E-Mail from July 28, 2001:
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! I have received wonderful cards and letters and packages from so many people recently!!!!!! Last week I got SIX packages!!!!!
Let's see if I have much news... Next week is our last week of real training. Hard to believe. After that we have a three day conference to meet our new bosses in our new towns, then a week visiting our new towns to meet and greet. Finally, the week of Aug 20, we just do a little wrap up and have our swearing in ceremony. It's gone so fast!!
Perhaps Diane or Carol Porter or someone else has time/desire to research a few things on the internet. I am "purifying" my water with 5 drops of bleach per quart. Any side effects or problems with ingesting bleach in small quantities like that for two years? Also, I take 100mg of an antibiotic, doxycycline, each day to suppress the malaria in my body. Note, it's not prevented, just kept at levels where my body can fight it. Are there long term side effects of taking a low dose of antibiotics each day for two years?
It's been sooooooo nice here for about a week. The mornings and evenings are cool... perhaps only 65 or 70 degrees, and there's a fantastic wind all the time. In the shade, even during the day, it's beautiful. I would recommend this time of year for traveling next year (hint, hint)!
Tonight is a party where the Ivorians are cooking traditional food for us to taste. Should be fun. Also, there's a soccer game of the education volunteers against the environmental volunteers. Yann, my little brother, is looking forward to watching the Americans play soccer... he has heard we don't know what we're doing!
This week was a big week. Besides the usual (French all day long!!), we had 12 hours of business training in the schedule, and I lead most of it. It was fun, but lots of preparation. People said they learned a lot from my presentations. I'll be excited to help others with their business projects when we get to our sites.
I best go... a line is forming, and the time for my nap is approaching!
Love to all, and many many thanks for prayers, letters, and packages.
...Kate
