flikr! and update

So I've decided to start a flikr account where I can upload all the pictures I take so that my camera doesn't get too full. I'll be uploading it as much as possible, so I can take as many pictures as possible! Here's the link for my account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/marleighloves/

Ok, so like I said, my group is staying at a Coconut Farm resort for the week, since MercyLink is moving their base to a place that they will now own. They tried to get it ready for our arrival, but that just didn't quite happen in time, so they've put us up in this little, secluded "resort". I suppose what makes it a "resort" is the little cabanas and the swimming pool, because otherwise it's just a few little rooms with small, hard beds and even harder pillows! My neck is pretty bummed, but it's slowly getting used to it. I've also been swimming and stretching every morning to get the kinks out and get my blood movin, which has been just wonderful.
Speaking of the H2O, the water at this place is from an underground spring and it's some of the freshest water I've ever had! I was a little skeptical of drinking it at first, since I was told over and over not to drink the water here, but my team mates and I have been very much blessed in having all the clean, fresh water we want! They use the same water in the swimming pool, as well as in the showers, and the water leaves my skin so soft since it's not treated at all.

As far as the program goes, it is definitely intense! Our daily schedule is as follows:
6:30-7:15am Breakfast of instant oatmeal, toast, bananas, and of course, Lipton Yellow Label Tea!
7:15-8am I swim and then get ready. Sometimes I'll sneak a shower in
8am-Noon We start with a morning bible study and then get right in to our medical courses, which we have taught to us by a local male nurse named "Atang", which is short for Nathan.

Noon-1pm Lunch! Lunch and Dinner is prepared for us by a local man who is a friend of MercyLink. It usually consists of white rice, a fruit (today was fresh local mangoes! SOOOO good!), and some sort of vegetable and meat in a sauce. Our first lunch was rice, veggies in sauce, and whole fried fish. The other two girls got a bit squirmy (I guess they aren't too fond of fish in the first place), but I was allll about it.

1pm-4pm More lecturing, videos, reading, note taking, and hopefully some learning as well! haha.

All in all, we have about 7ish hours of course work everyday. We're currently going through the World Health Organization's course on assessing and treating childhood illness and disease. The main illnesses we've been going over are Diarrhea, Pneumonia, Malaria, Measles, and Malnutrition, as those are the top 5 killers of children under 5 around the world. Coincidentally, they're also all preventable and treatable! We've got to get it together to put and end to the millions of children who die every year of preventable illness. The WHO is doing a great job of setting up programs around the globe to do so. It just takes people who care and want to help those in poverty (as Jesus calls us to do again and again!) to get out there and make differences all over.

I hope you're all well!

Marleigh Loves!
Ok, I've got to go. We've got to get back for dinner, but I hope you all are well!

I have no idea how to properly sort out the past 2-3 days of my life. But I'll try.

I'm currently writing from an internet cafe in downtown Calapan City, which is about 10 minutes crazy car ride from the Coconut Farm Resort that myself and my 3 team members are currently staying at. I just want to add that a strange hardcore-ish version of "This is Halloween" from the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack is playing. Before this was the Monster Mash, so apparently they have Halloween here!
Aaaaanyway, it definitely took me about 27 hours of travel time to reach the lovely island of Mindoro, so by the time I'd gone from the plane to the other plane to the cab to the bus to the ferry to the van to the coconut farm, I was in for it. Luckily, the Jet-lag didn't hit me too bad, except for the fact that I woke up at 5am (the international clock on my ipod told me it was 6am!) I had a nice morning watching the sun rise over the giant rice fields that surround the "resort," and hanging out with water buffalo.
I have 4 team members doing the mini-medical school with me. I will have to describe them to you next time, as our group needs to get going back to the base, but I'll be sure to find some time soon to come back for a proper update. I'm sorry this one is so lacking!!! But I guess now you all know that I made it here safe and sound and that I'm thinking of everyone back home! I just re-read this and realize that it's terrible, but I really have to go, so my apologies! But look for a proper update soon, for I have much to tell.

Seoul, Korea

I know I have the Korean word for "Hello" stored somewhere in my brain, but I can't seem to fish it out. So, with that said, Hello from Korea! It's about 7:45am on Sunday morning here (which makes it about 3:45pm Saturday afternoon there), and my very long flight from lax landed about half an hour ago. After already encountering lots of Engrish (ie. a store called "Stationary and Fancy" which sold note paper with pictures of fluffy white cats with little hats on [EVAN! Where are you when I need you!?]), I walked to my gate for my flight to Manila and noticed this free computer lounge right across the way! Already, Asia is showing me such hospitality!

Well, the largest chunk of my journey is over with, but I still have another plane, a bus, and a ferry to deal with until I reach my final destination in Calapan. I look out the big windows into the beautiful morning hills of South Korea and I feel so far away from home, and yet, my heart still feels close to all of you back in the States. Jona made me a wonderful book (that made me cry, you jerk! ; ) ) filled with pictures of all my friends to keep with me on my journey, and I feel that I'll be flipping thru it often.

Well, I'd better get going, there wasn't too much to update with anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know I've made it this far, and to take advantage of the free internet!

Until next time, I hope you all are well!

Marleigh Loves!

Here I go again

Well my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

Actually, both of those statements are untrue. My flight leaves in 11 hours and I have yet to pack. Although, I guess I'd say I'm ready to go in the emotional-preparedness sense.

So a lot of people have been wondering what I'll be doing in the Philippines for the next 7 weeks, so here's a bit of an overview of the program:

"The course aims to equip those who desire to learn how to provide basic health care in third world situations where it is difficult for people to access the health care required and where resources are limited.
Our aim is that students would know how to assess patients, identify and treat common conditions and when to refer patients for further investigations and treatment. This will include hearing peoples felt needs, linking them with resources available and looking at preventative health care in the community.
Students completing the course will be equipped to be primary health care workers in developing countries."
Medical outreaches will take place in various locations, providing opportunities to practice skills learnt in both Tagalog and Mangyan communities. An outreach will be scheduled each week during the course. Students and staff travel by bus to outreach locations. Throughout the course, students progress from observation to assessment and treatment of patients, always under the supervision of lecturing staff.
The World Health Organisation recognizes the attendance and completion of each student with a certificate for training in The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness."

We have lectures Monday thru Friday as well as the medical outreaches during the week, which I'm very excited for.

The program takes place in Calapan City, which is here.

I believe there are 6 or 7 other students that will be in my school, which I feel will be a great advantage in learning and applying this material, as well as being able to get to know each other well and create a nice team.

So that's about it I guess! I'll try me best to update everyone as much as I can on all my experiences and the things I'm learning, and hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures on here too, so it's not too boring for everyone. Haha.

I do want to thank everyone for their constant support and love, especially my family. It means more to me than I am often able to express.

With that, I believe my first post is done! So hopefully I'll be back here soon to update everyone on my trip. Thanks for reading, and caring. See you in December!

Marleigh Loves!