Sunday and Monday

Well as you  all probably know by now, we made it here to The Bahamas!!! After arriving at the airport at 5am on Sunday for a very long day of traveling we were all more than happy when we landed in Nassau. Soon after landing we piled 30 people into a 20 passenger bus, with everyones luggage. It was a little more than a tight fit for sure but we made it there without any problems. We went to get some dinner and then spent the rest of the night resting and getting settled in until church. Church was a very different experience for a lot of us because the style of worship is very different. There were people dancing and clapping through the whole worship time. The people that go to the church are all of Haitian decent. The service was a mixture of creole and English, with a translator for a good portion of the service. After church we grabbed dinner and headed back to the hotel for the night.

our trusty transportation for this week :)

                                                   the amazing view from our hotel rooms

Nursing students report for Monday:
Today we went to the church to set up the first day of the medical clinic. we all didn't really know what to expect walking in there. when we showed up there were already about ten people waiting there for us even though we weren't supposed to start for another half hour. we quickly got everything set up and started seeing patients. for the first three hours or so we saw close to 100 people with all problems. it was a great experience to be able to assess the patients and try to help them understand why they may be having those problems. there was a great variety of medical issues, some very minor and some more serious. there were lots of children there so the balloons and coloring pages were a hit, as well as the bubbles we had brought to entertain waiting patients. we had so many patients that we ran out of the medications that we had set aside for the first day!! we were able to take a short break to eat our bagged lunches and then we were back to work. the people here are all so kind and respectful and it was awesome getting to sit and talk with some of the patients waiting to be seen. the children are very respectful of their elders and most of the time we are referred to as mam or sir. we are hoping that tomorrow we are able to have as much success as we had today and that the people who were there today spread the word that we are here to help the community. the pastor of the church said that there many more people than just his congregation there. many of the children speak very good English but the adults were not as able to communicate with us. we were very lucky to have the help of a wonderful translator helping to make the communication a smooth process.  we cant wait to let you know how tomorrow goes!
- Kara

Education Report for Monday:
The school here is nothing like what we are used to back in the United States. Open windows, many buildings, prayer 3 times per school day, and a lot more singing and dancing. The 11 students were all split up between Primary (grades 4-6) and Lower Primary (Grades 1-3). Some of us started our morning by attending the school spelling bee, while others went directly into the classrooms to begin assisting the teachers. We all felt like celebrities, everyone was staring (and asking to touch our hair) and all of the children were very excited to have us as their visitors.

                                                  A mural on one of the many classroom buildings

                                                        They loved having their picture taken!

Showing-off for the camera

Here are a few fun facts about our school. First of all, the children start school younger than we do in the US. The 6th graders were only 10 or 11 years old. The students are able to buy ice cream during their first "recess". They love our American music. Finally, every question is answered with a "Yes Mam (Sir) or No Mam (Sir). I think I can speak for everyone in the group when I say I am excited to go back tomorrow.

- Matt