bugs and babies

We have been in San Jose for over a week and during this time I have encountered what i fear the most (bugs) and what I love the most (children). The children here are so beautiful. Many of the children we encounter are malnourished, without shoes or adequate clothing and present with many different illnesses. The most extreme example of malnutrition was at a feeding center in El Negrito. El Negrito is one of the larger cities in Honduras. A feeding center is a place where severly malnourished or undernourished infants and children live for a few months to one year to obtain proper nourishment. We met a beautiful and playful 6 year old girl who physically and developmentally looked like a 3 year old. She was developmentally delayed and her growth was terribly stunted. Even after living at the feeding center for months she continues to be thin with a large protuberant belly. We learned that considering her deficits, she may never achieve her full growth or developmental potential. There were many other children like this little girl who physically looked 2 or 3 years younger than their actual age. However, many of these children would most likely have died if they were not brought to the center. Even in the clinic in San Jose we meet adolescents and teenagers who look like children. Luckily we have enough children's vitamins to supply every child that presents with vitamins for at least one month. Obviously this is not a solution but we hope this is the begining.

Now to what i fear and hate the most, THE BUGS! I honestly have never in my life seen such insects. The roaches, the spiders, the scorpians, the moths, beetles everything here is 2 to 3x the size of bugs in the states. And they seem to all come out at the same time. Any given night we see multiples of the above stated bugs in the bathroom, in our bedroom, in our BEDS, at dinner, in the clinic anywhere! Needless to say i am in a constant state of fear. Everyday i learn about new bugs that carry various diseases and even bugs that attack your eyes!
Well besides the bugs, Honduras is a beautiful place full of really wonderful people
-Nicole