its been just over 24 hours since Ricky left with the team for a trip to Machu Picchu. I miss him terribly! When my "other half" is gone, it leaves me feeling like something isn't quite right. I'll see him tomorrow.. so it's really no big deal, right? I think we've been apart for a maximum of a week since we got married. I think a week is long enough. Isa cried last night when the translators left.

They did a marvelous job, by the way! We enjoyed the company of Alfredo (this is his 3rd or 4th year with us for the clinic), Lucia (Karla's younger sister, who is getting married in May and I'm sure she was crazy for a week without her prometido!), Claudia (a young woman whom I had the pleasure of meeting just this week... she is such a sweet and fun person), and Angel (who I had met in Tacna when I lived there in 2005 but had never had the chance to really get to know. He had us cracking up even more than Alfredo did, and that sure says something).

As the four of them left for the bus station, Isabella cried. It wasn't a sad goodbye cry, but she really broke down for a few minutes and I just had to hold her... and all that came out of her mouth was, "my papi". Several hours earlier she waved and happily said goodbye to Ricky as he got on the bus with the team. But later when saying goodbye to the Tacna kids, she realized how much she missed her daddy. We love him and can't wait for him to come home tomorrow!

By the way, my eye is feeling SO much better today! Turns out I had a scratched cornea and the drops i was given made it worse. I can actually see now, praise the Lord

Oh and this picture is us trying to get a family photo... of course the kids just wouldn't cooperate, this one was the best out of all of the ones we took. (y gracias Karla, te robe unas fotos de los chiquillos!)

the doctors are here and in the last 4 days have been able to help nearly 500 people! Tomorrow is the last day of the clinic and they expect more people than they can receive. Tonight they even had to turn some people away as it was getting really late.

and i have been one of those patients. i don't know what it is (maybe sheer exhaustion) but I always seem to get sick whenever the doctors are here. While fighting a long cold, the other day my eye started hurting. The doc said it was a little red and maybe was infected so he gave me some drops. Ever since I started those drops (and no longer am using) my eye started burning. It gets so bad and is so sensitive to light that I need to wear sunglasses indoors. I can't focus on the words on the pages of the book to read to Milan before bed and I feel the overwhelming sense that i need to shut my eyes, but doesn't bring much relief. Doc said I probably scratched the cornea (how on earth that happens, i have no idea). I'm waiting for it to get better... It's a little too painful to even focus on the screen to write.. just say a little prayer for me! I'm not being of any use to anyone around here like this and especially for my kids who need me all the time..i need to get better!