Time continues to race by. The days are very full between preparing for classes, writing and marking quizzes and tests, preparing for outreach, dealing with power outages and day to day challenges and as a few of you know already we have puppies! 3 out of the 6 abandoned puppies that Curt rescued have survived, thanks to a lot of bottle feeding and TLC. The dogs now are thriving and playful! Two of them will be leaving to new homes shortly, and we will likely keep one until we leave. These new members of our family have no doubt ensured that there have been no dull moments..... That being said, we are all happy and healthy and continuing to enjoy and make the most of our time here.
The last months events have included a celebration at the Wentz Medical Clinic in honor of Dr. Wentz, the donor who made this medical center possible. It was a lot of fun and great to hear a little more about the history of the clinic. There really are some great people in the world doing amazing things. Included in them is the director of the hospital Dr. Martin Nkundeki. He is a very inspiring man and we would like to take a moment to thank him again and everyone at Wentz for their support!
Classes are an ongoing success and the students are now able to give a good relaxation massage in the Outreach portion of the program. Each Friday they put there skills to the test, massaging members of the community with definite mutual benefit. For those of you who have studied anatomy, you may find it interesting that the students have covered every muscle in the body including origins and insertions in seven weeks. For those of you who have not studied anatomy, I will inform you that this is an incredible feat. They have also covered all the required course material in the Anatomy and Physiology, as well as Pathology classes. This means they are now ready to learn the important hands-on skills relating to Therapeutic Massage, and will soon be able to start treating clients' injuries and conditions. In addition to Friday Outreach classes, every Monday the students who are volunteering to help pay for the course are assisting in the treatment of people who have been referred from the hospital. These clients have been living with constant pain and discomfort, and thanks to our efforts, many are starting to have less pain in their lives. Yes we are very pleased!
In addition to community massage, volunteer work has included tent cleaning and maintenance. Unfortunately despite the care it has received, the tent has not faired as well as we had hoped and started leaking rather badly. We had to purchase a new roof, which was unfortunate, but what can you do.... We have also had some fun, including a day of sun and sand with some of the students at a beach in nearby Entebbe.
Overall, life is good and the Uganda Massage Class of 2011 is showing great promise!
With warm regards and ongoing appreciation,
Sandy, Curt and Reace xo
