tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32579425429610365762024-03-14T03:19:11.047-07:00Heather in HondurasA blog about my 14 months of volunteer service and other adventures in Central America.Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-87605518579795322292012-05-11T20:19:00.002-07:002012-08-02T22:36:11.766-07:00Good Friends and Good-byes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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All my girls who have been in the Hogar Estrellas de Belen with me over the last 16 months. We had a very fun goodbye party together. The tias cooked my favorite meal for dinner, then we indulged in soda and ice cream before watching a slideshow of the photos I took of the girls over the last year.<br />
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I ate a lot of good food during my last week on the Ranch. This was the meal served to me for my goodbye party with the clinic staff.<br />
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The beautiful going away cake that Jen made for me... with real frosting and all.<br />
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My gift from the clinic, a key rack with the honduras flag, map, coins and symbol.<br />
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The internal and external clinic staff from NPH Honduras.<br />
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One little cutie... Evelin at a big celebration in honor of the boys section.<br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Traditional country game... the boys trying to climb a greased pole that has a $25 prize at the top. It was quite a challenge and also very entertaining.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This last week was a long process of saying good-bye to my Honduran</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">friends, fellow volunteers, employees with whom I had worked, and the</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">children that I have come to love over the past 16 months. Volunteers</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">luckily receive their entire last week on the Ranch free of work to</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">allow for quality time with the kids, goodbye parties, a trip to</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">immigration to cancel our residency, and packing. Much to my surprise</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I was able to hold it together very well, up until the end with final</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">hugs to my Hogar girls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I left the Ranch on Sunday for 3 ½ weeks of travel before returning to</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">the States. It is difficult for me to process that my time with NPH is</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">actually over, and that I am not just on vacation for a few weeks and</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">then returning. Every one of my kids when I said good-bye asked me</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“when will you be back?” and the most painful part of that was that I</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">didn’t know how to answer them. If they meant returning permanently,</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">the answer would sadly be never. And even though I have hopes to visit</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">NPH again within the year, and see how the kids have grown, even that</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">is uncertain. I hate to give them a promise that I can’t keep, so the</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">best answer that I could come up with was “I don’t know…”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">At mass during my last day on the Ranch, I was called to the front</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">during announcements and presented with a beautiful wood carved plaque</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">as a thank you for my service. This is a moment that passes for all</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">outgoing volunteers, and one I have thought about occasionally over my</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">past 1 ½ years at NPH. But when it actually came to be my turn,</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">standing up there in front of all the kids who had challenged me and</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">taught me so much during my time in Honduras, I had no idea how to</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">properly convey my feelings. These kids see so many caregivers,</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">volunteers, and visitors come in and out of their lives every few days</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">to years. It amazes me that they can still so willingly open their</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">hearts to give and receive the love with someone like me. I wanted to</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">truly thank them for making me feel so welcome in their home and the</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">opportunities that I was able to have. When else would I have had the</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">experiences of fighting fires, learning Spanish, experiencing another</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">culture, delivering babies in a pick-up truck, eating innards soup, or</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">de-liceing children.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Many people who don’t understand this place or what it has done for me</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">say “what a sacrifice for you to have given up your job, family, and</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">home to come to Honduras.” Instead, I see it as a great privilege. It</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">is not very many people who have the freedom and security to put their</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">life on hold without worries and go on an adventure for that length of</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">time. As happens with many volunteers, despite how hard I worked with</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">my nursing role and the kids, I still feel as though I received much</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">more than what I gave. I now have a wonderful experience that has</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">taught me so much about what is truly important in life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I think it will be take me a while after I return back to the states</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">and settle down a little to truly process this experience and evaluate</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">how it has changed me and in what ways it will continue to affect my</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">life. As for now, I am going to enjoy my travels. I have 4 days left</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">in Nicaragua, and from there I will make my way north for the next 3</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">weeks, through El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize, finally returning</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">back to the USA on May 30th.</span>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-33305809097636040232012-04-22T18:27:00.000-07:002012-04-22T18:27:07.024-07:00The Final Countdown!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the start of April, came Semana Santa or Holy Week, thus beginning 7 days of religious celebration and vacation. That first weekend, my friend Jared Brandell arrived for a quick three day visit to see what the Ranch was all about after finishing a church trip in Guatemala. The Palm Sunday procession was a fun event with the kids as we waved our authentic palms in the air and sang celebratory songs. Simultaneously there was a forest fire passing through, so some of the older boys missed mass to go put out the brush flames. Jared was a good sport as I dragged him along to go camping with about 150 girls and women. After a 5 hour drive to the south coast, we arrived at the beach. It was a nice location for the girls to relax and swim in a sheltered bay with very little waves, especially since many do not know how to swim. For many of the girls, it was their very first time ever seeing the ocean, and it felt special to share that day with them. There was definitely no shortage of inflatable whales, dolphins, and rafts, as the kids floated about in the warm water. The only downside was that a girl would occasionally come out of the water screaming with a leg welted up from a jellyfish tentacle floating by. After experimenting with a couple of different suggestions (and turning down the urine technique) such as dabbing vinegar over the wound, we found that a numbing spray that I happened to have in the first aid kit seemed to provide the quickest relief.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day I dropped Jared off at the airport and simultaneously picked my parents up for yet another visit to Honduras. I took some vacation days and we spent two nights at the giant Lake Yojoa, exploring the nature around us and relaxing at an American run brewery/hotel. Just in time for the peak of the Semana Santa celebrations, we arrived to the historic capital and colonial city of Comayagua. In addition to exploring the historical cathedrals, we took part in some processions, watched some theatrical renditions of Jesus’ last days, and soaked in the community feeling amidst us. The most incredible sight to see, and the reason for us being there on those specific two days was the construction of the ‘alfombras’ or carpets. Starting before midnight on Thursday, and working all through the wee hours of Friday morning, various different groups of towns people use sawdust, both plain and colored, to construct beautiful pieces of art that appear to be like ‘carpets’ lining the streets all throughout the central part of town. In the morning the town swells to the brim with Hondurans traveling from all over to come see the beautiful art before the sawdust tapestries get trampled in the later hours of the morning as the processions and Stations of the Cross pass through. This event was the most impressive display of Honduran culture and tradition that I have witnessed in all my year here.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We came back to the Ranch in time to participate in our own sunrise mass on Easter morning. Before my parents left that day, we did a little Easter egg hunt with the girls in my hogar. Instead of hiding all the candy stuffed plastic eggs (in the interest of time) we rolled them out on the floor and all the girls had to find the nine eggs with their specific number on it. It was super cute to watch them crawling around on the floor, investigating the eggs and calling out numbers to help each other find their respective treats. And to share a little bit of my own childhood traditions with them. After my parents left it was back to work as I had a big couple weeks of activities and a medical brigade ahead of me.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weeks prior to Easter, I had been intensely planning a Health Fair for both the elementary school and middle school to help raise awareness for different wellness issues and also allow the kids to have some fun while learning about the importance of their health. When the big day came, 13 people from our health-team turned out to help run the 8 different stations that the kids would rotate through. The themes ranged in everything from nutrition, hand washing, self-control, disability awareness, why say no to drugs, how to avoid getting sick with Dengue, colds or parasites, personal hygiene, and dental hygiene. Each station was very interactive with games and activities so that the kids could have fun while learning. Our doctor dressed up as a clown to teach about drugs, the kids got to put glitter on their hands to simulate the passing of germs, or wear blurry glasses to help understand their peers with disabilities. It was an exhausting day teaching the subjects from morning until late afternoon as the kids rotated around the stations in small groups, but hopefully very effective. I hope that this trend of health education can be continued for the kids after I am gone.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shortly after, it was brought to my attention that one of our ‘abuelos’ from the grandparent house had been in the hospital for almost a week after getting very sick during a visit to his extended family over the holiday. He had been diagnosed with a heart block and urgently needed a pacemaker to be installed to allow him to ever be able to leave the hospital or do any sort of activity again. The pacemaker was $520 and the leads another $350, an amount that neither his extended family, nor NPH in our current financial situation could come up with. In a desperate plea for help, I turned to all of you who have been so supportive of me during my time here in Honduras. I was overwhelmed by the rapid response of donations that we received when I checked my email the next morning, a mere 14 hours after I sent my original message. Thanks to all of you, Don Santiago is happily back home here on the ranch and quickly on his way to a full recovery, where I’m sure I will soon see him out watering the plants in front of his home as I pass by on my way to and from my work.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yesterday concluded another Orthopedic surgical brigade at our on-site surgery center, the fourth one that I have participated with since my time at NPH began. This one was slightly more exhausting as it not only consisted of the typical orthopedic specialty, but also the specialties of Ear-Nose-Throat, Gynecology, and General Surgery. I often started my day around 5am and worked until almost 7 or 8pm when I would come home for dinner and promptly disappear again into my room to go to bed. Jennifer, my partner volunteer nurse, and I helped run consult clinics for these specialties to screen patients for surgery. Several of our own NPH kids were able to get much needed tonsillectomies or ear surgeries. During the 8 days of the brigade the team saw 700 consults and did almost 100 surgeries and minor procedures. When there were no consults, I assisted in the admission room preparing patients for surgery and when there was down time would occasionally peak in on some surgeries to see some interesting things. One of my highlights was scrubbing in on a surgery where an older man had a large cyst in his scrotum, the size of a softball. I got to assist holding instruments and eventually pop the fluid-filled sack as 400ml of fluid rushed out. I then helped to stitch the incision in his abdomen closed, another first for me! Needless to say, I’m sure he felt much better after the surgery!</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The final countdown has begun, but not necessarily in the exciting sense of the term. In 14 days, my time at NPH will come to an end, at least for now. I feel that my work here as a nurse has reached a good closing point and I look forward to the new chapter of nursing that lays ahead of me while attending the University of Minnesota in the fall (yes, it’s finally official now). However, saying goodbye to the kids and my hogar never really does get easier, no matter how long you stay. So with that said, I will just have to make the absolute most out of my next two weeks here while wrapping up the loose ends of my job and enjoying every moment with the girls.</span></span></div>
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Palm Sunday Processions to the church.<br />
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Exploring the burn zone, hours after a brush fire burned hundreds of acres of Ranch property.<br />
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At the playa with the girls of Talita Kumi.<br />
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Ricardo, he and his twin are our youngest kids here, and both just completed their first birthday.<br />
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Kids trying out some blurry vision to learn about disability awareness during the elementary school healthfair that I coordinated.<br />
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Our Ranch doctor, Mario Ramos, dressed up as a clown to teach kids the importance of saying 'no' to drugs.<br />
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Jennifer and Rebecca, two nurses teaching kids about the importance of handwashing.<br />
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Caroline and Ricardo, this photo taken the day before he and 13 other kids came down with chickenpox.<br />
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Lago de Yajoa with my parents during Holy Week.<br />
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Bird nests hanging from the tips of branches. Nature's amazing!<br />
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Exploring the waterfall, Pulapanzak.<br />
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My dad and I infront of the cathedral in Comayagua.<br />
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Preparing for the Stations of the Cross in Comayagua on Good Friday.<br />
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With two volunteers, Kate & Lydia, seeing the hundreds of 'alfombras' lining the streets of Comayagua.<br />
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Watching the processions pass by on Good Friday.<br />
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Robed assistants carrying the floats depicting Jesus' march with the cross.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDKSgQdy0IHwNRPIcBZyzKclZY0TKd2hUgcnZ7w239FyG1GNq6dzvabY4AhNv6kNVlzsAeZyT2V_KxPpyjqZzOOhT1188jXoy0s-hJ5vD2-RlHLnxxw8fRTRJWkRqmX5tLhOpyJTKCaap/s1600/P4060325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDKSgQdy0IHwNRPIcBZyzKclZY0TKd2hUgcnZ7w239FyG1GNq6dzvabY4AhNv6kNVlzsAeZyT2V_KxPpyjqZzOOhT1188jXoy0s-hJ5vD2-RlHLnxxw8fRTRJWkRqmX5tLhOpyJTKCaap/s320/P4060325.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-47170766475568896122012-03-25T16:26:00.000-07:002012-03-25T16:26:52.047-07:00Real Life Honduras<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The first two weeks of this month I participated in back to back medical brigades. I, along with three other NPH volunteers, was invited to serve as a translator and accompany a group of American doctors and dentists to an area called Montana de la Flor (Flower Mountain). We ventured hours and hours into the mountains along rugged dirt roads and across river beds to arrive at this extremely remote area where the people remain primarily indigenous and stricken with poverty. The brigade was comprised of about 70 people from the US military, Honduran military, a medical mission group of American dentists and doctors, a group of students from the South Dakota State University, a few Honduras doctors, and us translators. It was a very odd ensemble to say the least, and a lot of different people who thought they were in charge. But in the end, we were all there for the same purpose, to help people in need. I have to admit, I stopped and staired as much as the Honduran children did, when the military arrived in their convoy of humvys and began to unload. So we got to work… setting up base camp in the town community center and school, clinic by day and dormitories by night. The US military provided triage and talks on health and wellness education, the American doctors held general consults, the dentists pulled hundreds of teeth a day, and the students from SDSU did nutrition assessments both for the women and children who came to clinic and out in the field.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I worked mostly as a translator for the Nutrition and Food Access study that was being carried out by SDSU in collaboration with the Honduran ‘Ministry of Health.’ Every day teams of two students, a doctor, a US military personnel, a Honduran guard, and a translator would be sent out to find homes in the mountains that contained a randomly selected ‘index child’ to conduct the study on. The first day, our local guide was actually the chief of the village. The group hiked 1 ½ hours into uninhabited mountains, lugging scales, laboratory equipment, and personal gear to find a few clustered homes nestled into the hillside. The goal was to find a mother and child between 6 months and 5 years of age to participate in the study. In the homes we visited we would survey the family on food security and other family history data. Then collect data such as height, weight, arm girth, a physical assessment by the physician, and blood samples from the mother and baby to test for nutrition level and mineral levels such as Zinc, iron, Vit C, and Vit A. Those found to be anemic were then treated with iron and those underweight with a dietary supplement called plumpy-nut. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a week of house visits and surveys, almost all the situations were the same. Most of the homes were made of mud walls with a dirt floor, no electricity, gathered water from the river, 5-6 children per family, mother nor father had never attended school, nor even knew how to sign their own name. Most families constantly worried about food supply or ran out, children were eating just one type of food every day if available, sometimes going all day without anything to eat, and going to bed hungry. Even after having traveled to many parts of the world and living in Honduras for over a year, this was some of the worst poverty I had ever seen. The first home that we visited that week was the worst, consisting of 4 poles holding up a roof of leaves with three tarps forming the walls. The only furniture in the house was a couple of tiny beds made of sticks stacked together and a few rags thrown on top. The 5 children walked around in tattered clothes, unkempt, caked in dirt head to toe, bellies distended from malnutrition. The mother stood by a pot of corn kernals cooking over a few logs of wood. Since her husband was away she did not consent to all of the study, but we were able to leave them with some soap, toothbrushes, clothing items and iron supplements. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was an interesting dichotomy to visit this area, where because of their isolation they have managed to maintain their indigenous heritage and continue to pass down their culture and traditions such as their language ‘Tolpan.’ However the lack of influence from the outside world has also hindered their advancement in basic things such as electricity, water access, sanitation and cultivation of a value for education. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The day after I returned to the Ranch began another brigade held at NPH that I and another volunteer, Kate, helped to coordinate. Seven visiting doctors from Spain offered specialties of Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Family medicine. We offered consults for three days in the external clinic on the Ranch and the last day traveled to two very underserved and difficult to access communities. At both areas we held consults in the school house and pieced together a make-shift clinic and pharmacy. We were swamped by women and children seeking out medical services and treatment. But over the week, a lot of good was done seeing 120-150 patients per day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last weekend, the kids put on a talent show. While most talent shows I grew up watching consisted of a majority of singing numbers, here at NPH the kids much prefer to show off their dancing skills. I have always been impressed by how well the kids can dance here, and in a variety of different styles. I could name off any style of dance to a school-age child and they would most likely be able to dance the correct steps (Bachata, Merangue, Salsa, Punta, Ranchero, even Rock&Roll and Disco). A group of the youngest girls showed off their talents with a hula-hoop, some even able to do dance steps while twirling the hoop around their waist. The girls in my hogar self-choreographed a dance to an entire song on their own, with 12 of them actually getting up the courage to perform it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today I returned back to the Ranch from a quick weekend trip to visit an area called Santa Barbara. After about 6 months of attempted planning, I and my two favorite caregivers for the girls in Hogar, Carmen and Lizeth, were finally able to make this trip a reality. Lizeth and I traveled about 5 hours north-east to visit the home of Carmen and her family. She lives in a modest house out in the country with her husband, two young children, 15 dairy cows, 4 dogs, 2 pigs, a handful of chickens, and a rabbit. It was a great weekend, both to relax and get away, and also to learn what it is like to be a homemaker in Honduras. There was time for some fun as well as we got to spend the afternoon playing in a river, followed by a hot springs in the evening that curiously spouted out of a pipe on the side of the highway.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel I would be very inadequate if I ever wanted to marry and run a household in Honduras. I learned many new tasks this weekend such as cow milking (very tiring by the way if you haven’t developed the right muscles in your hand and forearm), corn tortilla making, how and what to feed pigs, and how keep children and a husband happy. Carmen is able to maintain the household in a very sustainable way, in that the majority of the staple foods her family eats come from their property. The milk, cream, and cheese comes from the cows, eggs and meat from the chickens, beans are grown in the garden, not to mention the huge variety of fruit trees on their property. When it was blazing hot in the mid-day sun, Carmen said “I think some lemonade would be good right about now” and she went out into the back yard and plucked the limes off the tree. One of the things Carmen told me this weekend that had a lot of meaning was “It is possible, with some hard work, to live a comfortable and happy life on very little.”</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g13aO5he5HbmclIIHjIB-Vb1AD0Mw3WUqs5FTDhvju_P68feAaWQIwIyV7_He_JpiJHyTABOhJMg9m3w8Uo-WaVSRj4dHVkUv3gRqq8fGzJ46VKh_x4LLFX5406fLxTFbZLBPkeQxFFo/s1600/IMG_3109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g13aO5he5HbmclIIHjIB-Vb1AD0Mw3WUqs5FTDhvju_P68feAaWQIwIyV7_He_JpiJHyTABOhJMg9m3w8Uo-WaVSRj4dHVkUv3gRqq8fGzJ46VKh_x4LLFX5406fLxTFbZLBPkeQxFFo/s320/IMG_3109.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> All packed and ready to go on the Montana de la Flor brigade, where we volunteered as medical translators.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUDoDqdNDL62i5CeDxjWpDbJk47ET6DntAJQpV15s574d0xiwtqqjxnMjSK7dJCz5_92EcUXtQxdrqKtSelWBfqtIufsl6Cl93kAFIptKlhx2Ko0r8LOS9dQhdhFMePBt3WTnKY3OwCNB/s1600/IMG_3137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUDoDqdNDL62i5CeDxjWpDbJk47ET6DntAJQpV15s574d0xiwtqqjxnMjSK7dJCz5_92EcUXtQxdrqKtSelWBfqtIufsl6Cl93kAFIptKlhx2Ko0r8LOS9dQhdhFMePBt3WTnKY3OwCNB/s320/IMG_3137.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Hiking up the mountain to selected home sites with all of the survey gear, military personelle and students.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegYH-gp-fYb_xXe1Vb7Cx8aEhgPjhEaDihFQXWyZGFaDY4_12apmtCcgfQicSbZpV3VyWr_72YBMVbPRnuth4Nfo1kFJvdqAHTFlIqTe6PIubZirMj0X6I2_xe35FgftH3VomHCfXDayX/s1600/IMG_3139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegYH-gp-fYb_xXe1Vb7Cx8aEhgPjhEaDihFQXWyZGFaDY4_12apmtCcgfQicSbZpV3VyWr_72YBMVbPRnuth4Nfo1kFJvdqAHTFlIqTe6PIubZirMj0X6I2_xe35FgftH3VomHCfXDayX/s320/IMG_3139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Typical 1 room mud and stick home in the village of Rincon.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwe32B6DpQbXOw4ztOnI95e5mqmwgYXIcsuwSmBpwcKcRdnj5SfcC-EMsRaYcNpum5Kk94yfWR8vLE22M5MvjouOGwRCnR3SPu94MbW4hxzQXWsOY_Fg4v7kYA-8_bUX9sIT_r1BwvX3XL/s1600/IMG_3143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwe32B6DpQbXOw4ztOnI95e5mqmwgYXIcsuwSmBpwcKcRdnj5SfcC-EMsRaYcNpum5Kk94yfWR8vLE22M5MvjouOGwRCnR3SPu94MbW4hxzQXWsOY_Fg4v7kYA-8_bUX9sIT_r1BwvX3XL/s320/IMG_3143.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The first home we visited, Maria Luisa with her five children. The boy in the middle demonstrating the typical fashion for carrying babies and toddlers in a cloth sling.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCQRmECZCNU6g-4dqLNT7d2yJSwOCyKpFTFh-o92ONY3LkvMnST9IS3asnkEzn2jda1XhYyi5qOVZ4-Aa9ao3u7G-JxqgZOZEg4LJ0CSb71_XRmJ4Umt6Dg7OcVFYQrycgUDxLsS1fQ8J/s1600/IMG_3166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCQRmECZCNU6g-4dqLNT7d2yJSwOCyKpFTFh-o92ONY3LkvMnST9IS3asnkEzn2jda1XhYyi5qOVZ4-Aa9ao3u7G-JxqgZOZEg4LJ0CSb71_XRmJ4Umt6Dg7OcVFYQrycgUDxLsS1fQ8J/s320/IMG_3166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Typical handicrafts made by the Montana de la Flor women.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYOxGXVuf9awYbjN1B6Zpar5eerSJ4we9hqjEnIWq7AsGvmUNn1_VMHo6OQ8eKjHgHKinvvuC52CgS9lhf4FqjM_L3-nmBG03xdRpbtWFZKN1ygyZNZ-Fv5ohpnOJKqd6_pXNbgvybD6g/s1600/IMG_3175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYOxGXVuf9awYbjN1B6Zpar5eerSJ4we9hqjEnIWq7AsGvmUNn1_VMHo6OQ8eKjHgHKinvvuC52CgS9lhf4FqjM_L3-nmBG03xdRpbtWFZKN1ygyZNZ-Fv5ohpnOJKqd6_pXNbgvybD6g/s320/IMG_3175.