Life, as we know it

"Here we are, a week later, and it seems as though the rain will never come.  The boys are enjoying the swimming pool, for lack of  a better term.  The sun has been hot, and with little breeze, we all took a dip together this afternoon to cool off."

I wrote this a few days ago, and now... Last night we had a little rain and the valley is cool and dreary today. I feel like baking and wearing slippers, but duty calls. I have been hearing about the cold weather and all the snow for everyone at home.  It sure makes me home sick.     Every time I talk of how I miss Illinois, Ryan reminds me of how he had to fight during the winter months, to keep things in our lives functioning and maintained.

Ryan has hired 6 men to work his fields in between the rows, to control the weeds, and work in some fertilizer. He has been calling it his six row cultivator, witch is also the name for of piece of equipment, pulled behind a tractor, to function the same way, control the weeds.  This time of year, in Guatemala, there is not much work in agriculture, in places where there is no water.  To find work, many men and boys travel to the cost to work on sugar cane fields, leaving their wives and children home alone, working long hours of hard labor in dangerous conditions.  Ryan and I feel like the men who are here working for us will be blessed with some income form working, and we would much rather give them a job to earn money, rather than giving them money, for doing nothing, perpetuating their doing nothing. 

I, Katie Ann, had my first medical emergency experience in town last week. Normally, when some one knocks on our door, saying they need help, there is someone more qualified to help them, or at least tell them no one is here who can.  I ended up taking my first ride in the local hospital's ambulance, and for the first time since we have been in Guatemala, fearing for my life. I performed a quick ultrasound on a women in labor to determine the position of the baby.  When the local Doctors learned that the baby was breach, but first, they decided to send her onto another center, where they could offer her some assistance in turning the baby.  Our western medicine is more streamlined, and uniform, where here, practically anything goes, and almost everything does. We hope to reach out to the community of expectant mothers, and provide a birthing center in the future.  For now, until more doors open, we will continue to help where we can.