Sutures, Soccer, and Ice Cream

I have been in Guatemala for a little over three weeks, and it's hard to believe how fast the time has gone by.  Most of my days look pretty similar, so I thought I'd share a few of the fun activities and highlights of my summer so far:

  • Learning new medical techniques. From cleaning wounds, to putting in IVs, to suturing; my medical knowledge is expanding along with my Spanish vocabulary. We don't have any specialists working at the hospital, so we do a lot of referrals for any serious medical problems. 

  • Playing our weekly soccer game. Every week a few of the doctors and nurses get together along with some friends from church to play some lighthearted soccer. It's always one of the highlights of my week!
A nurse and one of the doctors that organize our weekly games. 
  • Families from the church and nurses from the hospital often invite me to join their families for activities. Last week Sunday we hiked to where the Maya used to perform their worship and offer sacrifices. While no sacrifices are offered there anymore (thank goodness), there are still traditional Mayans who worship there. While a sad reminder of the spiritual state in this part of the country, the view was stunning!


  • Ice cream. Yes, I know that ice cream is not unique to Guatemala, but after going over a week without a taste of ice cream, I began wandering the streets looking for a place to feed my addiction. Thankfully, the closest ice cream shop is right around the corner! I'm sure the owners wonder about the American kid who stops by way too often. 
  • Earthquakes. I'm not sure that this is really a highlight, but it was interesting to experience my first temblor. As minor as it was, it was still unsettling to wake up to the whole room/house shaking. 




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