One week until aventura

Seven days! Seven days until we (myself, Katie, Cory, and Jeanne) embark on our journey, and I feel like I have a million and one things to do before then. Anyways, I was asked to start a blog, and I thought it was a good idea, so here goes:

Here is our plan:

January 14th- February 9th: Peru
In Peru, I will be working as a medical interpreter on a sort of Doctors Without Borders trip through the U of M Medical School. Every year, a team of doctors lead by Frank Pilney go down to Lima and fix cleft pallets, cleft lip and burn victims, the majority of whom are children. I will be doing data entry, translation, interpretation and taking photos of the children before and after their surgeries. From what I understand these procedures are routine and relatively inexpensive, however they make such a world of difference in the lives of these children. It truly is, in many cases, the difference between a life of being ostricized from society and not. I am so excited to be a part of something like this. After working in the hospital we will be doing some traveling, among which is going to Macchu Picchu :)

February 9th- February 24th: Ecuador
In Ecuador, we will be going to Quito, Banos, Cuenca and Guayaquil. My sister is studying abroad in Cuenca and we get to visit her, which I am very excited about.

February 24th- March 13th: Guatemala
In Guatemala, we will be working at a mission I worked at in high school. It is located in the Mayan highlands of Guatemala and has a variety of programs in sustainable community development such as reforestation, coffee cooperatives, a clinic and construction programs. The mission is very much a proponent of liberation theology, which is definitely an idea I can get behind :)

March 14th- April 14th: Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, we will be working in the community of El Fortin. We all are members of LA SED (Latin American Sustainability Education and Development) and our organization has raised money for various projects such as our scholarship, health, and sustainable economic development programs. We will be working in the community with health and nutrition education programs as well as tutoring children in the creative arts (ceramics, painting, creative writing, etc.).

April 14th- April 28th: Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, we will be traveling, visiting our host families, and hopefully visiting my cousin and her family in Manuel Antonio.

So, that's our grand adventure. Wish us luck!

Love,
Maria