The storm I am talking about is the months of June and July where I will be traveling way too much for fun and for Peace Corps events. And there may also be rough weather since rainy season should be really started in the next two weeks. In the next couple weeks I don't plan to leave site at all and focus on works and get a good start with my newest promoter goup!! I've been working in Llano Grande (one of the smaller communities in the municipality) since January and up until now its been just three womens groups but in the last two moths I've been talking to the women about the benefits and responsibilities of becoming promoters. Last month we agreed on a date this month to have the first meeting and so far I have ten people signed up to start training as promoters. It is so exciting to have people that I've been working with show interest in learning not just the health information for themselves but be excited enough to want to become health educators for their community.
It is sometimes hard to create interest in our program since there are so many programs working in Guatemala that give more immediate benefits (food or money hand-outs or infrastructure projects) while I am only offering education. The eventual goal for me in this community is to do an improved wood-burning stove project but that is still a bit in the future since I haven't begun the process to solicit small project assistance funding or donations from home. I am going to begin researching that soon because my next trip home in July for Shannon and Brian's wedding will be my last trip to the States before I am done with Peace Corps so it will be my best opportunity to do some kind of fund-raising event.
I will also do some school visits while I'm home, because even though I'm only part way through my service here in Guatemala I'll need to get applications out sometime this fall. I'm still thinking seriously about an accelerated BSN program with the eventual goal of becoming a nurse practitioner. I've been kicking myself recently for not taking more science classes during college; it looks as though I'll have to take almost a full year of prerequisites before I can begin with the real nursing classes. I did love all the classes I did take during my time at Pitt so I can't really regret anything, I just didn't know at the time how much I would enjoy working in the hospital. When I was working at the nursing home I didn't see myself continuing in medicine but the environment in the hospital was so different and it made me realize that there are so many different ways to use a nursing degree. The work I'm doing here is like community nursing (though only the education aspect, since I don't actually have the degree and even if I did we are not authorized to do any actual patient care).
I was sitting in my hammock last night (one of the best purchases I've made yet) and just feeling happy about where I am and the direction my life is going. I always wanted to do Peace Corps and although it is not exactly how I pictured it, so many more challenges than I expected but also some amenities I didn't expect (high speed internet, pretty much consistent running water and electricity), it is so rewarding. I've met so many good people, both in the PC community and Guatemalans, that have challenged me and helped me grow as a person and do better work here. Life is good and I am excited to share my experience with my family who will be visiting next month!
The photo at the top is a leader in Llano grande who is joining the new promoter group. She is also one of the people I hope to get a stove for since she cooks over an open fire in her home which is a leading cause of respiratory infections and more lasting problems like COPD and lung cancer.
