A long awaited post!

Well, it has been awhile since my last post and I'm sorry that it has taken me this long but i have been having so much fun. At first I thought that this week would be kind of slow. We found out last minute schools are canceled this week (in addition next week's vacation) and so, i would not be able to go to the schools for the dental health campaign. However, it ended up working out wonderfully. During the mornings, I work with Corey on an art and sport program for girls from 7:45-12. Last week and this week, in the afternoon, I have been working with the principal, Frania, of the preschool, El S.I.R Norita, which is funded bu Dr. Martin, a pediatrician from Rochester. I go with Frania on her surprise monthly visits to the students' houses and I hand out toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a little pamphlet on oral health care to the parents. The kids in this preschool are extremely poor and I will remember their houses and some of the conditions that I have seen forever. I finished the last house yesterday and I will work with my host mom, Sarah, in the afternoons instead.

As for continuing the dental program, my brother, Mike just arrived and he will use the education materials that I made in the dental clinic waiting room. He also has toothbrushes, and other dental health related games to hand out. Also, when school resumes, my last week :( , I will return to three schools to give the dental lesson.

Half of the CASE grant was spent on 25 ceramic water filters. Eight schools, who are in regions of high rates of diarrhea from poor water, will receive filters. This week I will develop a lesson plan for the teachers to teach their class on how to use the filters and how to explain to them the importance of drinking the filtered water. I'm not sure what of all the details yet, but there will an arts and crafts section in which the kids assign special badges for their role in cleaning the filters, etc. I will teach the lesson plan to the teachers in a meeting my last week (all with the help of Yaci, of course).

I have been having such an amazing time here. I talk to any Nicaraguan every chance I get and each person is like my spanish teacher. There is a girl in the arts and sports program that I nicknamed, my profesorita. She doesn't know english but she is an excellent spanish teacher. She makes me pictures of things and writes the spanish word next to the picture. She has reviewed colors and animals so far and I'm exctied for the next lesson.

I also love my host family. I have gotten extremely close with everyone in the house and I am already looking foward to coming back for a visit in the near future.

I have been trying to upload photos for the last half hour but it does not work!!!!!!! I will submit this now and work on this on monday when we get back to el sauce (we are off to leon for the weekend!)