And on the third day....

I'm ready to get some sleep, so let's just cover highlights from today. Kay? Good. =)

We got to split the day between checking water filters in the town above San Andres, working in the clinic, and teaching English to sixth graders in the school at Patanatic. The little boys who were taking us to the houses that had filters told me my skin was white, laughed at my spanish and tstujil (spelling???) pronunciation, wondered why my hair is so short, and asked why everyone in los estados unidos estan altos (why people in the US are so tall). I can only imagine that they were basing this on the people they have met from the US, including me. Now, seeing as I am a whopping 5 feet, 4 inches tall, that's quite a compliment. The really interesting part was that before I could figure out how to answer in spanish, they asked if it was because we have lots of fruits and vegetables to eat. Wow. Our Moms weren't kidding when they said we need to eat all of our fruits and vegetables if we want to grow big and strong. How amazing that these boys know that. I wish I could've given them a giant field of vegetables so they could eat as much as they like to grow as tall as they want (although, if they're anything like certain 12-year-olds that I know, they might not eat more than a couple bites before deciding the extra height isn't worth the pain of stomaching the vegetables).

In the clinic, I was in charge of vitals signs, dispensing meds, and organizing and putting away the new meds. It was a busy afternoon but was good practice for tomorrow. They said we'll have almost twice the patients we saw yesterday (which is also waaay more than what we saw today).

Funny side note--I have already found myself thinking through things in Spanish even when I am alone. Which is great! But something that was even funnier to me...as I read Lander's e-mail, I read it like it was from someone who speaks English as a second language. I kept reminding myself to NOT read it with a Spanish accent but to read it just as he wrote it. I guess my brain got tired of going back and forth today!

If you are praying for me, thank you! Please pray that God's love will just pour out of my pores and that I will be able to serve in whatever way necessary, not just by using my nursing skills. Thanks a ton!

<3 

Day 2-I think I'll celebrate by moving to the second floor!

Because of a couple things in our rooms on the first floor, one of the doctors and I moved to the second floor this evening. I'm all settled into the room that will be "mine" for the next 3 weeks (or at least I think it will...hope so!). Complete with Hannah Montana in Spanish playing on tv. Michelle, you need to be here to watch it with me!!!! (and to explain what in the world is going on haha)

Today was great fun. I was put in charge of "the pharmacy," which means that I was responsible for dispensing the sample medicine for the scripts the doctors had written. I also got to practice my organizational skills and a few basic nursing skills here and there.

I got to tour the clinic today! Right now "the clinic" is being held in the community center, which is the floor beneath the clinic. Exam rooms have been partitioned off and a place is set up to organize all the medicine. Not quite like a Pyxis! (medicine dispenser in hospitals) The inside of the soon-to-be clinic is amazing. More incredible than I had imagined. There are exam rooms, a room for a midwife, a dental room, an x-ray room, a laboratory, bathrooms, even a reception desk! I can't wait to see it all finished and being used!

It's 10 and I'm sleepy, so goodnight! <3  Oh...and one last thing...the children here are SO ADORABLE. They're just precious. And so so happy. Okay. Now the end and goodnight. ~.*.~

Guatemala Adventure Round 2, Day 1

Soooo, I'm in another country. It still hasn't really sunken in yet. You would think that the hours of winding roads through the mountains & clouds, people speaking another language, and complete lack of anything that looks like Kansas (or anywhere in the US for that matter) would clue me in. Maybe it should have become more "real" when I walked down the street with another volunteer and had people try to get me to buy things from them "for a really good price" even though I told them multiple times I had no money with me. Possibly even now as I look around the hotel room at little quirks that are very non-North-American (including the need for bottled water, differences in the bathroom, special little friends sharing my room with me...). I suppose it HAS hit home a little bit. Just not fully yet. I am hoping that part comes tomorrow when we start seeing patients in the clinic. Aaaaahh--I'm so excited to see the clinic actually built! AND to work for the first time as a Registered Nurse. Fun way to start.

God, please use this amazing opportunity to mold me into Your image. I want to shine your light to everyone around me! Let people see YOU working through me. I most definitely could not do this without you. Also, thank you very much for helping my stomach to stop hurting and for taking away the nauseousness. I was sad that my stomach decided to be dumb before I even got into the country! Especially since it kept acting up once I got here. I would be okay if that stuff didn't come back tomorrow. If it needs to for some reason, though, help me to handle it well. Thanks!

PS...to anyone who decides to read this....I made it into Guatemala safely. Just in case you were still wondering.