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> One of the little girls we surveyed, showing off her bandaided fingers after we took a blood sample to measure her nutrition status.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fci8dv5IVF8mfk0hbecvcea6ZU-3SptnlJf4rd9k0C0OTxULcgli6kyk6OmgEySB-mXwuBavnpTGjm163arW72BQJgY2_4f1ONc3wIHACYd3hXcfoXfFu8kysS1lWgWom5wZwKCmHezt/s1600/IMG_3192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fci8dv5IVF8mfk0hbecvcea6ZU-3SptnlJf4rd9k0C0OTxULcgli6kyk6OmgEySB-mXwuBavnpTGjm163arW72BQJgY2_4f1ONc3wIHACYd3hXcfoXfFu8kysS1lWgWom5wZwKCmHezt/s320/IMG_3192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> One of the National Guard members teaching the local children handwashing technique in the river.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY59i0A3UMrM7JhEnEcJCm1WIVoYT7MB6lxkHRuqxVgMLVvOI_e6-NTTYpUkI3wL3psRgeOEVEshxTJo75N7rWLKqAOhkk__JZaVjmzVKdcLy6fwD0DeY63nhTF-0uQXzLmNgzlVlGHTv/s1600/IMG_3197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxY59i0A3UMrM7JhEnEcJCm1WIVoYT7MB6lxkHRuqxVgMLVvOI_e6-NTTYpUkI3wL3psRgeOEVEshxTJo75N7rWLKqAOhkk__JZaVjmzVKdcLy6fwD0DeY63nhTF-0uQXzLmNgzlVlGHTv/s320/IMG_3197.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Daytrip away from NPH, we converted a one-room school house into a make shift clinic for the brigade of Doctors from Spain.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoPb2BAheJOgKJx0Uy4hHvPIZviVUoTKNypv27FxWE06VQeaIKQV6lUtLc_SutbfLvGWELO3ttxH5RVV6wb4hIclvpXsR3j7x1H5ptPgFxjQmAfgzf_tHXnkjD8ZNjsJ0HFScO1q_b7pp/s1600/IMG_3199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHoPb2BAheJOgKJx0Uy4hHvPIZviVUoTKNypv27FxWE06VQeaIKQV6lUtLc_SutbfLvGWELO3ttxH5RVV6wb4hIclvpXsR3j7x1H5ptPgFxjQmAfgzf_tHXnkjD8ZNjsJ0HFScO1q_b7pp/s320/IMG_3199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Deedee and I ran the admission, vital signs, and pharmacy at a few tables out front of the school.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPDkCT8S7w0OrXtzb2STB1G7Br3veQ7MhohsvM5WsKcLcrmO442Bnjz-KB8DjswE-fMpqk_iCiKB27VR96nnLn28PjREcw3qT8acrrph2xhOCnGI7X0imWH298UYbKnM4FVwgpkTQFgjC/s1600/IMG_3200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPDkCT8S7w0OrXtzb2STB1G7Br3veQ7MhohsvM5WsKcLcrmO442Bnjz-KB8DjswE-fMpqk_iCiKB27VR96nnLn28PjREcw3qT8acrrph2xhOCnGI7X0imWH298UYbKnM4FVwgpkTQFgjC/s320/IMG_3200.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Jen, my fellow volunteer nurse, and I in the back of a pick-up truck on our way to the remote village of Las Pilas to attend to the medical needs of the community.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3AFK2MMRPQXByi2KtwxvmLDGBTrQJbccSU78q3h0M3wy0Ny7xZmLOFbfs41LN0al1Hz6IpsCDCuI4BpTjWjh-RvDI282v0Cbh0vMiNdlBo4kQLkjj9VwDj73pVVDUpVURt9kWWWviGhy/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3AFK2MMRPQXByi2KtwxvmLDGBTrQJbccSU78q3h0M3wy0Ny7xZmLOFbfs41LN0al1Hz6IpsCDCuI4BpTjWjh-RvDI282v0Cbh0vMiNdlBo4kQLkjj9VwDj73pVVDUpVURt9kWWWviGhy/s320/IMG_3207.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> One of our youngest (and cutest) patients.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZUuAhdCLtlFS7oLue-WK9XTnbP7HiRX2KECuhag3v0Pz0NAr0WE6AjMrZPZk_b_aoWl9IU3W-7X93jlnywRqkO_RILYT4VuZ7CJE-XHZRxbwk3YJPm0l8WC3Hcw9AfF90mNtxKv4quE8/s1600/IMG_3217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZUuAhdCLtlFS7oLue-WK9XTnbP7HiRX2KECuhag3v0Pz0NAr0WE6AjMrZPZk_b_aoWl9IU3W-7X93jlnywRqkO_RILYT4VuZ7CJE-XHZRxbwk3YJPm0l8WC3Hcw9AfF90mNtxKv4quE8/s320/IMG_3217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The little girls (ages 4-6) putting on a hula-hoop performance for the talent show.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTK6GkpG1Gf_mGkOJQeqVHCqaTttYjmRvs0c6qcJacoKBZ4TX8mcihsvXpzJk3bQZD0myQO7mvR9K9B5TsLwSJ-3g1kEE_5qgqOVoimypFfCSRwZnVtkaXfFjuq2ihyhRB2UIqMq0SFnH/s1600/IMG_3226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTK6GkpG1Gf_mGkOJQeqVHCqaTttYjmRvs0c6qcJacoKBZ4TX8mcihsvXpzJk3bQZD0myQO7mvR9K9B5TsLwSJ-3g1kEE_5qgqOVoimypFfCSRwZnVtkaXfFjuq2ihyhRB2UIqMq0SFnH/s320/IMG_3226.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> A day hanging out with the girls... Cathi and Carmen.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFxNWKM3Oj2aIBi-sj1951Ic4SRjWnlXqlueeOaeW14tTjbVaFt-jv8Fam8RrOmd8iyyrVl5lg-hIuN5eMqY6-nP2TtfjUZtpf0xaYY4zNEZ0ZMEpBBCEJj2dH0CtsFmExdADcIWHVcff/s1600/IMG_3263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFxNWKM3Oj2aIBi-sj1951Ic4SRjWnlXqlueeOaeW14tTjbVaFt-jv8Fam8RrOmd8iyyrVl5lg-hIuN5eMqY6-nP2TtfjUZtpf0xaYY4zNEZ0ZMEpBBCEJj2dH0CtsFmExdADcIWHVcff/s320/IMG_3263.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> A typical way of cooking in most Honduran households with a wood-fueled fire below a large metal plate, where pots, pans, and tortillas can be heated.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6aE-tLuL4XjY88f87J3_CPWGzxWypEWobtbmcOHhzjHxFa3n2QFHDkl-VfNg81F_PkLbsz7TL0kqcf8UixZSfmlxGpPVJWlaYoen_HAfhLFzlf6Y_ECrd_FrZwPyFyVXFbyFWPlMKrnK/s1600/IMG_3254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6aE-tLuL4XjY88f87J3_CPWGzxWypEWobtbmcOHhzjHxFa3n2QFHDkl-VfNg81F_PkLbsz7TL0kqcf8UixZSfmlxGpPVJWlaYoen_HAfhLFzlf6Y_ECrd_FrZwPyFyVXFbyFWPlMKrnK/s320/IMG_3254.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The view of the property at Carmen's home.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1ghodb2Vtte-S9_zi3lK4wXp-uheEw8aRA0UFdu1XaMYFhqv7jbsx3RYgv0sih4InzyNY7Ln3IB3Zg0W7qiOKbPWxJcM6NBLvPaYdxisubo_Av9RT7uHfAEN1zBUhcKtBU22ou-eJTyE/s1600/IMG_3266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1ghodb2Vtte-S9_zi3lK4wXp-uheEw8aRA0UFdu1XaMYFhqv7jbsx3RYgv0sih4InzyNY7Ln3IB3Zg0W7qiOKbPWxJcM6NBLvPaYdxisubo_Av9RT7uHfAEN1zBUhcKtBU22ou-eJTyE/s320/IMG_3266.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The "Pila." A normal fixture in most honduran households that serves as a water container for the daily water use of the household. The scrubing board attached serves a variety of functions such as clothes washing, dish cleaning, handwashing, and teethbrushing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pXKgl7-MBjMIMCJn3pOWMh04Eaoz6h6IOw5KAcRg-SgCPKsX7gfvyB0IqGYajRskhS4yGhiUchJgFmKg3sYwHaRdIhkbUa2cj8eFM7oL236J_pHkEqg3p9l3rGZ4MGCFtCAGO5S5q2xw/s1600/IMG_3267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2pXKgl7-MBjMIMCJn3pOWMh04Eaoz6h6IOw5KAcRg-SgCPKsX7gfvyB0IqGYajRskhS4yGhiUchJgFmKg3sYwHaRdIhkbUa2cj8eFM7oL236J_pHkEqg3p9l3rGZ4MGCFtCAGO5S5q2xw/s320/IMG_3267.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Playing in the field with Carmen's daughter Valeria (5 years).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGd9Q4RHUtcvmy_v9_t1IOZlig7yLEnGb53X03ONF2AUuKkvoxIYFkk8y6_rCT7xdCHGdHfCXbYrB7gsc3HqK-eiPf5B3wpDxLT5uRxAYpsEKPpKFoi7Vz3-0kKKHQ9cNn2Eqt17Xo-gfB/s1600/IMG_3275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGd9Q4RHUtcvmy_v9_t1IOZlig7yLEnGb53X03ONF2AUuKkvoxIYFkk8y6_rCT7xdCHGdHfCXbYrB7gsc3HqK-eiPf5B3wpDxLT5uRxAYpsEKPpKFoi7Vz3-0kKKHQ9cNn2Eqt17Xo-gfB/s320/IMG_3275.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Learning how to make corn-flour tortillas. First you have to make a ball and get it as even and flat as possible.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYq_Ic05iEIqOEu8dn5cSxttuhlKwyaf7Oxj8-mJIghESYnfIqoj5t2peOrSpwr9HWuq1elufzHR8hiv5QrThEaXpDzmas80qTiTq_fpRI7qCntOCrMD25WCTe4jiLaCFl3xQbTmpOtbK1/s1600/IMG_3276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYq_Ic05iEIqOEu8dn5cSxttuhlKwyaf7Oxj8-mJIghESYnfIqoj5t2peOrSpwr9HWuq1elufzHR8hiv5QrThEaXpDzmas80qTiTq_fpRI7qCntOCrMD25WCTe4jiLaCFl3xQbTmpOtbK1/s320/IMG_3276.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Then you place it gently on the comal (stove surface) being careful not to let it burn.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJMjI30_HVKIhKRqN-YUG9kbxQThQLKcqDuZl_k70lJZoh8tgjEMug7AqZPFL4QIRGqaGLOHPQcIxkTr5rngmOm_Q41xq-LysBtuk1f42gs-HOWblmjUy4k4wJpz5LQKZCCK0wz2jAUGu/s1600/IMG_3279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJMjI30_HVKIhKRqN-YUG9kbxQThQLKcqDuZl_k70lJZoh8tgjEMug7AqZPFL4QIRGqaGLOHPQcIxkTr5rngmOm_Q41xq-LysBtuk1f42gs-HOWblmjUy4k4wJpz5LQKZCCK0wz2jAUGu/s320/IMG_3279.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Learning to milk a cow, not as tedious as I thought, but definately tiring.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Vft6I7tPz-tU5Mo2i6ac7vNkAIBAw6GM-7v-7XpPieaZW-XB4iiSnTnf349a9GwFEZZxo4VnGmRsFAHPmHQ115zlBjgr65aUF0RI4hU4LtsW9VRAynOjOSKG3BFqNGsMrw1-tKCp_hyU/s1600/IMG_3295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Vft6I7tPz-tU5Mo2i6ac7vNkAIBAw6GM-7v-7XpPieaZW-XB4iiSnTnf349a9GwFEZZxo4VnGmRsFAHPmHQ115zlBjgr65aUF0RI4hU4LtsW9VRAynOjOSKG3BFqNGsMrw1-tKCp_hyU/s320/IMG_3295.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Enjoying the hot springs.</span></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-69742160689771634922012-03-04T15:12:00.000-08:002012-03-04T15:12:15.540-08:00For the love of Bees<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, another busy 5½ weeks have gone by since my last blog entry, and I am trying to recall the most important highlights to share with you. As January came to a close, I tried to get the clinic in order and in tip-top shape to turn it over mid-February to Jen, our new volunteer RN. For months, I had been trying to get someone to come and remove a large bee hive that had been growing in-between the wall and the roof of the clinic, and also get someone to fix the front metal door that would jam and I had to kick open every morning. Each day when the sun came out and heated up the wall, the bees would swarm and I was always worried a patient would be stung. Well, coincidentally on the same morning that that the metal workshop teacher came to fix my door, the farm manager came to remove the beehive. While trying to scoot around the sparks flying around the clinic from the metal door being sawed off, the bees started going crazy as their hive was disturbed when the roof above the admission room and pharmacy was removed. This situation would have been okay except that I still had about 15 patients in the other building of the clinic waiting to see the doctor. By the time I came out of the pharmacy, my staff had all disappeared into the laboratory, and the patients were nowhere to be found. I went outside and realized that the metal door to the building where my patients probably were was still stuck open. I ran up to the patient building and quickly untied the door and pulled it closed. I found all the patients inside, huddled at the end of the hallway, trying to swat down the angry bees that had entered.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I spent the next 1 ½ hours holding the front door closed and watching the swarming, kamikaze bees dive-bomb the screen windows, trying to sting the patients inside. Luckily they seldom were able to find an opening to enter, but when they did, they went straight for the first thing they saw moving. Luckily only a few patients were stung, and no one was allergic. As I sat there, trapped with my 15 patients, listening to the buzzing grow louder and louder, and a little girl who had to go to the bathroom “really, really bad” for the last hour, I felt like I was reliving the movie killer bees, and couldn’t help but think “only in Honduras!” Finally the ‘bee venom’ arrived and the majority of the bees were killed, leaving a thick layer of dead bees, sawdust, and honeycomb on the floor and walls inside and out of my clinic. When the doctor finished all his consults and declared it ‘probably safe’ to finally let the patients out of captivity, I opened the door and we all ran across the clearing a safe distance from the hive, just as the doctor himself got stung.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Knowing that my patients had been delayed many hours by this ordeal, I knew I had to try to fill their prescriptions and get them on their way as soon as possible. I collected all the patient’s prescriptions and called the nurses hiding in the laboratory to tell them to be prepared to open the door, and I made a run for it. Once in the laboratory, we had to make runs down the hallway to the pharmacy which was directly under the open roof and deteriorating bee hive. After several trips back and forth with dead bees falling from above, and drugged bees buzzing around in circles, we were able to collect enough medications and materials to set up a make-shift pharmacy in the laboratory, and quickly distribute the medications. Once the bee situation was under control, we began cleaning up what looked like a war-zone in the clinic, and the metal shop professor was able to return safely and continue shaving off the door again. Needless to say, I was left with a hole in the roof of the clinic for 5 days, through rain and shine, until someone was able to come and repair it. A few minor maintenance repairs turned into quite a big event.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few weeks ago, I had the lucky excuse of two more Graduate school interviews to make a week long trip home to the states; first spending the weekend in Minneapolis for an interview at St. Catherine’s University and simultaneously getting to see many good friends in the area, followed by 5 days in Park City with my family and an interview at the University of Utah. Highlights included a Camp reunion-potluck, being at home with my entire family, and attending a Univ. of Utah vs. Stanford gymnastics meet. I am not officially committed to any one school yet, but chances are very high I will be moving to Minnesota in September.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I arrived back to the Ranch last week, I had 107 pairs of glasses waiting for me from our previous Ophthalmology brigade, to be fitted and distributed. Over this week, 30 NPH children received glasses, mostly for distance vision which will greatly help them improve their school work. The remaining glasses went to employees, family members, and other patients from the community. Some of the kids are so excited about their glasses, and others (mostly the girls who are more worried about fashion over functionality) are not so thrilled. My favorite patient, one of the special needs boys named Carlos, has been asking me about his glasses for the past month. Since the minute he received them, I haven’t seen him take them off once. I am hoping that the kids who are a little more apprehensive about their glasses, either for appearance or adjusting to the strong prescription will eventually come around and see the benefit of having better eyesight. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The same week our 5 volunteers left, the children’s housing sections changed as the older kids in each hogar group moved up and new younger kids moved in, a process that happens each February before the school year starts. 11 of my 19 girls moved next door to an older age-group section, and 12 adorable younger girls moved up into our hogar. Moving day was a big ordeal. When I arrived to my hogar in the evening, there was a line of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>girls outside the door, each with their personal belongings wrapped up in their bed blanket. As they entered the hogar, they had to sit down on the floor with a Tia and inventory all their belongings, so that those missing important clothing items could get more from the storehouse. The evening was a chaos of cluttered floors, girls meticulously folding their clothes, and organizing their prized possessions into their locker. The new group of girls as a whole is very well behaved, a little less loud and dramatic than the older ones who moved up, and they have already started bonding well.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The hardest part of this last month was saying goodbye to my closest friend and roommate, Caro, from Austria, as she and the majority of my entering cohort finished their 13 months of service and headed back to their respective homes. Of the three volunteer cohorts I’ve watched leave, this one was by far the hardest, possibly because of the realization that I will have to go through the same process of separation and goodbyes in two months. I am realizing how much I have truly come to love the kids here, especially my hogar girls over the year. It is a love that is new to me, and that I didn’t even realize was growing inside until one day, it was just so blatantly obvious it was there. It is different than romantic love, or the love one feels for their parents and siblings, but the type of love that I can only imagine would be most closely compared to the love that a parent feels for a child, ‘unconditional love.’ It is a love that wants the absolute best in the world for the child, that loves them no matter if they do good or bad, and wants them to stay safe and protected always.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3Cu4wwCXuSVYiG_cRJKVo-xV9c-EFPDLTbGe2-XdltYwHbyP-kNEqxypZe1hBKwDga79hiRxkvKGrjMhe7Dampr1sESdKqCaNisXHZeByIl5nwcbU7jL22oXWWUsFpwICWmYAyXhOlFY/s1600/IMG_3015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3Cu4wwCXuSVYiG_cRJKVo-xV9c-EFPDLTbGe2-XdltYwHbyP-kNEqxypZe1hBKwDga79hiRxkvKGrjMhe7Dampr1sESdKqCaNisXHZeByIl5nwcbU7jL22oXWWUsFpwICWmYAyXhOlFY/s320/IMG_3015.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> A night in the city with Nancy, Irene, and Kristina.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXaucf8LGpTa2g5Ah8M8QnP5HEZ5ejd0sw9FTg1B0NtJ3bpzJqiPGYiTw2cWd6ORsZPKnoJUHwCdMtH0WZyE2Ql6Fm8RAYJJMs9rskoquSI9HnLXUDsmhTG8B_QOK3UTdXI7CxafddSnB/s1600/IMG_3031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXaucf8LGpTa2g5Ah8M8QnP5HEZ5ejd0sw9FTg1B0NtJ3bpzJqiPGYiTw2cWd6ORsZPKnoJUHwCdMtH0WZyE2Ql6Fm8RAYJJMs9rskoquSI9HnLXUDsmhTG8B_QOK3UTdXI7CxafddSnB/s320/IMG_3031.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> 21 volunteers squeezed into a van for a day trip to the Honduras version of Child Protective Services.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx83VlqMGKkt_xHQc8qPVUagOMDysaCtpbTIho4wcbrC43xliJS-Iyhl2k8vYVISAim4vxczq-TMpMkEPL8VocLqAMcKAIut8g29viDxQItGG-7dpriIsZex-ndwo5MPO-OD6sk0mTE7yi/s1600/IMG_3040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx83VlqMGKkt_xHQc8qPVUagOMDysaCtpbTIho4wcbrC43xliJS-Iyhl2k8vYVISAim4vxczq-TMpMkEPL8VocLqAMcKAIut8g29viDxQItGG-7dpriIsZex-ndwo5MPO-OD6sk0mTE7yi/s320/IMG_3040.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> Visiting the Basilica Suyapa in honor of the patron saint of Honduras.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhQw2QE8tIwXhgKqR3xdD74MowXy6UdyvLbg905vnd_qX-1QkFQWF6Hn_qwkuhDT1zZi8Cu7m99rAmdpe0E4YJkdyNNcQi6y_9gC_dQ_IOgjpGJ7puxSXpw8zqOuq9MR3Ybip_8XIl64u/s1600/IMG_3046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhQw2QE8tIwXhgKqR3xdD74MowXy6UdyvLbg905vnd_qX-1QkFQWF6Hn_qwkuhDT1zZi8Cu7m99rAmdpe0E4YJkdyNNcQi6y_9gC_dQ_IOgjpGJ7puxSXpw8zqOuq9MR3Ybip_8XIl64u/s320/IMG_3046.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> Enjoying some campfire time with three sisters, Elsy, Digna, and Carmelina.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje47RawyV0iH_5oE8SVlCRtUOSGRutof6DaWTA13I7O_GHAzykN50R0LxyIiCewPQkTiL9yuz0OA27amdNm6WyRwlenvIiiWGlGtusDQf7gVYOLlMMQ2OQGP2YDNRDvZKkFHDiE_3HVr-E/s1600/IMG_3049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje47RawyV0iH_5oE8SVlCRtUOSGRutof6DaWTA13I7O_GHAzykN50R0LxyIiCewPQkTiL9yuz0OA27amdNm6WyRwlenvIiiWGlGtusDQf7gVYOLlMMQ2OQGP2YDNRDvZKkFHDiE_3HVr-E/s320/IMG_3049.JPG" uda="true" width="240" /></a></div> Digna roasting marshmallows in a bamboo shoot.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF56VNMBxEsx96p5z1LnGpDh7_anJp01zMTYY813Lg248EXcqyUwz5dFHUE9LCUiw4Cy6-G0b28aoAYfdW7sb_ZR14vp9VwFIS8zzLOgLbgBQqsQw61bnuX108bhwGFLeeNKfHrxyGSlN-/s1600/IMG_3058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF56VNMBxEsx96p5z1LnGpDh7_anJp01zMTYY813Lg248EXcqyUwz5dFHUE9LCUiw4Cy6-G0b28aoAYfdW7sb_ZR14vp9VwFIS8zzLOgLbgBQqsQw61bnuX108bhwGFLeeNKfHrxyGSlN-/s320/IMG_3058.JPG" uda="true" width="221" /></a></div> Adorable Evelin.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUKhNRCPsj1u3PzN8oT5ZtkOW__Rb0oLgw9ZTCurpggzYWvsF7MGyB6x1lPHaBC-Nw70zEWWPYkCb7zgvbyw8ZurUS-3ihPlHk5SxniKgFQdNrCXUM2WWvcLknKp0Im2x4vJz4RM4EW3A/s1600/IMG_3063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUKhNRCPsj1u3PzN8oT5ZtkOW__Rb0oLgw9ZTCurpggzYWvsF7MGyB6x1lPHaBC-Nw70zEWWPYkCb7zgvbyw8ZurUS-3ihPlHk5SxniKgFQdNrCXUM2WWvcLknKp0Im2x4vJz4RM4EW3A/s320/IMG_3063.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> The cake I made for the goodbye party of the 11 girls who moved to another hogar.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyr0ZJ7gElVntRZIb4j9x7H3Qyt0ZsYHXscfEuGdnHcYiL3CIVwjK6Rl2oBnj0HZYM1rEAmaTolMaOQtjB08L5a9NxM4dDMuwPpf7KLXXQ9K9QeQZcwiD_XcdN_H3zBt66-DPxmo582ni/s1600/IMG_3087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoyr0ZJ7gElVntRZIb4j9x7H3Qyt0ZsYHXscfEuGdnHcYiL3CIVwjK6Rl2oBnj0HZYM1rEAmaTolMaOQtjB08L5a9NxM4dDMuwPpf7KLXXQ9K9QeQZcwiD_XcdN_H3zBt66-DPxmo582ni/s320/IMG_3087.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> Moving day... all the younger girls lined up outside awaiting their turn to move their things into the hogar.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyDQVYeTHWHqH_YWYq7psv7p45wQkCb2dnvLslhZGplf2mSqOtduDOHE0ZidLv6yBFsZL6-nATKXvpF7eE3hAgHQnGaiNfTdY-rn7p-1-chVBSbTVXT7gyK4Xfi4uYsRVcwnkMxsHpAtX/s1600/IMG_3090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyDQVYeTHWHqH_YWYq7psv7p45wQkCb2dnvLslhZGplf2mSqOtduDOHE0ZidLv6yBFsZL6-nATKXvpF7eE3hAgHQnGaiNfTdY-rn7p-1-chVBSbTVXT7gyK4Xfi4uYsRVcwnkMxsHpAtX/s320/IMG_3090.JPG" uda="true" width="240" /></a></div> Carmen, with all of her personal belongings wrapped up in her one blanket.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjdioiiWi46Bd4XGxVQlgu2-ihS3Ux8WgdobZwW17FEawvJYukbjDSJEOuWhhjb9ud_xE25GzCUXzhAOdFkj25d2p98EqU6Am9XGgFPf8JcopoS8DRWeaMhHm_jy5TmjsmpTuZs9SQf_E/s1600/IMG_3092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbjdioiiWi46Bd4XGxVQlgu2-ihS3Ux8WgdobZwW17FEawvJYukbjDSJEOuWhhjb9ud_xE25GzCUXzhAOdFkj25d2p98EqU6Am9XGgFPf8JcopoS8DRWeaMhHm_jy5TmjsmpTuZs9SQf_E/s320/IMG_3092.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> Tia Dania doing inventory of Carmelina's belongings.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aJ6unzFMaqozUGP73q4I0mkO5k3HJ3aBXB225-f2Gkqt_uU4Jf9kpN7IIC0-7DpUw0T8hLac5uTgXsXZNHPDMMmXzfxEmwmbv5sfAPU0TFDwJo7C8jfpm3zsumlE5gPth7ImKaxK1B2t/s1600/IMG_3096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aJ6unzFMaqozUGP73q4I0mkO5k3HJ3aBXB225-f2Gkqt_uU4Jf9kpN7IIC0-7DpUw0T8hLac5uTgXsXZNHPDMMmXzfxEmwmbv5sfAPU0TFDwJo7C8jfpm3zsumlE5gPth7ImKaxK1B2t/s320/IMG_3096.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> Daniela helping Carmelina organize her clothes to put in her locker.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHIHBGhwyjSlzfVRdPnWY5UcxACjSaEtje7wPjcX-4fI9UKw-9Yqfk7z8zFdH2cmpq8eQCPGWmy2KYGzn5DixxSihzgS1tckEnW-dz2uOEfhwZ1U9WJXsxmU-HIqjfhufM6M5eomLg9-5/s1600/IMG_3097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHIHBGhwyjSlzfVRdPnWY5UcxACjSaEtje7wPjcX-4fI9UKw-9Yqfk7z8zFdH2cmpq8eQCPGWmy2KYGzn5DixxSihzgS1tckEnW-dz2uOEfhwZ1U9WJXsxmU-HIqjfhufM6M5eomLg9-5/s320/IMG_3097.JPG" uda="true" width="240" /></a></div> Josselin showing off her new locker.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7-pQFGZ8Efop4TZk20OuNPlxaC9NtGmAFuOJxJqRHOFseVqOM49o8qc1BObL6-0KqPm7o4LkYYWvxvA1jf4NN9yEHYrRPnjCyLohKKNt4i_og0-lymV1Tr1ceUP8tudrWt9pY6P9wXhS/s1600/IMG_3099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7-pQFGZ8Efop4TZk20OuNPlxaC9NtGmAFuOJxJqRHOFseVqOM49o8qc1BObL6-0KqPm7o4LkYYWvxvA1jf4NN9yEHYrRPnjCyLohKKNt4i_og0-lymV1Tr1ceUP8tudrWt9pY6P9wXhS/s320/IMG_3099.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> The explosion of 'things' that ensued as the girls found their place in the hogar.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74GNx_TQtrkJgXYDO4hW4_tdm-DTRSoyvV0jEf5NqldkB42X5EFyU5LRRjfbiOVYokpWftQ9MssFOf6r6eHrlcv1OI8IFvlxBnhct2_X7X_4_KEpti92d89TaDNra-Wnwcd-6523HDwc7/s1600/IMG_3105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74GNx_TQtrkJgXYDO4hW4_tdm-DTRSoyvV0jEf5NqldkB42X5EFyU5LRRjfbiOVYokpWftQ9MssFOf6r6eHrlcv1OI8IFvlxBnhct2_X7X_4_KEpti92d89TaDNra-Wnwcd-6523HDwc7/s320/IMG_3105.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div> Patients waiting for a consult outside of the clinic where I formerly worked.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjd8eW_zTi4eb7RAVCHQSxQR92T_-Pg8AlicYzggEduhiXcIQWumHw-mxLHtY4smrUnzirmJHmhkPX1Zq7fBunGkQnIpC1_gDOYwjrKhyphenhypheneihbSBn1tEhkzVut9mWNDgmF1yTXjYQ-4KEB/s1600/IMG_3106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjd8eW_zTi4eb7RAVCHQSxQR92T_-Pg8AlicYzggEduhiXcIQWumHw-mxLHtY4smrUnzirmJHmhkPX1Zq7fBunGkQnIpC1_gDOYwjrKhyphenhypheneihbSBn1tEhkzVut9mWNDgmF1yTXjYQ-4KEB/s320/IMG_3106.JPG" uda="true" width="240" /></a></div> Patients waiting for their consult in the hallway on diabetes club day. The same hallway I was trapped in for 1 1/2 hours during the bee episode.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRJ9WGSUzrS5VVQxqN2l-G0hhU6Xp5EJ3opqKDrSPoZxn11fNyHmpf8YmOvaXddWWlJ7QSFYl-YGEu-nBWoQJFYUsLHcDT-79kzAixhSHyyNuPi88CEqN0PRzi2tXPhROiISXzAwgRXYt/s1600/IMG_3107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRJ9WGSUzrS5VVQxqN2l-G0hhU6Xp5EJ3opqKDrSPoZxn11fNyHmpf8YmOvaXddWWlJ7QSFYl-YGEu-nBWoQJFYUsLHcDT-79kzAixhSHyyNuPi88CEqN0PRzi2tXPhROiISXzAwgRXYt/s320/IMG_3107.JPG" uda="true" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Moises and Juan Carlos showing off their new glasses.</div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-30229068217976284762012-02-22T17:22:00.000-08:002012-02-22T17:22:01.065-08:00Guest Post by Ally Wagner<span lang="EN">5 Different Types of Nurses and What You Should Know About Them<br />
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As those of you who have read this blog before know, Heather was recently accepted into a Doctor of Nursing program. But that can leave those who don't know much about nurses wondering how can a nurse be a doctor? To help alleviate the confusion, we have gathered just five different types of nurses to help you get a better idea of just some of the nursing professions out there.<br />
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1. Nurse practitioner – Often considered the highest level of nurse there is, these are advanced practice nurses who often hold a doctorate level degree in nursing. They can prescribe medications in many of the 50 states in the U.S. They can also have specialty practices such as <a href="http://onlinefnp.com/">http://onlinefnp.com/</a> Family Practice or <a href="http://www.napnap.org/index.aspx">http://www.napnap.org/index.aspx</a> Pediatrics.<br />
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2. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse – The APRN is also one of the highest levels of nursing and requires at least a master's degree in the field. They are trained in advanced clinical practices and are utilized in many areas of health from anesthesia to nurse mid-wives. The most common degree for this kind of nurse is the Master of Science in Nursing.<br />
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3. Registered Nurse – The RN is the most common of all kinds of nurses. They are educated by a Bachelors or Associate degree and are required to pass the national exam for nurses. Becoming an RN is also an essential part of moving towards any of the more advanced areas of nursing.<br />
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4. LPN/LVN – The Licensed Practical Nurse or Licensed Vocational Nurse are also common choices in the medical arena. They are also asked to undergo a college education and pass an exam, although neither is as extensive as the education or training to become an RN.<br />
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5. Certified Nursing Assistant – The CNA is one of the most junior types of nursing professions out there. They are considered to be nurses' aides and can also become home health nurses. This career can be obtained with a high school diploma and the completion of a state approved CNA program.<br />
