August 16th - Dengue Fever Strikes Again

After I got back from the night shift (6:30pm - 6:30am), I rested until 9:30 when Leigh & I went to measure all of the special needs children. Initially we had thought that it would take us two visits to the yards to get all of them measured, but her & I are are now working well together and we got all of the special needs children measured in just under an hour!

I was back at the clinic again from 12:30 - 3:30pm. We're down to one boy, Kevin; however Gerson let me know that a toddler would have surgery on Thursday and would need to spend the night both Wednesday night (to ensure he doesnt eat/drink from midnight on) and Thursday night...most likely going home Friday. Of course this means that once again two volunteers would have to staff the clinic, as the toddler cannot be exposed to the chicken pox.

When I got back to the volunteer house, I decided to make spaghetti before our volunteer meeting @ 4:30pm...and enough to last for a few days. It turned out pretty good, using the cheese that is native to this area (similar to that which Patti gives me 1-2 times a year from El Salvador).

At the volunteer meeting, Brittany shared that her aunt (Lori - who works almost exclusively at the toddler house) has Dengue fever. This is the 2nd volunteer/staff now in the 3 weeks I've been here who has contracted it. I'm super careful to make sure I use the mosquito spray multiple times during the day to minimize my chances of getting it. We will be praying for her and a quick recovery as the week goes on. I know that Brittany is worried about her, yet she faithfully fills in one shift a day at the clinic (while she does her other responsibilities of helping and the toddler house & distributing medicines to the boys) so that Leigh and I can have a short break.

We had a wild discussion of all of the flags around Emmanuel, thanks to Owen. I think that took up most of the time during the volunteer meeting. But it was a fun, engaging conversation that gave us ALL a few laughs. There's a flag hanging from a bunch of poles that are lined up which is the flag of the U.S. Border Patrol, and the comment was made that it should have the American Ffag on one side and the Mexican flag on the other. Although it does have the American flag on one side, the Iraqi flag is on the other...maybe it'll get switched.

Katja also mentioned at the volunteer meeting that a group which is SUPER KID-FOCUSED is coming in on Thursday. This really gives me hope that Leigh & Therese (who was gone the past 2 weeks, but will start at the clinic on Wednesday) will have some relief through the weekend and next week - since Andrés and I will be leaving early Saturday morning and are hoping to have the day off of clinic on Friday in order to go to Guaimaca to "shop". We'll see and I'll be praying for Leigh & Therese!

When I called home this evening, Bob had the 3 little ones in the tub...but I still got to talk to them. I do think of them often (when not at the clinic, where my brain is on so many things at once) and reminded each of them that they would see me in less than a week - and letting them know I was excited that they were coming to the airport to pick us up!

Before heading to bed, Therese had arranged for another volunteer get-together to say "goodbye" to her boyfriend Thomas, who was heading out tomorrow. She made crepes and we had dinner together down in the school - just like when Mallory had left last week. She showed Andrés how to eat crepes which contained ice cream (which I guess is different than how you're supposed to eat crepes when they are filled with jelly). Although Rachel had showed Mallory and I how to make crepes 2 weeks ago, I'll hardly remember by the time I get home - since cooking is "not my thing". I am hoping to get a GOOD lesson in making tortillas though. I've seen it done a few times, but would like the experience before going back. If not...I'll try making them during the day with the kids and if they turn out...GREAT...and if not, my husband will be none the wiser.