Cha Cha Cha Changes!

Primero, feliz día del amor y la amistad! (Happy Valentine's Day!)

These last three weeks have been very busy ones. Sadly the old volunteers will be leaving tomorrow. We had a celebratory Despedida Party last night to send them off. Unfortunately I was on call for the internal clinic (something I will do every other weekend during my work weekend) and I had to work at the internal clinic all day today starting at 6am. As such, I was a bit of a party pooper and went to bed shortly after delicious food and postres (desserts). The one very exciting thing about the old volunteers leaving is it means that all us new kids get to move out of the dorms and into rooms that we’ll share with ONE roommate! More on that to come.

Since my last blog I have learned how to do “Día de Citología” (aka Pap Smear Day) and “Día de Hipertensión” in the external clinic. For all my L&D friends back home – yes, I learned how to do pap smears and, for the record, they’re not easy. I’m hoping they’re sort of like cervical exams and get easier with practice ;)  Día de Hipertensión is much like Día de Diabetes only easier – we don’t have to start quite as early in the morning, we don’t check as many blood sugars, and we don’t provide a meal.

These last two weeks have been a bit strange. Two weeks ago, on Monday, Steffi and I started working in the external clinic in the morning and the internal clinic in the afternoon with Melissa (the old volunteer nurse). She was training us and teaching us about how the clinics work and all the ins and outs as well as helping us get acquainted with our individual projects. Steffy will be working on the Vacunas project (Vaccines) in the internal clinic and I will be doing…something that’s not quite yet been determined. Mid way through our first week in the clinics we received some shocking news – three of the employees of the clinics were let go from their jobs. Of these people one was one of the doctors and the other was the clinic coordinator (my boss). What?! Needless to say, things have been interesting and there’s been a lot of ups and downs and I’m sure there will be more. What does that mean for me? First, the Volunteer Coordinator, Mirjam (also a volunteer nurse from the previous year) is becoming Volunteer Coordinator and half Clinic Coordinator with Melissa (who was originally going to be leaving this week but will now be staying until May). I’m actually really happy about this because they’re both so great to work with and they definitely know what’s going on around here better than I do (I’m still trying to follow all the Spanish)! They’re great resources. This also means that the last week the external clinic has been closed so we have been working exclusively in the internal clinic.

At the end of last week we also found out three very important things that have a large role in our lives here at the Ranch. We found out: 1. Who our roommates will be and in what room we will live, 2. In which hogar we will spend every evening from 6-8pm and every other weekend with for the next year, and 3. Which turno we will have (meaning, which weekend we have to work and who we will have time off with). I’m super excited to be roommates with my friend, Christiane. We met in Copán, have been living in the dorm together, and already share clothes so…not a huge change there. My hogar that I am assigned to is Hijas del Pilar, these are the oldest girls living on the ranch. Aaaaaaaand I have turno A, which really means nothing to you at home but for me it means that I’m working this weekend.

I feel I should elaborate on what “hogar” is. “Hogar”, directly translated, means “home.” The kids who live at the ranch are divided into Casa Suyapa (where the babies, toddlers, and youngest children live – up to about 9 years old), Talita Kumi (where the girls outside of Casa Suyapa live), and Buen Pastor (where the boys out of Casa Suyapa live). Within both Talita Kumi and Buen Pastor the kids are divided into smaller hogars of about 20 kids of similar age, maturity and grade level. Within these hogars they sleep, eat, do chores, homework and hangout. The girls in my hogar are generally 16-18 years old.

Noteworthy:

I have now been drinking the water for a solid 2 week with no problems – yippee!

Steffy and I are working on a deparasiting campaign where all of the children (and volunteers) will get anti-parasite medication (this happens approximately every 6 months).

This morning I successfully got 4 children (1yo, 3yo, 7yo, 9yo) bathed, in clean clothes, hair brushed and put in pony tails and pig tails, fed, and medications given. For all you parents out there…wow. Although, to be fair, they’ve only known me for like… 1 day-1 week, two of them were screaming and crying at me in Spanish about how “I don’t want to shower, I don’t like cold water, I don’t like hot water, I don’t like water, I don’t like shampoo, I don’t want to get dressed…” etc. But somehow I managed. I’m learning fast that this is just sort of how life is here on the ranch…all the time. It feels like chaos a lot of the time but somehow everything gets done, everyone ends up where they should, and life goes on.

Every day here is a challenge and every day here is amazing. I don’t always love everything about it but I always love that I’m here. I wouldn’t change it for a second.

And now…pictures :)

The day Steffy and I worked in Hortaliza picking weeds for 5 hours! No need for Crossfit, I got my squats done.

My partner nurse and I at the end of a hot day in the greenhouse.

Hanging out.

Communion during mass

Claire managed to put a child to sleep while doing a hair wrap.

Last week we celebrated Stefan's birthday (the director of NPH Honduras)

The aftermath of one of five piñatas.

Here in Honduras we don't make bonfires with logs...we make them with trees (this fire was easily twice my height before it was lit)

Staying away from the very hot fire.

A glimpse at the nurses domain of the external clinic.

Where we do preclinic - take vitals and put them in the computer.

Real friends check friends for piojos (lice)

The little Casa Suyapans eating dinner.