Updates from el campo

Dear People,

You are reading this blog because you want to know about what we are doing or you mistyped when you navigated to www.laurenandalfredinpanama.blogspot.com, click the link to read about Lauren and Alfred in Panama.  Oh.  You're still here.  Well here's what we are up to!  (“How's that for a rocking introduction?” said Alex.  “Did you say that in there?  Only you think you are funny,” said Lauren.  Alex laughed.  “Here's my point, you're laughing,” said Lauren).

Lauren and six other fellow volunteers recently facilitated in the June 2013 women's artisan seminar. Lauren gave her very own charla (“talk”) on domestic violence.  She felt that it was well received and useful for the participants. The seminar was focused on empowering women through artisan work. Women from all over Panama were invited to attend. Other charlas included woman’s health, self esteem, sex education, basic business skills, and technical art classes like jewelery making and sewing. 

Alex is on the verge of finishing his rain water catchment system.  He brushed the edge of completion once before only to realize during the first rainstorm that the gutter spit water out the opposite side of where the tank is.  Damn slanted house.

Lauren is taking up office as the new Vice President AND Woman's Health and Empowerment Coordinator of the Gender and Development Committee.  She is really excited about participating in this dynamical, ultra-bodacious group.  She is brimming with ideas, and is currently working on domestic violence awareness month activities and HIV/AIDS activities leading up to World AIDS day in December.

Alex's most recent push has been the 2013 Community Water Seminar in San Juanito.  Four days of charlas covering water health topics, conservation of watershed and of water in-home, aqueduct topics and water system management.  Folks got the chance to attend either a morning or an afternoon session at the school.  We coordinated lunch with the valiant and amazing mothers of the family as cooks.  Everything went swimmingly.  Over 60 people attended at least one of the sessions and 8 champion campesinos attended all 4 and were crowned “Water Experts: First Class.”

The Papayal (neighboring community to San Juanito who hasn't ever had a volunteer) stove project grant pushed through and a scheduling meeting is set for after church on Sunday July 14.  We've tracked down a stove mold FOR FREE from our fellow volunteers Pete and Kelly, which is huge given that the guy wanted to charge us $125 a pop.

New books arrived with the visit from Andrew, Allie and Patty.  A humongous thank you to Margie Wright (Lauren's grandma) for picking awesome, brand new Spanish books.  Many an afternoon our porch is crowed with kids shuffling through the books, being careful not to rip that pages of course.  We do read aloud with the youngsters and check out gross snake pictures.  As a new challenge to our readers we are handing out book report forms with each book they check out.  They have to fill in the title, author, a summary, a recommendation and draw a picture of something from the book on the back.  In return for 10 complete book reports, they can choose a prize out of out the Random Prize Grab Bag.  We are awaiting the first round with books due back this Sunday and Monday. We have checked out over 50 books in the last 2 months.

The town is abuzz with the idea of the non-profit organization Spay Panama coming to San Juanito to provide their services for cheap.  Informational meeting is on July 14!  Be there or be square!

Lauren is to be traveling to the city to help train the new group that has recently arrived in Panama.  These eager trainees will have the pleasure of Lauren and her pretty face explaining all about the community analysis process.  She is excited to get to give back in a meaningful way to Peace Corps Panama.

Casualmente, we are currently in the presence of two delightful Peace Corps trainees named Paul and Sara.  They are spending the weekend out is San Juanito getting an idea of our life.  It is pretty fun to share our town with them and it has been a great excuse to cook some good food as they are currently wading up to their necks in rice with their host family.  They are going to be awesome volunteers wherever they end up!  We are excited to learn, along with them, where their site will be for the next two years.

 As you may have seen on Facebook, Lauren is rescuing our host family's dog Turco.  While they lived in San Juanito they cared for him, but since they have moved to Penonome he has fallen through the cracks.  It became unbearable to see him dying of hunger in the streets so we led him to the house and tied him up in back and started feeding and treating him with medicine.  Our decision was justified when we learned he has the dog version of AIDS and that it is a curable disease in animals.  Furthermore, there is a dog rescue in Panama that will cover his medical bills and look for a new home for him.  Our only job is to get him to Penonome, which we hope to accomplish soon.  I think The Fray said it best in “How to Save a Life.”

It started to rain.  That's good.  We have water back in the house.

The next topic is Lauren's parents' visit.  Lauren's fam came to visit and we spent some time in site, some time in the mountains and some time at the beach.  It was great to show them around our current lives.  Look out for a blog from them with their reflections.

We handed out Fourth of July hot dogs to our neighbors and our stomachs.  It was awesome.  The hot dogs were a hit, the pickles were not.  We sent many a kid retching into the jungle with that one.  Even Benigno said, “Ugh, gringo food.”

Okay that's all the topics for now!

We love y'all!  Be good.