IST

That means "In Service Training" for thoes of you not in the know. I came down to Kombo on Monday, and Tuesday through Saturday we were busy busy. Beekeeping, tree grafting, animal stuff. Good food though. I have been pretty happy up in Diabugu. I am glad that IST came. The last couple of weeks I have been in a funk. A bit homesick I guess. It is strange how that works. I like village. I like my host family. I like what I do. I don't want to leave (yet). But I get homesick sometimes. So comming to Kombo was a nice little change. Shook me up a bit, got me out of the funk I was in. My dad sent me some CD's and a diskman on mail run. That is going to be nice. Except I am now out of AA batteries! Go figure. I need to go and first see if they are even in stock at Kariba, and then if they are in my price range. Batteries are expensive here.
I am still hanging out at the hospital, going on trek. I like it. And we just got a new volunteer in a close village. She replaced a previous volunteer who just COSed. Chris, if you read this EMAIL ME!!! I have questions about A.D.'s solar pannel and the wireing for the woman's kaffo She seems like a nice girl.
We had 2 babies in the last month in my compound, both boys. Which created a new game when the first was born: "Steal the Baby". You tell either Slayman (the first's older brother, about 2ish) or Jenna (the second's older sister, a little older than Slayman) that you are going to take the baby. Then you try and take the baby. They scream and cry, and sometimes hit. It is funny. Jenna's mom will hand me the baby and tell me to take him to my house. Then she will laugh and laugh as Jenna get's mad. Later I will pick Jenna up and throw her in the air, and all is forgiven until the next time. Much fun is had by all.
They are building a Senior Secondary school in village. Construction people are up from Kombo. They keep asking me if I have a husband, if I want a husband, if I love them because they love me. None of them even know my name. I get that all the time in Basse, but I didn't in village. Maybe that is what threw me into the funk. Babucarr, who is 3, tells them that he is my husband, and they should leave me alone. He's a great kid. Most of the kids under 10 are great in village.
I am going to try and go back tomorrow, assuming I wake up early enough. Until then, a list of people who I love because they have written me letters:

Sarah

Katie

Ingrid

Myth

Dad

St. Joseph's School

Orphee

I know I am missing one woman from Tucson, but I can't remember her name right nowsorry. You sent me yarn. You are one of my hero's!!

These are the people who have sent me more than one letter since my last post. If you are not on the list, either your letter was delayed which means send more. Statistically, if you send me 100 letters, and only 10% get through, I still get 10 letters!, or it came on mail run this last time and I wasn't there to get itwhich means I will get it when I get back, and send you a reply next mail run or it means you are a lazy selfish person and haven't sent me any is the guilt working? No? let me try again send me a letter!! Just tell me what you did today!!! Anything!!!
Then again, I do keep getting letters about how it snowed in Tucson and how cold it is in the States. It is 110+F out in village. The URD is HOTTT!!

Well, until next time. Unless you write me letters, then I will write back and you get more infor and updates than here.