Sorry it has been a while

I have so much to catch up on. I can't even remember the last time I wrote. Last week was a great week. We spent time out in La Joya with the women's group and then on to Palo Blanco with the kids in the school. The women's group is so amazing. We are going to start building adobe stoves with them so that their houses aren't filled with smoke. The kids get a lot of respiratory infections because they breath it all in. We taught body parts to the kids in Palo Blanco then did Simon says with it, head shoulders knees and toes, and the chicken song. So far that chicken song has been a hit where ever we teach it. And I just thought the missionaries in the MTC loved it. On Friday we went up to Patecia. It’s a small city of 11,000. they have a stake center and three wards there though. We measures and weighed the primary kids (about 300). Most of them are mal nourished. We are hoping to set up a day care system where the mom's will work once a week there and 2 of us will go so that we can make sure the kids get supplemental drinks.


















Some of the kids were in the 0 percentile for height and weight. They also can't afford to go to the dentist so all the young men can't go on missions. It’s really sad. But we are getting some financial help from outside sources so hopefully we can help them work for a better life. That’s what's so great about HELP-International is that we never go somewhere and give things. We bring teaching materials and ourselves and we show them ways to improve life. We don't want them to become dependant on us or just get free hand outs. We went and visited a small community that help international worked with 2 years ago. They are thriving now and have all kinds of improvements planned. It’s great to see. We spent the weekend in El Salvador. There is a team of help volunteers there too, so we crashed at their place in San Salvador. It is such a humongous city. We felt out of place. We spent all day Saturday at the black sand beach. Yesterday we went up to Xetonox to work with the kids in the school measuring them to see if they are malnourished. 

Then we carried huge planks of wood down a mountain. I love being in Xetonox. I wish you could all experience it. They always feed us a huge lunch and when we tried to explain that they really don't have to feed us every time we go, they said it was the only way they could show how gratefully they are for our help. The kids are adorable. We recorded them singing a song in Kaqchequel about ants. You can hear it when I get back. Well, I’m sure there is a ton more I can say, but I’m running out of time. I love you all.
Kirsti