We hope it was Dra. Louisa’s idea of a good time to watch the Brazil – Chile World Cup game during her going away party. Dra. Louise plans to return to help set up the Emergency Room in the new hospital this fall. It was a good time and a good day. La doctora delivered twins in the morning, lunch was pulik, and Brazil WON!!!

Rains and heavy winds from tropical storm Alex downed the milpa in Atitlán yesterday. This time of year the corn is 12 feet tall, and even with the best care, it doesn’t stand up to this kind of weather. The corn, if mature will have to be eaten immediately, instead of drying on the stalk to be saved for tortillas next year.

Aklaxito (little Nicolas in Tz’utujil) and his father, the popular Hospitalito piloto Aklax, visited the construction site this week. Aklaxito celebrated his fifth birthday last month, easy to keep track of as he was born in the old Hospitalito in Panabaj.

CEDEPCA brought five young people studying to be pharmacists to the Hospitalito this week. They are checking patients for high blood pressure, diabetes, and weight. Shawna King, Steven Hammond, Zubin Bhakta Tyler Sledge and Niambi Horton were happy for the opportunity to be of service at the Hospitalito.

Dra. Louise Kenny and Dra. Mary Cutler are physicians who have returned to volunteer at HA. Dra. Louise spent five months of 2009 as an ER physician. Louise leaves soon to begin a new program in Manchester, England where she will continue her education to become a surgeon.

Dra. Mary and her family spent two months at HA in 2008. She and her physician husband Steve Wells both worked at the Hospitalito and their teenage children volunteered too. Mary is donating two weeks of her time before she returns to Ashland, Oregon. Their children Forrest and Emma will spend the summer in Santiago Atitlán improving the Spanish language skills and volunteering. 

Enclosed is a check derived from the fundraising efforts of our Multicultural Club at Weber High School in Utah.We sold Leppe’s eater ice, hot chocolate and some other items at school and held a dinner and evening of entertainment as means to do this.  We had a lot of fun in the process and hope that we interested a lot of other people in supporting the Hospitalito in the future.We also enjoyed volunteering at the Snowbasin Nordic Challenge ski race for Hospitalito Atitlan this February.We would like our contribution to go to the construction of the new Hospitalito so that it will be eligible for the matching grant.Good luck with your efforts on behalf of the Hospitalito.

Last week government geologists were in Santiago Atitlán investigating risk, and their recommendations have left thousands fearing for their lives and their loved ones.

Canton Panúl, has been condemned. CONRED, the government agency that declared Panabaj uninhabitable, made a survey in Santiago Atitlán after the heavy downpour from Agatha. Their experts concluded that a hill to the east town is very likely to produce landslides as the grounds become more saturated. This would be devastating, as the slides would cover a heavily populated area, including a public school, almost in the center of town. Conred’s recommendations to the mayor include the purchase of land in a safe area for the relocation of people in the slide area. Four of HA’s employees now live in Panúl.

Unfortunately, we know that this is a lengthy process. Most victims of Stan are safe in their new homes, but after nearly five years, some families in Panabaj, are still awaiting their homes in Chuk Muk.

Yesterday afternoon thunderstorms brought torrential rains. Every street became a river and later the clean up began again. Everyone is very worried.