I heart CIPRO

So I am in Cotonou currently suffering another sickness: bacterial infection. (cipro is an antibiotic). I had a fever and chills and multiple diahrrea instances starting monday at 2am until Tuesday morning, so i called the doctor and she told me to come down. she said i had multiple white blood cells in my poop sample. well as dicaprio would say TIA (this is africa).

anyways sorry for the graphic display of my sicknesses to those who are not interested in that kind of thing. life has been a little slow lately but will be picking up very quickly very soon. i am organizing a radio project for AIDS and we have to practice and record the sketches within the next month. i also have to put together some questions for the doctor to respond to on the radio. i am also busy trying to finalise the grant so i can get money to fund the project. there are only two things left to do and hopefully she will pass it on to be approved. during the month of november i dont think it will be as busy because the radio shows will be running but i think i will devote myself to listening at the times that they should be playing just to know that they are running. please pray for us that the kids have fun and are motivated to do a good job and that everything runs smoothly. then on world aids day (dec 1) we will be hosting a day of screenings, educational sessions and using speakers in a neighboring village. in short i am glad i got being sick out of the way now so i can try not to be sick these next couple months before i come home during december.

i went to two funerals in the past month. on for the vice president of my artisans group and another for a member of one of the groupements that i work with. my vice president was in a motorcycle accident and since most people dont wear helments here broke his clavicle and hit his head so hard he had a stroke. he was doing better for a while but he must have had another stroke or something. the woman in my groupement had breast cancer and since they dont have alot of the technology that we do in the states, and since she did not have alot of money to pay for treatments even if they did have access to it.

other than that life has been pretty simple. trying to conserve money for possible vacations or after service trips. cooking different recipies in the cookbook. a new volunteer arrived recently in my neighboring village and i have enjoyed getting to know her. she inspires me to want to learn more local language. i have loved listening to the sermon tapes recently from back home. although the tidbits of news are months old, i can still find out what was happening. well a little over two months until u see this smiling face again. i miss you all dearly.