(I've just been given a huge boost - my internet guy was just here to be paid, haven't seen him since April, and he says my Spanish is MUCH better than it was, in fact he went so far as to say it's good!!! Hey how about that? I think I may have just been having a good moment, but I'll take it!)
As I say, I feel as though I've been re-absorbed into this life. There have been all kinds of happenings, good and bad, fun and not much fun at all. A couple of weeks ago I went to camp for the day with the Kids' Club from Block 6, along with a few of the mothers and the leaders, and we had a great day. The weather was gray and windy and cold - yes, cold - I never had my sweater off all day! But everybody had a fine time anyway. The kids all went into that cold gray pacific ocean, so different to the one I'm used to in February and March when camp is on. They came out little frozen shivering penguins with blue lips, but had a ball of course. Played games, buried each other in the sand, collected the bumper crop of sand dollars, and the mothers welcomed a chance to be away from their usual lives in Bastion, if just for a day. And it was a good chance for me to be able to spend some informal time with them and get to know some of them better.
I've been able to spend time with some of my friends, having chats and catching up, the kids in university have just finished their first semester and done exams, and all the ones that I'm involved with passed and did well. It's hard to get used to the upsidedown-ness of the school year here, in Canada it's all just getting underway, schools, universities and the rest of life that takes a break through July and August, but here it's all in full swing. Universities are on a break between semesters, the kids in school are getting ready for exams. It's now hard to imagine that September life I used to know in Canada.
Our little school is a busy place, lots of activity. This week there was a first ever science fair and open house for the parents. Each class had a display set up, and the kids had speeches all memorized to tell you all you needed to know about whatever project they had. The oldest class divided into pairs and each did their own presentation, we heard all about the workings of the heart, how plants grow to adapt to sources of light, how plants absorb water and nutrients (and food colour) up their stems. One class told us everything we had ever wanted to know about quinoa, complete with samples of what you can do with it. And another class had a display about the nutritional benefits of bananas and plantain, also with samples. The parents came in droves, there were snacks for sale, and the whole affair was a huge success, pretty good for a first time.
And the medical problems are always with me. In the last week alone I have spent 17 hours waiting for medical appointments, that was only 4 separate visits. It is an absolutely crazy system, and everybody is just used to it, and puts up with it patiently. I'm a fairly patient person, but I have to say I've been sorely stretched a couple of times this week. Everybody is given 1 appointment time, everybody arrives then, but that is just the time at which the doctor will start seeing people, or tests will start being done. So somebody is out in an hour, and the rest wait, and somebody will have to wait 4 hours. Or more - yesterday I waited 6 1/2 hours for my patient to see the neurologist - that was a very long time to perch on a bench. The only good part about that wait was that it was at the psychiatric hospital (an experience in itself!), which was built in another age, and is an old fashioned place built around a huge open outside area, that was parklike, even had (unaccountably) swings and slides and all, which was a huge help because my patient was a 9 year old girl. But still!! And of course it's not just me waiting, as I looked along the line of consultorios, I could see dozens and dozens of people, always the poor, waiting and waiting. They are so used to it, it's their life everywhere they go where they have to deal any kind of officialdom.I've been dealing with leg ulcers, one that I've been trying to close since last December, it's SO slow, and a new one on my old friend Julian's foot. We've caught this one early, so I'm hoping we can heal it quickly. A little girl with epilepsy, my friend Marlene with her ongoing kidney disease 
which seems to be fairly well under control right now. And the newest most serious issue, my friend who had the enormous ovarian cysts removed in March has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had more surgery while I was in Canada, and has been having tests (that was last week's 4 hour wait, for a CT scan) and after many delays, we go on Monday finally to see the oncologist to get some sort of plan. This lady has some older, grown children but also 4 young ones, the youngest is only 2 or 3. A very needy family. I'd appreciate prayer for her, and for me as I try to help her through this system and diagnosis.
which seems to be fairly well under control right now. And the newest most serious issue, my friend who had the enormous ovarian cysts removed in March has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had more surgery while I was in Canada, and has been having tests (that was last week's 4 hour wait, for a CT scan) and after many delays, we go on Monday finally to see the oncologist to get some sort of plan. This lady has some older, grown children but also 4 young ones, the youngest is only 2 or 3. A very needy family. I'd appreciate prayer for her, and for me as I try to help her through this system and diagnosis. And that's just part of it. Lots to occupy me, and make me wish I had a medical degree. And lots to make me thankful. And I am so appreciative of my community of friends here, when I'm having a bad day, feeling down or lonely, there is only one solution - I take myself across the dreaded road and spend some time visiting in Bastion - a guaranteed cure.
