My emotion for this moment: Excitement!

So as you can imagine I have been on a huge emotional roller coaster.

Some days I cry for almost no reason.

Other days I start to panic and think what the hell am I doing?

And a lot of days like today I am so excited I can hardly stand it.

I skyped with the program volunteer manager the other morning.

It was so nice to talk to her she made me feel better about a lot of things.

It was also a bit overwhelming! 

She has put me in touch with a former volunteer nurse who is returning this year also.

I was able to ask a lot of questions and get some good answers. 

Yes, lots of children are very sick and there is nothing we can do.

The clinics and hospitals basically have no supplies or resources.

People go to a witch doctor first which creates further problems such as infection.

She said the pediatric ward of the hospital is the scariest place to be,

children are so ill and nobody knows how to care for them.

As devastating as this all is, I am excited for many reasons.

 There is potential for so much change.

So many opportunities to care and love people.

Opportunities for education.

 I am also excited because I have been stalking former volunteers on facebook.

Oh hey your two albums of 350 pictures each are public?

I will just sit here and look at all 700 pictures.

I am an excellent stalker and have found many albums!

Yeah if your shit is public I will find it.

All jokes aside these people look like so much fun.

I think RIPPLE is an awesome organization and that is why they attract such interesting and fun people.

It is comforting to know that I will be part of this community.

I would love to put links to these albums I have found,

but I think that could be a little creepy.

Instead I will just show some pictures from RIPPLE's website.

 This is where I will be living. Not too bad huh?

Stocked fridge, I think I can learn to trade in my rum for gin.

Monkeys that are at the beach. I do not like monkeys, sure they are cute but they can stay away!

I think I can wake up to this view every morning.

In my preschool class a daily dance-time will be required.

I cannot wait to see little faces like this everyday. 

And to teach in classrooms like this.

They just look bad don't they?

My heart can almost not even handle this picture.

  

Now that's a big class!

Weighing babies at the 5 and under clinic where I will be spending some of my time.

Sick baby, I feel so called to be there.

A volunteer doing some wound care. It is a good thing it is my favorite because there are a lot of wounds!

I just thought it was appropriate for one more picture that makes my heart want to explode.

Thanks for checking in!

Just a couple of more months!