Miriam's Update

I'll try not to repeat what Liz has already told everyone. :) We made it here after a long time of traveling.I am so thankful I have a straight flight home! Everyone was super tired and jet lagged. Our bamboo huts never looked so good! :)

Yesterday we finished Liz and my bunk beds and those are nice to have :). We put bamboo across to put the mattress on. I wanted one of the Filipino guys to show me how to strip the bamboo, but from what I got out of his gesturing, he wouldn’t let me because he thought I'd cut a finger off:)

The Filipino guys working on the guy’s hut (the guys are in a tent right now) are really nice! Two days ago, after we got a bad storm and everything was slippery, Liz slipped getting up onto our porch. Well, just like that they all stopped what they were doing and built a step up to our porch! (Nicer than some American guys :))

So far, I haven't seen a birth, although there have been a couple at the clinic since we've been here (the clinic is about a 5 min drive from where were staying). I did get to do several prenatal checkups. We went to the city dump yesterday and checked on a newborn and did several prenatals (checks on pregnant women). The newborn and mom were fine.(2 days old). They lived in a small house made out of cardboard and wood.

Then we went to a lady's house and used it to so prenatals. We had to ask the ladies several questions, take their blood pressure, hemoglobin, pulse, listen to the baby's heart beat, and feel the position of the baby. It was so weird doing prenatals across from a huge garbage dump. You kinda forget where you are while you're doing them.

We live on the side of a big hill with Jason and Theresa and their 4 girls and Jen and Jokes and their 2 boys. Jen and Jokes are Filipino. Oh, and Jen and Theresa are midwives. They are very nice families!

Jason and Theresa live above us in a concrete and bamboo house and Jen and Jokes below us.

The bathroom is at the bottom on the hill and quite a walk! But at least we have running water,sort of! The toilet you just have to pour water down for it to flush. It is not like in the states where you'd pour it in the back thingy. You have to pour it in the actual bowl. It works. :) Baths are in the community water hole in the river :)

I have to sign out now!
Miriam