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Ally Wagner is studying to become a nurse and also contributes to <a href="http://www.bestnursepractitionerprograms.com/">http://www.bestnursepractitionerprograms.com/</a> Nurse Practitioner Programs, which helps those studying to become nurse practitioners.</span>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-60016296200607735792012-01-25T17:49:00.000-08:002012-01-26T12:05:25.960-08:00Welcoming in Year 2012!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The time between Christmas and New Year’s was very relaxed and low key. Only about 1/3 of the kids were present on the Ranch, as the rest were granted permission to visit extended family between Christmas and New Years. Every day we spent the afternoons and evenings watching or playing in a giant soccer tournament that was organized for kids of all ages. We female volunteers made up a team, and we played 1-2 games a day against the older NPH girls in year of service, high school, or university. We ended up making it to the finals and winning in a shoot-out; apparently making history, as it was rumored that the women volunteers had never won before. It was really fun to play a team sport again and winning did a lot for our status as female volunteers.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here in Honduras we rang in the new year with a huge bonfire, my roommate Caro walking on stilts, a disco-light dance party, chocolate bars, and of course, fireworks. We volunteers spent days choreographing a dance to the song “Party Rock” by LMFAO that we performed that evening, dressed up in very brightly colored clothing. One of the Honduran traditions I witnessed that intrigued me is to stuff a human dummy with fireworks, representing the ‘old year’ and at midnight, set it on fire until the fireworks inside explode. The party went on until about 3am, and by that time we had many children passed-out, sound asleep in the grass around the bonfire. Just before the night came to a close, one of our kids with epilepsy began having a seizure, and we got him into a truck and rushed him to the clinic. He became responsive and stable again shortly after we arrived without much intervention. It was a reminder that a nurse is never off duty. Once we got him situated it was nearly 4 am, and I found it humorous that this was probably one of the latest New Years eve’s I have ever had, at an orphanage no less.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few days into the New Year, a medical/surgical brigade of 70 people came, this time offering orthopedic and urology services. As the consults were held in the external clinic, I was put in charge of coordinating the urology brigade with the help of two Urologists and several translators. Over two days, we saw 120 patients, and later that week operated on 14 patients. I learned a lot about urology problems and even got to watch a trans-urethral resection of the prostate (TURP) surgery and scrub in and assist with a knee surgery. I got back in-touch with my acute-care surgical nursing side, and stayed overnight in the surgery center with 4 patients who needed extra recovery time. I always enjoy the brigades because they bring such a positive energy to the ranch, and they are a great group of people to meet and network with. It was during the brigade week that I found out I had been accepted to the University of Minnesota, Doctorate in Nursing program and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner specialty. I am very excited, as were many people in the brigade who are from Minnesota. This program is one of my top choices and I am currently waiting to hear back from a few other schools. However, it is nice to know that I will for sure be attending Grad school in the fall!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following weekend after the brigade left, a small group from Naples, Florida came to run an Ophthalmology brigade for three days. One of the couples, Marylou and Leo had been to visit the Ranch before and identified a need to improve the access to vision care here. I had identified a similar need and was planning to investigate solutions in February once I changed job roles, but prayers were answered sooner than expected and thanks to them, it got taken care of sooner than expected. Marylou and Leo donated to NPH a very wonderful machine called an auto-refractor, which can measure the lens and eyeball, and diagnose vision problems without requiring other tools, personnel, or equipment. They also brought with them Ophthalmologist Richard and his wife Sally, to train some of us in how to use the machine and run the brigade. Over the three days we saw 212 people, both kids from the Ranch and people from the surrounding communities, and fit 89 pairs of glasses. Richard and Sally will take the lens prescriptions back to their business in Florida and construct the glasses there, then return them to us in February. We trained several young people and a few nurses on the Ranch who will be around long-term on how to operate the auto-refractor, diagnose the vision problem, and fit the patient for glasses so that this can be a sustainable program that can continue to run without our visitors. When the glasses return, I will be responsible for the follow-up with each child to assure that they have a smooth transition into wearing glasses. We fitted several of our kids for glasses who could not see the chalk board in the classroom and were having to copy off of their classmates. Now their schoolwork will come much easier, and their eyes will be opened to a whole new world in front of them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finally, I am no longer the only registered nurse on the Ranch. A new volunteer nurse, Jen, arrived on the 14<sup>th</sup>, along with 5 other volunteers who will fill various roles. I will begin training her in the external clinic this week, and stay with her until she feels comfortable with the aspects of the job. This new transition reminds me of when I first got here, and how overwhelmed I felt, especially with Spanish comprehension and trying to understand what my rural patients were saying to me. It was strange to only be 23, have 1 ½ years of nursing experience, and be put in charge of a community clinic, on very little resources at that. It also gives me perspective on how much I have changed and learned about myself this year. This experience, through the struggles and the joys, has helped me to understand much better who I am as an individual and the person that I hope to continue to become. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc75BXrEj2BNHhHgIid0jFU4Zg5gh22BZZmurElEol17Y3DGsau_zZNUouEYtzszeQ_c38MB0yTZqFtJJtM7nkpshQszWcPj96-hN-MLb8AxO2qZY5ae7MW3Vy5dtLesdxQ4SGXOAhad7n/s1600/DSC05604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc75BXrEj2BNHhHgIid0jFU4Zg5gh22BZZmurElEol17Y3DGsau_zZNUouEYtzszeQ_c38MB0yTZqFtJJtM7nkpshQszWcPj96-hN-MLb8AxO2qZY5ae7MW3Vy5dtLesdxQ4SGXOAhad7n/s320/DSC05604.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Enjoying the view of Tegucigalpa from a surrounding montain at Picacho Park.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_qEAYhfvEjvoXQgv8F8CXrXIJgqQSTC3fncyo4RyIp1McUZIlm9UeL5p2VHx6RPelRToHzZI8TCQ0tfwRGMeAGlgpL13XsE0-tswu561bSsWJdbuU3zkgTvn4D2SsOCTsqQjnG_-RGhv/s1600/DSC05638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_qEAYhfvEjvoXQgv8F8CXrXIJgqQSTC3fncyo4RyIp1McUZIlm9UeL5p2VHx6RPelRToHzZI8TCQ0tfwRGMeAGlgpL13XsE0-tswu561bSsWJdbuU3zkgTvn4D2SsOCTsqQjnG_-RGhv/s320/DSC05638.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The sprawling, urban mess that is Tegucigalpa... looks a lot more peaceful from above.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha1qY6js0JrWTz1cagHIUD1Fi6eRMs6ZD2TOnPP1ew94VhgVYGkPTFoTHL329C55e75gF5wImaiWngcp1is5isFAWsO6rQ48eA5Vs1TTKos252UjlEbSZmQhXdku37pNo-ZSYCbiPZKxG/s1600/DSC05671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiha1qY6js0JrWTz1cagHIUD1Fi6eRMs6ZD2TOnPP1ew94VhgVYGkPTFoTHL329C55e75gF5wImaiWngcp1is5isFAWsO6rQ48eA5Vs1TTKos252UjlEbSZmQhXdku37pNo-ZSYCbiPZKxG/s320/DSC05671.JPG" width="213" /></a></div> Jesus statue looking over the city at Picacho.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3gXQOIccgLYasYbHUJSv8zc59n-RuJuibdQFAWsQxWCreCXhh-SzVvocKSk5V-tms8prA_nbHrOJ7zwPIPwT0M3yTqIsvKJ9WA7GFqZkW10Swr4glTi3jMG29ZeS47WTAWSU7gQDTnD5/s1600/DSC07879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3gXQOIccgLYasYbHUJSv8zc59n-RuJuibdQFAWsQxWCreCXhh-SzVvocKSk5V-tms8prA_nbHrOJ7zwPIPwT0M3yTqIsvKJ9WA7GFqZkW10Swr4glTi3jMG29ZeS47WTAWSU7gQDTnD5/s320/DSC07879.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>My roommate Caro on stilts for the New Years Eve program.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzqg7jwIk19oIr8mdY5vhGpgI41Ng3bcNOHIlECDCB0M6smrhedCox61no_5jQrgjracx1ptIPM7HWFxk81OlLLbh9j52rLm_QVoIs-m75z9OCsGShetz9GP2jSL5qTLYDAIbFpLx5vMF/s1600/IMG_3001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzqg7jwIk19oIr8mdY5vhGpgI41Ng3bcNOHIlECDCB0M6smrhedCox61no_5jQrgjracx1ptIPM7HWFxk81OlLLbh9j52rLm_QVoIs-m75z9OCsGShetz9GP2jSL5qTLYDAIbFpLx5vMF/s320/IMG_3001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Cute Carmen.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M2eshin5GZsyoAE5mYAn7mkpkAB8SM1RyiG3F5TGdj0MQAKH9zLiCt25geYpdKLa3oG-iAmTl6AIJNB9bNrTN7SHEDbEmv2j8lcy6l_kscv6qjVLNQNunaZl9KyFSxtPuFaL9-n734Qy/s1600/IMG_3008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M2eshin5GZsyoAE5mYAn7mkpkAB8SM1RyiG3F5TGdj0MQAKH9zLiCt25geYpdKLa3oG-iAmTl6AIJNB9bNrTN7SHEDbEmv2j8lcy6l_kscv6qjVLNQNunaZl9KyFSxtPuFaL9-n734Qy/s320/IMG_3008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> All dressed up for our 'Party Rock' performance on New Years Eve.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnFjscuFB7ST7EgjHqkrjsf-R_ZwUByhzp_EoS6lT7RIXi1toTvt9Eub_66bBpLDDhhyZ2JquTwPADPeO86Gg7pBJMu59O9Pi1-JOBITtCL_TaoaZy0aPBBvWr1Y3Bk8L8IqRMPgTeApL/s1600/IMG_3011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnFjscuFB7ST7EgjHqkrjsf-R_ZwUByhzp_EoS6lT7RIXi1toTvt9Eub_66bBpLDDhhyZ2JquTwPADPeO86Gg7pBJMu59O9Pi1-JOBITtCL_TaoaZy0aPBBvWr1Y3Bk8L8IqRMPgTeApL/s320/IMG_3011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Reinhart, our NPH Honduras Founder, handing out chocolate bars to the kids on New Years Eve.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ASrqk1Rj1XMhEii5dM4LpOjBZllFBpM6XrGe4x0Asi0mqDJMhVQ1xc2CO_AUUIJ80q-8sRF89Fur7YtL4-bAh7_RlfxVK8HUTvWr3D37zDEbtg69_AJLBVOt05s4N7Jtcr-9qcB1cm8f/s1600/IMG_3013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ASrqk1Rj1XMhEii5dM4LpOjBZllFBpM6XrGe4x0Asi0mqDJMhVQ1xc2CO_AUUIJ80q-8sRF89Fur7YtL4-bAh7_RlfxVK8HUTvWr3D37zDEbtg69_AJLBVOt05s4N7Jtcr-9qcB1cm8f/s320/IMG_3013.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>New Years Eve bon fire.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_vzrhRAu-w4nYYpf8tcy8rlwpqHY_ufd0lM8eoF0deF6LWpKinpyH-7eP1693tE9LV0K3Re34IGH49Bv6XSeTsK66wU9VOvuPExT6TVvfRFDATQeE5SXT1zjAC3aXtA7bg1__9Q1PaSw/s1600/Honduras+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_vzrhRAu-w4nYYpf8tcy8rlwpqHY_ufd0lM8eoF0deF6LWpKinpyH-7eP1693tE9LV0K3Re34IGH49Bv6XSeTsK66wU9VOvuPExT6TVvfRFDATQeE5SXT1zjAC3aXtA7bg1__9Q1PaSw/s320/Honduras+010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Fitting patients for glasses during a weekend Ophthalmology Clinic.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWc9Z6MTqPruTI3LPc4fnVgYFiUYqeHaXgjv06c3gS-yFfIdovoyETJdxtHO0BdQgAu0xhMWY97UAVmO3IHYgF5c1TsTtVjJJQdeFDsGbjAJcJ5HmRlYlZawCurW4jIrVvXGMCtdUJtKM/s1600/Honduras+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWc9Z6MTqPruTI3LPc4fnVgYFiUYqeHaXgjv06c3gS-yFfIdovoyETJdxtHO0BdQgAu0xhMWY97UAVmO3IHYgF5c1TsTtVjJJQdeFDsGbjAJcJ5HmRlYlZawCurW4jIrVvXGMCtdUJtKM/s320/Honduras+015.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Learning to use the Auto-refractor.Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-48805766716092499592011-12-29T10:17:00.000-08:002011-12-29T10:17:43.301-08:00Holidays in Honduras<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">December began with an NPH Soccer Tournament, which we, NPH Honduras, had the privilege of hosting. After months of preparations, including the children hauling bags of dirt and working to help construct a new soccer field, the big week finally came. A men’s and a women’s soccer team came from each of the corresponding NPH Central American homes in Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico to represent their countries, along with a few directors and support staff. Half of our kids moved out of their homes and into the hogars of the younger children for the week, sleeping on their cots on the floor to accommodate the several hundred extra people we had on the Ranch. After a big opening ceremony with the national anthems from each country represented and a running of the torch, the games began. Our days were very long. Games were played on two fields, men’s and women’s, from 8am until 5pm for four days. In the evenings, we had community dinners or special activities. One night each Country delegation shared their culture with the rest of us, by presenting their traditional homeland dance, with costume and all. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Clinic staff set up a very well equipped first aid station contained inside our Micro-bus, converted ambulance, which luckily only had to make a few trips to the hospital for x-rays. Each morning our external clinic staff would hurry to get all our work done and finish with our patient consults so that we could catch as much of the games as possible. Our Honduras Boys team did very well and made it to the finals. After a very suspenseful game, they won in a shootout and after the final goal was scored, the field was immediately stormed with hundreds of children and adults. It was a very exhilarating experience as we all encircled the team and ran a victory lap around our home field. The week was concluded with an awards ceremony, fireworks, and a fiesta. Overall, the kids made fast friends with our visitors and apart from being excited to have their own space back, they were sad to see their friends go. I think it was a valuable experience for them to interact with kids just like themselves, but from other cultures and countries.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After the tournament, I had just one week to count down until a very brief but much anticipated visit home to the states. Since volunteers work every day for 2 ½ weeks straight during Christmas with the kids, we got 5 days off prior to assuming our positions as caregivers before their guardians left for vacation. I took advantage of this gifted break and added a few more vacation days on to be able to make a 6 day trip home to see my family in Utah. It was an interesting experience when I re-entered the Atlanta airport, almost exactly 1 year after I had left it, to hear English spoken all around me, and I was a little overwhelmed by all the vendors and hustle & bustle. On my first morning home I had an interview with the University of Minnesota, Doctorate of Nursing program, and after that I was able to begin my relax.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was such a wonderful feeling to be able to curl up on the couch with a hot drink and Christmas music, and take in twinkling lights of the tree and the abundance of holiday decorations. My whole family was home together. We played board games, had a Welcome-Home Christmas party with our family friends and neighbors, went tubing in the snow, and celebrated an early Christmas, before I left on Tuesday December 20<sup>th</sup>. I even got to see my brother in action working at Best Buy. It was a dream to sleep in a bed that I didn’t feel the boards through, and eat delicious home cooked meals and baked treats. I also was able to squeeze in a visit to Salt Lake City to visit all my friends and roommates from last year. As I knew they would, the days passed all too quickly and it was time to return again to my home in Honduras. But instead of wishing that I was staying or that I was coming home sooner, my visit home somehow reinforced my confidence that I made to right decision to stay here until May. I didn’t quite feel ready to begin life again in the States and still felt the call to be here in Honduras with the kids, tackling the work that is never finished.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Christmas with the kids so far has been a wonderful event. I’m not sure if it’s just the spirit of Christmas in the air, or that the caregivers are gone and it feels much more laid back because the university and high school kids are running things, or that I am not working much in the clinic and get to enjoy just being a volunteer and spending time with my girls. Christmas Eve is the big day of celebration here. After a short Christmas pageant video done by the kids, we went down to the field by the swimming pond to celebrate the evening. The maintenance crew had strung lights all in and around the trees, so that the whole place magically twinkled. Tables were set up on the patio so that we could all share a traditional Honduran Christmas Eve dinner of tamales together. There was a dangerously huge bonfire that could have kept you warm from 30 feet away, and fireworks flying all over the place. The kids each got a chocolate bar, apple, and grapes for their midnight snack. There was an outdoor movie set up, our only male volunteer dressed up as Santa Claus and handed out candy canes, and we had marshmallows for the kids to roast over some smaller fires. When the clock struck midnight, everyone ran around sharing a Christmas hug. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I spent Christmas Eve night with the girls so that I could play Santa in the morning. By the time we finally got back to Hogar after the Christmas party, it was 1:30am, then they all piled their cots on the floor and started a movie, as promised. They woke me up at 3:30am after it finished asking “Which one do we get to watch next?” And a little exasperated, I told them that Santa would not be coming for children who were up after 4am in the morning. When I woke them up in the morning to ‘Feliz Navidad’ playing on my laptop, and told them that Santa came, I have never seen children run so fast to the main room. It was my first year playing the role of parent and setting up for Christmas, making sure that all their stockings were hung with care. Thanks to my mom, Grandmother, and a few other visitors who had donated individual and community gifts, the girls were well taken care of on Christmas. After sharing presents, the girls got dressed and picked out clothing items and/or little toys to give away. The “Orphans” of NPH on Christmas morning divided into three different groups and walked miles to three neighboring impoverished villages, to give away belongings so that others could receive gifts on Christmas as well. If that isn’t a lesson on generosity and living as a child of God then I don’t know what is? After two and a half hours of walking round trip, we finally made it back and got ready for Christmas Mass. After mass, we volunteers indulged in our own Christmas dinner party enjoying some of our favorite dishes from home. Although this was my first Christmas not spent with my family, it was a very joyous experience for me where I learned to appreciate new traditions and look beyond the importance of gift giving to the true meaning of the season.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1RvTpegGJ4/Tvym_byf9aI/AAAAAAAAAOs/Q_tjs1non6A/s1600/DSC07858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1RvTpegGJ4/Tvym_byf9aI/AAAAAAAAAOs/Q_tjs1non6A/s320/DSC07858.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Christmas Eve bonfire.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lcy-l9wfbNM/TvynAmYsusI/AAAAAAAAAO0/Kb5A-FnCYEo/s1600/DSC07871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lcy-l9wfbNM/TvynAmYsusI/AAAAAAAAAO0/Kb5A-FnCYEo/s320/DSC07871.JPG" width="213" /></a></div> One of our new little munchkins to the Ranch, Ricardo.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H__6MQSaMgI/TvynCZUXKyI/AAAAAAAAAO8/gd2oPla2vSo/s1600/IMG_2815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H__6MQSaMgI/TvynCZUXKyI/AAAAAAAAAO8/gd2oPla2vSo/s320/IMG_2815.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Out to Christmas lunch with my two Year of Service assistants from the External Clinic, Maria and Coto.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4QIuMivVKt4/TvynE05b_UI/AAAAAAAAAPE/72RJirfGCZY/s1600/IMG_2833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4QIuMivVKt4/TvynE05b_UI/AAAAAAAAAPE/72RJirfGCZY/s320/IMG_2833.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Mexico's presentation of their traditional dance on Cultural night during the soccer tournament.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rUwGEiUzqCo/TvynGnhCm3I/AAAAAAAAAPM/ouQcK1mMHT8/s1600/IMG_2866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rUwGEiUzqCo/TvynGnhCm3I/AAAAAAAAAPM/ouQcK1mMHT8/s320/IMG_2866.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Looking across the main soccer field during the tournament at the NPH logo that my roommate Caro painted by hand.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9Dv8vhUB_U/TvynIfpvSJI/AAAAAAAAAPU/qkNzuVHYFgU/s1600/IMG_2875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9Dv8vhUB_U/TvynIfpvSJI/AAAAAAAAAPU/qkNzuVHYFgU/s320/IMG_2875.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>"Posadas," a Christmas tradition where the caroling procession goes door-to-door by candlelight with Mary and Joseph to see if there is any room at the inn<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BdWBM92Qf24/TvynKU9y9GI/AAAAAAAAAPc/OtCMq_SU-VM/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BdWBM92Qf24/TvynKU9y9GI/AAAAAAAAAPc/OtCMq_SU-VM/s320/IMG_2900.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Stockings made by my mother and stuffed with lots of goodies for each girl in my Hogar.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZo2W9miMpw/TvynL96BktI/AAAAAAAAAPk/LjtkrC_dXCc/s1600/IMG_2911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZo2W9miMpw/TvynL96BktI/AAAAAAAAAPk/LjtkrC_dXCc/s320/IMG_2911.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> The girls waiting in the hallway on Christmas morning to enter the livingroom and see their gifts; still half-asleep.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aeVhlAdXPVE/TvynRa9CYXI/AAAAAAAAAP8/rOoHqPZlJqY/s1600/IMG_2932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aeVhlAdXPVE/TvynRa9CYXI/AAAAAAAAAP8/rOoHqPZlJqY/s320/IMG_2932.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Hiking on Christmas morning to bring gifts to the neighboring village of Tamal&Queso.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5-dgX-oqt_g/Tvynx_9wo-I/AAAAAAAAAQE/3p-6XtBsskU/s1600/IMG_2760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5-dgX-oqt_g/Tvynx_9wo-I/AAAAAAAAAQE/3p-6XtBsskU/s320/IMG_2760.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Despite being in Honduras, we volunteers were able to pull off a pretty realistic American Thanksgiving dinner.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b1uYpr-m_y8/TvynzvGV--I/AAAAAAAAAQM/y9gyDL7p2mo/s1600/IMG_2768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b1uYpr-m_y8/TvynzvGV--I/AAAAAAAAAQM/y9gyDL7p2mo/s320/IMG_2768.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I was on the pie baking committe for Thanksgiving... we had 10 pies in total for our 35 guests.Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-6802631294091823462011-11-20T14:16:00.000-08:002011-11-20T14:16:18.103-08:00Graduation and Giving, Dresses and Dances.<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The school year here in Honduras has now come to a close, and this week we celebrated the graduation of the 5<sup>th</sup>/6<sup>th</sup> grade and 9<sup>th</sup> grade from the vocational school. Every student graduating got to choose a sponsor to spend the graduation evening with and escort them across the stage to receive their certificate. Four of my hogar girls graduated from the 5<sup>th</sup>/6<sup>th</sup> grade in the vocational school, which is an accelerated program to help older children who come to the ranch and are very behind academically or possibly have never been to school, catch up so that they can be main-streamed again. So next year they are looking forward to joining their peers in the normal 7<sup>th</sup> grade class. Those who graduated from 9<sup>th</sup> grade are now certified in a trade such as electricity, shoemaking, woodworking, metalworking or making clothes, and will leave the ranch today to go do a practicum for 1 month in Tegucigalpa. Ideally, if the student chooses to be finished with school and leave NPH, they are skilled in a trade and could support themselves on their own. Those who plan to continue on to high school will do one year of service, volunteering in various jobs on the Ranch in return for their schooling, and then continue their education in January 2013. We will celebrate the Montessori and 6<sup>th</sup> grade graduations from the elementary school next week.</span></span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Instead of “The Sweet 16 Birthday” in the United States, the most anticipated birthday for most adolescents in Latin America is turning 15 years old, called Quinceañeros. In 2011, 30 NPH children turned 15 years old, and instead of celebrating each individually, the Ranch throws one big huge birthday bash for all the kids together. The oldest girl in my hogar was included in this bunch. Everyone gets very dressed up, the Quinceañero boys in a button-down collared shirt and tie, and the girls in a flowy, lacy dress; all outfits are matching and made by the kids in the sewing workshop. The girls were manicured, groomed, and painted up, looking like they were ready for prom. After a celebratory mass, we all ate dinner in our hogars while the Quinceañeros were served a special dinner and cake in the auditorium. Later the younger children rejoined the party and all the birthday kids were paraded in arm in arm with their escort, who was often a mentor or older sibling. Then they shared a waltz. After that, several of the kids performed a choreographed dance in the center of the auditorium. I must say, the kids here can dance impressively well, since they grow up dancing from a young age. The rest of the night was just a huge dance party, which I have to admit I had a blast dancing the night away with volunteers, employees, and kids to various types of hip-hop, reggeaton, and Latin music. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few weekends ago I got to take a quick trip a few hours up north to a colonial city, Comayagua, which was the historic first capital of Honduras. My highlight of the trip was climbing up into the bell tower of the cathedral in the central park. The clock in the bell tower is the oldest in the Americas and the second oldest in the world. It was built in 1100 by the Moors for the palace of the Alhambra in Granada, and later donated to Comayagua, Honduras by King Phillip II of Spain. The view from the tower was beautiful looking down on all the colonial buildings, surrounded by the rolling hills. There were several other historic cathedrals and buildings to wander around as well. Although we only stayed for a night, I left feeling refreshed and with a new understanding for the history and culture of Honduras.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every night before we turn off the light in hogar, one child will volunteer to say the prayer. Praying is no rare occurrence here on the ranch, and by a young age most of the children are able to confidently say a genuine prayer in front of their peers. In this season of thanksgiving, I have been continually amazed by the gratefulness of the children. While many of us would look at these kids and feel sorry for them for their circumstances, that they are orphans or were abandoned or abused by their parents, or that before coming to the ranch they lived in a shack with a dirt floor and ran around barefoot, or had to beg on the streets for food and money to support their younger siblings. And now they are safe and cared for, but still, all their worldly possessions fit inside one small locker, they share a 3 room house with 20 other children, live apart from their brothers and sisters, and have only a few caregivers amongst them. They do not feel sorry for themselves. Instead, they give thanks for what they do have, for their health and their family, for knowing that they will have three meals a day, and that they have loving caregivers to care for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And more, they pray for those who have less than what they do. They ask God to take care of the sick and the poor, for the children living under the bridge, and those that have no bed to sleep in at night. Even though the holiday is not celebrated here, these children truly embody the spirit of thanksgiving all year round.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another value that I have seen greatly exhibited among the children is generosity. As we are nearing the Christmas season, Hondurans love to play “Amigo Secreto,” which is essentially what we would recognize as “Secret Santa.” The kids do it among their school classmates, in hogar, and we even have Amigo Secreto going among all the healthcare personnel. And they take it very seriously… not only do they do everything to prevent their ‘amigo secreto’ from discovering them, but they go to great lengths to keep it a secret from everyone involved. Although these children have very few clothing items and personal possessions, I have watched several of my kids pick out one of their best shirts to pass on to a friend. One of the little girls, Ana, somehow compiled 6 different gifts from her personal belongings to give to her ‘Amigo Secreto.’ I have come to the sad realization that it is often those who have less that somehow give more, and those that have more are less generous of their worldly possessions. I told my kids that many people in the US could learn a lot from them about generosity and the spirit of giving.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnsAPk8QHz6AmPECN2oQy8s0EB41QkIEsuY-VLgPUmZOyB2MVhyphenhyphenLvn4nsb2enam77lXS6J8P5YTEfDqEkDMCrHWG-XC6CVOyy2tQJ6j3J_9MVWg25ZeaAHF-grwXLxaRwHvBbU6McE6-J/s1600/IMG_2601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnsAPk8QHz6AmPECN2oQy8s0EB41QkIEsuY-VLgPUmZOyB2MVhyphenhyphenLvn4nsb2enam77lXS6J8P5YTEfDqEkDMCrHWG-XC6CVOyy2tQJ6j3J_9MVWg25ZeaAHF-grwXLxaRwHvBbU6McE6-J/s320/IMG_2601.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> The oldest clock in the Western hemisphere, made in 1100 by the Moors.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73-m458WAbXz0de-Wn7uQpWyOHGT4OfU2_ZIK-mpXLKiBdvyqkG_H5sV0qYhIg5U76NLzDrZc25RYmzVSuC_ZKVReijm96kCLvYN6r8xfS96yyE1OtsY3Rj_tWvrfg_p4qAVkVmPv6VR1/s1600/IMG_2609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73-m458WAbXz0de-Wn7uQpWyOHGT4OfU2_ZIK-mpXLKiBdvyqkG_H5sV0qYhIg5U76NLzDrZc25RYmzVSuC_ZKVReijm96kCLvYN6r8xfS96yyE1OtsY3Rj_tWvrfg_p4qAVkVmPv6VR1/s320/IMG_2609.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The view looking out from the belltower of the Cathedral in Comayagua, Honduras.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwXgsQdcDZNxDGPN3HabGVbs1kzqDwHGy56GRbHxZJNbHUabY61Ql2bMBXMFZKEa9hcjSQRvPMZ1y10A3YRSBXL_desBLb0CcacXttPFU1Fc-w2nm3Q_4OR-1B4XtHFMa92qpraO6AXjI/s1600/IMG_2614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwXgsQdcDZNxDGPN3HabGVbs1kzqDwHGy56GRbHxZJNbHUabY61Ql2bMBXMFZKEa9hcjSQRvPMZ1y10A3YRSBXL_desBLb0CcacXttPFU1Fc-w2nm3Q_4OR-1B4XtHFMa92qpraO6AXjI/s320/IMG_2614.