Hola Hola, Buenos

Its been a pretty hectic few weeks since my last post.  Lots of exciting trips and new faces, a whirlwind of activity.  I've been bouncing around a bit between Concepción and Santa Lucía lately.  Last week I arrived with Beth and Yuan, eventually meeting up with the whole crew and making our way to a sweet waterfall. Got in some quality rock-climbing, swimming and sun bathing.  All necessary.  Beth and I continue to work on our project, making small dents every day.  We've also been working closely with the University of Cincinnati nursing students who came down this past week.  Setting up make-shift pap stations in health clinics in the surrounding communities and having the students check in/perform paps/incorporate charlas (health educating discussions) with the women while they wait.  Learning a lot about the women's health system in general and how things are run----making notes on what we can improve...

Que mas, que mas.  OHHH!  I'm going to language school in Antigua, Guatemala for the month of October.  Psyched.  I cannot explain how incredibly frustrating its been knowing very little Spanish.  I'm sure within a few months I'd be conversational, but I don't have enough time to wait for that to happen.  Hopefully with a month of study 5 hours a day 5 days a week, and living with a Guatemalan family, I'll have some foundation.  

Edith Harte (OB/Gynecologist from Chicago who is in charge of the cervical cancer program in Honduras) comes down this weekend.  Should be an interesting and busy couple of weeks.  We're planning on helping Edith preform colposcopies on women who've had abnormal paps in the past needing biopsies and further investigation.  Hopefully Edith can help us brainstorm and sort out the never-ending questions in regards to cervical cancer and women's health.  

Good stuff here in Honduras though.  Three hour mountain bus rides to drive 15 miles through torrential downpours while standing, packed in like sardines.  THE MOST FABULOUS MEALS THAT HAVE EVER MADE CONTACT WITH THESE TASTE BUDS---thank you Marias (cooks in Santa Lucía) ahem...mother your bubble & squeak and egg rolls do not compare.  Gorgeous mountain views that I love calling my "home"---at least for the next 9 months.  Ant bites that cause severe pain//cause friends to develop pitting edema from swollen limbs.  Newborn babes!  

Hope fall's treating you all well...I miss it so and I'm jealous of your 60 degrees as the first beads of sweat form on my upper lip come 8 am.  Love to you all!  Buenos Noches! 

las