Flow

A woman in one of the
communities  making pots and komals
for making tortillas,  cooking beans and
toasting coffee from clay.

So it’s true, when things are going well and you get into a routine, it’s easy to forget about los demás (everything and everyone else) blogging, updating Facebook, writing letters, etc. My apologies, I am going to try my best to catch up on all of this soon. 

I feel like I’m in a really good spot in my service. I am happy in site, I feel very supported by my official counterparts in the ministry of health, I truly feel like a member of my host family, and I am slowly making some genuine friends in site. I am grateful that everything is starting to flow more easily. I am very busy with work, which is the way I like it, and I feel appreciated by the people who are important to me.

A snap-shot of what’s been going on lately: 

An activity with 4 members of my youth group demonstrating consequences of our decisions  and how they can effect us  physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.



One of the weighing sessions to monitor growth
and nutrition in children under 5 years old.
















• My youth group is wrapping up, we have about 2 more meetings left and then they will give their own presentations to their peers on a sexual health topic of their choice.
• I have been spending more time in some of the rural communities giving workshops, helping with the infant and toddler weighing sessions, and giving charlas with brigadistas (local community health volunteers). 

• I am going to start a weekly workshop with midwives that will cover a range of topics and serve as a forum to exchange ideas between midwives, nurses and doctors. This will be going on for the next 6 months and I will be facilitating it with 2 nurses from the ministry of health.

Giving a charla on nutrition to mothers
of children under 5 years old at a weighing
session in one of the rural communities.

• My host mom recently had surgery to remove kidney stones; she is recovering wonderfully but is still a few months away from full recovery.

• I recently made my own soy meat and soy milk starting from raw soy beans. The milk is all gone now but I made some tasty milk shakes, and lots of chai tea. The meat was turned into soy banana fritters, and chorizo. The chorizo has been a tasty addition to my spaghetti sauce.

• I have been helping out in the bed and breakfast where I live, finding ways to make the business run more smoothly.

• My dog Sophie, back at home in the states, is not doing so well. We recently found out she has a protein deficiency in her blood and now they’re trying to figure out why and how to help her get better.

• I am going to start giving weekly sexual and reproductive health classes again in April in the urban high school, and this week I am going to start giving classes in one of the nearby rural community high schools.

• I finally went to the Somoto Canyon. It’s only about 2 hours away from where I live, but I hadn’t made the trip out until this weekend. It’s beautiful.

In the Somoto Canyon with other PCVs.

The end of the Somoto Canyon.

I think that’s all for now. Thank you for continuing to read my blog.