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Weekend trips with Lydia and Irene.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9z1YvMSZ3yJFHDr5iQYzPWk0FYm5gpQ6pFFMuLRi-cJsEVUy5UUYUh1FFkE-TIM7upQdVKPqFOBHo8P5vw3nL0PrZYZXk8M8iXe0cJr67WBXcjlqPOhena7hN6lfpgWt1I4hKZRq5ybl/s1600/IMG_2633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9z1YvMSZ3yJFHDr5iQYzPWk0FYm5gpQ6pFFMuLRi-cJsEVUy5UUYUh1FFkE-TIM7upQdVKPqFOBHo8P5vw3nL0PrZYZXk8M8iXe0cJr67WBXcjlqPOhena7hN6lfpgWt1I4hKZRq5ybl/s320/IMG_2633.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The main cathedral in Comayagua, Honduras' first historic capital.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjggV4cqKjEgdHAEiTMS10LigP6o7p_956FJ-8S1w5Lgr0emBUp9F8HcJmbrmoWApwrwTow5ZO4S60azkV1Et715EWzrnS42TCaBMUraSimEAu4VxiqmivaRY5iB6WQqYpma0B5WSAbw4/s1600/IMG_2671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxjggV4cqKjEgdHAEiTMS10LigP6o7p_956FJ-8S1w5Lgr0emBUp9F8HcJmbrmoWApwrwTow5ZO4S60azkV1Et715EWzrnS42TCaBMUraSimEAu4VxiqmivaRY5iB6WQqYpma0B5WSAbw4/s320/IMG_2671.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Wendy, Kelsi, Tia Dania, and Sonia on graduation night.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU37NEngbLjo5jWlPU4Vs3r_Izku9MJ7TrOnzfIC3bJXW_yYgx4oBvMz7sHaKqVgjAP2kM5HtqefsWO_SUw-rq99IUmZFPsXnCoObtZ7LZnX53oRcgpsaRpljbN7w92M1NerNQO9e2zpY/s1600/IMG_2674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU37NEngbLjo5jWlPU4Vs3r_Izku9MJ7TrOnzfIC3bJXW_yYgx4oBvMz7sHaKqVgjAP2kM5HtqefsWO_SUw-rq99IUmZFPsXnCoObtZ7LZnX53oRcgpsaRpljbN7w92M1NerNQO9e2zpY/s320/IMG_2674.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwrLo-QC-i-ZICJTY6jrT7Sk12uWUsCAM3KK_rWkj44bb2vi3cL3wDZxLLuIPI2Fau82f26tDA_Xob4fYbUHKfqnMtK2nkGIodygz_AD2sI0HRPm8I9WsYMWbbN4ss-AL48XOBLd1x6gf/s1600/IMG_2714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwrLo-QC-i-ZICJTY6jrT7Sk12uWUsCAM3KK_rWkj44bb2vi3cL3wDZxLLuIPI2Fau82f26tDA_Xob4fYbUHKfqnMtK2nkGIodygz_AD2sI0HRPm8I9WsYMWbbN4ss-AL48XOBLd1x6gf/s320/IMG_2714.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The 30 Quinceaneros who turned 15 years old this year, all dressed up to celebrate their big birthday.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX_o1qpovbSu0XT8ltsEqk5IhITcgICfzblqFD5hyCZUKCVKffqiXVam9QId6x1AsyCVA3W7ctM87QJ1ug_VtjEHGxtVV17KkjZLOJwosxjItjtCTbo6p-s_kUsYCy9mzrqJCSBX6D5rZ/s1600/IMG_2743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX_o1qpovbSu0XT8ltsEqk5IhITcgICfzblqFD5hyCZUKCVKffqiXVam9QId6x1AsyCVA3W7ctM87QJ1ug_VtjEHGxtVV17KkjZLOJwosxjItjtCTbo6p-s_kUsYCy9mzrqJCSBX6D5rZ/s320/IMG_2743.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> At the party with Sonia, the oldest in my hogar and only Quinceanera.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCExllN-35I3NUgLT-nHlfh6kJN7deT7iLyz4FRVisMTgqJUpXHRqhpHW0hQk21_9_wxIFaOkE_UsSd6AjG4vPK28VUqlxP8AMRqKRyCvHFa13GfUpWqC_eGtdpH_mgbiW5_A1pNZMLyd/s1600/IMG_2748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCExllN-35I3NUgLT-nHlfh6kJN7deT7iLyz4FRVisMTgqJUpXHRqhpHW0hQk21_9_wxIFaOkE_UsSd6AjG4vPK28VUqlxP8AMRqKRyCvHFa13GfUpWqC_eGtdpH_mgbiW5_A1pNZMLyd/s320/IMG_2748.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Some of the girls from my hogar, Estrellas de Belen.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6fmLVXtZrr4zUcPIOya9iQ8s2hX2GKroYB3FjQRxXf-RbksOTzTHGYLiiu5FmF8TCJwXlvAed4ZRv735Ue7CudkY3Kw8bifc7Fs-J0G4yQFMEnctTVAnQrVuMlmo7zFnw_wTgO4aNvNc/s1600/IMG_2728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6fmLVXtZrr4zUcPIOya9iQ8s2hX2GKroYB3FjQRxXf-RbksOTzTHGYLiiu5FmF8TCJwXlvAed4ZRv735Ue7CudkY3Kw8bifc7Fs-J0G4yQFMEnctTVAnQrVuMlmo7zFnw_wTgO4aNvNc/s320/IMG_2728.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The Quinceaneros performing a choreographed dance, impressively starting with a waltz that transitioned into other types of dance.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLnecyo6TrFw31F8Yc7z9t87bLajr8THW3bWf7Qve9IcgcK2OLzQDmxnTXrpjz2dSCfjbWFgDIvH01PqXu7pl2-Kosufu7K4DwlGvRJY3BXb_97V7_1leFo6pwT-T1RGQlaXeOy3o5Pkn/s1600/IMG_2704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLnecyo6TrFw31F8Yc7z9t87bLajr8THW3bWf7Qve9IcgcK2OLzQDmxnTXrpjz2dSCfjbWFgDIvH01PqXu7pl2-Kosufu7K4DwlGvRJY3BXb_97V7_1leFo6pwT-T1RGQlaXeOy3o5Pkn/s320/IMG_2704.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Getting all dressed up for the birthday Celebration.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMycVtvKI6IuIWSPuTF3xSaNif7AZJ7MAL1A3lKGGUdveS6nve_UuLQGt84qX1I4ICmgJVBuKPDmMSwWevLCdbQ68G1EBTpFUwGrw6y8sCrMLqDzNCRU_dV6_s0RgZB5KOzgVa6cngwC5/s320/IMG_2720.JPG" width="240" /></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-8123488537694306172011-11-06T12:38:00.000-08:002011-11-06T12:38:38.662-08:00Reflections on Life<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel as though I have been transported back to Washington state as I sit on my bed and look out my window at our courtyard garden and watch the fine misty rain dance about in the air. Instead of the short bursts of down pours that the previous months held, it is now a little grayer, a little cooler, and the rain is a little more drawn out. Never the less, there is laughter and joyful voices of tiny children out my other window as they play on the squeaky swing-set equipment across the way, and I feel at home. This month I sat down to write a volunteer testimony for our Home Correspondent and the NPH website to help give donors and future volunteers a better idea of what the volunteer experience is all about. I would like to share some of the insights I came up with as I tried to reflect upon my 10 months in Honduras thus far. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I often forget how different my life is here compared to back home. A change that might be more noticeable returning back to the USA in a few months than it was originally coming to Honduras. But right now, it is just life. I walk almost a mile to and from work each day. This walk I often enjoy as a time to think and enjoy the beautiful 7am misty view of the fields and mountains around me. In the afternoon, the joy of the walk depends largely on the temperature of the day. As most of you know, prior to coming here to Honduras, I had a wonderful job at a fabulous Children’s Hospital. The clinic here is a stark contrast from the state-of-the-art hospital I previously worked in where I had all the newest technologies and best resources at my fingertips. I spend two hours each morning doing vital signs in a room that doesn’t have light (the light bulb only turns on when it wants to) apart from the daylight that enters through the windows. We have no drinking water and most days recently, no other running water either. Friday I had to take my instruments outback to the spicket to clean them with the brown water outside. Our roof leaks terribly, and every day before I leave I have to remember to cover up all the important desk supplies with a water-resistant cloth, and hide the important papers in the drawers. Occasionally we have a bat that likes to visit and hangout on the ceiling. But we make progress slowly, and benefit from the love and support of others. This month I received a wonderful donation of thermometers, stethoscopes, and glucometers from Dr. Tammy Chelsy who had visited and volunteered at our clinic for a week in July and gathered donations to meet some of our needs.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have had to adapt to the lack of conveniences, and in many ways become much more resourceful. I have learned to do many things by hand, such as sterilize equipment, make cotton balls, and bag and label medications. Here my scope of practice is very wide and I wear many hats. I am not only a nurse, but also janitor, maintenance, secretary, administrator, supervisor, and pharmacist. I do everything from sweeping and mopping to filling medication prescriptions and educating patients about their health and wellness. Life is never dull here. I have helped deliver a baby in the back of a pick-up truck, twice, tended to many machete wounds, and careened down the windy road toward the Tegucigalpa hospital in the back of a minibus converted to ambulance. It’s great… I often wonder what it will be like for me to readjust back to an acute care hospital setting in the US where I am strictly a nurse with lots of rules, guidelines, protocols and policies to follow. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of my highlights this month was getting the opportunity to visit the home of one of our volunteer surgeons who performs minor surgeries for some of our patients every couple weeks. He has a passion for chocolate and raises his own cocoa plants in the highlands north of here. His home however was just close enough to take a fun day trip, in which we helped us to make chocolate from scratch. We started with the fermented cocoa beans, roasted and shelled them. Ground them up until it looked like coffee grounds, and then put them into his special mixing machine with milk, butter, and passion fruit flavoring. In addition to the delicious chocolate that we got to eat, Dr. Cerna was an excellent host and we enjoyed a day of beautiful views and fresh air at his home set up in the mountains above Tegucigalpa. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mid-October we had our second staff retreat of the year and headed south to an island called Amapala, off the pacific coast of Honduras. It is a lush, jungle island with a 783 meter inactive volcano peaking in the middle. The staff retreats are always a lot of fun, especially since half the volunteers work opposite weekends, so there is some staff that I never get to travel with otherwise. Unfortunately we timed our trip just a tropical storm was cruising its way up the pacific coast. It rained in spurts about every 10 minutes, and when we did finally make it to the beach, we went swimming in a torrential downpour. I guess we were wet anyway, and we had warm coffee waiting for us when we got out.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lastly, a moment from Hogar. There is one girl in my hogar who is a year or two older than the rest, and as many of the older kids here go, it takes a while to earn their respect and trust. They see many visitors and staff come and go in their lives, especially the volunteers who are only here for a year. It seems like a long time to us who uproot our lives back home and leave our family and friends, but really to the kids we are present for just a small fraction of their lives on the Ranch. Anyway, when I first came into the hogar in February, we both definitely rubbed each other the wrong way, and she barely spoke to me for the first several months. Then, if I did get her attention long enough to say something, it was usually followed by a drawn out eye-rolling. Over the past several months I have finally been able to break down that barrier with a lot of the girls, and little by little, with this one in particular. Then last week, unexpectedly, she came up to me, wrapped her arms around my wait, looked up at me and said “Heder, I love you! When you leave I am going to cry a lot.” These genuine words were so unexpected and surprising coming from her mouth, that all I could do was smile and think about how much I will miss each one of my girls as well.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPDH9rnP9G0dlvCTnOfC-8Qkl8802Sjnbs9WfEC3F9sK9lAQosREWi3saxXUFwnvvtGNo2sdO3b-iBxosOhHuqTpDid731_F_y1PhX3No-Oup-z3wcWt4b0xq1LEo8bVwYuSm2lgswcMe/s1600/IMG_2421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPDH9rnP9G0dlvCTnOfC-8Qkl8802Sjnbs9WfEC3F9sK9lAQosREWi3saxXUFwnvvtGNo2sdO3b-iBxosOhHuqTpDid731_F_y1PhX3No-Oup-z3wcWt4b0xq1LEo8bVwYuSm2lgswcMe/s320/IMG_2421.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Enjoying the view and fresh air from Dr. Cerna's patio, overlooking the mountains around Tegucigalpa.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViASQzCMMgchsOlyW6VAkmuJbRLsF1LIApfiOZ-UF1zdseni4KZgiIZ4lNAZiVo_yvDkIGE7oo7-d-JCSeXwfoYn-gTGsGdA1vpbNeOuA52bsb8gAQnVeey64IzFUrm1_IuYWabcns2kx/s1600/IMG_2422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhViASQzCMMgchsOlyW6VAkmuJbRLsF1LIApfiOZ-UF1zdseni4KZgiIZ4lNAZiVo_yvDkIGE7oo7-d-JCSeXwfoYn-gTGsGdA1vpbNeOuA52bsb8gAQnVeey64IzFUrm1_IuYWabcns2kx/s320/IMG_2422.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Cocao beans ready to be roasted and shelled.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXGzyryvJD_-k7rG1oQBI4LL8XztYRMqvmZSlDMHwoNZomts1xOlSx22wxiobYAXH7yDaLdeqbuXulFr-CPzgBiQ23WnEIuwCYOr7MR4wvjPrOLHNu9BoK9fKspdI94msYl8ssKx6FqOn/s1600/IMG_2425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXGzyryvJD_-k7rG1oQBI4LL8XztYRMqvmZSlDMHwoNZomts1xOlSx22wxiobYAXH7yDaLdeqbuXulFr-CPzgBiQ23WnEIuwCYOr7MR4wvjPrOLHNu9BoK9fKspdI94msYl8ssKx6FqOn/s320/IMG_2425.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Lydia, Kate, Caroline, Micaela, and Gina hard at work shelling the freshly roasted cocao beans.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBfFySU3vQyOR1n7yz8lrUo-57acofHb-297L9T7-_rBwTSv19aXe5BPCXPkG10CrbAk4aPXm-k77APmzC7p97wUgtsfXhe5NYH9bnXiWYvoP1YmwnkN1sxGk5lj9t2DTeAH300Opw8k5/s1600/IMG_2426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBfFySU3vQyOR1n7yz8lrUo-57acofHb-297L9T7-_rBwTSv19aXe5BPCXPkG10CrbAk4aPXm-k77APmzC7p97wUgtsfXhe5NYH9bnXiWYvoP1YmwnkN1sxGk5lj9t2DTeAH300Opw8k5/s320/IMG_2426.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Turning the chocolate grinder to break up the nibs into grounds, while sipping a fresh cup of hot chocolate.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbLYM_rRVgFJSiU9-1N849ZiwMfvjjNrbEWhDDO23qoDiK18t0WLOuOZB1xsCvvl6aR26M67RsYhvPAqCd0MP0kNvatt0XV0vhtYNhgvv9-9KjTU0-NJOaseSv05xiixpRe1SQ47ZLvET/s1600/IMG_2434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbLYM_rRVgFJSiU9-1N849ZiwMfvjjNrbEWhDDO23qoDiK18t0WLOuOZB1xsCvvl6aR26M67RsYhvPAqCd0MP0kNvatt0XV0vhtYNhgvv9-9KjTU0-NJOaseSv05xiixpRe1SQ47ZLvET/s320/IMG_2434.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> One of my favorite families on the Ranch over to our house to spend some quality family time together.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGYWr1uwldvZeEtY9AkGJEz7DjUpRTYZ5EG40NVQAndc9rgH4nNAvlYd5MUZeebzbTKfGyg0exZSmeIUsyqm5A3w2puEB7sT4o6lv65Clnas0M_RnfFqFh-DYELxmKEvPXsOJltNN2Vib/s1600/IMG_2452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGYWr1uwldvZeEtY9AkGJEz7DjUpRTYZ5EG40NVQAndc9rgH4nNAvlYd5MUZeebzbTKfGyg0exZSmeIUsyqm5A3w2puEB7sT4o6lv65Clnas0M_RnfFqFh-DYELxmKEvPXsOJltNN2Vib/s320/IMG_2452.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Although hard to tell, this is actually the back of a school bus, jam-packed from floor to roof with produce and goods that locals were bringing from Tegucigalpa to the south coast.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1ZVjY_txCNtU9X1VxatCabL35aUX0dMFsKi0YjLdoiCkU-WdQylDuXoqTKkQkg0WCGEsZ_BFyKOEXJWDHqREW6NxPm7T2BqkmOrXTlL29wql9JUOZFrly1svzsyr2ZaAD2eAbQOhYbj9/s1600/IMG_2455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_1ZVjY_txCNtU9X1VxatCabL35aUX0dMFsKi0YjLdoiCkU-WdQylDuXoqTKkQkg0WCGEsZ_BFyKOEXJWDHqREW6NxPm7T2BqkmOrXTlL29wql9JUOZFrly1svzsyr2ZaAD2eAbQOhYbj9/s320/IMG_2455.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Waiting to cross from the mainland over to the island of Amapala with all the volunteers on our Staff Retreat.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOvzdscZE0qplgcGxMJ0PIoXcFMeNrwxl-ilQF-6JcdoQZHk_IO9eusuWbzyTn93f3iu1U1jBijmhlSVHCdvjenswZy1TSyYLLx8cn6ekLd8RtIFS5jeYTi9_CIRddSrqfjtstKrAjTgu/s1600/IMG_2458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOvzdscZE0qplgcGxMJ0PIoXcFMeNrwxl-ilQF-6JcdoQZHk_IO9eusuWbzyTn93f3iu1U1jBijmhlSVHCdvjenswZy1TSyYLLx8cn6ekLd8RtIFS5jeYTi9_CIRddSrqfjtstKrAjTgu/s320/IMG_2458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1oZzjPNW5iHf3E8yY06eGkbyCvAMg9OydFV2797iYEFKA61Qz-VFcTd1Yg8PpX4KFTYbwTuO_MDpzz_AyGqc5Pt_uaot8n_mcBOOBb-e1q7fQLz9cZA5ajnVolPspS9dTSgvP2RRr7Bp/s1600/IMG_2462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1oZzjPNW5iHf3E8yY06eGkbyCvAMg9OydFV2797iYEFKA61Qz-VFcTd1Yg8PpX4KFTYbwTuO_MDpzz_AyGqc5Pt_uaot8n_mcBOOBb-e1q7fQLz9cZA5ajnVolPspS9dTSgvP2RRr7Bp/s320/IMG_2462.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The whole volunteer group enjoying a rainy day at the beach.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlocoOS3oIyhX4b9gavJXN4_fMm-A2d4OQq82LcfABca5qHzs0zOskyF15i6Q4KtDOnu7SHLEKm9aOP956ml-Sgv2cFm9L0yevDyNZOhaL-m-u9dPLYl9Ljrksk7OqMetf8Bb8YiZROzO6/s1600/IMG_2471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlocoOS3oIyhX4b9gavJXN4_fMm-A2d4OQq82LcfABca5qHzs0zOskyF15i6Q4KtDOnu7SHLEKm9aOP956ml-Sgv2cFm9L0yevDyNZOhaL-m-u9dPLYl9Ljrksk7OqMetf8Bb8YiZROzO6/s320/IMG_2471.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The city of Amapala at dusk.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdTNPp-X-d9qxneCAfSWovfYOWLKJgqkq6b8k8hayVZNWvJdcCeTDEBgH9V1j5LNew_5AhRpl_0EhraXWIgkinNmrGGrpFrzyhd5LbSjz_h_ieW0m-3YP14UmPcupsgcZCT9YcZ3P4Vtz/s1600/IMG_2498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdTNPp-X-d9qxneCAfSWovfYOWLKJgqkq6b8k8hayVZNWvJdcCeTDEBgH9V1j5LNew_5AhRpl_0EhraXWIgkinNmrGGrpFrzyhd5LbSjz_h_ieW0m-3YP14UmPcupsgcZCT9YcZ3P4Vtz/s320/IMG_2498.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-83155932659986625792011-10-09T12:57:00.000-07:002011-10-09T12:57:35.289-07:00Life Decisions<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">September was a month of very hard work and many big decisions in terms of planning for life after my time in Honduras ends. Starting with the first weekend in September, I began the process of applying to graduate schools to study a Doctor of Nursing Practice program with a pediatric specialty; ultimately become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. It was difficult for me to make the decision between Family Nurse Practitioner and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, but my experience here has further made me realize that my passion is primarily working with children and I plan to continue to do so. Thus far, I have applied to 4 different programs across the country, and I’m thinking I will call that good for now. It was an exhausting process that consumed most of my free time the last month, and it is a huge relief to have hit the “submit button” on all those applications. It is funny to think that I will find myself back in a lecture hall in about a year. I am really excited and looking forward to returning to an academic setting, as it will have been three years since I graduated from University by the time I begin my Doctorate. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second new development is that I have decided to stay here as a volunteer for NPH Honduras for a little bit longer. Instead of leaving in February, as originally planned, I will be here until mid-May. I am very excited about this opportunity because these extra three months will allow me to focus my work on some special health projects that are in need of more attention. This time frame of finishing up in May also allows me a few weeks to travel around Central America, and also return back to the States to enjoy the summer and much needed quality time with my family before moving off to Graduate school. So, if anyone has any interest in traveling around Central America with me during the end of May or early part of June, let me know.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A new volunteer nurse will come in January to take over my position supervising the External Clinic, and I will work with her until she is comfortable in her role. Then I will spend my time on projects such as helping with weekly surgeries with our visiting surgeon, increasing health education for the children in their Hogars or school, attempt to setup an ophthalmology clinic for our children with vision problems, and making sure our new electronic charting system that is in the plans to be promptly installed is working correctly. I have and continue to love my time in the community clinic, but I am also really looking forward to these last three months which will allow me the time to focus on enforcing or starting projects and programs that directly benefit the children here.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Time in hogar with my girls continues to be a joy. One of my favorite weekend activities with them is when we all go down to the little pond and they have the rare opportunity to be free, let loose, play, swim, roast hot dogs and just be kids. The girls are usually pretty persuasive and eventually get me into the water with them, in one way or another. Even though I have only been with this Hogar since February, I have been watching them mature from pre-teens to adolescents right before my eyes. Thank goodness most of them are still sweet and give me big hugs and love to scream “Heder” (my name in Spanish</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">) when I come over in the evenings. On September 15, Honduras celebrated “Dia de la Bandera” which most closely resembles our 4<sup>th</sup> of July. The entire Ranch went to the next town over for a big parade. Every child was involved in the parade whether they were on a float, representing an animal from Olympiadas, twirling a baton, dancing, or playing an instrument in the band. They were all dressed up in school uniform or some sort of costume. I sadly was not there to witness this all myself, as I was stuck in the Hospital with an adorable 5 year old girl, but from the pictures that I saw it seems to be one of the biggest NPH events of the year. I will include pictures below.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In clinic happenings… we had a visiting doctor come for a day and offer Osteoporosis testing for our patients. It was exciting to make this service available and we had 60 people show up just for the test, plus the regular group of patients to see our Ranch doctor for a consult, and patients for the general laboratory. All this resulted in a gloriously jam-packed clinic, so full that I had difficulty maneuvering myself through the hallways. Coming up in one week, we will begin offering Gynecological exams for our female patients, and testing for cervical cancer. Many patients had been asking if and when we can make this important preventative healthcare measure available, so it is really exciting that it will finally become a reality. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwmg0VKj0VV9eTh85iG3Rxrn3S7MOlLpwB54bRTHywCHrlCgELIuUB9pkWlppdZDc-J7lA3f2-Dg2epnuiaXGq4n1yMVCSDM8mXmwSlhGP4356mbRH8YqfLovO3QvSkCpkTxD2VaQNXcS/s1600/IMG_2258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwmg0VKj0VV9eTh85iG3Rxrn3S7MOlLpwB54bRTHywCHrlCgELIuUB9pkWlppdZDc-J7lA3f2-Dg2epnuiaXGq4n1yMVCSDM8mXmwSlhGP4356mbRH8YqfLovO3QvSkCpkTxD2VaQNXcS/s320/IMG_2258.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Kelsey with our cat Matias (who is actually a girl) and has invited herself to come live in our house despite much protest from the volunteers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMnIKg-wEZd0bJPLWXVwICNPccTbUcX5I7MHz9AQOSTSdRxjaOl8pJZyFiRXaaN6oM-pIV2bA1L5CD_x7SA40IWAnXyIdQnwgV-3IXmL_7t2tZRpVGwocbK9kWL9fX92Qc9wB1XS_jL7v/s1600/IMG_2261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmMnIKg-wEZd0bJPLWXVwICNPccTbUcX5I7MHz9AQOSTSdRxjaOl8pJZyFiRXaaN6oM-pIV2bA1L5CD_x7SA40IWAnXyIdQnwgV-3IXmL_7t2tZRpVGwocbK9kWL9fX92Qc9wB1XS_jL7v/s320/IMG_2261.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Celebrating the June/July birthdays with some girls from Estrellas de Belen (my Hogar)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUETwcQXAqMAxu9YwY0HT2oF2S0FsmZbNOWqaU_kVBtpjb_OIw5706nOoWosiL3XxwkMr-M1q46pe6M3gw4ql5YpOAbcudOWzQVZkj4uS5Hbbt3Oy1fo0FKYwFUqEToZqqO3Euub6Abm_/s1600/IMG_2335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUETwcQXAqMAxu9YwY0HT2oF2S0FsmZbNOWqaU_kVBtpjb_OIw5706nOoWosiL3XxwkMr-M1q46pe6M3gw4ql5YpOAbcudOWzQVZkj4uS5Hbbt3Oy1fo0FKYwFUqEToZqqO3Euub6Abm_/s320/IMG_2335.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>Saying goodbye to our other volunteer nurse Tiffany before she returned to the US.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFyaXE4s7mas2jIo7g6ueCkZRTWvPzEiGzTCA7wxcVY6m2FiATbH-tXB5mlBCCO0nELWu61vbWjNEQHnPBFda4hCLMpBAF22oVgMq2HAZ3N8KKZcrV7U4RAxIvsGJMY3vtzNuBkcJzKtf/s1600/IMG_2336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFyaXE4s7mas2jIo7g6ueCkZRTWvPzEiGzTCA7wxcVY6m2FiATbH-tXB5mlBCCO0nELWu61vbWjNEQHnPBFda4hCLMpBAF22oVgMq2HAZ3N8KKZcrV7U4RAxIvsGJMY3vtzNuBkcJzKtf/s320/IMG_2336.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Tipical special Honduran dinner... meat, avacado, plantain, cheese,beans, and tortilla. Note: This was at a restaurant, not anything that we get to eat at the Ranch. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMQ3Io8pn6mqQ93l8TJqK085zQ_sjB27wXtd9pQBreB6wdwbdhwXIttMI_lkugMHo5IshiPTonr7yD8GVSmS_bVLBYvYgxaOzBGEWMVortXmz_nIlGYmElzXrTQYIi1JwyXPvSRwWHCV9/s1600/IMG_2350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMQ3Io8pn6mqQ93l8TJqK085zQ_sjB27wXtd9pQBreB6wdwbdhwXIttMI_lkugMHo5IshiPTonr7yD8GVSmS_bVLBYvYgxaOzBGEWMVortXmz_nIlGYmElzXrTQYIi1JwyXPvSRwWHCV9/s320/IMG_2350.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Most of the clinic staff, taken at Tiffany's goodbye party.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKlpZadZRsu4FXzXf79eYMJ9hzpwOJ1HKC_JM8jP0EGe9cI7wxSHQ0CVmHCUWC66Y0J1tyayfDpnUiTOvRvk9kBhWIrx3X2zx0tjYDqMxZ59IwuWqu0X0UONb-RgqMgAPu0iQFd-l2hsK/s1600/thumbnail%255B8%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKlpZadZRsu4FXzXf79eYMJ9hzpwOJ1HKC_JM8jP0EGe9cI7wxSHQ0CVmHCUWC66Y0J1tyayfDpnUiTOvRvk9kBhWIrx3X2zx0tjYDqMxZ59IwuWqu0X0UONb-RgqMgAPu0iQFd-l2hsK/s1600/thumbnail%255B8%255D.jpg" /></a></div> Two sweet girls showing off their traditional Honduran costume.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkFz3H4i2RbCOuU3R3fL6_Gw17TvB1PtZqTkwwM5qUiX38frG_vgiiRXp6z2_1yRVAWcxii6U_ZsEY4_jI2QehYm8gUeVsZBdRYImn5w8-7aSg6r4sHz13736cvHKYpOP8gBTfw3twtu7/s1600/294694_10150378616910250_566810249_10292658_561113478_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkFz3H4i2RbCOuU3R3fL6_Gw17TvB1PtZqTkwwM5qUiX38frG_vgiiRXp6z2_1yRVAWcxii6U_ZsEY4_jI2QehYm8gUeVsZBdRYImn5w8-7aSg6r4sHz13736cvHKYpOP8gBTfw3twtu7/s320/294694_10150378616910250_566810249_10292658_561113478_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Baton twirlers in the Dia de Bandera Parade.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_Okw1S4HdCjX3VTHLOgXxJdHoMnMd-yRz0UukfbWa0Ql-jP_OsmhSLMw9pJmXvmDble3s8XvvtDMaMpVR_Qr3vdC8SM_ceylKDKgb-0i4ldxozSNvMpQuQA-wdVuaSEMKhsOtNYn_yqz/s1600/310520_10150378615060250_566810249_10292648_1149447622_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_Okw1S4HdCjX3VTHLOgXxJdHoMnMd-yRz0UukfbWa0Ql-jP_OsmhSLMw9pJmXvmDble3s8XvvtDMaMpVR_Qr3vdC8SM_ceylKDKgb-0i4ldxozSNvMpQuQA-wdVuaSEMKhsOtNYn_yqz/s320/310520_10150378615060250_566810249_10292648_1149447622_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="231" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3q6zAfVL0cyI_g1j2e24kmnObqKNnO0cuvUfMgjhSY8Jb-UWPeO32Mcgm_4a15qrzEbsbormCtzuGhSyJB65GKy-qfvtYg9KdNxyUJGdwnddq7SFYeh7it6zpRb_WJ-X661zJkaQFpjD/s320/thumbnail%255B3%255D.jpg" width="320" /></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-87419649245531675682011-09-04T17:40:00.000-07:002011-09-04T17:40:14.051-07:00Surviving the Olympics<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At NPH Honduras, the biggest, most anticipated, most time consuming event we have all year is a little thing called Olympiadas (“Olympics”). I will do my best to explain to all of you what this entails, if you can bear in mind that my explanation will nowhere near do this occurrence justice. It begins in mid-July where every person on the entire ranch is assigned to one of 18 teams, a mixture of kids (preschool-age through college), volunteers, Tios and Tias, and all other ranch employees. Each team was assigned an animal corresponding with the theme this year, “Wild Animals,” and was responsible for having a giant flag, team T-shirts, a mural presenting their animal, a dance routine with costumes, and any other décor that they felt inclined to construct. For the first few weeks of practice, teams met every Tuesday and Thursday, and being the Honduran way, not a whole lot gets done. But as the big day draws near, the teams begin to get organized and start work on all the projects. I missed just about all the meetings up until the week before because of my vacations and week with the medical brigade, but we sure made up for it the last week. The week of Olympiadas is just madness, with practices every day from 2-4pm, which don’t actually start till 3pm and could go until 6pm or later. I was put in the group planning the dance, and was actually starting to get sore by the end of the week from dancing so much.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The actual event begins Friday, and all that day there is a feeling like Christmas or summer vacation is coming. The kids even get out of school at 10am so they can practice their dances and put all the finishing touches on their presentation components. When evening comes, all the teams gather together in their designated location around the perimeter of the auditorium, waving their giant flags, and cheering wildly for their team. Then begins the presentations and dance performances in front of about 600 people and a panel of judges. Each team had a different dance theme from salsa or meringue, to hip hop or disco. Our team’s was Rock and Roll, which was a blast and we danced to Little Richard’s “Keep-a-knocking.” We had 5 guy/girl pairs from ages 9 on up and we did a lot of twists, lifts, and swings. Our dance was pretty short compared to some but technical, and I felt like I was in the air for a lot of it. Did I mention that I got to wear a tiger-print mini-skirt and knee socks? The night was a blast to see people of so many different ages come together and put on incredible presentations.