was a great experience, but being within around four to five feet was breath taking! Pictures to come when technology is available! On Wednesday we got on another plane and flew to Livingstone, which is in the most southern tip of Zambia. Finally in Zambia! When we got there we got to go tour Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world! Pictures, videos, or any other kind of technology can not do justice to being there, being soaking wet, and being able to be able to stay and gaze at it for however long you wish! On Thursday we got on another plane (our last one for a couple weeks!) to fly north to Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. Immediately after unpacking our bags to our guesthouse we went directly to the country headquarters for a meeting with an organization called Room to Read. This organization is in ten countries and purpose to raise literacy in children through providing libraries in schools and communities among several other programs. They we super nice and the country director, Samanatha, was wonderful to us and answered all of our questions. The reason for that meeting and stopping in Lusaka for a couple of days before going into the Copperbelt, where HealthEd Connect sites are, is to network with other organizations that can give ideas, feedback, and simply to create and maintain relationships that provide opportunities to share what works for them, what they would try to do differently, and for us to ask questions on how to better shape HealthEd Connect's three community schools. Finally today (Friday) we got to visit a community center/school called Chickumbuso. This was started as a outreach to widows which as turned into a community center that has a shool, library, shop that sells goods made by the widows, and much, much more! This was a great visit because this is a model of what HealthEd Connect's schools want to look like in the future. Talked to Gertrude there an had a humbling experience listening to her story of how Chickumbuso changed her life and the struggles she has gone through. It was a moment, for me, of yes the goal of the HealthEd Connect schools is a possibility and can be done!
Tomorrow we leave on a bus to go north to Ndola, where we will be staying the next seen nights. Sunday morning at nchurch will be our first experience with the communities we are involved in. I'm excited to meet the people that are apart of the community that my friends he been talking about.
Of course all of this was written without the great stories that go along with it for time sake. All of the coffee in the portage, rummy playing, Stu's birthday, and the great people we are meeting will have to wait until a later time.

Hello from Zambia!

Greetings from Zambia! After sightseeing in London, Johannesburg, and Livingstone we are in Lusaka preparing in meetings with other organizations and within our own group. A more detailed itinerary would have been possible if my wifi didn't log me out of my full report and have to start over so more to come, hopefully. 

Today we visited a community center/school called Chickumbuso in Lusaka. This was our first real introduction and seeing of some of the great struggles that go on in Zambia. Chickumbuso was amazing and was started as a center for widows, but has now expanded to a school, library, shop where goods are sold that have been made by the widows, and much more! I had a humbling experience listening to Gertrude's story of how Chickumbuso has change her life and the struggles that she has gone through. She was one of the ones that helped right from square one with getting this great organization started. It was an amazing experience because it was an assurance that yes we can do it. HealthEd Connect's three community schools in the Copperbelt want to model what Chickumbuso have in place so it was great to see the facilities and meet some of the teachers. 

Tomorrow we get on a bus to Ndola where we will be stAying for the next seven nights.  This is locate in the Copperbelt where HealthEd Connect's three sites/schools are located. Sunday morning at church will be the first time we get to meet the people that my friends have been talking about this whole time so I am excited to meet them! Of course this was written without talking about seeing things like Westminster Abbey, seeing giraffes and lions for the first time, Victoria Falls, having coffee in my morning portage, and of course the mAny laughs and great people we have met along the way. I'm having a great time and am learning more and more each day about Zambian culture and their education system! Well, off of take my Malaria medication and to bed. A great start to 2013! I urge all of you to leArn more about what HealthEd Connect is all about  because it is a great organization in which I believe more and more in each day. Good night! 

Andrew Murphy