I Am Either Going to Throw Up or Pass Out

Dedication Day for the water system. It's always a wonderful day when we can officially turn the system over to the community. We told the folks at Proteccion that we would have the dedication at 9:00 knowing that we wouldn't start until 10. We had to buy more cups for the toast. Katherine had to buy more medical supplies for the lady with the hurt knee. And, we wanted to buy a fan for the water building so the operators wouldn't be so hot. 

Needless to say, we didn't get to Proteccion on time ourselves. Plus, when we got there, we had to sign the certificates for the educators and the operators. I sat in the mayor's chair in her office for this. 

We held the dedication at the community center. When I walked in, my mouth almost dropped at how they had decorated the place. The mayor spoke, I spoke, the president of the water committee spoke and several others. We gave certificates to the educators and operators. 

The mayor, Teresa Sarmiento, gave gifts to each of us - a basket with breads and coffee from her coffee farm. 

Following the dedication, we hurried I've to the comador of the man who had been cooking our wonderful lunches. After lunch Katherine was going to clean Natalia's leg and give her first aid supplies to take home. We went to the back of the house. Katherine finished and said, "I am either going to throw up or pass out." Probably a minute after that, her face turned white and her eyes rolled back in head. I knew she was out. I started yelling for plates to fan her and for some water for her face. She was out for a few seconds. My thought was not that we are in a foreign country but we are at the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere in a foreign country. A little frightening but I stayed extremely calm. 

After Katherine could stand, we loaded her in the van where it was cool and headed down the mountain. 

We were not going to back to the hotel but to Nueva Frontera to talk to the folks there where we put a system in last year. That was another trip up and over a mountain. 

It was a very long day especially with all the driving over the very rough roads over the mountains. 

Beautiful way to end the day!