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day began the actual olympiadas part which is pretty much a giant field day with all types of games including a giant slip & slide, obstacle course, long-jump, NPH trivia, relay races, volleyball, hockey, and tug-of-war. It was an exhausting day, but the kids had a lot of fun. I spent the days prior setting up a first-aid station with everything I could think of from Band-Aids, ice packs, medicines, to emergency resuscitation materials (luckily we didn’t have to use those). Thankfully, the weekend auxiliary nurse and a university student offered to run the infirmary, so I was able to participate in most of the games with my team and just check in on the station every hour or so. We had a dislocated shoulder, cut open foot, and a few dehydrated kids, but nothing worse than that. We played the games until the afternoon rains came in and dumped. After much needed showers, we all re-gathered that night to hear the announcing of the winning teams. Sad to say, Team Tiger did not win, but it was a wonderful, fun, sometimes frustrating, exciting, and exhausting Olympiadas month.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Needless to say, I have truly also enjoyed the last two weeks of being in a somewhat ‘back-to-normal’ routine. The day after Olympiadas my friend Carl Pierce from PLU came for an 11 day visit to see what volunteering as a nurse in a developing country is all about. Having just finished nursing school to get his RN license, he was able to work with me in the external clinic, as well as help out with simple surgeries with our visiting surgeon, see the teaching seminar on HIV/AIDS that we put on for the children’s caregivers, and even visit the public hospital in Tegucigalpa a few times. During the weekend he was here, we took a trip with 4 other volunteers up to the largest lake in Honduras, called Lago de Yojoa. It was a quick weekend trip, but full of adventure. We stayed at an American owned micro-brewery, visited a giant waterfall called Pulapanzak. While there, we took a $5 well-spent tour to traverse over slippery rocks and forge the blinding spray and pools of water to cross behind the waterfall and climb into some caves. Later we rented row boats and went out onto the giant, picturesque lake that is bordered by green mountains and was shrouded with the clouds of the afternoon thunderstorm.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of my proudest accomplishments in my work at the external clinic is starting up a Diabetes Club, to cater to the needs and better educate our 50-ish Diabetic patients that come to us for healthcare. This Friday was our second gathering. We have tried to schedule all these patients so that their doctor’s appointment is on the same day, once every two months, and we only attend to Diabetic patients on this day. We start the day at 6am doing vital signs and blood sugar tests. Then we provide them all with a light breakfast since they have all come from hours away and without having eaten anything so we can measure their fasting glucose levels. Then each meeting we have given talks on a variety of different topics to better educate these patients on their condition and how to live a healthier, longer life. It has been a bit of a learning experience for me because many of our patients do not read or write or do not have more than a primary school education, so you can’t just hand them an educational pamphlet and expect them to take it home and read it or understand it. I have learned it is best to try to explain things very simply, but in a practical and concrete manner. We still give handouts, usually with lots of pictures, and hoping a family member or neighbor can read it to them. Then the patients go on to receive their doctor’s consult and their medications. We try to recruit at least two doctors to be present on this day to cope with the large patient load. I am excited to have gotten this program up and going and it is something that I really hope will continue long after I am gone. I also would like to start a similar model to cater to our high blood pressure patients, and possibly other groups. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsHjUuRjUOiEmBro7BNx9F6OU-EkfcPRCDR6aVYpYq0eTYy9rbpaD_zZAxxzNw6sMegEFYF1Z7b1WW2uHbKML1hMuBb9ordirr1KvKAdEUU6M-7NWMy7npXOEqrv-OYfLfVBRPagFzgHi/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsHjUuRjUOiEmBro7BNx9F6OU-EkfcPRCDR6aVYpYq0eTYy9rbpaD_zZAxxzNw6sMegEFYF1Z7b1WW2uHbKML1hMuBb9ordirr1KvKAdEUU6M-7NWMy7npXOEqrv-OYfLfVBRPagFzgHi/s320/IMG_2317.JPG" width="239" xaa="true" /></a></div> Part of my Olympiadas team with our team banner and dance costumes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsayt8qLzivreEHOKiMh5kz18RBb69GFc0p9fUguDxki1syopBmu6OFpOSwWTk4GcYQQT1HvFBWi_qv2mBs2uCefeg9ml8A8B-51Ilh6E0jgi3plBT41un7xA0BmJXY3W2uIM9hfE0IWLS/s1600/IMG_2319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsayt8qLzivreEHOKiMh5kz18RBb69GFc0p9fUguDxki1syopBmu6OFpOSwWTk4GcYQQT1HvFBWi_qv2mBs2uCefeg9ml8A8B-51Ilh6E0jgi3plBT41un7xA0BmJXY3W2uIM9hfE0IWLS/s320/IMG_2319.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div> Kids running around the auditorium with their team flags.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_diqWZrrv4ZAxDPzmD7Pc03UAAZiqJzxiKeFJmUo0-tREM7bt0lvjlwGlIMmWZc1r1iJM071CrrVWEMtDU_hgm9ldG4oY7Gx1f-VQMPS8BGVotzD-ZBTkZe44gQm5a9ioyblHLAb0Hz8E/s1600/IMG_2314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_diqWZrrv4ZAxDPzmD7Pc03UAAZiqJzxiKeFJmUo0-tREM7bt0lvjlwGlIMmWZc1r1iJM071CrrVWEMtDU_hgm9ldG4oY7Gx1f-VQMPS8BGVotzD-ZBTkZe44gQm5a9ioyblHLAb0Hz8E/s320/IMG_2314.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div> Caro and I finally got a few walls of our room painted. It feels much more like home now.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsPigiDw101OwXLHXb7QwBgqcUqMM08wRf4YZQF98e-EhWXW14EJx7r_Gw7OMlElkFOIR3kZDoS2OPVXlMKnyTsaxYxKA_TfWm6J2ZW_PVP_q3g0zTNxZFc4HRM5gmK6L-A1upTQIFYUy/s1600/IMG_2236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsPigiDw101OwXLHXb7QwBgqcUqMM08wRf4YZQF98e-EhWXW14EJx7r_Gw7OMlElkFOIR3kZDoS2OPVXlMKnyTsaxYxKA_TfWm6J2ZW_PVP_q3g0zTNxZFc4HRM5gmK6L-A1upTQIFYUy/s320/IMG_2236.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div> Taking patient vital signs during the Diabetes Club day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynI3YKQjRLRgwoGBdF0p6noCmbpjEWeDMq15N6OlX3KCN4GCE11w1a4OmbI4zKb87J49hIaZlEOwUXyPmhYk0g_C_CE6YBnNp3fK9jEkAHEZ9pZxJGRmDPZdwNj0DAQEJR9YXzhDwg-Z6/s1600/IMG_2249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynI3YKQjRLRgwoGBdF0p6noCmbpjEWeDMq15N6OlX3KCN4GCE11w1a4OmbI4zKb87J49hIaZlEOwUXyPmhYk0g_C_CE6YBnNp3fK9jEkAHEZ9pZxJGRmDPZdwNj0DAQEJR9YXzhDwg-Z6/s320/IMG_2249.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVR_TFRFZ_hgYYxyDaL_o2KeWjwGs2ALyDnREz5E9Uh8VO1roeaVlBrE4d16YuHVdNDbkyHMaIFoxQrfrbHNnTVqTX0x2NEzEduAvvt4njIGatobbeG7fBKPMK4cBYiHW2LcqjBFLHBP5c/s1600/104_0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVR_TFRFZ_hgYYxyDaL_o2KeWjwGs2ALyDnREz5E9Uh8VO1roeaVlBrE4d16YuHVdNDbkyHMaIFoxQrfrbHNnTVqTX0x2NEzEduAvvt4njIGatobbeG7fBKPMK4cBYiHW2LcqjBFLHBP5c/s320/104_0817.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> At the waterfall Pulapanzak.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WJBXJgGYxjRR5gC-xCjT7Jh9VSddCq6R3eVxJZTH_4ihIAXtypydnVMJLdDhExcstp3DjoaLASegQwtoPzp-S6LEXWHeca1kmm-M6fbAoYAQ1fSkrmHt8DIvCeaY6J91Geud2nPo2T_R/s1600/IMG_2377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WJBXJgGYxjRR5gC-xCjT7Jh9VSddCq6R3eVxJZTH_4ihIAXtypydnVMJLdDhExcstp3DjoaLASegQwtoPzp-S6LEXWHeca1kmm-M6fbAoYAQ1fSkrmHt8DIvCeaY6J91Geud2nPo2T_R/s320/IMG_2377.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Rowing away on Lago de Yojoa. With new volunteers Kate, Irene, Lydia, and Caroline, and PLU friend Carl.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QdBO881e6BFCt9CmijV3skr_2TPEEFGzh_7tkss6rtBsrqXvsuSeGRKw1oi6qZmtE9sVHtJhCnhbTpaRsOnoGNMlwd4d3su3nuROZai8MxQpykaoiNLJZwpoPyg5ntqBxTdOh-6ki4sT/s1600/IMG_2389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QdBO881e6BFCt9CmijV3skr_2TPEEFGzh_7tkss6rtBsrqXvsuSeGRKw1oi6qZmtE9sVHtJhCnhbTpaRsOnoGNMlwd4d3su3nuROZai8MxQpykaoiNLJZwpoPyg5ntqBxTdOh-6ki4sT/s320/IMG_2389.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-34513527535633964212011-08-14T15:28:00.000-07:002011-08-14T21:37:51.637-07:00How time flies... over half way done in Honduras<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhWda3cF6fgjW9FlI2D68IVhhgFaBOWXQR_P3LnfLzsql_-9Fihb2ml0wsNgV8IeayNzuwunwusyNU8HyAsx42DwTtLoj8XA2SvDIZ3XUZWVEbfr3UvVmGRZVuvlqmwHDEQ4xBUOP2jDf/s1600/IMG_2268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhWda3cF6fgjW9FlI2D68IVhhgFaBOWXQR_P3LnfLzsql_-9Fihb2ml0wsNgV8IeayNzuwunwusyNU8HyAsx42DwTtLoj8XA2SvDIZ3XUZWVEbfr3UvVmGRZVuvlqmwHDEQ4xBUOP2jDf/s320/IMG_2268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our whole volunteer group together at the goodbye party before saying goodbye to four.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZczW-OjJc3jBs3yrg2A4R9eDDM3qR2h6ltuqIPaiSD0p5N_BzR7NIjWeWwTBBWZ8vyJozV2P8yNdpYO_dVjMcy2DjlJvC1fbR8p48p_uCYWob48sAATuoV2AJVCYtY98T2QAWyH6tKh_f/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZczW-OjJc3jBs3yrg2A4R9eDDM3qR2h6ltuqIPaiSD0p5N_BzR7NIjWeWwTBBWZ8vyJozV2P8yNdpYO_dVjMcy2DjlJvC1fbR8p48p_uCYWob48sAATuoV2AJVCYtY98T2QAWyH6tKh_f/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sharing the Ranch with my family.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZaDP_I7CJch72G8EbydcrfTS2V560rQdpAk8_qjYoyJSV_t4ih4Kbn0mh2ZgUHWfBP8-d1t4T47Y2Dc9TXRjnd8aCNkfFweyRy0SwBHs7N3imvd4NYfEI-PC9-GdQJU5FzITzDnyk7Yf/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZaDP_I7CJch72G8EbydcrfTS2V560rQdpAk8_qjYoyJSV_t4ih4Kbn0mh2ZgUHWfBP8-d1t4T47Y2Dc9TXRjnd8aCNkfFweyRy0SwBHs7N3imvd4NYfEI-PC9-GdQJU5FzITzDnyk7Yf/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Cayos Cochinos, Bay Islands, Honduras.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWS-K71s4OCykD5cREJKeiPnbIlAZetBcri27i115jww6TX0G8dKTAOiAEYpmPWevvydufnTyij2fddKe0lU6J6ojFjBF5Xsw43jDo92PMogRQ6M-CdtTvKiSptrvjjChuPhvuXrp1TAIf/s1600/Linnea%2527s+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWS-K71s4OCykD5cREJKeiPnbIlAZetBcri27i115jww6TX0G8dKTAOiAEYpmPWevvydufnTyij2fddKe0lU6J6ojFjBF5Xsw43jDo92PMogRQ6M-CdtTvKiSptrvjjChuPhvuXrp1TAIf/s320/Linnea%2527s+106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Exploring Guatemala and Honduras with friends Linnea, Erik, and Beth.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRotkq_G_Sv7G7iCGLoBqLoQdZgkA8hwDaoiv1IQjrBaHv7Pm_WMRjKMmK2JrymXFHa0kxIul8mr2n52oi-iZZi64rQnprPeMlwmutosGcczWwr-edYJTyProYh5_-EpO1DubKQKK2REY6/s1600/CIMG2650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRotkq_G_Sv7G7iCGLoBqLoQdZgkA8hwDaoiv1IQjrBaHv7Pm_WMRjKMmK2JrymXFHa0kxIul8mr2n52oi-iZZi64rQnprPeMlwmutosGcczWwr-edYJTyProYh5_-EpO1DubKQKK2REY6/s320/CIMG2650.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In front of our sand-floor hut on and island called "Peanut"</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDZmH4hOSfd_R3-FjnCtPTCpvpC1uu6h8_H0Y0crbk0hYQ4pMLHcJ66BQgya9XhtUz5NL6O-r0xD3dyyLrAjvaABcUWKUyE5uYSPTjkaXJeVOIHWTQDyKG_siNRnnIV5WAsen91Ay7GGC/s1600/CIMG2843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDZmH4hOSfd_R3-FjnCtPTCpvpC1uu6h8_H0Y0crbk0hYQ4pMLHcJ66BQgya9XhtUz5NL6O-r0xD3dyyLrAjvaABcUWKUyE5uYSPTjkaXJeVOIHWTQDyKG_siNRnnIV5WAsen91Ay7GGC/s320/CIMG2843.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Parker made fast friends with the girls in my Hogar.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs1R79FylEoC91lFSg-oN0hQlExQ35HScS9JK7g0xKL0xF6wMIcDGJv6XQT7_Iwl98j_tY2J0urPW0FzimsQsTjpVZZCfknkgSNuqXfyFFJVgFgqPYGHWk6HiD5zkHvqhe4zQ0hhsKfIl/s1600/DSCF1115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqs1R79FylEoC91lFSg-oN0hQlExQ35HScS9JK7g0xKL0xF6wMIcDGJv6XQT7_Iwl98j_tY2J0urPW0FzimsQsTjpVZZCfknkgSNuqXfyFFJVgFgqPYGHWk6HiD5zkHvqhe4zQ0hhsKfIl/s320/DSCF1115.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rafting the Rio Cangrejal in the northern jungle of Honduras.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNw68clRH7oQfw8hp98qcnDH8Lp1PHTDjxtPDiwwacWKtmwdKoYy5dvxLMtJcinfilpirpnLOg0snzk0qVpOriukNPyVxwzf4fRHAKkRdjD3-kV7Gzg_WEHZjXJRGy_LGtq9ps9PUeGkHV/s1600/IMG_2209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNw68clRH7oQfw8hp98qcnDH8Lp1PHTDjxtPDiwwacWKtmwdKoYy5dvxLMtJcinfilpirpnLOg0snzk0qVpOriukNPyVxwzf4fRHAKkRdjD3-kV7Gzg_WEHZjXJRGy_LGtq9ps9PUeGkHV/s320/IMG_2209.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Proud to be an American... in Honduras.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">June ended with me completing 24 years of life and celebrating my first Honduran birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like to add that the birthday song they sing here is the longest I have ever encountered. And all my hogar girls screeched with great pleasure as they cracked 5 eggs over my head (Honduran tradition). They decided to take it a step further and dumped milk and mud-water mixture on me as well. Whose birthday were we supposed to be celebrating anyway? A week later I also celebrated my first USA Independence Day out of the country. The volunteers had a big bonfire in the center garden of our house where we roasted bargain Honduran hotdogs and ate a delicious American flag cake. I was also told “Congratulations” by several Honduran employees, which made me giggle.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On July 15<sup>th</sup> I started a week-long vacation and headed to Guatemala to meet up with some FLBC camp friends, Beth (who is in the Peace Corps there) and Erik and Linnea Johnson. After getting delayed at the border because I forgot my residency card and my passport looked like I had been illegally in the country for 4 months, I finally made it across the border and reunited with my friends a day later. We traveled through Antigua, Panajachel, down to the giant Lake Atitlan, and stayed the night at a beautiful hotel overlooking the lake and several volcanoes. We spent the next four days traveling though Honduras seeing Mayan ruins and enjoying the beaches on the northern coast, before retuning back to the Ranch to spend the weekend here. It was such a blast to spend time with friends from back home and explore new parts of Central America.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The day they left marked the start of a surgical/medical brigade of 68 doctors, nurses, auxiliary personnel and families, here on the Ranch. The first day of the brigade I spent assisting and translating for a Dermatologist who came and treated hundreds of children and their skin problems. The most common issues being foot funguses or “athlete’s foot,” warts, and skin rashes. The other days of the brigade I worked in the surgery center in the admissions room helping to prep all the patients for surgery. It is always hard work and long days starting at 5:30am and working until evening, but really rewarding. Two of my hogar girls had surgery during this week, and it was a pleasure to be able to follow them through the whole pre-op, inter-op, and post-operative process, and even get to observe their surgeries. Many of the patients that receive orthopedic or general surgery when the brigade comes are patients that at some point have passed through the external clinic, where I work. For many of these people who come to the external clinic in need of surgery, we can only offer basic pain medication and write their name down in the “Brigade Book” to contact in 3-6 months when the next medical brigade comes. It is very rewarding to see patients walking out of the surgery center (even though it might be on crutches) with a big smile on their faces, finally relieved of a disability or illness that they may have lived with for years, when they never thought surgery would be an affordable option. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We get two groups of new volunteers each year and they overlap by one month with the outgoing volunteers to better facilitate training and orientation into their new jobs. While no new nurses came in this group, we had 5 fabulous ladies arrive the first week in July to start their 13 months of service. Therefore, the day after the medical brigade ended, it was time for four of our volunteers to close their service and we celebrated our last night together with a big goodbye party in Tegucigalpa. It was sad to say goodbye to these volunteers whom I have lived and worked with for the last 7 months, and weird to realize that the next Goodbye party will be my own. The next morning I got on a bus and headed north 5 hours to meet my mom, dad, brother, and sister who flew in to embark on 10 days of traveling all over Honduras. They were great sports through a variety of conditions, including sleeping in a sand-floor, grass-roofed hut on a small island and a lot of riding in the back of pick-up trucks. Visiting Copan Ruinas and my host family where I first attended language school, white-water rafting in the jungle, and hiking and relaxing at a cozy Bed & Breakfast in the cloud forest were definitely highlights. We spent a weekend on the Ranch just relaxing and hanging out with the kids. For my dad and brother, it was their first time seeing where I have lived and worked for the past 7 months. My brother was definitely a big hit with the 11-15 year old girls in my hogar. One, without a shy bone in her body, just sat right down right next to him and didn’t leave his side for the rest of the afternoon. Another stared up at him from her seat when he walked into the room and just uttered one word… “Beautiful!” I also loved it when my dad just sat right down at a table and started coloring with the girls and then exchanged drawings at the end with one of the girls, Yulissa. On Wednesday I said goodbye to my family with a few tears, but it was such a wonderful experience to be together as a family seeing some new parts and sharing my favorite places of Honduras with them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So now I have just been adjusting back to the work routine and enjoying the new volunteer group. It is also nice to be back in Hogar with the girls. This upcoming week will be a big week for me, as I am helping in both the internal and external clinics and coordinating the activities of 4 visiting nurses. But if there is anything I have learned over these past 7 months, it is how fast time flies by regardless of how much you try to slow it down, so you might as well just carry on and try to love every minute of it.</span></span></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-4481059371676830192011-06-26T15:04:00.000-07:002011-06-26T15:04:49.664-07:00What a life.<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The biggest focus of my work outside the clinic over this past month has been implementing a de-parasite campaign throughout the ranch. This is something that happens every six months, but instead of just passing out pills to everyone, we decided that it would be much more useful and better preventative healthcare if education on parasites was included along with the medication dispensing. So, on most afternoons lately, I can be found walking around the ranch toting my “Parasites” poster and a box full of medications. It has turned out to be a bigger project than initially anticipated since we have been understaffed in the clinic for the past few weeks, and I am sometimes on my own to cover the 20-something sections of kids on the Ranch, all with different schedule. But it has been fun as well to go into each hogar, especially since I am rarely over on the boys’ side of the Ranch. When I give my talk, or ‘charla,’ I mostly educate on how intestinal parasites are passed (Fecal-Oral route) and how to prevent the passing of them = good hand hygiene, only drink potable water (even that is sometimes questionable here, given that ours has been brown for some weeks now), and wash raw fruits and vegetables well before eating. Then all the kids line up and take their first parasite medication and I leave the second batch of medications with the caregiver, doing my best to ensure that everything is clear to reach optimal compliance.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am continually amazed by some of the skills that the children develop here; maybe because they are skills that not many people acquire in the US or at least until they are much older. One of those would be machete-ing. We don’t even have a verb for it in the English language, but in Spanish, Machetear = to machete chop. This is an ever more frequent weekend work task during the rainy season to keep the grass on the Ranch short, which I am told, in turn decreases the number of mosquitoes. Lawn mowers don’t exist here. I am quite awful at this chore, and it only took me a measly three minutes to get a nice big blister on my knuckle. Despite the extensive efforts of my girls to teach me the proper technique with a machete and a lot of giggles, I think they have finally just given up, and have accepted that it is not a skill that the Gringa is going to acquire. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night I had a one-night experience of being a new mother and the lack of sleep that you get with a newborn. We have a new family that just arrived to the ranch, including a pair of 3 month old twins, who really like to cry and wake up in the night about every 2 hours to eat. Good thing they are pretty darn cute, or spending my Friday night in the clinic with them wouldn’t have been as much fun. When they are finally placed into the baby house this next week it will be a big change for the staffing and routines to have the addition of two such young members to the NPH family.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the highlights of this month was taking my first real vacation last week (as in traveling for more than a weekend since getting to Honduras 6 months ago). It was wonderful and restful. I went with my good friend from University, Katie Bray, who is just about to finish up her year of service at the NPH Children’s Home in Guatemala. We met up in the northern part of the Honduras and headed up to the coast to enjoy the sun and beaches for a few days. I found out that my sunscreen doesn’t work very well. I slept more than I have since getting to Honduras. And our last day in town, on a Monday, we practically had the whole beach to ourselves. Then I brought Katie back to the Ranch and we spent a few days here comparing the many similarities and differences between the two NPH homes. It was really great to see her since it had been over a year since our last meeting.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyT1aXhZDjrk6SizYv2gf13pVHK6PTjTkHuhotEt_TJNQJsoTf8zx1W9CyblhQXu0LSDYQrLiK76SBLnnllws0zIAbfS_Iz6iqA9i91AczUejaZBf_0mQNVdWg-skYN7hQJhVCRRUicEm/s1600/IMG_2916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyT1aXhZDjrk6SizYv2gf13pVHK6PTjTkHuhotEt_TJNQJsoTf8zx1W9CyblhQXu0LSDYQrLiK76SBLnnllws0zIAbfS_Iz6iqA9i91AczUejaZBf_0mQNVdWg-skYN7hQJhVCRRUicEm/s320/IMG_2916.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> The view from our hostel of the city of Tela, looking toward the ocean.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5Y_I5nit9WSSzlIL7cR23JEZ2ZSYqcp9KL9v8nvlJoQ53S4y_dyYsVgg4ecnaKhp4d8AjLGAUxS5ed2caJKXD-0Rw2-lKBMif4M6g21qTMwiX95nvl0SNPC2eTgjwfyH-58peZ1hZkHn/s1600/IMG_2918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5Y_I5nit9WSSzlIL7cR23JEZ2ZSYqcp9KL9v8nvlJoQ53S4y_dyYsVgg4ecnaKhp4d8AjLGAUxS5ed2caJKXD-0Rw2-lKBMif4M6g21qTMwiX95nvl0SNPC2eTgjwfyH-58peZ1hZkHn/s320/IMG_2918.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Comida tipica... a typical (fancy) Honduran breakfast: eggs, ham or sausage, cheese, cream, avocado, beans, and plantains.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtn2jBHgyyxvblfhH_hUyKe67cPaPpY9ieHCkiq4FAOqsoDIYLntyljGa5r4IxhpSJgS-8vZ56UARG24F31lCxTFRteZHDaOpq4NZnobnyLQPmmJ088hGGP-qDV3KW6HZIyf2Fg76Aolq/s1600/IMG_2920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtn2jBHgyyxvblfhH_hUyKe67cPaPpY9ieHCkiq4FAOqsoDIYLntyljGa5r4IxhpSJgS-8vZ56UARG24F31lCxTFRteZHDaOpq4NZnobnyLQPmmJ088hGGP-qDV3KW6HZIyf2Fg76Aolq/s320/IMG_2920.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aGsuwTx1_V7dt8qZ08_4b5NA4WzC6_vX4O736XwjYH8fbvAQnsFx8BWsSftyQ5wdyNyrlDCDker68nuVb7Gu4yFAYkA3I9b5BKraL_z3fpr5fCkh-ivO6sbKYPD7qqO2yRG5Wo2OCIx7/s1600/IMG_2933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aGsuwTx1_V7dt8qZ08_4b5NA4WzC6_vX4O736XwjYH8fbvAQnsFx8BWsSftyQ5wdyNyrlDCDker68nuVb7Gu4yFAYkA3I9b5BKraL_z3fpr5fCkh-ivO6sbKYPD7qqO2yRG5Wo2OCIx7/s320/IMG_2933.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXil0r0SaIGYXc4tlqTvFNlXUSrG1pL9aAvsQ4dIiX6qdzecw6DVKjfhzpyXtsMGpBgbIVThYWD4GnDQ6jwvNunZQmNO5Nw4tu9WGm393IMVBmnRkD4OYzjs32WkTAhbcXTv-I93vzBS0M/s1600/IMG_2955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXil0r0SaIGYXc4tlqTvFNlXUSrG1pL9aAvsQ4dIiX6qdzecw6DVKjfhzpyXtsMGpBgbIVThYWD4GnDQ6jwvNunZQmNO5Nw4tu9WGm393IMVBmnRkD4OYzjs32WkTAhbcXTv-I93vzBS0M/s320/IMG_2955.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Exploring the bambo forest at the botanical gardens outside of Tela.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBWQ5tazOHTXxJssIiUnkbQAsxwuRVi5TSB_2YRCHmC7kcGj0gHlscVPv1QA_H542SE60KtguakRBuXH3cfhRtpIajf4wuuhDc75pRL3eiCiqCP2chyphenhyphenAaAfnGwKVxKB0Tbtg2iiWES9ew/s1600/IMG_2989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBWQ5tazOHTXxJssIiUnkbQAsxwuRVi5TSB_2YRCHmC7kcGj0gHlscVPv1QA_H542SE60KtguakRBuXH3cfhRtpIajf4wuuhDc75pRL3eiCiqCP2chyphenhyphenAaAfnGwKVxKB0Tbtg2iiWES9ew/s320/IMG_2989.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Enjoying dinner with my friend Katie Bray.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHIlWHv7Df3Lys4LWOG8rUmFsi_Mk5rUCUQb7AKtPCA_EOeSMBkljEzstYz_MQkrUFmJlYEQX1Lmn9gb6jFcC-uBTSwD31HUj8QFfLsDktOwTWq4S0oqpqBeA7yKgFeNAyq_HFitobEwI/s1600/IMG_2996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHIlWHv7Df3Lys4LWOG8rUmFsi_Mk5rUCUQb7AKtPCA_EOeSMBkljEzstYz_MQkrUFmJlYEQX1Lmn9gb6jFcC-uBTSwD31HUj8QFfLsDktOwTWq4S0oqpqBeA7yKgFeNAyq_HFitobEwI/s320/IMG_2996.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> What is the beach without sunset pictures.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-06_zdyon9J6NhDm2CCsL-NKyFpOUCIzv4AwunzbU6BKO42YOi4K6uQjY93cwphtPz74fLui26zo36vPiwJeFnn0cA_eVChR2CtBGnIzHE1CVvY9rJzs_c4w0_LAl1wigc2ZxZ6IejdO/s1600/IMG_3058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-06_zdyon9J6NhDm2CCsL-NKyFpOUCIzv4AwunzbU6BKO42YOi4K6uQjY93cwphtPz74fLui26zo36vPiwJeFnn0cA_eVChR2CtBGnIzHE1CVvY9rJzs_c4w0_LAl1wigc2ZxZ6IejdO/s320/IMG_3058.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOP3lPZHUPXUB8AHEL1mXgTlC_jkPALPS6M9gXpZCP05aao_0FC6Xaaqfew_DbyI_gkehvP2Dc82Sr5uJtfqpVm2Y7rzaT06pZzXvE9xYensUTntgOe4oL5In9wnFXnShgmVKxb0Ubbpq/s1600/IMG_3072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOP3lPZHUPXUB8AHEL1mXgTlC_jkPALPS6M9gXpZCP05aao_0FC6Xaaqfew_DbyI_gkehvP2Dc82Sr5uJtfqpVm2Y7rzaT06pZzXvE9xYensUTntgOe4oL5In9wnFXnShgmVKxb0Ubbpq/s320/IMG_3072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We put Katie to work in the clinic for a morning.</div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-64683326356109087452011-05-30T19:40:00.000-07:002011-05-30T19:42:44.258-07:00May Madness<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can’t believe May is almost over and along with it, my 5 month mark here in Honduras. I mostly just look back in awe of how fast this time has gone by. The month of May in particular for me was filled with a variety of emotions stretching from fun, joy, sadness, and frustration. The first weekend of May was spent on a much anticipated trip with 4 other volunteers to the National Park La Tigra located a few hours outside of Tegucigalpa. It was a perfectly relaxing, pampering weekend where we spent two nights at a beautiful bed and breakfast, ate some really good non-Honduran food, and explored the cloud forest on a 5 hour hike to a waterfall (lacking a little water after the dry season, although pretty), and just enjoying a little time away from the Ranch.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My last couple weekends as ‘Nurse on-call’ I was stretched emotionally and tested in my ability to function well in new environments and on lack of sleep. The first weekend began on a Friday afternoon taking one of our littlest toddlers into the hospital, and I stayed the evening worrying in the emergency room with her and her caregiver. I got a little bit of sleep staying the night at the NPH University girls’ house. Then next morning I walked to the public city hospital that was just a few blocks away to stay the day with another little NPH girl who had been admitted a few days earlier. After managing to get her finally discharged around mid-day, I made it back to the Ranch just in-time to attend mass. I got to spend a few minutes with my kids in Hogar before I got a phone call that one of the elderly members of NPH living in the Grandparents’ house was sick. Low and behold, I ended up doing back to the hospital for a third time within a day. I stayed the night there with him (still in my church clothes) and sleeping in the ever so comfy emergency room chair. I returned home late morning Sunday emotionally and physically exhausted from spending almost all of the last 48 hours bouncing from one hospital to the next.