I'll write more later about AIDS, but I only have a few minutes now, and I want to record a few thoughts.

Yesterday morning, our team was split into three groups, and the group to which JJ and I were assigned went to the Malnutrion Clinic. We helped brush kids' teeth, colored pages from a coloring book with them, did exercises with them, and then simply played with them at the playground. I think all of them are from single-mother homes, and of course they really enjoyed the attention from JJ and me. The exercising and playing part quickly became exhausting, as there so many kids who wanted us to pick them up, swing them, etc. It was a milder day, but quite humid, so we were tired and sweaty, and quite ready to break for lunch.

After lunch and siesta (12ish to 2:30ish), the teams switched, and our team went to work on the first house our team is helping build. JJ and I had boring, seemingly useless jobs ... clearing grass from the ground ... but I liked to see the way the church operates here. We certainly could afford to have the house built in a more high-tech fashion, quicker, but instead they are hiring local builders from the community.  So that helps with self-esteem and economic issues, even if it takes longer for the house to be ready for the woman. While our team is here, the builders are supervising us as we do the work. Of course they could probably work faster without us, but it is good experience for us, and it helps we gringos in our testimonies to people in the neighborhood who don't yet know Jesus.

After working there til about four, the pastor (named Giovanni) took us to meet a woman the church has been helping. She is about 60-70 years old, and has two sons ... one of whom is 38 and was born with severe deformities (perhaps resulting from a beating she received while pregnant) and perhaps brain damage ... hard to tell his level of mental capacity since he can't talk or make much use of his hands and arms. When the church found her, she had to lock up her son in the house all day while she tried to sell food she had made. The local church arranged for a micro-loan to her (perhaps about $200) so she could buy a refrigerator to store food stuffs, plus materials so the church could build a window and table/seating so she can serve customers from her son's bedroom. So now she cooks and sells food without needing to leave her son. She slowly pays back the loan. I love this concept ... rather than just giving her money, they helped set her up in a more productive business, so she can enjoy an independent life. She was so hospitable to us and so happy. We bought some food from her and really enjoyed it ... sort of like greasy soft tacos filled with beef and shredded cabbage. Our interpreter did not want any of the food, because he was afraid of getting sick from it ... I just hoped we didn't later regret it!

That evening in the pool, I started feeling an upset stomach. I had a little more to eat, but didn't feel any better. Since no one else was sick, and since I wasn't naseauted or having diarreaha, I just stayed in bed reading until I fell asleep, and hoped I'd feel better in the morning. JJ played Uno with the interpreters and others on our team, until I told him to turn in about 9:30, and he complained of feeling sick in the head. I decided to do nothing then, and just see how we both felt in the morning.