What I've Been Up To

Hmmm....lets start with the youth group. So, I continue to just kinda follow along and go to the different meetings. The group is starting to form, but they need some more representatives from the different areas of town.

side note* my town had four cantones...which are the countryside areas. Places that may or may not have running water.

But, I am enjoying working with a girl named Heidy. She's a little younger then me but very friendly and helpful. So is the guy from Agape who is helping to organize the group along with two other groups from different towns. Last Wed we all went to Ataco to meet the group there, see how they had set everything up, like their youth center, and then play soccer. I didn't play......I wasn't willing to run out into the mud with the boys. The boys play rough here.

Next, I've made it a point to go visit all the cantons in my town/municipality. There are four in total, as mentioned above, and I'm visiting them with the Health Promotors. These are guys that go out to the families and check in on the kids and the houses. They put abate (kills mosquito larva) in the pilas (giant sinks), bring vaccinations to the kids and tries to help the local people live healthier lives. They really do amazing work and really are interested in how they can help their people. They do their best, but the conditions in the countryside are still very harsh. Kids run around half naked and dodge trash. You can tell the children are malnourished by their vacant stairs. I'll have to see if they have any projects going.

Finally, there is the softball team.....which is flopping a little bit. If I don't go...let's say cause I'm tired from hiking all day...Iris won't go. Then the next woman won't go b/c Iris isn't going...and so on and so forth. I'll make a mental note of this for future groups.

Otherwise, I just kinda hang around and try and get to know my village.