Rainy season means what it says

Hello friends!

As the title says, it has been raining here frequently. Meaning two days. But that is a lot, and when it rains, it really rains. The streets flood, everyone goes inside, there are no cars, motorbikes, or pedestrians, and therefore, there aren't very many people coming to the hospital. It is very refreshing to have a coolness settle over the area; the power was very in and out today so the mix between the cool and the dim lighting was relaxing!

Friday another baby was born, which I really love to be a part of. This one came about 7:30 in the morning, interrupting the Bible study the hospital has together before they take patients. I have been learning what mothers' stomachs look like at different stages before birth. A mom with a child 5 months old has a bump about to her belly button! (i'm sure you all non-nursing people love to know!) Hearing ultrasounds is of course exciting, and I am always amazed by how fast those little babies hearts are beating! One thing that is interesting here is all the women (and many other patients) always get a spot check for hemoglobin because it is especially low. Felix always pulls down a patient's bottom eyelid to check the color- if it is pale, it is probably low. The nutrition is not very good here, which is usually the problem, and paired with pregnancy the women need extra teaching to stay healthy.

The weekends are very restful in Burkina. I took several hours of walks over the weekend, which I love more and more. Most of the time I go with the 3 girls and we always seem to discover something fun. We started going to this water retention area a street away that is very long. It is full of everyones trash, mud, and rocks. This doesn't keep many Burkinabe from washing, working, and playing in and around it. Along the way we always see people coming out of the area with huge baskets of mud, or sand, or sometimes things they have sifted through to find. When we are away from people the girls love to throw rocks in the water. It is very fun for me to spend time with them, as I get to act as a friend and older sibling. They call me "auntie" which is a term used for anyone older. I am their savior from the wild dogs that roam the streets (who really are not that scary.)

We went to an International Church on Sunday, which was actually having its last meeting for the summer since many of the people who attend go away (they only work in Burkina Faso). We sang "In Christ Alone," which is a song I really love, so it was fun to have a rememberance of home. In the evening a friend of Felix and Nema's came over to their house for a visit. He could speak some English, so it was fun looking up words in the dictionary trying to figure out what each other was saying. We caught the tail end of the World Cup on TV, a real joy to watch with Nema because she loves soccer, but a real sorrow that America lost.

Today at the hospital a man came from the Netherlands- not something that would ordinarily happen! He could speak English, another chance to get to talk with someone more than "hello, how are you, my name is Julia" and I got to feel a little smart as he explained his condition, I asked if he was taking anti-malaria medicine, and no, he wasn't. This mean...probably malaria. He'll get tested of course, but sometimes as a nursing student, its nice to pretend I know things.

For all you Michael Jackson fans, Burkina Faso is mourning as well. (simone and lindsey?)
Thanks for your prayers, I will keep you updated!