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!