Hi Everyone!

Dustin was here visiting on his spring break from March 13-18. We had a great time playing tourists!

We went to the jungle, Mayan ruins, swimming, and snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea. It was fun for me to see Punta Gorda through his eyes, too. Having my son here lifted my spirits immensely!! Hopefully, Anna and her friend, Nick, will visit Belize this summer.

I had another volunteer work with me for a week; a college student from Missouri. She helped me out greatly; unfortunately, she left today. Guess I’ll just wait for the next one to show up!

I was asked to do a home visit to a woman in Laguna village last weekend. She had reconstructive surgery on her face and had skin grafted from her neck to her nose (a team of doctors were visiting here from Texas). It was great being a public health nurse again!

After I cleaned and redressed her wounds (by flashlight), she laid back down in the hammock to nurse her 4-week-old baby. Their thatched home has only one room, a dirt floor, no running water or electricity and houses the mom and dad, six kids and grandma.

Grandma was preparing the food, using a banana leaf on the floor as a cutting board. The 9-year-old girl was making tortillas on the wood burning “stove.” I had all of the kids laughing at me trying as I tried to speak Ketchi!

It has not rained for six weeks and the temperature stays between 85 and 90 degrees. There are plenty of pineapples, bananas, and papayas at the market now. Mangoes (my favorite) are beginning to ripen on the trees as well.

I miss you all; please keep in touch. I want to hear about your lives, too! Also, the Craig Daily Press web page continues togets better all the time!

Love, Nurse Donna