Nov. 4
Just after I sent the last letter I got to experience helping with a birth. Actually, the baby was born before we got there and the baby was just lying on the mat, still attached to the cord. During labor they have someone push down on the mother's belly to keep the baby from crawling up into the chest. All the babies so far have been born at home because that's how it has always been done here and I think they are a little scared of the clinic. We cut the cord, delivered the placenta and got the baby cleaned up and he's a healthy baby boy. I don't think they have named him yet. I also got to experience sleeping at a local's hut. Ali, Alanna and I hiked across the river to a village near Kensuli and stayed at Nini's house. We cooked spaghetti for them and they made rice and leaves. As soon as it was dark we laid out our sleeping mats on the bamboo floor and went to sleep. All the girls slept in one house and all the guys in a house next door. I had no problem sleeping on the hard floor, but I remember as a kid I preferred the floor to a bed, so maybe that's why. The nurse that was here when we arrived left last week to go home and we are very sad about that. The clinic is busy and Chris has his hands full since he is in charge. We are also teaching English classes at the high school. My students say that English is "inside out" with spelling and I have to agree. The Palawan language is nice in that everything is spelled as it sounds. The women here all make various baskets and crafts and my goal is to learn how to make some. A girl named Naklin taught me to make stars out of bamboo and another plant from the jungle. They also make a kind of basket that looks like a snake might pop out at any moment. When Chris hangs out with the men, they usually go blowgun hunting and he is getting pretty good. I am recovering from malaria and hope to never get it again. It's like getting a bad case of the flu. Please pray that we continue to learn the language and bond with the people here. We miss you all!
