Almost there

Dear friends, I have almost made it through the first 3 months at site, as IST starts Monday. I am really looking forward to IST, being in Thies again (electricity and running water!), seeing the Vols from my Stage, and getting away from the village for the intense August rains. I am hoping to head out of the village Thursday and spend a few days in Kaolack (to do some work pre-IST) before hopefully heading up to Thies on Saturday; though it may be Sunday, depending on what my fellow Vols in Klack want to do. Tomorrow I will be hosting my first "formation" in the village, teaching a small group of women how to make Neem Lotion, a natural mosquito repellant made from the leaves of the Neem Tree. Hopefully it will go well (think good Serere thoughts for me please) and people will use it. I already know of two women (one of my sisters, a young mother of at least 5 or 6 kids, and another friend in the village, mother of her own army of children) in my village with probable Malaria, but they cant or wont go to the Health Post, luch against my protests and insisting someone take them. However, money is low, the Post is far away, and most of the charrets are in the field. Its crazy scary and frustrating that they cant go to the HPost, esp since Malaria cases are only going to rise from here on out.

I just picked up a few more packages/letters from the Post Office. I guess some others are on their way, but will have to wait until the end of August for me to pick them up. Thank you all very much, I am very excited and it means a lot to know people are thinking and carring about me. I love you all and my next post will either be from Thies or Kaolack, depending.