AMOS Center

As many of you know, I (along with many others) have been praying that I would find meaningful ways get involved here in Managua ever since we made the decision to move here.  I didn’t want to rush the issue because transitioning to a new country has been a full time job in and of itself, but after just a few weeks of being here, I was already getting anxious.  This is a place with so much need, and also with so many wonderful things going on to meet those needs, and I couldn’t wait to be a part of it. 

My prayers were answered recently as several different people/experiences pointed me toward AMOS, an organization here in Nicaragua that “exists to improve the health of impoverished communities by working alongside them in health, education and development.” The more I find out about this organization, the more impressed I am:  They strive to reach communities where the needs are greatest, but always wait for an invitation before beginning their work within those communities.  They work toward long term, sustainable health solutions for these communities by training health care leaders from within the communities and helping to create an infrastructure that promotes the health of the community. 

I strongly encourage checking out their website to learn more about the organization: http://www.amoshealth.org/

They also have a wonderful informational video, although if I will be visiting your church next summer, you might want to wait til then to watch it J: http://vimeo.com/33047163

So, now that I’ve told you about all the wonderful things that AMOS does, I have to be real and admit that I am only a small teeny tiny part of it.  For right now, I am volunteering 2 mornings a week at a clinic that AMOS runs here in Managua, about a 15 minute drive from our house.  I do the very simple tasks of taking the weights, heights, and vital signs of the patients who come into the clinic for treatment.  I am happy to be doing this, not only because it gives me the opportunity to interact with people (both the patients and my “co-workers”), but also because I hope to develop a better knowledge base of medical Spanish so that I can be more involved with what AMOS does (especially the education piece) in the future.