Welcome to the Service Oriented Leadership Experience (SOLE) online journal.

From Nov. 10 through 23, five University of Mary occupational therapy (OT) students and Carol Olson, PhD, OTR/L will travel to Antigua, Guatemala to provide services through the God's Child Project. They will spend two days providing OT to children and adults in Amatitlan, a village close to Guatemala City. They will spend another two days helping with wheelchair fittings at Hope Haven, International, an agency that refurbishes wheelchairs and supplies them to people in need in countries around the world.

The group will also break into two teams and each team will spend three days building a 12' x 16' home for a family currently living in unsanitary or destitute conditions. The group then travels to another small village to help with a clothing and health care distribution.

Along with all the work, the students will be able to spend a few days relaxing and having fun traveling to Lake Atitlan and Chichicastenango and touring a coffee plantation.

Highlights of the experience will be posted on this journal page. Check back often for new updates.

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November 21, 2009   Casa Jackson- FINALE   Today we went to the malnutrition center to work with the children on Occupational Therapy. We had worked with a couple of children the week before and took notes on each child to give instructions to the workers.Today we explained differnet techniques to do with the children to work on developmental milestones. We got to do more hands on therapy with other children. We helped durning feeding and changing times. Also we were able to provide a loving touch to each child which was greatly needed. We were all very sad to leave the children behind. They made a huge impact on each and everyone of us. We will add photos later.

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Previous Journal Entries

     November 21, 2009: "Casa Jackson- FINALE"
 
     November 20, 2009: "Clothing Distribution"
 
     November 19, 2009: "Hope Haven International (Wheelchair fitting)"
 
     November 18, 2009: "House Building COMPLETE!"
 
     November 16, 2009: "First Day of House Building"
 
     November 14, 2009: "The orphanage and Lake Atitlan"
 
     November 13, 2009: "Amatitlan and Nursing Home Day"
 
     November 12, 2009: "Therapy in Guatemala"
 
     November 11, 2009: "We arrived in Antigua, Guatemala"