hola amigos,

Just back from the doctor, Jessica walked around with diarhee far too long and the first course of antibiotics didnt work and now something strong is perscribed and should fix her within 24 hours....................it s really SHIT!!!! Today was the first time she felt too sick to come to work with us and even too sick to go to her dancing class! :-(

Luckily the weather is beautifull since last week friday, nice and sunny during the day and that helps a lot when you feel sick and live in an outside room with the toilet outside as well.........lying in the garden in the sun reading magazines and talking with us about our mornings work with the kids helped to get her mind of this damn stomach cramps!

Since the last story we got an extra job with a dutch organisation: Caras Allegres (happy faces) and indeed, the kids faces here are really happy! But then, in the orphanage the kids also greet us with big smiles and calling :mami mami to us every morning! So happy to see people in their room that gives them some extra attention! And they call everybody that takes care of them 'mami'.

I can t remember if I already told the story of us using too many nappies, because everytime we smell a child, we clean them. Everytime they cry and seem hungry,IMADE A BOTTLE FOR THEM, BECAUSE ONE OF THE LADIES SHOWED ME HOW. The next day all the nappies were hidden and the bottles I was told too stay far away from................poor kids, they have to wear their pooh nappies all morning and the smell is just dreadfull, not to mention their poor bums.............We all feel so sorry for them and so I decided I buy a big pack of nappies and wet-ones so at least when we are there we can change them when needed. Now feeling hungry is the 'only problem'. .....

We still can t figure out how their timetable works with feeding the kids. They leave us alone with the kids most of the time, meetings all the way or wherever they are, we just dont know, but at least the kids have a bed to sleep in, have cloths to wear, do get fed from time to time, there is a doctor available and a psychologist and they are saferhere then with their own parents. One story I heard from the psychologist is quite shocking. Ans so each child will have a horrible story to tell we presume, otherwise they would not be in this orphanage.

I really admire the two women that takes care of all these little ones. They work from 9 in the morning till the next morning aND HARDLY GET TIME TO SLEEP WITH ALL THESE BABIES THAT NEED ATTENTION. Next morning the other one coms at 9 and takes over, but the one that should go home selden goes before 11 o'clock. This is also during the weekends......

With the 3 of us helping out there and taking the bigger onse outside to play, they also find some time to play with the kids and they have some fun with them. No idea how they manage without the extra hands of voluntaires.......... When Jess and I are gone after tomorrow, luckily Roxanne and another amarican girl will still be there for a few more weeks.

In the afternoon Jess plays games with the bigger kids and enjoys that very much. They have lots of fun and mostly HAPPY FACES!!!

I decided I rather help the teacher who is teaching adults to read, write and aritmatics. These women, and one man, are so motivated and learned a hell of a lot in less than one year! Some come with their babys on their back to class. The teachers are really amazing, they also do this all voluntariary. Have their own teaching jobs at school in the morning and come 3x per week to teach the adults. They also started a sewing class recently. Very good project!!!

Saterday we move back to Antigua, just to sleep in a nice place with our own bathroom and relaxe 2 days before taking the plane back home! This citywe really dont like, it is big , dirty and very noisy! But the surroundiings are really beautifull and saterday and sunday we made some lovely trips to the mountains and villages and soaked a few ours in the hotsprings!

Friday we will clim a volcana and leave 6 in the morning! And now I will check on Jessica how she is feeling and will have to find something to eat! The rest of our stories you will here when we re back home!!!!!!:-) Muchas gracias for all your reactions and interest in our trip and adventures! Buenos noches, hasta semana, jess y line