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This past weekend was almost a repeat, but this time instead of spending the night in a private hospital, I was with one of our boys in the Children’s medical unit of the city, public hospital. This hospital is the teaching hospital and has many specialties, but operates with very little resources. If your family member needs any medical supplies such as a bag of IV fluid or some sort of dressing, you physically have to go across the street to the pharmacy and buy it for them. You also must bring your own towel, toilet paper, soap, water, carry your own labs to the laboratory, etc. You have to work hard to find out any sort of information about any plan of care, otherwise it is very easy to just get lost in the system and be there for days without much being done. Although flawed, it leaves me with much more appreciation for our American healthcare system. So there we were, in a room with 6 beds and each bed had a small chair beside it for the mother (or me as the stand-in for the night). There was quite a social community feeling in the room where the mother’s had made friends with each other, everyone was generously sharing food, stories, and cell phone calls. I read some stories to my patient and the little toddler in the bed next to him, and we even managed to get a group Uno game together. When it was time to sleep, some of the mothers who didn’t prefer their hard plastic sitting chair to sleep in pulled out plastic bags or pieces of cardboard and laid them down on the floor to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Torn between the better of my three options of squeezing onto the cot with my patient, utilizing his wheelchair, or just settling for the floor, I eventually ended up joining the other mother’s on the floor. To say the least, I didn’t sleep a ton that night, as I would occasionally wake up to the sounds of children vomiting or crying in pain, or the Nurse coming in to give medications. But on the positive side, my little patient did sleep well and stayed in a positive mood through most of the ordeal.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The weekend prior was our Volunteer retreat which was a nice weekend away with the whole staff, which rarely happens because half of us work opposite weekends. We stayed just outside a little touristy town in the mountains called Valle de Angeles. I helped plan the weekend with two other volunteers to include a mixture of reflection time, group discussions, and team building activities. It was a really positive time to get to reflect a little bit about volunteerism and our own personal volunteer experiences, highlights, and struggles, and also to bond together as a group. In just over a month, the July group of new volunteers will come and those who have been here for a year will prepare to leave.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As part of being in the clinic, we receive all the new children who come to the Ranch. Usually they come as a group of siblings and they stay in the clinic for 1 week to be assessed and make sure they are healthy before being placed into their Hogars. It is always interesting to see in what state they come, and their stories are often heartbreaking. Sometimes the children seem a little shell-shocked as they assimilate to the community and culture here on the Ranch, especially if they have come from extreme poverty, to now receiving their own clothes, having their own bed to sleep in, indoor bathrooms, electricity, drinking water, and more. I imagine it is also overwhelming for them to be put into a house with a group of 20 other children roughly their age. As the weeks go on, the kids make friends and learn their way around and the routines here on the ranch and generally do pretty well.</span></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In March, we received a new family to NPH that really touched me and many others. It included 6 children, ages 1 to 12 years old, and their 34 year old mother who was dying of cervical cancer that would have once been operable and treatable, but the family did not have the resources for her to receive treatment. As a result, Juana and her family were brought here so that she could pass away knowing that her children will always be kept together as a family and will be safe and well provided for. The children were all placed in various Hogars, based on their age level, but they came daily to spend time with their mother. The oldest boy, who I admire a lot, sometimes spent the night in the clinic to be near her. He is only 12 and I believe was caring for family before coming here. This was the first time in my life that I had watched somebody actively dying where there was nothing to be done but hospice care. During Jauna’s two months here with us, the clinic staff did their best to pamper her and make her last few days as peaceful and comfortable as possible. Sometimes when I see one of the 6 children I feel sorry for all that they had to go through watching their mother die, but then that quickly melts away when the 7 year old, Marta (who I like to call Martita because she is so tiny), comes running down the sidewalk with her arms wide open and a huge grin on her face, as she careens into me and I give her a great big hug and know that she is in a great place and will grow up to do good things.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM_kbx-IF7c42u_6-NMjhBbxlHSsEe-3HW0XzAKXr6yOL-G3wMvkyiDdC2vOOVFXUAcf43mna6T91a34y4ZxeRcy1v6DzhQ3EvBPKXb3cBYzvHp64EX9zu57LXpv1ppWhTa44SPcGBkau/s1600/IMG_1922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM_kbx-IF7c42u_6-NMjhBbxlHSsEe-3HW0XzAKXr6yOL-G3wMvkyiDdC2vOOVFXUAcf43mna6T91a34y4ZxeRcy1v6DzhQ3EvBPKXb3cBYzvHp64EX9zu57LXpv1ppWhTa44SPcGBkau/s320/IMG_1922.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div> Our view from the Bed & Breakfast that we stayed at in La Tigra.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-51JbnzA0H3U340hyS0RCxZD3lrOmNbt-lVNdhSvzlb_hy4epj18RZ5-6FNeqqUaS9vcPoJTsEGlR2k2rN81plVKPUSMM1n0rSOxUrmm1jLCHpSYIt1EwoDWE6Icnc7vs9QaRRMReTsUx/s1600/IMG_1935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-51JbnzA0H3U340hyS0RCxZD3lrOmNbt-lVNdhSvzlb_hy4epj18RZ5-6FNeqqUaS9vcPoJTsEGlR2k2rN81plVKPUSMM1n0rSOxUrmm1jLCHpSYIt1EwoDWE6Icnc7vs9QaRRMReTsUx/s320/IMG_1935.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div> The group of volunteers that I spent my weekend in La Tigra with.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_2OYt_sPu8ORQ15YTeaYZ0YXqI6GogzVQiSK8GHjdJ5EKRL4BNdrskK36DMzo5cwDaLbvh5mte5vdVixT6BDhx-wFkhzG_JsnlCSyLAqjfAhi3humx_uX3bMVZpRYtg93wy_-spXdOMP/s1600/IMG_1938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_2OYt_sPu8ORQ15YTeaYZ0YXqI6GogzVQiSK8GHjdJ5EKRL4BNdrskK36DMzo5cwDaLbvh5mte5vdVixT6BDhx-wFkhzG_JsnlCSyLAqjfAhi3humx_uX3bMVZpRYtg93wy_-spXdOMP/s320/IMG_1938.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div> Caro and I embarking on our hike in the cloud forest.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RK5C3ZtV_NBEcMI0v2zKI7FrRYt2UFcyvI5lN8sPNBy8Z2t1WG4GnY527ronAWWoEGB4btMxXnu3ytZRci9TozAatmSVGuXP1PyAnEnXtCo9kaP2dfpOv3O_V7d-PZj7WzH4lngsK4JW/s1600/IMG_1965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RK5C3ZtV_NBEcMI0v2zKI7FrRYt2UFcyvI5lN8sPNBy8Z2t1WG4GnY527ronAWWoEGB4btMxXnu3ytZRci9TozAatmSVGuXP1PyAnEnXtCo9kaP2dfpOv3O_V7d-PZj7WzH4lngsK4JW/s320/IMG_1965.JPG" t8="true" width="240" /></a></div> Admiring the canopy above.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAisg-Y0MCiY5PkngENCPjZF-a5uwX7m8JO-3pSqILi941Jc1tVKGG9ZWZRtDBV6uydhdMcjuSYBofkNOSIrIuV34dkrpn4278ZCP0xBu2WYdbf6yNryjtmlNrIZLltGuaajrmqob-APHm/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAisg-Y0MCiY5PkngENCPjZF-a5uwX7m8JO-3pSqILi941Jc1tVKGG9ZWZRtDBV6uydhdMcjuSYBofkNOSIrIuV34dkrpn4278ZCP0xBu2WYdbf6yNryjtmlNrIZLltGuaajrmqob-APHm/s320/IMG_1978.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8Du-u_Pv44Ise3c-fyz3dD1IcIsaTZqquTHuIn6osk5aQw3rvOhzOBMzH7bgf5go72f7cfVEbRFAEPz0I6YkGx0mp1ByRAW1iv-aI3W5b4HaW5N5pVq1C_GEhfqwe7mMXvHdkcN3fxCO/s1600/IMG_1989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8Du-u_Pv44Ise3c-fyz3dD1IcIsaTZqquTHuIn6osk5aQw3rvOhzOBMzH7bgf5go72f7cfVEbRFAEPz0I6YkGx0mp1ByRAW1iv-aI3W5b4HaW5N5pVq1C_GEhfqwe7mMXvHdkcN3fxCO/s400/IMG_1989.JPG" t8="true" width="372" /></a></div>My amazing roommate and emotional lifesaver, Caro.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCqtJomZTLUZRmTvSL38kWs9HJg8qsZfk-g4mZa4_WVMTJ2mKRajYO-QKuth3Y_UWx2CRRPznVKJ4WtuM60SOTomKsRBR86Cutuc0Uq-OgA0SQObGOUqXO48d6iHDkD2uAFTIdaJsg_qF/s1600/IMG_2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCqtJomZTLUZRmTvSL38kWs9HJg8qsZfk-g4mZa4_WVMTJ2mKRajYO-QKuth3Y_UWx2CRRPznVKJ4WtuM60SOTomKsRBR86Cutuc0Uq-OgA0SQObGOUqXO48d6iHDkD2uAFTIdaJsg_qF/s320/IMG_2016.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div>Welcome the Rainy season and daily afternoon showers (or rather down-pours).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmqAZJGCLD9F7ir2KCtim35_7NVBmbBQesXAreJhLs6jq2faf5H_ixjds2kzZHxjEG9e-7qOIoQNJHKJrhoD8wr9WHj4UBYZuMrpr5-tjZB3ZRhffVlkUMhMR21MIMKcPaNTs1fiJ43tY/s1600/IMG_2024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmqAZJGCLD9F7ir2KCtim35_7NVBmbBQesXAreJhLs6jq2faf5H_ixjds2kzZHxjEG9e-7qOIoQNJHKJrhoD8wr9WHj4UBYZuMrpr5-tjZB3ZRhffVlkUMhMR21MIMKcPaNTs1fiJ43tY/s320/IMG_2024.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div> Preparing the baby shower cake for our Ranch doctor.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfTY6qu-QvKSvh4-DB15RNuf4rtygeWRdq8iY37QfblBnUAmzQW_PlY4zZpWqpX-DuwQ39TnN-y74QCrk1k7Jsm8CxQOXZ9MWXZW8XCA4_hQFXNQPfOoniOa2QNKaD0N1gRg0hZ1w1QYv/s1600/IMG_2068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXfTY6qu-QvKSvh4-DB15RNuf4rtygeWRdq8iY37QfblBnUAmzQW_PlY4zZpWqpX-DuwQ39TnN-y74QCrk1k7Jsm8CxQOXZ9MWXZW8XCA4_hQFXNQPfOoniOa2QNKaD0N1gRg0hZ1w1QYv/s400/IMG_2068.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div> Baby shower festivities with most of the clinic staff.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WB6usP3EzfzKS8HUVHwmHQyeQxmwkHT_Vn5aG9QRupR_hJqw-hsEt7fwOK2oV7B9YHjSkuIPFqHWY7g0NMeX4dyNcENVL6QG8F7eHKhcDLcYNGXzuW37vb0z5v7kER8C3E1Owxegyc-f/s1600/IMG_2079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WB6usP3EzfzKS8HUVHwmHQyeQxmwkHT_Vn5aG9QRupR_hJqw-hsEt7fwOK2oV7B9YHjSkuIPFqHWY7g0NMeX4dyNcENVL6QG8F7eHKhcDLcYNGXzuW37vb0z5v7kER8C3E1Owxegyc-f/s400/IMG_2079.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-28856096695709498532011-05-01T13:50:00.000-07:002011-05-02T19:54:10.991-07:00Semana Santa and 4am Mornings<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I write this, I sit in the pitch black, although it is only 7pm, because the power has gone out yet again. I am trying to keep the bugs from swarming my computer screen, since right now that is the only light in the whole house. Since coming to Honduras, I have a new appreciation for our electrical services and technology back in the states, because over the past few weeks, the power outages here have been a daily occurrence. It is often conveniently while I am trying to serve up dinner to the girls in my hogar, when suddenly I can no longer see a single thing in front of my face. Then the Tias scramble for their cell phones to try to dimly light the mess-hall. Another popular time for the power to go out is right when I am trying to cook my dinner, and then, sorry… no dinner for me until the power comes back on, or there is always the back up of PB&J sandwiches.</span></span> <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you were to ask me what the best thing about this month is… I would have to say Mango Season. The last few weeks, the mangos have been sweet, ripe, and plentiful. Today, for part of lunch, I got handed a huge mango as the side dish. And they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. On most of them, we just eat the skin and all, a good way to add more fiber into the diet here. The ripe mangos are a big treat around here as most of the kids raid all the mango trees months before they are ripe, when they are still green and hard, called mango verde, and they eat them with salt, oil and vinegar.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The week before last of Semana Santa was quite a fun and exhausting week. The first Sunday was our girls’ camping trip. At 4am we loaded up three buses with sleeping cots and thermoses of food and piled in 100 girls, caregivers, and a few volunteers and headed west toward the El Salvador boarder to a town called Caridad. They say that the devil wears shorts here, and I have found this to be true. Luckily for the early start, the 6 hour ride over was pretty cool. For the three days that we were there, we stayed in an indoor/outdoor sort of community meeting hall. To celebrate Palm Sunday we joined Caridad in a procession that started up a hill by a school and we marched all the way down into the center singing songs and waving our palms. The procession began with mostly just our NPH group, but by the time we approached the church so many community members had joined, we had tripled in size. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second and third days were by far the most fun, and a relief to get out of the heat. We spent the whole day down at the river swimming and playing on the ‘beach.’ I think we must have looked like an inflatable circus with all the floaty toys we had and the shrieks and splashes of the kids. The river was wide and deep, mostly damned off by a rock bridge so that there was no strong current. We roped off a swim area to better keep an eye on the kids who couldn’t swim, and for the older ones who could swim, there was a perfect multi-tiered rock wall to jump off of. Among the children there was a certain sense of liberation and excitement that came with this vacation, maybe just what you would expect to see with any group of kids on spring break. It was overall a blast to spend time with the kids outside of the Ranch and their hogar and have a lot more unstructured play time.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rest of the week, the clinic was closed, so I spent each day with my hogar. The days were filled with mass almost every day, and a variety of other religious activities. In our free time, we did beading or other crafts with the girls, and they would always ask me to bring my laptop so that we could watch movies. It beats me how they enjoy it so much with 20 girls crowded around the tiny screen and speakers of my laptop. They beg the volunteers to do ‘turno’ (taking a turn sleeping in the hogar and being the responsible adult at night) so that they can stay up late and watch movies. They all pull their sleeping pads off their triple-tiered bunk beds and pile them on the floor, like a giant sleep over. When I woke up in the dim light of the morning and all were still sound asleep, all I could see was a tangled pile of little girls scattered about the floor.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Easter morning was another early start, as I dragged myself out of bed at 3:30am and everybody congregated on the boy’s side of the Ranch. We began with a bonfire and some songs and prayers. Each with a candle in hand, we processed toward the outdoor chapel in the blackness of night. It was a neat experience to sit through Mass from about 4:45 to 6:45am as the sun came up. I don’t exactly know why the Ranch has a tradition of early morning Easter mass, but rumor has it that that is when Jesus rose from the grave. Whether that is true or not, it didn’t stop the little girl in the row behind me from snoring through a good chunk of the sermon. As we processed out, every kid received a milk chocolate bar, which is rare here, and a real treat for them. And that was Easter… we were done by 7am. I worked with the girls the rest of the morning until their caregivers came back from vacation at noon, and then had the rest of the day off. I took that time to enjoy a nice Sunday chat with my family back at home and here about their outstanding Easter meal in comparison to the rice and milk that I received for dinner that night. Although I did miss my family traditions back home, it was fun spend Easter with the kids and have some unique experiences like 4am mass.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJERdDwqbOIFpeJnoNvsToBGVbVQUN5YnFfC13ld_4b9uN8rLMYIMe_XQEQfO5-wUjVyqscMFrIRnjkX_WmJGrgHB6YgxJkDgenIjoV6ObODIRjE2d3ju86QxujymqAALUjpk9EpqJJ988/s1600/IMG_1869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJERdDwqbOIFpeJnoNvsToBGVbVQUN5YnFfC13ld_4b9uN8rLMYIMe_XQEQfO5-wUjVyqscMFrIRnjkX_WmJGrgHB6YgxJkDgenIjoV6ObODIRjE2d3ju86QxujymqAALUjpk9EpqJJ988/s320/IMG_1869.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Processing into Caridad with members of the community for Palm Sunday.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZlM9XrsQvbhGATU2Tcr33FSBZ_1uMO9_BFEb00NkHvd_hXURZ3d5luMNVojQfyAFjjuvTn2yjkFpWZSMAEo1ePb0hjyYqtxkiJzo2zPUwn3bZxSN_SvGQ7FU2XIKx6mkwP9tDTrOjzaJ/s1600/IMG_1872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZlM9XrsQvbhGATU2Tcr33FSBZ_1uMO9_BFEb00NkHvd_hXURZ3d5luMNVojQfyAFjjuvTn2yjkFpWZSMAEo1ePb0hjyYqtxkiJzo2zPUwn3bZxSN_SvGQ7FU2XIKx6mkwP9tDTrOjzaJ/s320/IMG_1872.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Outside of the church after mass in Caridad.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopRN_hlGKWoKLPX4pd-sEI1PoG8-pj1vwNadWqvzmvx9kzIbkg3z_ssWi-O8jrBkdIpbDMN-UrosjFFOy5BRJVgYOxOJYK8_rzohyphenhyphencNXFt3XD4D2cqmAa6CZEuqHbQrr1cSCSX1Iit-2M/s1600/IMG_1896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopRN_hlGKWoKLPX4pd-sEI1PoG8-pj1vwNadWqvzmvx9kzIbkg3z_ssWi-O8jrBkdIpbDMN-UrosjFFOy5BRJVgYOxOJYK8_rzohyphenhyphencNXFt3XD4D2cqmAa6CZEuqHbQrr1cSCSX1Iit-2M/s320/IMG_1896.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The view of the river where we swam each day on our camping trip.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFjuj5Sy1Milu9xIf8K7z-xcx2l-1DIT1osg62XnBhM0R-dLhiljV2hzM_a1pe6ZHB9DxrVrp6_dZZEDe5NXXjr49M_LriYC8Fz5wdqIF-VsEDddELPTpJffGBcxaYQMZmlqqvxcEDRCq/s1600/IMG_1899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFjuj5Sy1Milu9xIf8K7z-xcx2l-1DIT1osg62XnBhM0R-dLhiljV2hzM_a1pe6ZHB9DxrVrp6_dZZEDe5NXXjr49M_LriYC8Fz5wdqIF-VsEDddELPTpJffGBcxaYQMZmlqqvxcEDRCq/s320/IMG_1899.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> This is where we slept for three nights, with cots sprawled all about the community center.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE1jFhPIxrh0BmuoGdNmXyYCsKXiv7ITKSbbxndi7WpDj9oROu_WFcE7weg2_-T2NzOV8HuA_6UNMEi83_PFJpQgC2ZVVzBox5pZWpWL_rxZrX8SjV9t6liP9SJPOWVcAjbC_UG6j9ZZk/s1600/IMG_1907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE1jFhPIxrh0BmuoGdNmXyYCsKXiv7ITKSbbxndi7WpDj9oROu_WFcE7weg2_-T2NzOV8HuA_6UNMEi83_PFJpQgC2ZVVzBox5pZWpWL_rxZrX8SjV9t6liP9SJPOWVcAjbC_UG6j9ZZk/s320/IMG_1907.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Some of the tias and older girls enjoying some watermelon for snack.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQoVAfIL-5Mjmnw3Td_l1cDGNBtajdqj4zusz2uIpr2x9yItFOM13sQaaY9-zEb2wW2Gr1x-ZOUy9M-dU1GJJu8Ix1VE5iZnUKtDclNMhWTJ0Hl2bK-WnBBUklgCEQB0jd5sOpQK8f_SF/s1600/IMG_1910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQoVAfIL-5Mjmnw3Td_l1cDGNBtajdqj4zusz2uIpr2x9yItFOM13sQaaY9-zEb2wW2Gr1x-ZOUy9M-dU1GJJu8Ix1VE5iZnUKtDclNMhWTJ0Hl2bK-WnBBUklgCEQB0jd5sOpQK8f_SF/s320/IMG_1910.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> One of our Semana Santa activities, visiting each station on the way to the cross on Black Friday.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05yi03Hl0EWu1K8R3JSYf7zB0mImcQus1KDPwSM1FHdKCOoOK_rAvy1Xq8xbxnT008L31PD2r752EGTJ58Z-3Z3CNuyigMp1f20UcTngPuY0FM2Rl4SNsCHUG1t6dlpdf-OAw0c3McEYU/s1600/IMG_1912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05yi03Hl0EWu1K8R3JSYf7zB0mImcQus1KDPwSM1FHdKCOoOK_rAvy1Xq8xbxnT008L31PD2r752EGTJ58Z-3Z3CNuyigMp1f20UcTngPuY0FM2Rl4SNsCHUG1t6dlpdf-OAw0c3McEYU/s320/IMG_1912.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>One of our young actors depicting Jesus on the cross during "The way to the Cross."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDeRTOdx1ZjZUMimVZ_k6iOPkySUoQzlhz4sI7UOxqn2WzUuMHyoSX4b-rkw6QiGnfMisDOC1Zyn4pMLx54ZlZOpKCqcwVcdg4t7w2o41oF83tinHlMREfGkixWCAC82mTJJak989vXSh/s1600/IMG_1917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDeRTOdx1ZjZUMimVZ_k6iOPkySUoQzlhz4sI7UOxqn2WzUuMHyoSX4b-rkw6QiGnfMisDOC1Zyn4pMLx54ZlZOpKCqcwVcdg4t7w2o41oF83tinHlMREfGkixWCAC82mTJJak989vXSh/s320/IMG_1917.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Aldo, a recent addition to the NPH family.</div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-89969556386258087412011-04-16T16:25:00.000-07:002011-04-16T16:25:59.908-07:00Fires, Food, Lice, and Losa<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am ready for some rain! Right now we are in the hottest and driest months of the year. This also means that forest fires are running rampant, and the sky has been a thick layer of smoke and haze for the last several weeks. When I go running around the ranch, I pass large patches of forest that are now blackened after recent fires have passed through. Today on my journey into Tegucigalpa, I could barely see the hills off to the side of the road because of the poor air quality. This may also explain why my cough from my cold two weeks ago still seems to be lingering.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can tell I am getting used to the food here because my cravings for my ‘American favorites’ are diminishing, and I actually get excited when some of the better ranch meals are served, such as casamiento (rice and beans mixed together) or a side of salad (cucumber, which I never liked in the states, green tomato, and a few pieces of lettuce or cabbage). However, my love for cooking has also grown, possibly because I take advantage of any opportunity I have to prepare my own food the way I like it, which only comes once or twice a week. Among the volunteer community, we have Cena Amistosa (family dinner) in which we usually have a themed meal where everyone cooks together or brings something, potluck style. This is always a nice chance to spend time together as a volunteer group. Another special meal occasion is Proyecto Familiar, a program started by a former volunteer to enable sibling groups to spend more time together and prepare a true family dinner. Most volunteers take a turn in cooking with the kids a couple times each month. The kids absolutely love Proyecto because they get to cook food and eat as much as they want; two things that they don’t get to do much of otherwise. NPH is a great place for families because siblings can come here together and know they will never be split up or taken away. Family groups of 4-6 children are not uncommon. The problem is that since there are so many families, they only get Proyecto about every 8 months. I really love Proyecto because I get to know the kids as a family unit and in a smaller group.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here on the ranch, since everyone lives in a community, lice are very prevalent. It is kind of just a fact of life, and not something that any of the kids would be grossed out by or make a big deal of because that is just how they are used to living. I am very proud to announce that after 3 months here, I am still lice free. One of my very least favorite Saturday activities is ‘de-lousing.’ For the girls, they can’t understand that this is a rare and strange activity for me, and that I feel a little bit like a monkey when I do it. What delousing entails is sitting a girl down in between your legs and slowly searching through their hair for little pearly white eggs that are firmly attached to the base of the hair strand. The only way to get them out, since we have only one lice comb to share amongst 22 girls, is to pinch it between your fingernails and slide it all the way down the hair follicle until it comes off the end. The girls generally like to report to the others how many eggs you found in their hair. If there are many, it is likely that there are live lice as well. So, you put a t-shirt or towel over your lap to cover your clothes and try to obtain the fine-toothed lice comb to brush them out of the hair and onto your lap. At this point they are unhappily scrambling around because they have just been evoked from their hairy hiding place, so you have to kill them by squishing them in between your fingernails. Ideally, everyone would partner up, so I would only have to de-louse one person, however, sometimes that doesn’t work and I end up delousing a handful of girls. I’m itching just writing this.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tableware, or Losa, in Spanish, is a strange thing here on the ranch. Every child is given a plate/bowl, cup, and spoon or fork as their own which they have to present at every meal in order to eat. Even though everybody is supposed to have their own, there is a severe shortage of losa on the ranch. No matter how many times new losa is bought or gifted to a Hogar, pieces seem to disappear shortly thereafter. I think it is a vicious cycle of things being lost and/or stolen, but I am convinced that there has to be a hidden treasure of plastic plates, cups, and spoons here on the ranch at the rate they disappear. Even my own losa got stolen, but was luckily returned to me several days later. To avoid their spoons from being stolen, some children basically guard these items with their life, and you often see many children walking around with them in their back pockets. One evening on our way to dinner, one of the little girls in my hogar, Fatima, pulled me into the garden, where she began rummaging through a lush flower pot. When I asked her what on earth she was doing, she informed me that this was where she hid her spoon after every meal to keep it safe. I couldn’t help but laugh at what lengths the kids will go to to protect their possessions. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This coming week is Semana Santa, or Holy Week, which means a lot of different things here on the Ranch. School is closed and the children who have had good behavior and have family who can come pick them up are able to go home for the week. This will vary for each child based on whether they have any extended family and whether the family can afford the voyage to the Ranch and has any sort of visitation privileges. Some children have the option to go home, but prefer to stay at the Ranch, possibly because of a negative home situation. All the employees here get all or at least part of the week off which means we volunteers step in to pick up the slack, as well as all the NPH high school and university students studying in Tegucigalpa come back here to work for the week. For most of us, we take over working in our Hogars as Tio or Tia. While I know I have an exhausting week ahead of me, I am excited to get an extended period of time with the girls to just relax, play, and get to know them deeper. Tomorrow we leave with all the girls on the ranch who are about 8 years old and up to go camping for three days. For some reason, someone decided we needed to leave at 4am, so I suppose we will be loading up school buses in the dark. I’m not sure what ‘camping’ with 100 people looks like, but I will be sure to let you know how that goes in my next blog entry.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBFQtlYZF2Szimf6Fk6uT8P70jlE3pK4OJhTTe4vQIZnKK8WWktmx0YntTo4nJBuzSE0PUg4RUmlcb4XRz61mepFPUs5fl493TfuDHuirlxZxGbh2x9euHCcbI810lifkJnQdfT89mtyp/s1600/CIMG1446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBFQtlYZF2Szimf6Fk6uT8P70jlE3pK4OJhTTe4vQIZnKK8WWktmx0YntTo4nJBuzSE0PUg4RUmlcb4XRz61mepFPUs5fl493TfuDHuirlxZxGbh2x9euHCcbI810lifkJnQdfT89mtyp/s320/CIMG1446.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>One of my favorite cuties... Fernando.Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-33285278697486481052011-04-15T12:53:00.000-07:002011-04-15T12:53:53.147-07:00Fotos for Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOpLq8vELKElDDUKlM6Di2bq15Hp2r5YPe2dAlgmDRAcLwyj0HXH00-zynjbrZLfEj1wZJzZ_bkV4nzgQFF3Wcguqg1SZpr370fu66HCL79AdMouo7G0Mi7bQ7sB4McWoSkSEB3Rljpwm/s1600/IMG_1752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOpLq8vELKElDDUKlM6Di2bq15Hp2r5YPe2dAlgmDRAcLwyj0HXH00-zynjbrZLfEj1wZJzZ_bkV4nzgQFF3Wcguqg1SZpr370fu66HCL79AdMouo7G0Mi7bQ7sB4McWoSkSEB3Rljpwm/s320/IMG_1752.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> A day in Santa Lucia. Pictured with Micaela, another NPH volunteer.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeZ31hGTKGxXlNwRq8tSYdAWrkU71HvyK7xm6truWcc9IzsrG8mUNqUSilGh9fThFG-SjGjTVQAkDwExQp4kKn6v_kiXj8Zdo_ZNpJoy8xCqkhIrRibxGGrf2EdqHzRArZNCyT0Jk16BI/s1600/IMG_1786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeZ31hGTKGxXlNwRq8tSYdAWrkU71HvyK7xm6truWcc9IzsrG8mUNqUSilGh9fThFG-SjGjTVQAkDwExQp4kKn6v_kiXj8Zdo_ZNpJoy8xCqkhIrRibxGGrf2EdqHzRArZNCyT0Jk16BI/s320/IMG_1786.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> My pre-op and Phase I nursing group in the Surgery Center during the March Brigade.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XJbe_SzzQ4Cmfj5M34u-qo9Wwy-QxS20uB_IcD8qx35n8N9ApDh263DOvKZJzpCyn4vs1O-6ZIX1rPT7Mpdg1A3QglQWXHlZ0lvjKi7j4o_nCG4pfIySGBlHxMnuk7L7-9Lvjha-W0A8/s1600/IMG_1788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XJbe_SzzQ4Cmfj5M34u-qo9Wwy-QxS20uB_IcD8qx35n8N9ApDh263DOvKZJzpCyn4vs1O-6ZIX1rPT7Mpdg1A3QglQWXHlZ0lvjKi7j4o_nCG4pfIySGBlHxMnuk7L7-9Lvjha-W0A8/s320/IMG_1788.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> My favorite patient of the week!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3peuUxy-xFAW_3CxnlzgzuPqHIQghNkoeq97x-Te61mO3EUupiaTYHnxF2sxDnVCVXZdf5QPmwZDBAG2Gkuo10JIZHbvX7idPBJ0ozxqIGTwvrnVBodP2VdRME8kwoqTzdpf7zQ55u8uO/s1600/IMG_1789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3peuUxy-xFAW_3CxnlzgzuPqHIQghNkoeq97x-Te61mO3EUupiaTYHnxF2sxDnVCVXZdf5QPmwZDBAG2Gkuo10JIZHbvX7idPBJ0ozxqIGTwvrnVBodP2VdRME8kwoqTzdpf7zQ55u8uO/s320/IMG_1789.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> With two other NPH volunteers, Jason and Deedee<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeFAEOQwXrXwFGvQVoe87WHIbQeN1FONzBNpUz3EjXrkj0wSsbQIDRDjF2hS8B9Fp6pdkQ9wXOXFHqLIMBo_dYJPsOjL9RvW4tKk0McXMn7LACDQdoP5ADc0y5vJVmkHvZJR07jev8xD8/s1600/IMG_1794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeFAEOQwXrXwFGvQVoe87WHIbQeN1FONzBNpUz3EjXrkj0wSsbQIDRDjF2hS8B9Fp6pdkQ9wXOXFHqLIMBo_dYJPsOjL9RvW4tKk0McXMn7LACDQdoP5ADc0y5vJVmkHvZJR07jev8xD8/s320/IMG_1794.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Baking cake with two adorable girls for proyecto familiar. These were the two children who I spoke about recently loosing their father.