Cue week three.

I absolutely cannot believe how time is flying! We have only 5 more days of Spanish and tech class until we move to our hospitals! I don't know that I fell 100 percent ready, but I don't think we ever will. There's only a limited amount of knowledge that we can obtain in a month. But what we have learned so far, will definitely help us to make some vital repairs in the hospital. 

For example today we went on a tour of the hospital in Granada and the tech guys let us mess around with a few pieces of broken equipment- because what do they really have to lose? So Dan, Lucas, Evan and I decided to tackle a broken ultrasound machine. So we realized right off the bat that the chord had broken and so there was just a short stub of exposed wire showing. So we got a chord from another machine and planned to strip the wires, solder them to the respective wire on the machine (which posed some problems because the wires were all different colors). So we started away and I had slaved over this tiny short stub leftover and tried to get a good connection and finally had one of the 3 wires repaired! 

Then....Ron (our teacher) came up and was like "can I give you some advice?"....first thought: oh dang!! 

I was right. He was coming to tell us that we could open the machine and take out the old wire and use the one we had and rethread it through. This was great news because that is so much easier- but it was a little heartbreaking after I had worked so hard already. 

But it's okay..it gets better. So then my group went to tour the hospital and I explained (with Ron's help) to Chas what we had done and why and what needed to be done next and him and some others took over. Then we got back and they were almost done with the wire!! So we plugged it in....AND IT WORKED! A handful of guys looked at ultrasounds of their hearts and kidneys and stuff! It was so cool!  

So that was our first fix! And I know we are all super proud of it! It definitely made all the classes and reading worth it! I can't wait to do that all next month! Obviously not all of the repairs will be that simple, or even possible at all. But just being able to help fix a few critical pieces will be so exciting. 

Here's some photos from the week. The rest of the week was just classes and the usual day to day life. 

Actually this is from last weekend at San Juan. But look how cute we are! #friends 

Lucas and Dan climbing the water towers at the hospital. 

The ultrasound working! This is Akshay's heart showing. 

Here's my friend Jack trying the ultrasound too! Take notes friends. Jack is the coolest! And Charlotte and Graham looking super interested. Love it! 

Now we are on the bus (public transit is a blast!) to Rivas. Then from there we will take a taxi to the docks where the ferries take off from to go to LA ISLA DE OMETEPE! Which is a huge island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua made up of the top of two volcanos. We are staying in the main port city of the island tonight. Then in the morning some people are hiking the volcano, some are biking the island, but Allie and I are headed to the beach! There's apparently a beautiful beach that has some white and some black sand and I can't wait! There is also a pool of really clear water, maybe a spring or something, called Ojo de Agua which we want to visit. And there are also some really cool Eco- Farms on the island that would be fun to go see. Maybe get some fresh veggies or hummus? We also have the day off Monday so we get to stay extra long on the island! Fun will be had for sure. 

And as Hillary Claire would say: 

Duces and Smooches! ✌😘