GUA- HN- USA (PA)

August 2018 marks the beginning of a new chapter for Kennet and me. I am officially beginning my studies to be a Certified Nurse- Midwife (CNM) at Jefferson University in Philadelphia (graduating class of 2020). The classes are online and we'll be living in Honduras until I begin my clinical rotations at the Maternity Center in Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital in PA beginning in mid- 2019.

There have been many little frustrations that came with renting this little house (most of which are to be expected when living in a rural area of a developing country), but one of my favorite things has been watching the front yard turn from a muddy patch into a beautiful garden, and the beautiful sunsets we were occasionally graced with over the lake and mountains.

I am very thankful to my friend Erica McElroy, DO, who hired me as a brand new RN to work at the Casa Materna here in San Juan. I have grown in many ways during my two years here, and have seen the clinic go from a building full of dusty boxes to a clinic and birth center helping hundreds of women and babies. I wish this clinic the very best, that they will continue to collaborate with others doing similar work and implement more birthing centers in areas of need.
I have had more challenges than I ever expected, and I think that if I knew what was coming my way I wouldn't have signed up for it. But without doubt those challenges have helped me develop myself (a stereotypical average-unhealthy Enneagram 9!) into a better person. I feel that my experience here has prepared me for midwifery school, and I feel very eager to learn and become the best practitioner I can be. I am hoping the learning curve from maternal-infant care in rural Guatemala to the care I will learn to give while in university isn't completely overwhelming!

Looking back over the past two years, I feel most grateful to Kennet for supporting me in the work here. He is the one who originally convinced me that I should take this job, and
he sacrificed a lot so that we could be here. 

The playground/park near our house next to the lake where we spent many afternoons
and evenings relaxing and working out

So from August this year until April of next year we will be living in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, with Kennet's family, and we can't wait to be close to family again! I am officially a Honduran resident (hooray!) and we are waiting for Kennet's Green Card to be ready late this year or early next year, although there is no guaranteed timeline. We are so close to being able to live in the USA and Honduras without restrictions! If you've been in the process of US visas and residencies, you know it is a long (and frustrating) process. I hope that we are almost seeing the light at the end if the tunnel. 

I was surprised to learn from lawyer who is helping us with Kennet's documents the number of tourist visas that get cancelled willy-nilly. The immigration officers literally do not need a legal reason to cancel a tourist visa. It is based on their "discretion." Many people ask why Kennet's visa was cancelled in 2014, and there actually isn't a legal reason. My conclusion is that is was God sending him back to Honduras to meet me :) The lawyer basically said that a tourist visa is your chance to "knock on the door" but it does not guarantee you entrance. I never knew that until going through this process. 

I begin classes on August 20 (ironically the birthdate of my little brother who died in childbirth 💔), and while Kennet moves all of our belonging from here (Guate) to Honduras,I will spend the first 2.5 weeks of the month in PA to visit family and friends and spend time with my Rwandan family-  my sister Emily, her husband, their little boy, and new baby due at the end of July will also be in PA during that time!

That is the latest from the Silva-Haas family. Stay tuned!