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMYCtslGaUCXrcDqI0ohXGpgveI5oUzo8krxFxgXD-r1AGltz1KDxGPtFjXdgK7_hWwDUZLX-xWtnXkZmmDKMYpRBD7X_sizMXewGJwmeAje5N9xNc7OjDCBacv7d2O3xxc9Nu_2Gx2Zs/s1600/IMG_1809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMYCtslGaUCXrcDqI0ohXGpgveI5oUzo8krxFxgXD-r1AGltz1KDxGPtFjXdgK7_hWwDUZLX-xWtnXkZmmDKMYpRBD7X_sizMXewGJwmeAje5N9xNc7OjDCBacv7d2O3xxc9Nu_2Gx2Zs/s320/IMG_1809.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> 14 of us squeezed into a tiny pickup truck with all of our supplies for our medical brigade to Tamal y Queso. It was quite a ride.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuuXsBJnEX38tEJvzkbvpDSGZR5PbCEIIoO8WVQfpMkiPW-f-C97NDsTJHPfptWa4BMM2OrEEVIRP1wheCn2OJ37jVCl3Hbw2sLc6S_vgQ0UXzAAZ6h5v_pNkX1UxrMMiTbrYeAmRoeOw/s1600/IMG_1817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMuuXsBJnEX38tEJvzkbvpDSGZR5PbCEIIoO8WVQfpMkiPW-f-C97NDsTJHPfptWa4BMM2OrEEVIRP1wheCn2OJ37jVCl3Hbw2sLc6S_vgQ0UXzAAZ6h5v_pNkX1UxrMMiTbrYeAmRoeOw/s320/IMG_1817.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Our doctor saw every student in the school and examined them for various illnesses.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhtAEnEiJk5nhZOXi1OdocN56TDNDoeX5Mi4CGpqfD_Mvej8-LrDC4d5mjD70e7fnyWFLt_w13MLh654ddKgVgDeYi0gmneJd3iG5EPrJpA7Xtyj7W5QUk_51wPAT-SSQwxc8shRRslxO/s1600/IMG_1818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhtAEnEiJk5nhZOXi1OdocN56TDNDoeX5Mi4CGpqfD_Mvej8-LrDC4d5mjD70e7fnyWFLt_w13MLh654ddKgVgDeYi0gmneJd3iG5EPrJpA7Xtyj7W5QUk_51wPAT-SSQwxc8shRRslxO/s320/IMG_1818.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Inside the one room school house. Jason giving antiparasite medication to each kid, and a month´s supply of multivitamins.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6IBjfcgPD_euO4wV4hdAEOMgtJ88uZWKYf9MGlvroHeOY9fTYBRRh3CpMBzViCsR7RC-FGL690NJ6dvB5EDIt3q3V5urxA16LQwHh54bsdh7Af1-yrqPf2BScaPNCtcFmNbc_biH_2Kc/s1600/IMG_1822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6IBjfcgPD_euO4wV4hdAEOMgtJ88uZWKYf9MGlvroHeOY9fTYBRRh3CpMBzViCsR7RC-FGL690NJ6dvB5EDIt3q3V5urxA16LQwHh54bsdh7Af1-yrqPf2BScaPNCtcFmNbc_biH_2Kc/s320/IMG_1822.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> In front of the school.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJf5C7hu09wStfh1__2Lcqv5PYXS6ZA-5qtw6vowJOm6p7SlpDc3TWLDEMao5ivA-oth7js6w_eCDmjTaRR8dTEpxDWsHwBWswykVVZGYhkXSxVxliJ31-ErpqbmGNy12y_aaW2018HME/s1600/IMG_1826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJf5C7hu09wStfh1__2Lcqv5PYXS6ZA-5qtw6vowJOm6p7SlpDc3TWLDEMao5ivA-oth7js6w_eCDmjTaRR8dTEpxDWsHwBWswykVVZGYhkXSxVxliJ31-ErpqbmGNy12y_aaW2018HME/s320/IMG_1826.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Loading back into the truck.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAxP00CDwl5GoVLpCS3aQ0N_RbBIf-1ZbnXU9iHPV411lB8iCL-LRy78uOBj-yTVZZbMP2mEz8ao-DldnkL92jJgBOI6bbAopv6pl9ziXt9yC9PfQ2Vhn1wBe1DDcOvZv6RopqUs0cj-t/s1600/IMG_1828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAxP00CDwl5GoVLpCS3aQ0N_RbBIf-1ZbnXU9iHPV411lB8iCL-LRy78uOBj-yTVZZbMP2mEz8ao-DldnkL92jJgBOI6bbAopv6pl9ziXt9yC9PfQ2Vhn1wBe1DDcOvZv6RopqUs0cj-t/s320/IMG_1828.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Marcela and Norma, two Honduras who I work with in the clinic.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhR-Pi5tPaU21V_F3ahgIy12l4zid_ao22LSiv8iaNqdUJyORaVM9VAeFWUuPuvSSuAw-khJZYrsQkTQOch3JqlDU32Yo8PNQYw6dGAmvFg5FajIjiUg9a7a-34OLCc8Zj7Ctyl7pkTtR/s1600/IMG_1832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhR-Pi5tPaU21V_F3ahgIy12l4zid_ao22LSiv8iaNqdUJyORaVM9VAeFWUuPuvSSuAw-khJZYrsQkTQOch3JqlDU32Yo8PNQYw6dGAmvFg5FajIjiUg9a7a-34OLCc8Zj7Ctyl7pkTtR/s320/IMG_1832.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Making birthday cake with some of the girls from my section Estrellas de Belen, for the January, Febuary, and March birthdays.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2u80x-YC6CCuM1gLDh4_Q2qFd9aSK_Tq6PUG30jyjJokTG9GwB3Kn-Qtkhybo0eYY62UEvFn3qVpCbedRL8FcbpOSNtOqYqSZ4m9doeBYq648Oq506LUK7ER6wGVeYEUI4xiUACRvTd5E/s1600/IMG_1834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2u80x-YC6CCuM1gLDh4_Q2qFd9aSK_Tq6PUG30jyjJokTG9GwB3Kn-Qtkhybo0eYY62UEvFn3qVpCbedRL8FcbpOSNtOqYqSZ4m9doeBYq648Oq506LUK7ER6wGVeYEUI4xiUACRvTd5E/s320/IMG_1834.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Natalia... oh so cute.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwVjLXFMRPCujt7KflaSFNc7M1iTkMv7Muy9snoRXi6OXI95HuTaSnsiIhgU6NeaJSOnF9N45URW9cvYRv9Pzt4XyPNODBSplPs2nr1CagjQAQgRmI49mKtzH70inkfFss10ZqAwafZkb/s1600/IMG_1835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwVjLXFMRPCujt7KflaSFNc7M1iTkMv7Muy9snoRXi6OXI95HuTaSnsiIhgU6NeaJSOnF9N45URW9cvYRv9Pzt4XyPNODBSplPs2nr1CagjQAQgRmI49mKtzH70inkfFss10ZqAwafZkb/s320/IMG_1835.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkzMJAdQE2wVIuDrv4244gFAe5YL6OIQ7DpphO_loKYRWk5sZj-biqvyozn2wE3e17DECovAuvUFGXrsmj8-L0HRMBbC0aPEMjtgb7Luqf1wf4pqvBZb2u0P2RWEoVll75LbkaqrW7pec/s1600/IMG_1849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkzMJAdQE2wVIuDrv4244gFAe5YL6OIQ7DpphO_loKYRWk5sZj-biqvyozn2wE3e17DECovAuvUFGXrsmj8-L0HRMBbC0aPEMjtgb7Luqf1wf4pqvBZb2u0P2RWEoVll75LbkaqrW7pec/s320/IMG_1849.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My roommate Caro, from Austria.Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-63163366086443425192011-04-03T19:13:00.001-07:002011-04-04T12:49:31.821-07:00Brigades and Visitors<div class="mobile-photo"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I apologize for such a long gap in updates. I have had a very eventful March with very little time to write. I am doing well however, and excited that I made it successfully past my 3 month mark here, which also coincided with a fabulous and long awaited 4 day visit from my mom and sister. It was so much fun to show them around the Ranch, and even a little bit of Honduras, so that they have a better picture of what life is like for both me and the kids her as well. My mom brought me an entire suitcase of goods that I had been missing from the states, such as peanut butter, chocolate, magazines, clothing items, and some crafts for the girls in my hogar. They tagged along with me to my Hogar one night and took lots of pictures and met all 22 kids in my section. Another evening we cooked dinner with a family of four sisters and ate together, their family and mine. The next day my mom came with me bright and early to help open the clinic and stayed all morning assisting with various tasks such as finding patient charts, and counting up and bagging medications to dispense to patients. Tasks, as she pointed out, that would never have been allowed in the states. To make sure my family got the 'true, authentic Honduran experience,' we ventured out for an overnight getaway in public transportation (picture crowded, old, rickety, discarded American school bus) to pass through Tegucigalpa and visit two colonial towns a few hours away. This was personally a nice little get away for me, and allowed for the perfect quality time with my mom and sister. We ate some good food, walked around, and bought some souvenirs. The four days came to an end all too fast, but I excitedly await their return when my whole family can come in August.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the Ranch we have one of the most state of the art surgery centers in all of Honduras that currently is used only 4 times a year when medical brigades of various specialties come. I always feel like I am transported back to the US when I walk into the center because it looks so nice compared to any other medical facility I have seen in Honduras. Mid-March we had an Orthopedic medical brigade of 60 people from the States (comprised of Surgeons, nurses, families, translators, and other auxiliary personnel) come to operate in our surgical center. In the first 2 days we did 200 consults and 58 surgeries during the following 4 days. I worked at least 12 hour days, sometimes more for the entire week as both nurse and translator, assisting with communication with patients and helping them feel at ease, and also playing nurse helping with pre-surgery sedation and recovery post-op. When things were slow in the recovery room I was able to pop into some of the Operating rooms and watch the surgeries. It made for a very exhausting, but fulfilling week. It was fun to do some 'hospital' type nursing for the week and get to know some new faces and learn a lot from the surgeons, other nurses, and anesthesiologists. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another successful development was last week, after a month of planning, we formulated our own little medical brigade comprised of many of the healthcare personnel from the clinic and some fellow volunteers to return to the neighboring rural village of Tamal y Queso. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We piled 14 of us and our supplies into a small pickup truck and bumped along the one-track mountain road. Since this was our first visit where we were actually providing healthcare and education, we decided to begin with a manageable population size and just treat the 42 school children, whom we had all done preliminary assessments on during our previous trip. We brought along our physician and our dentist who assessed each child. We taught hand washing skills, dental hygiene, and all the kids received a toothbrush, toothpaste, multivitamins, and antiparasite medication. We also brought a well-equipped first aid kit to donate to the school and educated the teachers and some mothers from the community on basic first aid skills such as wound care, hand hygiene, choking response and the Heimlich maneuver, how to use basic over the counter medications, etc. It was such a rewarding experience to see direct results of healthcare implementation and also be able to focus more on primary/preventative healthcare. We hope to continue a supportive relationship with this community and with each visit expand the demographics of the population that we are able to care for.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel like I probably don't talk about the kids as much recently, since I have accustomed myself now to my environment and they have become a part of my life here. And sometimes the quirky or cute things that they do don't always strike me anymore like they did when I first got here because it has become common. And although my daily 'job' is not directly working with the children, it is for them that I came, and from them that I can often renew my energy. So I would like to share a few stories about the resiliency of one family. One night after coming back late from the surgery center during the brigade, we got a radio call that one of the abuelos from the grandparent's house, was not well. By the time we got there, he had passed away minutes earlier. Although he was grandparent' age, he lived on the ranch because he was chronically ill with emphysema and had two young children of his own here whom he could not care for, 8 and 11 years old. The older of the two, Yeimi is in my Hogar. My heart sank when I saw him knowing that this meant two sweet little girls were now parentless. I had the opportunity that night to help take his body up to the clinic and help preserve it and prepare him for his funeral. An experience that I had not yet had. A few days later, I attended my first funeral, and it was interesting standing in the cemetery and being surrounded by an overwhelming majority of children who had already experienced the pain of losing a parent or loved one. A week after the death, I had the opportunity to spend an evening with another volunteer and the two girls cooking dinner together and playing. Despite the recent events they were so joyful and the older one took great care in being like a mother to her slightly younger sister. They would lovingly talk about things their dad would do or had taught them, not with sadness, but with joy for the memories of him. It just made me feel so much hope for these kids that they are able to face and overcome such obstacles and still go on loving life.</span></span></span><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3w0WKVg2nO-8gmaW2fdY9OKV2Jir7TDDq3mEtma0xoTJ2rHqboQcp4gnBlkMg1Hzk0e58PNfi_uE-2SluYW3T6b_bq0IYGn-j-duOroeMuBi4zIWDoqT515ckD7pcqjy3U62rPlwI0FH/s1600/CIMG1457-700515.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591545767438624482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3w0WKVg2nO-8gmaW2fdY9OKV2Jir7TDDq3mEtma0xoTJ2rHqboQcp4gnBlkMg1Hzk0e58PNfi_uE-2SluYW3T6b_bq0IYGn-j-duOroeMuBi4zIWDoqT515ckD7pcqjy3U62rPlwI0FH/s320/CIMG1457-700515.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">My family with a family of four sisters that we spent an evening with cooking dinner. The two smallest are in my hogar.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1rtuChlAAmy9YmfGH1Viwec4mXjeLx-Vd95fGTe_Ei7NS32QsxKAIBepV8NVSwT_yV247hPwAgVMUu6PgAvOyXoOp0_o9NKyma2F_9oTf4Q81Y7JwENNT5O9l6ve3pANGNcxmvWPWdu0/s1600/CIMG1464-701368.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591545775387402050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1rtuChlAAmy9YmfGH1Viwec4mXjeLx-Vd95fGTe_Ei7NS32QsxKAIBepV8NVSwT_yV247hPwAgVMUu6PgAvOyXoOp0_o9NKyma2F_9oTf4Q81Y7JwENNT5O9l6ve3pANGNcxmvWPWdu0/s320/CIMG1464-701368.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">In the clinic pharmacy room with Coto, my 'year of service' assistant.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOjZ5PFGRrylE8l9UZGoi7j02id8xbxZgIsnBEIIxGdlVhGUVHpWVDuftQuuis5fL8eElpfpJMXEfFhB9uac3oAW28edfZO_sRUHPWbWCsYdVz0b-brp66cFfxMk-a2UmC0y6zhYMJTAN/s1600/CIMG1502-702101.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591545776475517618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQOjZ5PFGRrylE8l9UZGoi7j02id8xbxZgIsnBEIIxGdlVhGUVHpWVDuftQuuis5fL8eElpfpJMXEfFhB9uac3oAW28edfZO_sRUHPWbWCsYdVz0b-brp66cFfxMk-a2UmC0y6zhYMJTAN/s320/CIMG1502-702101.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">Bagged water... slightly more sustainable than bottled water.</div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-86187942481361297262011-03-06T18:06:00.001-08:002011-03-06T18:11:38.917-08:00Each day is an Adventure<div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAj4aadVU32zqF2LmxcmngFpK5Qosljxvk9vpdopR-KbRUCJMY95NkMlnDkQFnZadvdXJRVBvtanFgodlMrZOUeZHhna7xX6QpmgxJeqwfeiEUAnT1JwnargZ42a8wfPesuD8ZaoQqBCgo/s1600/IMG_1737-705968.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581153693907873090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAj4aadVU32zqF2LmxcmngFpK5Qosljxvk9vpdopR-KbRUCJMY95NkMlnDkQFnZadvdXJRVBvtanFgodlMrZOUeZHhna7xX6QpmgxJeqwfeiEUAnT1JwnargZ42a8wfPesuD8ZaoQqBCgo/s320/IMG_1737-705968.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">All 22 girls in my Hogar sleep together in one room on triple tiered bunk-beds</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXBRnRVfNHj_VxzTib-edHuvoEj2qSp4O5ErSGotHK0KzeMD21im_P_AdTMLPCaMKIIhDkzFFRmkl6HwmMMP-8qsrHLRSIaRZvUqokTHVe7WEo2K7Ez_YlwpebvKPcYO3-0A5OewPYi5I/s1600/IMG_1744-707687.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581153700794665106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXBRnRVfNHj_VxzTib-edHuvoEj2qSp4O5ErSGotHK0KzeMD21im_P_AdTMLPCaMKIIhDkzFFRmkl6HwmMMP-8qsrHLRSIaRZvUqokTHVe7WEo2K7Ez_YlwpebvKPcYO3-0A5OewPYi5I/s320/IMG_1744-707687.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">Some of the girls in the Hogar infront of the Valentine's decorations that my mom sent us.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrP9WAFEJ1nb2Ut99F02mB_BNlWVTo-MmeXw1wiB-hV5FjMd7-LoIbVEF-U4S4osjB7OApk_Eq_mimnRQs0c8CeYQbOViyG6VTphSqQW2W8lkGWEPRyspKNimZCUCJtx7IscDYnpMVRGFB/s1600/IMG_1747-708930.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581153704719065170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrP9WAFEJ1nb2Ut99F02mB_BNlWVTo-MmeXw1wiB-hV5FjMd7-LoIbVEF-U4S4osjB7OApk_Eq_mimnRQs0c8CeYQbOViyG6VTphSqQW2W8lkGWEPRyspKNimZCUCJtx7IscDYnpMVRGFB/s320/IMG_1747-708930.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">The external clinic where I work. On the left is the laboratory, pharmacy, and admissions window, and the building to the right has the pre-clinic/triage room, the consult room for the doctor, and a room that we use to do wound care procedures.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the most fun days that I had in the past two weeks was going on "Compras" (<i>Shopping</i>) with the kids. Each month, all the children 11 years and older who recently had their birthday or made the honor roll, get to go for a day outing to Tegucigalpa. It reminded me very much of my elementary school field trips, where the kids get to leave school at noon and pile into a big school bus, only this time, I was a chaperone. Upon getting off the bus, I immediately had a child on each hand who I could tell was a little overwhelmed by the big city. Coming from the rural Ranch, especially for those who have spent most of their lives here, the city can be a bit overwhelming, and it can be easy to forget street-smarts like looking both ways before crossing the road. We made our way to Pizza Hut, where all the kids were treated to a very large, delicious lunch and dessert. Strangely, this was the nicest restaurant that I had eaten in since coming here. After that, the 30 or so kids were turned loose to do their birthday shopping with the $10-15 that they are given. At this point it was a little bit nerve-racking as all the kids scattered through the main center area trying to figure out how to spend their money in 1 hour. The most popular stop seems to be the grocery store where the kids have the freedom to load up on treats. The last stop we made was of course to eat birthday cake. All in all, it was a blast to go on an outing with the kids and see them in an environment outside the Ranch, and also get to know some other children better.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As a medical team, have been exploring the idea of starting regular medical visits to the next neighboring rural village of 'Tamal y Queso.' On Wednesday, I got to venture with Tiffany, the other volunteer RN, and two other staff from the clinic to meet with the community and assess exactly what the health needs are and how we can best serve them. We ventured several miles through the woods in a 4-wheel drive truck that could barely make it up the mountainous roads, which were really more of just a hiking trail. When we arrived to the beautiful little community, set down in a valley surrounded by rounded mountains on all sides, we were warmly welcomed into the school where many women were waiting outside and had come as well to see what we had to offer. We entered into a one-room school house where 33 children sat around tables divided up by grades for 1-6, and a little side group of 7 kindergarteners sitting in the annex. We went through each child and assessed their hair for lice or other problems, their teeth for dental health, their skin for anemia or scabies, and their feet for fungus. After that we chatted with the women of the village to learn what their specific health needs were, and what types of education they might be interested in us offering. This week we will meet with our doctor and health director to review our findings and determine how we could make this into a sustainable project On future trips we hope to bring some medication, our medical doctor, and possibly our dentist as well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For my last and probably most interesting story, which some of you have already heard short tidbits of, I will try my best to give a concise elaboration. Thursday, I was out near the entrance of the Ranch in the external clinic where I normally work daily. This day however, the Doctor was in Tegucigalpa, so the clinic was closed and I was all alone there organizing the pharmacy and just doing some other basic tasks that I wanted to get done while there were no patients to tend to. Suddenly, the guard from the front gate runs into the clinic and is trying to explain to me that there is a lady here giving birth. I run outside to the back of a pick-up and find a 17 year old girl lying there on a cot. At that point she looks pretty calm and doesn't seem to be in any sort of distress, then my eyes move down to her belly, which doesn't seem especially distended either, then I look farther down and there between her legs is a swaddle of blankets containing a newly born baby. Adrenaline kicks in and I run back into the clinic to grab gloves, frantically call Tiffany who was 15 minutes away at the internal clinic inside the ranch, and I grab our emergency birth kit, which now I can't thank Tiffany enough for making and having been so 'emergency prepared.' I climbed into the back of this pick-up truck with this family who had just driven here from about 2 hours away, and couldn't make it to a clinic in time. I was trying to make sure the baby was breathing and suction his nose and mouth, and make sure the mom was not bleeding excessively, while trying to yell directions up to the driver in the front cab so he could quickly get us to the internal clinic where other personnel waited to help. As I squated there, bumping along on in the bed of the truck, the baby was still attached to the umbilical cord and placenta, so I was trying to find the hemostats to clamp the umbilical cord. Once we got the mom and baby safely into the clinic, while Tiffany had the doctor on the phone and was giving me directions. Since we had no umbilical clamp, I took suture thread and tied it around the umbilical cord in two places, then cut the cord in the middle (something I never really expected to be doing unless I was a father, whose child had just been born). We got some oxygen on the baby and loaded mom and baby up into the ranch ambulance (which is really just a rickety mini-bus, with the seats taken out and a stretcher in the back). As we go barreling down the patchy concrete and dirt road to Tegucigalpa, Tiffany is sitting on the stretcher next to mom and baby making sure baby is pink and breathing fine, I am leaning over her holding the oxygen for the baby and occasionally massaging the mom's stomach to make sure the uterus contracts, and the mother's friend is holding the oxygen tank which had been rolling all over the vehicle. After an hour or more of a miserable, scary, boiling hot ambulance ride, where the only window to look out to keep from getting car-sick was the front, we arrived at the city public hospital. It was a good thing that we had gone along with them because the mom was promptly ushered to the gynecology unit, and the baby taken to the pediatric emergency unit, without any form of identification to know who the mom was, or that the baby was hers. So we each stayed with Mom or Baby, until their family had joined them and they were safely reunited and settled into the hospital where they would stay for 24 hours in observation. Needless to say, it was quite an adventure, and surely not an experience that I ever expected to have. But as I am coming to realize, here no day is ever normal or the same. Whether I am at the clinic or with the kids, things can change in an instant. You never know what you will get, but I think I really love it that way.</span></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-63253592140585012352011-02-21T08:26:00.000-08:002011-02-21T08:41:57.441-08:00Surgery and Forest Fires<div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG-5nd-PeFMCL2gmT6YD1CfyeRWQHk3EHrd3MhA8FW10QrSktHKMZYo3cMZAgx0xxMyz8U8aQGS9omOQ8ZTG3o7ten_PgBPNhm3CF6KILc8s3tiTE47bsmcPW3VDywG3CLSCfKDvPwG_3/s1600/IMG_1701-701100.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576180527449638498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipG-5nd-PeFMCL2gmT6YD1CfyeRWQHk3EHrd3MhA8FW10QrSktHKMZYo3cMZAgx0xxMyz8U8aQGS9omOQ8ZTG3o7ten_PgBPNhm3CF6KILc8s3tiTE47bsmcPW3VDywG3CLSCfKDvPwG_3/s320/IMG_1701-701100.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">Forest fire on the ranch from a short distance away.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59m4ALiEh_o8gj0k5lRx6Apuho8kgCNe44XpWGuT1x-xz74eyc1ui36-2OTwzjCVQ2imQmqSIQnEluJOJHRxn4dy8rI7END8eUiMoHAZYPd6loTZKwSvCZgA7Dh_zBk6o-KlEKDddzUqJ/s1600/IMG_1720-702390.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576180537511615906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59m4ALiEh_o8gj0k5lRx6Apuho8kgCNe44XpWGuT1x-xz74eyc1ui36-2OTwzjCVQ2imQmqSIQnEluJOJHRxn4dy8rI7END8eUiMoHAZYPd6loTZKwSvCZgA7Dh_zBk6o-KlEKDddzUqJ/s320/IMG_1720-702390.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">Baking a cake with three sisters and another volunteer.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5b1aGiXvomIoa55y2WOu_rerSpMwvKYOEGxWjWX29W5YK2TTEwrjd3F_lUN47hvwOQSWHQ_BAZUkojaVGKcTvGmHuRqwmFH6A14xJp1oHo-MXKp6WVesC4dF8gAsJ4_f9CSRbDfpTtJX/s1600/IMG_1733-704163.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576180539286258818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5b1aGiXvomIoa55y2WOu_rerSpMwvKYOEGxWjWX29W5YK2TTEwrjd3F_lUN47hvwOQSWHQ_BAZUkojaVGKcTvGmHuRqwmFH6A14xJp1oHo-MXKp6WVesC4dF8gAsJ4_f9CSRbDfpTtJX/s320/IMG_1733-704163.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">Enjoying a weekend in Tegucigalpa for the going away party of three volunteers who finished their year(s) of service this month.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="gmail_quote"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">This week I began my first official work week on my own, without my fellow volunteer nurse, Tiffany, by my side. All went well, and with each day I gain more confidence in my Spanish and nursing care, and pleasure out of my work. Each Wednesday is spent at the school completing the yearly Well-Child checks on all the children, or as many as we can get though in the morning. I help assess the height, weight, vital signs, and test the vision of each child before they see the doctor. I think it is wonderful that NPH offers such good preventative healthcare in addition to caring for many chronically ill children. Tiffany and I have also been planning and presenting lectures to the medical staff each week on different nursing care topics, such as how to administer medications, start IVs, what is Hypertension?, and Diabetes, knowledge of medications that we are dispensing in the clinic, etc. The majority of the nurses who work here have only a high school nursing licensure with a very basic healthcare education. Therefore, I am glad to put my bachelor's degree to use to help provide continuing education for these nurses since many of them carry great responsibility in their healthcare roles.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">This weekend was also my first weekend being on-call for the clinic and any medical emergency that might arise. We have a Doctor on-call, whom we can contact with any questions and there is a Honduran nurse who is in the clinic day and night with the kids. However, I still feel a lot of responsibility and a little nervous being the only licensed healthcare employee here for over 400 people. I get to walk around with a pretty official looking radio, I come into the clinic to assess new patients, and am available for questions or to help out with whatever is needed. Last night, for example, one of the children had to go to the hospital, so I stayed to manage the clinic while the other nurse accompanied the child to Tegucigalpa. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Another new addition to my last few weeks has been getting to know my Hogar of 22 girls, ages 10-14 years old. All the children here are divided up into groups of 20-30 kids, based on their age and developmental level and they live with that group in individual buildings called Hogars. The volunteers here have essentially two jobs. We all work our day jobs during the week, as teacher, nurse, office personnel, etc. and then we have an evening and weekend job, spending time in Hogar with our assigned group of kids and supporting their caregivers. The two hours that I am with them each night is spent finishing up chores, eating dinner, brushing teeth, and changing into pajamas. In the little time that is left before lights out, they love it when I bring stories to read or a new board game to play. I am really excited to have this age group of kids because they still love to play and have fun. They can be very loud and crazy at times. They love attention and hugs, and are great to practice Spanish with. Over this year, my patience will be tested as well, as I try to earn their respect and work with the attitude that comes with this age. I look forward to getting to know each one of them individually and trying to be a good positive role model in their lives.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Maybe one of the most interesting memories of the past two weeks was getting to assist with surgery and fight a forest fire all in the same day. Here at the ranch we have one of the most advanced surgery centers in the whole country of Honduras donated by an Orthopedic surgeon and his family from Minnesota. They come down about 4 times a year for about 10 days at a time to perform surgery for the people here. While the medical teams aren't here, the center mostly goes unused. However occasionally we have a retired surgeon from Tegucigalpa who comes once every couple weeks to perform some basic topical surgeries and cyst removals. Being one of only 2 RNs here, I had the fun pleasure of assisting in the surgeries, such as holding the retractors or cutting the stitches. