After a two and a half week trip to the States, I am back in Guatemala and ready to stay here for the long haul. Though my time at NPH will be finished in July, I have decided to stay in Guatemala and work at least until the end of the year. I plan to start a private practice in the capital and go from there. I am feeling like there is much more that God wants me to do here, and am very at peace with my decision to stay. Anyone is welcome to visit at anytime!!!
Here are some photos of some cute kids! :)
Every Tuesday we have Club Amistad where we gather 3 children with special needs and 3 typical children to do a cooking activity. Last week we made cookies!
Another volunteer and I had a "Proyecto Amistad" with three children last week. We walked to Parramos, saw cows on the way, and enjoyed eating ice cream in the central park. :)
Every Thursday, the children with special needs go to have therapeutic horse back riding sessions and to enjoy the tranquility of a rural farm. Everyone always enjoys themselves!
They are building a road (finally) so that our children with special needs can better get around. We had a VERY rocky road here before.
My hermanito and I had a date night last Friday.
We went to see The Wizard of Oz production at his school!
We had our bi-annual visitor's day this past Sunday. Lots of relatives came from near and far to visit the children. It was a touching experience to see the children light up when seeing their family members.
With two great friends who are Montessori teachers here.
Driving uphill on a two lane road with a camioneta coming full speed at you. Normal (Scary) life of a driver here.
I was so thrilled to have my friends Heidi and Jen here in February for a week. It was wonderful to show them Guatemala and my life here. It meant so much to me that they took time out of their busy lives to come and experience some of this adventure with me! We hiked a volcano, went to Lake Atitlan, met up with my friends, and enjoyed time with the kids here at NPH. Thank you both so much for coming!!!
Also----This little one got a new stroller, which we are substituting for a wheelchair because the terrain here at NPH is pretty rough and it's easier to drive a stroller around. But ideally, this is not the best solution as you can see in this picture. This jogging stroller is for a baby/toddler, not for a 7 year old. Even though she is skinny, she is long...If you have any ideas or connections with wheelchair or special needs supply companies for children with CP, or if you'd like to be part of fundraising to get her something that would better suit her needs, please let me know!
