Hey hey everyone!!!
 
Guess what??? Today I diagnosed a man with leprosy! Well, ok, the doctor did, but I entered everything he said into the computer system because he is still pretty slow at typing. He knows how the program works and he can do it all on his own, which is great, but we had 50 people waiting outside the door to be treated so we kind of needed to go fast. We also saw a couple people with cancer, and all sorts of STD's, and basically everyone has malaria, and a babby whose ear grew over the whole so she can't hear, and a bunch of ulcers and hernias, and all sorts of cool stuff! I mean its not cool, but interesting, and great if we can treat them! There is a sergeon coming on the 21st to do surgery on all the people who  need it, like that baby. He is actually the father of a girl named Elizabeth Durante. She was a student who came to volunteer and do medical work at the orphanage, and she is the one who told Brigid about it and got her to come here last year. BUT on the day they were supposed to leave last year, there were a bunch of kids going, they were hit by a drunk driver on the way to the airport and Elizabeth was unfortunately killed. That is why the clinic is named after her. So it will be cool when her dad comes here to see the work she started and help contribute himself.
 
I wish I could say the new bathrooms have been progressing as afast as the clinic. It has been two week and all they have done is dug the latrine hole (30 feet deep and about 20 feet long) And laid the foundation. The builder keeps saying he is bringing more men, that he is the best builder, and originally he said he would have it done in a week. So I had a nice little talk with him and told him it better be done in no later than ten days. And he proceeded to ask for more money!!! So we said, when we see at least ten men out there working and progress happening, then we will talk about giving more money. So he promised to have ten men out there working today, and low and behold, there were two. So we are going to fire him and get someone new tomorrow.
 
Also, I don't think I mentioned this, but one day when I walked to school to teach, one of the teachers was walking around whipping all of the kids who were late to school with a tree branch while they just laid there on their stomachs and took it!!! Some really little ones were crying and rubbing their legs and behinds. That just broke my heart at first, and then it made me really angry inside and it took a lot to control myself and not lash out at the teacher and start hitting him with the tree to show him how it feels! But today I talked to the head mistress (the principle) and told her what happened and basically laid out everything I have learned and research I have read about the effects of hitting children and how it is not effective, and it only teaches them to fear you and hate you and not want to come to school, not to mention it makes them more violent in general. So I told her to make sure she doesn't do it anymore and to make sure her staff stops too. Apparently corporal punishment was only banned a couple years ago, so some teachers still think that the only way for children to really learn is to hit them. Grrrrr. So not true. So the head mistress said she also agrees with this principle and she is having a staff meeting tomorrow and will tell all the teachers to stop it. Thank goodness.
 
I am almost done making clinic cards for all of the children and we will give those out Saturday. This has been the busiest week yet! I finally got to hang out with the kids again after two days of non-stop work and they had made me a basket! I mean from scratch, like straight from the bush with long blades of this really tough grass and it is beautiful!!! They are sush sweet and good hearted children. Then there was a big beautiful lightning storm that tore through the sky. The storms here put Utah summer thunderstorms to shame.
 
So, today we also managed to squeeze in a visit to the widows home where they make these beautiful necklaces out of straight rolled up paper! They spend all day making three necklaces because they have to cut and roll and varnish each bead seperately. They would sell for at least $15 in america, but they were selling them for only $1.50!!! So I bought a bunch for souvenirs and gifts
 
I am sooooo ready to go on a safari on Monday. We are going to a place called murchison falls on the Nile and we will take a boat ride one day to see the hippoes, then drive through the game park to see the big animals like Elephants and Giraffes, then we will hike the waterfall and also go stand on the equator and see the source of the Nile. I am way excited!!!
 
I hope everything is going well for all of you and you are happy and having good summers!!!
 
I love you all!!! Sorry this is so long!
 
Lyndsi Lou