I miss green- and water. As much as I love it here, I could never live here forever. I'm babysitting one of my favorite physician's dogs right now - and she has the most beautiful back porch and yard. Big trees, lots of green grass. I have spent so much time on the back porch- it reminds me of home (with one gaping hole... the lake :/ ). I was talking to Joe yesterday about how when I look at myself objectively, I'm always amazed to see how you grow into yourself... how you begin to really define and sharpen exactly what it is you want from life, what you can take, what you're willing to put up with, and the exact end goal that you want for yourself. It's interesting to watch yourself grow into you.
On a different note, I've been preparing a lecture on Uganda this last week. The lecture is going to be great and I used this new website, prezi.com - to make my presentation- so it looks amazing. The more I got into the history of Uganda and starting reading about the cycles of dictatorships they have had, the more thankful I am for being a US citizen. The typical idea spread about African people isn't true- they aren't hopeless or dependent- in fact, they're quite ingenious and resourceful - but the situations they go through when it comes to government or warfare is terrifying. Even if I was over there, I would never understand because- I can always come home. I have the ability to come back, to leave. I'll never understand it the way they do. I am excited about this presentation- because it is a mix of all of the aspects of global development that I love. Reconciliation tactics, infrastructure development, local & sustainable initiatives, etc. Of course, I am not presenting on all of that- longest lecture ever- but doing the research and mapping things out for me is so ... motivating.
I have been thinking a lot about my Nicaragua mission recently (see previous posts). It might be because I'm babysitting the doctor's dog/house that took me, but I also feel a tugging at the motivation and ideas I had when I came back from Jinotega. I mentioned that I would discuss my reservations, etc that I had from the trip- I bet you didn't think I meant almost a year would go by.
Sophia
My number one... hesitation? concern?... about Nicaragua was this- when we arrived/left, I met all kinds of people in the airport. Surfers, people seeing their Nica family on vacation, etc. But overwhelmingly, the majority were US church groups going on mission trips with plans that include both development (like well building/health clinics) and conversion. I love God and I love development, so I'm sure some are wondering where I'm going with this- but the thing that struck me the most, was how disorganized the whole shindig was. Here we have hundreds of people entering the country with plans of going to this city, or that city, to do one thing or another- but there's no overarching organization. They could be building wells in the same city or having health clinics right next to each other and they'd never know it until they were all set up. Everyone goes around the government for the most part- and with good reason as even in relatively stable countries, corruption can be rampant, anything from bags full of medicine never arriving to important machinery having to be bribed through customs. But my frustration was that there's no central 'clearinghouse' of sorts for information on what areas need the most attention, and what type of attention. There is no reference for where people are acting.
Las Quebradas, Nicaragua
Now, I understand how practically unfeasible this idea is. How much man power it might take to get up and running- or how much status I'd have to have to get the big organizations like the IRC to use it. But think about it- if there was something that listed the dates, locations, mission plans, etc for every organization/church etc in the area- we could see which areas of the population were getting the least amount of help, see who needed additional supplies or where there was already an established well so that you can help maintain them for the communities. I can't tell you how many stories of- oh, they had a well but now it's contaminated/broken - I heard. I know it's a safety concern. So there would still have to be some overarching vagueness but it's just so interesting to think about what could be done if we all worked cooperatively instead of just simultaneously.
This idea is something I've been discussing with Liz... we're going to start brainstorming. So if anyone has any ideas, please feel free to leave them.
As for actual medical school, I'm still doing well. My motivation levels are tanking, esp when I get distracted by global health stuff- which just dominates my mind and sends me into that focused place where people can be talking to you and you don't even hear them. But I think my two weeks of haze are wearing off and I'm coming back into my medical school is #1 line of thinking. I worry about STEP 1, which I take June 11th. Liz, mom and I are trying to plan a vacation- I want to go diving in Belize for about a week. Then I'll travel through TX trying to see every family member I can. Then it'll be back to Lubbock to move every thing I own to Amarillo before orientation for rounding starts. I'm super excited about that. Finally some hands on/working with people type of learning. Everyone says I'll love it. I hope they're right :)
Love to family and friends. You make life worthwhile.
