I am sorry. The metamorphosis doesn’t happen the way we all imagined it would. It is the opposite and we all become ugly.

Time has shown us that the universe has unanimously favored decay, disintegration, fermentation, destruction, dissolution, death and erosion over any significant momentum toward rebirth, life, or regeneration. The concept that someone could become younger, brighter, more brilliantly beautiful over time is so confounding an idea that it made movie critics describe Brad Pitt’s slow and disturbing regression into the form of a wrinkly little baby, “heartwarming.” We aren’t used to this sort of thing. It is understandable. We have been disillusioned to imagine that we will unfold from the cocoon we are in, as something younger and sleeker and more airworthy.
My two-month Masters of Public Health practicum placement with Primeros Pasos in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala started off on a dramatic and tragic note. Upon exiting Guatemala City’s La Aurora Airport, I immediately noticed an odd-textured rain falling down on me while I waited for a taxi to transport me to one of the city’s many bus terminals. Also noticeable was an intense smoky smell and texture of the air, which I at first attributed to air pollution. Once I arrived at the bus terminal, the bus driver urgently shepherded everyone waiting around onto the bus, informing us that the nearby volcano named “Fuego”, Spanish for “fire”, had had a major eruption. In order for the bus to get to its final destination of Quetzaltenango, it was necessary to first drive towards the volcano before passing it for higher ground in the Guatemalan highlands. Traffic, sirens, and noticeably thick and discolored air were a constant until we had traveled for about two hours north. It was at this point that my fellow passengers and I overcame our initial panic enough to realize that we all had what we now knew was volcanic ash coating our hair and clothes. After the strange “rain” had settled and dried, it had a sand-like consistency and a dark-black appearance.
Thoughts from a remote village in Kenya.

I remember more than 15 years ago before I started medical school, I attended a small global surgery seminar where several residents and invited speakers introduced the community to global surgery and the needs of health care in third world countries. The night started with a surgical resident saying the following statement “hospitals in third world countries are places where people go to die, not get better”. I still remember my reaction and how infuriated I was with such statement. I was born and raised in Colombia, South America and thought about all the times I had been sick, taken to the hospital, and here I was, alive! I had been inspired in the same hospitals to become a doctor, help people and save lives.
Last month marked the 15th anniversary of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. The celebrations included an important announcement that didn't receive enough attention: Today, 14 million people who otherwise wouldn't have access to care are receiving lifesaving HIV treatment.
Jambo from Nairobi!!

We are currently sitting in the Nairobi airport at the conclusion of an amazing, eye-opening, and life-changing trip.

Our week started out with a bang! We were on ICU call Sunday, but Dr. Newton was so kind and covered the unit after rounds so that we could explore. We drove out to Mount Longonot for a day hike and did not know what we had gotten ourselves into! The hike up was a challenge, since many of the trails had been washed out from all of the rain this season. However, once we made it to the top, it was all worth it. The views from the crater were absolutely breathtaking!
It is hard to believe this trip is coming to a close! A lot has happened since my last post. We traveled to Siem Reap and experienced the beautiful ancient temples including Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. These temples left me speechless. Truly marvelous to think they were built in the 12th century by nothing more than elephants and man power!
Week 3: By week number three we felt comfortable in Cambodia; we were starting to pick up on some of the language; we were making new friends…. But we were also starting to feel a little bit home sick. But by the time we departed, I can honestly say I was sad to go back to our materialistic lives in America. I cannot WAIT to have the opportunity to go on another mission trip.
“When you enable a family to be able to time and space their children, you actually improve the overall health of that family,” said Dr. Alma Golden, the Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID’s Bureau for Global Health, at a recent Wilson Center event on the role of faith-based organizations in family planning. Faith-based groups are an “irreplaceable asset,” said Dr. Golden, when it comes to fighting stigma and marginalization and promoting positive health behaviors.
Jambo from Kijabe!

We have just wrapped up another exciting week in Kenya! Our week started off with an African adventure full of beautiful sights, wild animals, and great hiking. Then, we spent the rest of the week working in the “theatre,” which is becoming more familiar now J

This Sunday, we joined with Gretchen, a surgical resident from Vanderbilt, to see what Kenya is like outside of Kijabe. We woke up early in the morning and drove about an hour to Lake Naivasha and took a boat to the Crescent Island animal sanctuary. We were the first ones there and got to see all of the animals in their morning routine. There were giraffes, zebras, gazelles, wildebeests, and even hippos!

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