Wednesday, March 10th

Time is flying by fast. Monday was more house visits. Tuesday the boys, Wilder and I went to Julio's home to make his bathroom door accessible for his wheelchair. No tape measure, an old rusty hand saw, and rusty re-used nails, but we got it done! Julio was SO happy. Julio is a very good friend of Fr. Jacks (now), who in 1991 was paid and ordered to kill Fr. Jack. The details are not all known, but long story short, Julio had a conversion, and became a life-long friend to Fr. Jack. Years later, he was in a vehicle accident which rendered him paralyzed from the waist down. Thanks to "gringos", or American donators, Julio has his own electric w/c. He lives alone, and has been very ill of recent. He's had some blood transfusions, and is still very weak, but in the past 2 days he has been up in his chair and able to go out for a little while. We just need to return to fix the cement so he can make a smooth transition from the dirt into the bathroom, where he will be able to bath himself.

Brookston has been craving hamburgers VERY bad, so Monday evening, brother Tony, Brooks and I went downtown to a new market....much like a super walmart, but smaller......To our dismay, fresh ground hamburger was over $5.00 for about enough for 2 hamburgers. SO we were about to abandon that dream, when we spotted some frozen hamburgers in a freezer case. For 15 soles, or about $5, we got a package of 14 burgers. Wilder leant us his indoor electric grill, and I made home-made mac n cheese.....so it was American supper last night, which we cooked for our family and Willy. They really liked it! Mom Mercedes had some left-over "sandia", or watermelon, for desert. Bridger of course did not want to share, but too bad..........

So all was well until sometime in the very very early morning (before the roosters were awake), I became quite ill......diarrhea and vomiting. Wouldn't have been so bad, but the CRAMPS rendered me unable to even move. They were like labor pains, including back pain. I was ill all morning. Wilder got word and brought me some Immodium AD....I was SURE I had packed some, but couldn't find it. Brother Tony made me some coca-tea, which I was able to keep down. Mom made chicken soup for me for lunch, and that stayed in OK as well. So I thought I was on the mend, and it started all over again....the severe cramps. On top of that, I know I'm dehydrated, b/c the water just pours out of every orifce and pore in my body! So I sit here now with a huge headache.

Tomorrow will be the usual study in the AM for the kids, lunch, rest, play.........If feeling better, I will be prepping for the LAMA group. About 6 or 7 are arriving tomorrow night. Wendy will arrive here with my brand of shampoo/conditioner that was stolen out of our containers here. Brinley's and my hair has been a frizzy mess!!!! Thanks to Jill Weiman, our hair dresser in LaMoure, we have tea-tree oil shampoo and spray for lice prevention! That was an awesome suggestion from her!

Brinley, Braeden and I all had sore throats on Tuesday, but Braeden's and mine have resolved. Brinley is very congested and has a runny nose......which I assume she caught from her friends Oscar and Habier......house cousins who live downstairs from us......

So I have learned that poverty takes no breaks.....it does not recognize holidays, weekends, or even hours of sleep. It is a continuum of chronic needs and lack of funds/supplies. No matter the issue at hand, there is "never enough".....supplies, food, money, etc.......Poverty is a mere evil force stalking around waiting for the ruin of spirits and souls.