Back from the Dead

So I'm back after a long absence of internet. I still don't have internet in the town near where I live but I managed to get on the next town down (roughly the distance between Lansing and GR). I'm back on the positivity train now too which is exciting. I think that I was having a mid-service crisis (and my village was a bit lame). But, due to a series of fortunate events I was presented with the opportunity to move to a different village! I have a brand new house--which is huge by village standards--and a great new community that is really excited about working. I was there for three days and I was able to train three people in nutrition and do a health talk about family planning to about 30 women.

Also in the exciting news is my vacation to Malawi in a matter of days and the camp that I have been planning for orphans and vulnerable children in the Serenje District has been scheduled and booked. It is in October but time flys here. And on top of all this my Mom is coming to visit me in June! Can you believe this? The only thing that could top this off is if all my friends starting writing me letters (hint hint).

I would like to thanks my Mom and Dad, Oma and Opa, Craig Waddel, Erin Smith, Anne Wysocki, Robie, Jason, and Adam for writing to me within the last six months.

I am going to start taking picture again too. I have some great ones of the kids in my area but I am missing everything else. For example, the tall grass on the side of the road is cut by people, as opposed to a gigantic lawn mower, and although it never seems to be cut I see them out. A couple days ago I passed about three of them and they were wearing the safety cones as hats. In my provincial capital there is a mural of a sumo wrestler for no apparent reason. In my village I saw a guy wearing a button down shirt that had images of the young Justin Timberlake all over it. On transport last week there was a man wearing "50 Cent" dress socks. All of these precious moments are being lost because I don't have my camera with me. So I'll get on that, and then maybe people will be more excited to read about my goings on because there are pictures.

I'll be back online in April from the 10th through the 14th. So if you emailed me I would even accept that as meaningful correspondence. Hope all is well on the other side!