It was a long day

I can't sleep. I woke up with the fan on me this morning which is always a great start to the day because it means we have electricity. At 5am, I was at my computer typing up the day's lesson plan for my public health group. The lesson topic this morning was "Prevention vs. Treatment." Every weekday morning, from 8-11am, I teach 5 of the older boys at the orphanage about various diseases, testing and treatment methods and preventative measures. Depending on the complexity of the topic, we may spend an entire week learning about a single disease. After each topic, I give them a written and oral exam to ensure their grasp of the material. It's important that they are comfortable with the material, because at the end of the three month training program, they will be the ones who'll be entering classrooms in the local primary and secondary schools to teach others what they've learned.

My goal is to spread as much knowledge relating to public health as possible, in hope that through education I can empower those most vulnerable in rural Haiti--the children. To understand what those itchy bumps are all over your body and how to get rid of them and avoid getting them again is priceless for a child covered in scabies. To learn about parasites and why it is smart to avoid drinking dirty water may help prevent a child from getting worms, diarrhea and dying from dehydration. If this all sounds a bit dramatic, I assure you that it's no exageration. I've seen things that have made my skin crawl and it bothers me horribly that I can't be there every time to stop these easily preventable sicknesses from happening in the first place.

On another note, marathon training is going well. I've recently recruited one of the older boys from the orphanage to do the marathon with me. His name is Michel and he's one of our best soccer players and loves to run. He's been training with me for about a week now and he absolutely loves it. He's in great shape and has his heart set on winning first place. I must say, his drive to succeed is inspiring. I believe he's got enough heart to do anything. Fr. Marc bought him a pair of running shoes and some shorts. I've started him on a runner's diet, chock full of carbs, electrolytes and vitamins. It's great to have someone to run with. In the next week or so, we'll be getting him his passport and booking his very first flight for his very first time leaving the country. We're both through the roof excited and are counting down the 87 days until the race!