I love African pineapple!

Anne and I spent a couple of days in the capital city of Ghana, Accra, with our organization coordinator, Fred. We welcomed a new volunteer, Aaron, who will be working in the adjacent town at a center for HIV/AIDS education. I couldn't believe it, but many people of Africa believe that HIV is a myth created by Americans to discourage them from having sex. The number of people infected in Ghana each year exceeds beyond the number of people that are able to receive treatment, so there is a much-needed focus on education and prevention. Aaron will be here for three months, so we welcomed him to Ghana and spent a couple days in the city. Anne ate a hamburger, I ate hummus, and we got showers of running water, so it was a great weekend.
We returned to the hospital for work today. I checked on my newborn twin, and he seems to be doing much better after the doctor gave him some antibiotics for his lungs. He has a chunky little face and he was resting comfortably with his brother, so I am thrilled. His mother, on the other hand, isn't doing so well - she seems to be fighting infection and high blood pressure, so I hope that she can recover.
I have moved into a new home with the nurse matron, so I have my own room now. I appreciate having my own space without having to worry about being in the way. She actually listens to me when I say that I don't want monster portions of food, so I think this will work out well! I even went for a run yesterday morning before church, and it felt good despite the many strange looks from people on the street.
Anne and I are looking forward to receiving boxes of stethoscopes that our mothers are sending - Thanks Mom and Mrs. Halfman! We hope to receive them soon and we will then teach the nurses how to properly assess their patients' conditions. Anne and I are both doing well, and we are so grateful to have each other here. Together we can handle anything and we have been laughing more as the days go by. We spend a lot of time talking about home, and we love getting emails from all of you so that we have new things to talk about!!
I will soon have to break down and do my laundry by hand. Anne did hers a couple of days ago and rubbed the skin off of her fingers. My plan: soak, agitate and swirl, minimal scrubbing, rinse, hang. It takes about 3 days for laundry to dry in this weather, so it's no quick job. Never again will I complain about having to do my laundry at home!
I'll say it again - I miss everyone and I hope you're all doing great. I appreciate your emails, and I'd love to know how you're all doing. I send my love!