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Meanwhile… we are in the very dry season here in Honduras and forest fires are not uncommon. Many Saturdays, the boys at the Ranch are out early in the morning working to clear a 6-10 foot area of brush along the entire perimeter of the Ranch. However, despite their prevention efforts, the most recent fire did enter onto Ranch property. One night when I was leaving Hogar, there was a crowd standing along the sidewalk, watching the ridge of the hillside blazing. Some of the younger girls were crying because many of the older boys, their brothers, had already been sent up to the fire to start trying to put it out. I returned to the volunteer house to grab my camera and headlamp, and ventured out with two other volunteers to get in on the action and see what a forest fire looks like up-close and personal. About a mile up the hill we got to the scene. For those of you who have never had the adventure of fighting a forest fire with limited training and resources, here is what you do… you try to find a big, preferably still leafy branch, and beat the fire until it mostly goes out. If that doesn't work, you holler at the kid running around with a hose and water tank on his back. By the time we got there the flames had died down, and it was mostly just a vast area of charred ground on all sides, with isolated bushes and tree trunks still burning. I was trying not to melt my tennis shoes on the smoldering ground. The ash and smoke was thick in the air. It was quite an adrenaline rush, especially to be the only woman there working alongside all the other male Pequenos and employees.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">One last funny little cultural idiom… pertaining to teeth brushing. Contrary to the majority of Latin America, there is a fervent passion for brushing teeth here. The kids must brush their teeth 3-4 times a day. It is not uncommon to see a child walking around with their toothbrush in their back pocket, or an employee walking around the office brushing their teeth after lunch, as if it is nothing strange at all. I'm not sure how this trend began, but I must say, I think our kids as a whole have the healthiest teeth in all of Honduras.</span></span></div></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-27695566425367703832011-02-06T16:11:00.000-08:002011-02-06T16:11:33.724-08:00Coffee at Bedtime<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even though it has been just a few weeks since I have written, I feel like so much has happened and time has just flown by. I am starting to feel the Ranch becoming my new home. Sometimes it is actually easy to forget that I am in Honduras until some funny cultural difference strikes me and brings me back to reality. One night, all the kids were out on the basketball courts for dinner with the normal chaos that ensues when you put 350 kids together of all ages. We sat in the dark eating our dinner… the (dreaded) favorite, Sopa de menudo, which is a chicken broth soup with all the internal organs and left over parts of the chicken (liver, heart, and kidneys included). The kids are especially excited if they get a chicken foot in their bowl to suck on. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our meal there was a giant caldron of coffee boiling over a fire. And sure enough, a little while later, the coffee (with 30 pounds of sugar in it) was served out to all the kids, big and small, and they loved it! This was one of those cultural moments when I just had to laugh and say “why wouldn’t you serve coffee to a bunch of small children right before their bedtime?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As part of our orientation last week, we got to take a trip to the nearest town called Talanga, 30 minutes by bus from here. We visited the Comedor Infantil, a lunch soup kitchen for impoverished children 2-10 years old who would maybe not receive any meals otherwise. It is a project that was started 1 year ago by a Passionist volunteer and will now be supported by NPH and coordinated by one of our own new volunteers. It was a very valuable trip to get to see how other children live outside of the Ranch. While the children here at NPH don’t get to live with their families, they have all their basic needs provided for them, and limitless possibilities in education, such as the opportunity to attend high school and college if they so choose.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It seems like several times a week there is some sort of special event. On weekends there is always something going on, from movie nights to talent shows and dance competitions. The kids will choreograph a dance routine in small groups and perform it in front of everyone. As a whole, they can all dance impressively well, and even the little ones can really move their hips while dancing Punta. By the end of the night, it is not uncommon to have a small child asleep in your lap. Recently we had the Graduation celebration for all the graduating kids from kindergarten up to university, before the start of school this coming week. Thursday we celebrated the Patron Saint of Honduras, Suyapa, starting with a giant procession and a catholic mass at 7am. Last Sunday was Visitors Day where all the kids who have any extended family or even parents who cannot or are not allowed to care for them come and see their children for a day. This happens 3-4 times a year. As volunteers we are in charge of all the kids who do not get visitors for that day, and try to make it as fun for them as possible, with swimming, field games, cake, and movie watching.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Monday marked the start of my actual job training, and to be quite honest, it has been a bit overwhelming. Orienting to a new nursing role is difficult. It is even harder and sometimes just downright frustrating to be doing it in another language that I am still trying to understand. Besides our Health Coordinator and one Doctor, I am one of two licensed nurses here. To summarize my job description, I am in charge of running the External Clinic at the Ranch. I walk 15 minutes to work from our volunteer house to the entrance of the ranch where the clinic is located. I get there at 7am and by then there is already a line of about 30 people waiting to be seen. These patients may travel for 2-3 hours by foot and by bus to get to the clinic by 5 or 6am to receive an affordable medical consult. We charge $1.50 for the visit, and all medications are $1. We also have a full functioning laboratory in which patients can have all sorts of affordable blood tests taken and results analyzed on the spot by our Microbiologist. Because we only have one Medical doctor and she must work in the internal clinic in the afternoons seeing the Ranch children, we only allow 20 patients a day to be seen at the external clinic. One of the hardest parts of the job is to turn someone away after they have already paid the bus fare and possibly traveled many miles to get here, starting in the wee hours of the morning. Upon arrival to the clinic first twenty patients receive a number on a first-come-first-serve basis, and some may wait 6 hours until they are seen. That is just how the Honduran health system works.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My job varies slightly every day depending on what other help we have in the clinic. I help admit the patients, find their charts, take vital signs and a short history or reason for the visit, and do patient care such as wound care procedures or taking out stitches. I also help to fill the medication prescriptions that the doctor writes in our little on-site pharmacy. Now you may all be thinking, “well Heather is not a Pharmacist,” and that was exactly my thought as well. According to our US standards, this would not seem exceedingly safe, and even much less so when I can’t be present and there are two young assistants with no formal medical training are left in charge. Therefore I am now on a quest to try to relearn everything that I have forgotten from my nursing pharmacology class to better educate both myself and others to make this a safer system. I am excited to gain from this clinic experience many different leadership and administrative skills that I did not expect to come away with, but will ultimately be glad to have.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I would just like to thank everyone who has been sending me emails and encouraging notes over the last 6 weeks here. It is very helpful to know that I am so loved and supported by my friends and family!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBjBKZgBsMrGFtsCOK18bQeTr1qsRApnXWsQ-NQfidlZCpz-IbnLZ2gHTaVB4_8W518q5-N4r-B5reOOzZ2DKveyi3T3TZU7abmi_0gfAHZagkA2wJQDRfnlCOpRTHT8wajFPKDNqjz3K/s1600/IMG_1656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBjBKZgBsMrGFtsCOK18bQeTr1qsRApnXWsQ-NQfidlZCpz-IbnLZ2gHTaVB4_8W518q5-N4r-B5reOOzZ2DKveyi3T3TZU7abmi_0gfAHZagkA2wJQDRfnlCOpRTHT8wajFPKDNqjz3K/s320/IMG_1656.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8STL3hN1ErKiB0dAmrkCsmADP-4P0C95_wRJed6b5e7eWpl95bEuToGqezrSGXM4XAKNYyxzQyS4-sPPVacEN7DjzN-wXmLiy5_Zo5kCOI9r2Z2Nr1LmqoeaJzdklMP35MURCxh08L6J/s1600/IMG_1675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8STL3hN1ErKiB0dAmrkCsmADP-4P0C95_wRJed6b5e7eWpl95bEuToGqezrSGXM4XAKNYyxzQyS4-sPPVacEN7DjzN-wXmLiy5_Zo5kCOI9r2Z2Nr1LmqoeaJzdklMP35MURCxh08L6J/s320/IMG_1675.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Children from Talanga at the Comedor Infantil, playing before lunch time.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi587_pZyPO7RotaLApadBUdQMBZXvKiZdPqIVrRtHg0HH1fnP2KzmAyq2NPOGpvmwkyQKsVwLAgdKfvSRM8gFeslKzziqApeL4UVZLlBfFI-4FWJlTUJoTYXQuO55BPU9ixQeBtTF61owj/s1600/IMG_1662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi587_pZyPO7RotaLApadBUdQMBZXvKiZdPqIVrRtHg0HH1fnP2KzmAyq2NPOGpvmwkyQKsVwLAgdKfvSRM8gFeslKzziqApeL4UVZLlBfFI-4FWJlTUJoTYXQuO55BPU9ixQeBtTF61owj/s320/IMG_1662.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The view from our volunteer house in the early morning.</div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-19125184901858562612011-01-24T13:03:00.000-08:002011-01-24T13:09:02.001-08:00Welcome to NPH<div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuiZ3A6GQ2c6_xxQXoLiHne1oQbZiyg1svzd47BE5wd4gaLqq0wHEt3dJRA5NkM8hV1NGaUz4Z7UI3la3g7wTNmaPqgZfU-3aQpiG4ihEEnKGNF4yilTz-uxnH771zjxhaVUctFdqSKac/s1600/IMG_1602+-+Copy-765783.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565861287370467570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjuiZ3A6GQ2c6_xxQXoLiHne1oQbZiyg1svzd47BE5wd4gaLqq0wHEt3dJRA5NkM8hV1NGaUz4Z7UI3la3g7wTNmaPqgZfU-3aQpiG4ihEEnKGNF4yilTz-uxnH771zjxhaVUctFdqSKac/s320/IMG_1602+-+Copy-765783.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">Exploring the Mayan ruins of Copan, Honduras.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQQTACFM_Bfw27Lr0rjYOo0_AO33ulXDQtiIXfW1tWx0OpSfXykx-X5Drcme59erVyiJ0uALQ5Q4_4JWyP9U3Qhn8JQT3ueSNUu0ISqOX-8kAL4F1oDCqnizAeL_mpdqgh7R9ATltslqX/s1600/IMG_1648-768224.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565861297628468322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQQTACFM_Bfw27Lr0rjYOo0_AO33ulXDQtiIXfW1tWx0OpSfXykx-X5Drcme59erVyiJ0uALQ5Q4_4JWyP9U3Qhn8JQT3ueSNUu0ISqOX-8kAL4F1oDCqnizAeL_mpdqgh7R9ATltslqX/s320/IMG_1648-768224.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">Exploring the Ranch with the 8 new volunteers.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjTBFwMRQdpXORBIwnHkiAZv_WPoNVmpzKVi_ATr-9qMUNKbejyRA9WLExMswaldtM8v8JOSfsYIcyDsCa_TW3COMhP6KU4fbn5s3ceHSHjwsqvda-VnrbF4Jqq0ddwCYLrVkejlX4H-E/s1600/IMG_1641-770009.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565861307858730130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjTBFwMRQdpXORBIwnHkiAZv_WPoNVmpzKVi_ATr-9qMUNKbejyRA9WLExMswaldtM8v8JOSfsYIcyDsCa_TW3COMhP6KU4fbn5s3ceHSHjwsqvda-VnrbF4Jqq0ddwCYLrVkejlX4H-E/s320/IMG_1641-770009.JPG" /></a></div><div class="mobile-photo">Me and all my luggage preparing for a 7 hour bus ride.</div><div class="mobile-photo"><br />
</div><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Saturday, after almost 12 hours of traveling through Honduras, I arrived to El Rancho Santa Fe, and my new home for the next 13 months. There are 8 of us new volunteers who arrived this weekend, one from Austria, one from Switzerland, and the others mostly from Washington state. We join the 14 volunteers who have already been here for 6 months or a year. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The Ranch is big, and out in the country. It bares resemblance to FLBC with the tall pine trees, footpaths criss-crossing between the buildings, and kids everywhere. I often feel like I am walking around on a college campus because of the size of the place, just with pint-sized students instead. The home contains a preschool, grade school, and middle school, trade workshops, two clinics, multiple houses for the kids, volunteers, and staff, a kitchen, a farm, a tortillaria (where all the tortillas we get to eat are made), and various buildings containing all the other departments (social work, visitor coordination, home correspondents, etc.) that work together to keep this giant home functioning.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">For the first few months I am sleeping on the top bunk in a small dorm room with the 6 other new female volunteers. Upon arrival we were each issued 2 rolls of toilet paper, a blanket and set of sheets, toothpaste and toothbrush, soap, and a bowl, cup, fork, and spoon. Several times each day I commute to the comedor (main kitchen) to eat, with my own bowl and utensils in hand. The food has proven to be a fairly interesting adventure. It is not uncommon to have beans for several meals a day. Vegetables are scarce, so I am glad that I came ready with multivitamins. Volunteers are provided with a large supply of fruit each week, which is a very nice perk to the job. While I think I will eventually become accustomed to the food here, the take-your-breath-away cold showers are something that I am not so sure I will get used to.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Monday was the start of our training. For the first two weeks, the mornings and early afternoons consist of meetings, orienting our jobs and the many different places, people, and departments on the ranch. Each evening, every new volunteer goes to a different hogar (houses of children based on age group) and we rotate through them all for the next three weeks to get to know all the kids and what age group we would prefer to work with. Eventually we will each be assigned to just one age group that we will spend every weekday evening with, and some weekends for the rest of the year. My first night interacting with the kids, I was assigned to the youngest children's home. Here most of the children are 4-7 years old, with a handful who are still toddlers. It was a little bit of chaos and a lot of fun. In the two hour time period that we spend with the kids at night, you have dinner, help get them bathed, and put them to bed. After climbing into their rows of bunk beds they would call out my name (I'm 'Anna' now, in lieu of my middle name, because very few people in this country can pronounce or remember my name, or it comes out as 'Jeder') until I came over to give them a goodnight kiss. It saddened me to think that it was I, this stranger who they had just met hours earlier, that they wanted to tuck them in, and they would never have the privilege of a parent doing the job.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">All of the children here have traumatic backgrounds. Many of their parents have died of AIDS, cancer, or been murdered. For some, their parents could not afford to feed them and they were living in dire poverty conditions. Others were rescued from homes where they were abused physically, sexually, emotionally, or neglected. At NPH the children are provided with everything that they need to live modestly and comfortably, as well as the privilege to attend high school and university. Because of their history, many of the children have a difficult time adapting to life on the ranch and are difficult to manage and teach. However, they are all still just children and they love to be hugged, and hold your hand, and get your attention, and be kissed goodnight. I am so glad to be here, getting to know what will become my home. I look forward to spending the next year with these children, and getting to know many of them individually.</span></div></div></div></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-8375758054083245252011-01-06T12:46:00.000-08:002011-01-06T13:19:05.726-08:00I am finally here!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things that I love about Honduras…</span></b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The fresh juice (straight from the fruit) that my host-mom serves with every meal.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My host Family, the Vegas, are wonderful, and I like the people here in general, as well.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you were to feel like washing your car, it is only logical that you would drive it down to the river, out onto the riverbed, and wash it there. It’s fun and functional!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things I have learned…</span></b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Always check your clothes and bath towel for cockroaches before putting them on. Additionally, make sure the cockroach is actually dead the first time you think you have killed it. Otherwise, 20 minutes later it will end up in your hair (yep, actually happened).</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not to be alarmed when men pass you on the street with very large machetes.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Never be too far from your headlamp, as the power outages are almost a daily occurrence around 6:30pm when everyone is in their homes using electricity. It is also unfortunate if you happen to not be at home, but say, in the middle of the street somewhere and you have to find your way home on the uneven sidewalks and cobblestone road in the dark.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things I am improving at…</span></b></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remembering to throw my toilet paper in the trash can. It’s really hard to break a habit that I have been practicing for 20 years. I am very proud to announce that I am now at about a 90% accuracy rate with remembering to not let go of my toilet paper over the toilet.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The obvious one… my Spanish. I have 4 hours of class each day with my wonderful teacher Gaby. It took about a week for things to click in my head, but now I am feeling fairly comfortable speaking with others without having to formulate every sentence in my head before I say it.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Looking both ways before I cross the road. Yes we all learned that when we were three, but it is serious business in Latin America; pedestrians do not have any right-way. If you hear a vehicle coming, it is best to just wait or else you might end up with MotoTaxi tire marks on you (and no, that luckily hasn’t happened yet).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One last story about my New Year’s Eve. After a few hours of church with my family, I spent the later hours of the night with some solo travelers I had met that week… one from Poland, another from France, and another from Germany. It was pretty amazing to be four of us, each from countries of a different native language, and we could still all communicate just fine… in English. It reaffirmed my belief that our American school system fails us when it comes to learning other languages. At midnight, we left the bar and went outside to the center plaza and watched a pretty impressive display of fireworks. It became increasingly dangerous when kids started igniting very large fireworks that were not aimed properly and they would shoot across the square at people. After resisting the urge to duck-and-cover multiple times, I decided that was a good point to call it a night, and possibly the most interesting New Years Eve that I have had.</span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are many things that I find humorous about my daily life here. Each morning I wake up to the family pet parrot screeching outside my window. My host-mom prepares meals for me. I go to class in the morning. I have free time in the afternoons and evenings, in which I can explore the safe, lush little town of Copan Ruinas, go to a café and study Spanish, or play games with my little host-sister, Dulce. I am really loving Honduras and so happy to be here. I truly am enjoying the culture, both the expected and unexpected parts. My first week was a little difficult being that it was my first time traveling alone to a place where I knew no one. Now there are two other volunteers with me at the language school. For now, it is a pretty laid-back life, but that will all soon change when I start my work at the children’s home. In another 10 days, we will travel to Tegucigalpa together to start our service.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOqssdYBjd410yhrHpc8EeIFzEMfyJiLqAhLfl3t2S4TaKuDMJnx1IhVma6zd_jBapngVtz8QDOyzIr9E8IT9vumGAbgfpLCkwZDm6EHQ6xJAsGFR3gjD63aZJemLuUeyYOjCNDlgeiok/s1600/IMG_1531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOqssdYBjd410yhrHpc8EeIFzEMfyJiLqAhLfl3t2S4TaKuDMJnx1IhVma6zd_jBapngVtz8QDOyzIr9E8IT9vumGAbgfpLCkwZDm6EHQ6xJAsGFR3gjD63aZJemLuUeyYOjCNDlgeiok/s320/IMG_1531.JPG" width="213" /></a></div> My Host Family, the Vegas... my host parents, their three children, daughter-in-law, and two little grandchildren.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaoI-YjyGnWoBeYvYr0DpGwfI91fONeJc5eXeOzrTnVH0ZHAIcOEzgAVUkTHmUWa9bomuswkHGN9-KZgHAmGI2joyrpO3pBROLuUTk4SAsdFgVJnuMburOsZ7O5b5GaGLiQto16a5E0-9/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbaoI-YjyGnWoBeYvYr0DpGwfI91fONeJc5eXeOzrTnVH0ZHAIcOEzgAVUkTHmUWa9bomuswkHGN9-KZgHAmGI2joyrpO3pBROLuUTk4SAsdFgVJnuMburOsZ7O5b5GaGLiQto16a5E0-9/s320/IMG_1520.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Sitting ontop of the Mayan ruins of a Frog. This location was a Mayan fertility shrine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8qaMr5eKESTRUDBhXGVAhky4u0e06wMpo7JG0cdH8I3a8nSh5qMlVi-h6ZeYpmLjoxWHUTm8M9Vgow4l0cQMegU-Q5G8ZP-sdVG-Ud41ZM38Iy2w_Jij4zvEut_nOV5VGKa0Xy6hPqfZ/s1600/IMG_1541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8qaMr5eKESTRUDBhXGVAhky4u0e06wMpo7JG0cdH8I3a8nSh5qMlVi-h6ZeYpmLjoxWHUTm8M9Vgow4l0cQMegU-Q5G8ZP-sdVG-Ud41ZM38Iy2w_Jij4zvEut_nOV5VGKa0Xy6hPqfZ/s320/IMG_1541.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> Indiginous Maya-Chorti woman sitting at a traditional weaving loom.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixI-MMreCBd9Rp0ImSHWTiNeXmKR97T9jRaSRbLhmEoRyE1qd5azMmxGgv8IdoCjTXRynUL_HQxgLjEDVrrEXPPd6d_E88v_H3pWGeYPQHyf3xuijIM2e7t64eqJOC5dwAT84sL2u7uc96/s320/IMG_1543.JPG" width="240" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just two cute little kids</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHLOm0wiS0mWo2V8ZVwVFy5vQofNzFT_wgvnpOY9rMehQwNBojqluWx9PbCbSZG7eQ1co0E7pa_FwgM3HUGjlgJii1vXDWOZSvJY_BfI8uDfUeKCRZKXbLcd99Xb7tbZnRfbJxIXjcAyw/s1600/IMG_1473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIHLOm0wiS0mWo2V8ZVwVFy5vQofNzFT_wgvnpOY9rMehQwNBojqluWx9PbCbSZG7eQ1co0E7pa_FwgM3HUGjlgJii1vXDWOZSvJY_BfI8uDfUeKCRZKXbLcd99Xb7tbZnRfbJxIXjcAyw/s320/IMG_1473.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji01PG-ua-iM5Glz-Q4rciYzWaM8t3xLQbOVnuADU7ALRpBOAjxmwvfJI99vQGdmSxN00Vnq5pdxzoJSeNU9oNwMg9osylRIKnqW3JOCnBA0Rd5vsl0UnhMJ-Ui0vz0AiGCnMi3pY545mn/s1600/IMG_1519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji01PG-ua-iM5Glz-Q4rciYzWaM8t3xLQbOVnuADU7ALRpBOAjxmwvfJI99vQGdmSxN00Vnq5pdxzoJSeNU9oNwMg9osylRIKnqW3JOCnBA0Rd5vsl0UnhMJ-Ui0vz0AiGCnMi3pY545mn/s320/IMG_1519.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">The view above Copan Ruinas</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYf5u7tW_IU5leGK5sUrGyL_ipmFyo9Qyzr9PcZ9VunbP_Pws1hLH37KxuTZu9rald74GBHoPUdeUQhmEMO2kKxjKlJgwm119eFn-UwgHhKvFVBpm9uD2dAnfrhw_aMaAU907pJ_Bh-esY/s1600/IMG_1492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYf5u7tW_IU5leGK5sUrGyL_ipmFyo9Qyzr9PcZ9VunbP_Pws1hLH37KxuTZu9rald74GBHoPUdeUQhmEMO2kKxjKlJgwm119eFn-UwgHhKvFVBpm9uD2dAnfrhw_aMaAU907pJ_Bh-esY/s320/IMG_1492.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">My Host Family's home.</div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3257942542961036576.post-9428330120210674082010-12-10T11:54:00.000-08:002010-12-10T11:54:10.064-08:00Two weeks and counting...<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, I am off on another adventure and this time I am going to keep a blog, so that all my friends and family can hear about my endeavors from afar. For many years, it has been a goal of mine to volunteer abroad long-term, and now I am finally embarking on that dream. In a few short weeks I will be heading south to <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Honduras, Central America for 14 months where I will be volunteering through an organization called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Friends of the Orphans </i>at a children’s home run by </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH, Spanish for "Our Little Brothers and Sisters")</span><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Friends of the Orphans</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> provides financial and volunteer support to a network of nine NPH orphanages</span> throughout Latin America and the Caribbean<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">NPH was founded in 1954 and now cares</span> for over 15,000 orphaned, abandoned, and disadvantaged children in nine homes. The children’s home that I will be at, outside of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, cares for 600 children, ensuring that they receive love, shelter, food, healthcare, and an education. The children are raised in a Christian Family environment based on unconditional acceptance and love, enabling them to<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> grow into caring and productive members of their communities. After many years of searching for a long-term volunteer organization, I am very excited to have found one that seems like it will be a great fit.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will be volunteering as a Registered Nurse in both the internal clinic on-site that serves the children, staff, and other volunteers, and in the external clinic that provides affordable healthcare for local Hondurans who could not afford care elsewhere. I am thankful for the wonderful year-plus of nursing experience that I now have under my belt, as it will be very beneficial in helping me adapt to this new nursing environment where I will be working with limited resources.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As my departure date on December 26<sup>th</sup> draws near, I am filled with many emotions of excitement, nervousness, wonder, disbelief, and a readiness to step out of my comfort zone into a new culture and lifestyle. During my first three weeks, I will be staying in Copan Ruinas, Honduras with a host family and attending a language school to brush up on my conversational Spanish, vocabulary, and learn some Spanish medical terminology. Then I will travel 7 hours by bus to the NPH children’s home, “El Rancho Santa Fe,” just north of the capital city Tegucigalpa, and begin my 13 months of service on January 16<sup>th</sup>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will do my best to keep this blog updated once or twice a month, depending on my internet availability. If you would like to be notified by email when I update my blog, email me and I will add you to my mailing list. Otherwise, check out my blog “Heather in Honduras” at your leisure; or not at all, that’s fine too. I will also have internet access, so feel free to keep in touch via email: </span><a href="mailto:heather.a.brook@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">heather.a.brook@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> or Skype: heather.a.brook. And I also love letters! My mailing address is:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Heather Brook</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (or just NPH)</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apdo. Postal 3223</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tegucigalpa, Honduras</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES-MX" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-MX;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Central America</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you would like to learn more about the organization I am volunteering with you can visit </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.nph.org/">http://www.nph.org/</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> or </span><a href="http://www.friendsoftheorphans.org/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">www.FriendsoftheOrphans.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. There are also several YouTube videos: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjrpPraR3yk"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjrpPraR3yk</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> shows what daily life at NPH Honduras is like and </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/nphinternational#p/search/0/pIZ8n0iOuPw"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.youtube.com/user/nphinternational#p/search/0/pIZ8n0iOuPw</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> entitled “Love without Limits” shows NPH at all the homes and talks about the organization’s values and mission, and how children come to the homes.</span></div>Heather Brookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18231701848784204107noreply@blogger.com3