Sunday, August 2, 2009

Less than a week now...


I hardly know what to think - we'll be back in the US in less than a week from this exact moment. Maybe if I was looking at the world through a green plastic ring...  

I have to admit, I am going to miss this place like crazy.  I think it has something to do with the 48 little dudes who live downstairs, especially now that they all seem to be literally falling apart in front of my eyes.

We took 3 into Leh today to have various infected body parts looked at.  And my daily anti-fungal attacks have expanded to include wound care of all sorts.  (You would not believe how many of them look like they've been boxing.)  I did a vision test before we left this morning (he can see just fine, thanks) and had my diagnosis of pterygium  confirmed by a pediatrician before lunch today.  Maybe I have a future in medicine?  Midwifery, yea, but also...?  As much as I wish I didn't have to be the medical care provider for the kids, I really love the challenge of trying to figure out what's wrong and what to do about it, and then the satisfaction of seeing them get better.  

Anyhow, Caitlin and I are in Leh for 24 hours, shopping like maniacs, stocking up on goodies for all our loyal Nag Champions out there.  And stocking up on some last minute supplies for a delegation of Germans who will be at Likir in the coming days to inaugurate the new hot water heater they donated.

Which reminds me, we have officially become the US branch of (now international!) charity, Friends of Likir.  The organization coordinates donations to the monastery school for all sorts of projects.  Currently they are working raising funds to put in a new kitchen and dining hall.  As it is now the boys cook in a small room with a dirt floor and no running water or even counters or cupboards, and they eat on the floor in the same hall where they study, chant and debate.  Chris and I would like to institute regular visits from a pediatrician as well as some "seminars" on basic hygiene.  And a fund to pay for medications seems like a high priority too.  There is a website in the works  - watch this space. And since this is a very new development Friends of Likir is nowhere close to having 501-3C status, but that's a project we'll tackle later this fall.  However, if anyone is feeling especially moved to contribute toward the health and well-being of some of my favorite little boys on the planet, give us a holler and we'll help you get the money where it can do some good.

In the mean time, I'll leave you with some pictures of the little monks, lest you think all is woe and misery at the monastery...  
(Above is drawing time, not drawing CLASS, as everyone likes to call it.  The kids' days are really packed and structured so I make it a point to just put out the art supplies and let them do their thing.  Its been wonderful to see them go from all tracing the same pictures from the same books to now really getting creative and branching out into weird wild creations involving hole punchers and glitter tape and animal stencils.  I really hope the teachers will continue drawing time after we leave...)  






1 comment:

Grandpa George said...

...Counting the days til we see you in Lexington.