Matum Hotel And Casino Santiago

... aren't spoiled by anybody,<br>Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,<br>Who live and move, but have no being.<br>We pray for children who want to be carried,<br>And for those who must,<br>For those we never give up on<br>And for those who don't get a second chance.<br>For those we smother,<br>And for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.<br> -----by Marian Wright Edelman 

... this is my first, "I'm really homesick, and am admitting it to the world" blog since arriving here.  I'm hoping that I continue to stay busy, as that makes the days seem shorter :)<br>I'm attaching a group picture.  This picture was taken after the Campo clinic and education session.  Yes, we are really as tired as we look!<br>Please feel free to drop me an email and let me know how you all are doing.<br>Adios,<br>Love,<br>Lani

... so inspiring to see them gather to celebrate. Dancing, singing, lots of tambourines and drums. The children are so happy.  I spent a portion of one evening teaching four of them English.  They thought English words sounded funny, and they would laugh, which would make me laugh.  I loved that moment-<br>Attached, are pics of the Campo experience.  Look how happy these people are.<br>I'm glad to be back down from the "mountains", just ...

... cuatro, finale!"  He shook his head no, then I said, "finale, no o si?!"  That's final, no or yes?  Sale (sale)!!!!   Gracias!  I'm so proud of that!  We won :)<br> Getting ready for Spanish class again.  This is the last day of orientation.  The next few weeks will be filled with patients and families, orphanages, and people who are in dire need of healthcare. I need to take a deep breath-<br>Hope all of you are well-<br>Love,<br>Lani

... the man asked me if I was pregnant...and I was like No?! So I looked down at my basket &amp; couldnt find anything that signified me being pregnant...no pickles no chips. Then he pointed to the sign above my head that said priority line with a handicapped sign &amp; a pregnant woman. Apparently that question is not inappropriate here in this culture. And that was my trip to La Sirena.

(Sorry Brian - can't seem to write in third person omniscient...) We left off in Jarabacoa at an Internet cafe, after we'd gone to arrange for a canyon adventure for the next day. As night fell, the streets of Jarabacoa came to life. The ever-present rush of motorcycles and scooters grew thicker, as your men did circuits around the town square, keeping one eye more or less on the road, while the other roamed for the elusive 'girl who digs a dude on a moped.' They are a rare breed. The sides ...

Kicking off the trip, George, Steve and Brian left within an hour of each other, Brian and Steve getting dropped off by their mom at the Sacramento airport for their 9:30 PST flight, and George leaving Salt Lake City at 11:30 MST. George survived a restless and uncomfortable flight on his own all the way to Atlanta, but Steve and Brian's trip proved more eventful. They were threatened with overbooking from the start, on their Sacramento to Vegas flight, but made the flight and ...

Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Adventure Day in Jarabacoa Dear Readers: A delicious breakfast is available at 8am, and we're suited up and ready to go on our various adventures by 9am as requested. We are delighted that the sun is peeking out, but because of the heavy rain yesterday the roads are slow and we have to wait for others to join us. We make the best of the wait and watch the staff playing ping-pong, and I play a couple of games with one of them. The others arrive from as ...

... new calling in life. I'll be moving out of my host families house in the middle of October, which is pretty much the most exciting thing of all time. Can't wait to have my own place and a little privacy and freedom. I will be moving to a different town, though, which is a little sad, because I've gotten used to hanging out with my cute kids, but it's close, so I'll be able to visit whenever. My kids and I ...

... now. I have to do a community diagnostic of Los Llanos in the next three months. This includes going to at least a hundred houses, if there is even that many in my site, and asking them invasive questions about their home, health, wealth(or lack there of), and just how much effort they are willing to put in to help me make this community a better place. It is a very exciting time but with the responsibility comes a bit ...