the LATEST

This just in. Kate has been on retreat again, making a little time to sit with some significant events coming up.

The first is the PENDING ARRIVAL of two new MVC volunteers at the end of August. I know nothing more than their names and approximate ages at this point, but I'm looking forward to getting to know them better after their cross-cultural-orientation haze clears off a bit.

The second is the PENDING DEPARTURE of my fellow MVC-er, Eileen, who has decided to return to the States in August. This was unexpected, but she has made the decision after much consideration, and I support her decision and her right to choose what is best for her. I will miss her terribly, it's no secret. Getting my sorry self out of bed alone to go to aerobics class at 6 am is going to be dismal, as is joking about dogs, nasty men and whatever other topics approach us on the way home. It just won't look the same when I'm laughing hysterically alone. I will miss her nimble financial fingers and how getting through the bank is just about as easy as breathing with her by my side. I will miss the parties, and will try my best with the hors d'oeuvre - especially those darling little ham balls! Our little community of two was the least of my worries in Guyana, and that was such a blessing. I will treasure the time we spent together and the way my inner forty-year-old and her inner thirty-year-old somehow made it work, and made it work pretty well. Blessings on her journey.

Third is the arrival of FAMILY! Eileen's son John is coming to visit and my Mother is coming a few days later. Our plans will take us in slightly different directions, but we're looking forward to at least one dinner all together to celebrate this strange and wonderful time and place. My mother and I will be busy doing hearing and vision screenings at both St. Ann's orphanage for girls and St. John Bosco orphanage for boys while she is here. I know that my parish community at home and some other sources made very generous donations that she is able to bring with her for the children, including things like children's vitamins, over-the-counter creams and medicines and general medical products like cotton balls and Q tips. I'm also arranging a little trip out of town, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Fourth is that ELECTION TIME is fast approaching. There was a constitutional extension that allows elections to be held before September 4th (they were supposed to be no later than August 4th), and the President has decided that the nation is ready to vote despite the absence of full and verified lists of eligible voters. The go date is currently the 28th of August, so that all the tallying and arguing will come to a close before the 4th of September. We shall see how that goes. For more information on histories and parties in Guyana, see these election links: PPP new talent, PNCR reaction, and more than you ever wanted to know about GEOCOM. And this is what CNN had to say last time Guyana went to the polls.

That's enough for the moment, isn't it?

FIELD TRIP!!

Yes, folks, I am how many years away from high school now (?) and I went on a field trip to the New Amsterdam prisons in Berbice. Berbice refers to a region around the Berbice river, which is a jaunt up the road from the Suriname border. The trip is designed to educate students about the consequences of delinquent behavior. We toured the prison facility after a discussion with 5 inmates about choices, consequences of their choices and their experience of prison. Their stories were moving and I was grateful that the students had such articulate and sincere presentations to learn from.

The rest of the day was spent in transit. That's quite a bit of time on the bus, time waiting for the ferry, then time on the ferry across the river, and then the whole routine in reverse. But we were able to drive our bus onto the ferry along with other transport vehicles. One was bringing tomatoes to town.

The students were well-behaved, respectful, and they asked good questions. I hope that the experience was as educational for them as it was for me! (I WISH I had driven the bus, but, sadly, this was just a photo op.)