our first day of work at the clinic

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OMG, I had the worst night sleep ever! I've never been so uncomfortable-- with this stupid wooden board underneath me and every time I moved I felt so bad because it shook the whole bunk and made so much noise. I rolled around the entire night waiting for it to be time for everyone to wake up and I didn't fall asleep until it was light out. I probably only slept an hour before everyone woke up at 7:15. We had breakfast-- yumm but big! Fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, beans, rice and bread. We took the bus to the clinic and got a tour. Then we had the task for the day of painting the 2nd building of the clinic which was built as the women's clinic with rooms for delivery and post delivery stays with bathrooms and showers. However, they just recently changed one of the rooms to a dentist examination room because that is what the people of Nueva Vida said was a greater need than baby delivery. So some organization donated a dentist chair and instruments. Anyway, we taped the whole building, cleaned the walls and constructed scaffholding in preparation for painting and then after lunch we primed all the walls. Then we went back to the compound for the rest of the night. We went for a swim, (the pool was realy nasty and dirty, you couldn't even see the bottom, which had leaves all over it, but it still felt so refreshing) and then took a shower and had dinner. Two things I forgot to mention were in the morning we had a tour of the women's sewing co-op. It was weird just looking at the women working and taking pictures. However, afterwards one of the women who was the first president of the group came to speak to us and she seemed to be happy that we were there and she was very welcoming. Also, I wanted to mention that we played with the cutest little kids at the clinic after we were done painting. I wish I could be a fly on the wall and know what their everyday lives are like. In a couple of minutes we are going to have our first group discussion so I have to run.

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