PROGRESS!!!

I must say that this past week, we have seen more progress in our works then we have in the last 2 years put together. First, the Charlas Listas project was printed in its full form and we had a meeting to evaluate them with all the big peops. We invited several midwives and casa materna workers and we tried it out on them. We did a test to see how they react with them as tools without any instruction. We also invited one who did not read, to see if she could interpret the pictures and use the tool. She didnt do so hot, but I think she has memory problems, so probably not a good test. Now we have divided them up amoungst several casas maternas and we are evaluating how they are used and if it is easy or hard, or confusing and if the content is well written and executed etc. We have recieved good feedback for the most part. It has been thrilling to see a whole years worth of work, that thus far we have only seen on a computer screen, printed in the size it is intended to be and to see them used. We pray there wont be too many changes and that they will get funded and we can see them put in the casas maternas AND participate in the training before we leave. That is the clencher.

In other news, we built the oven in the casa materna. We had an agriculture volunteer come and help us build and we invited people to help and learn as well. It was mostly successful and despite the rain, we finished.

Then thanks to a private doner friend, we were able to build a roof over it, something we hadn`t planned for. We also began the clean up for the flagstone project that you all helped fund. The first step, which is part of the required 25% community contribution, was that we had to clean up the area, take out all the rocks and garbage, and level the big piles of dirt the last project left there. We enlisted the help of the members of our church, and sadly, not very many of the husbands came.. only mine and the missionaries, but the women worked their tales off, carrying rocks and buckets on their heads. It was a cool day. Also, for those who missed the donation and would still like to donate, email me and let me know. There are always things that go wrong in nicaragua and-or things I forgot to add in. If that happens we will have to find the funding fast and it would be good to have a list of people ready to help. Ok. Well thats all for now. We will post after the holidays and begin the work. The money for the project has been sent here to Nicaragua and I am waiting for them to deposit it in my account! Yipeeeeee!!!