How are you?  I have already sent two letters and once post card hopefully you will ge them soon.  Is there going to be any mail coming my way soon? I miss everyone, but I am still ok and I still like it here.   It is rainey season now.  It rains almost every day and sometimes it is so loud on my little ten roof hut that it can be hard to sleep.  This week I find out the place I will be living for the next two years.  I think it will be in a small town near Seagu.  Most days I spend in class all day long until 6:00pm only to come home to a village with one hundred kids cheering and doing flips as the bus arrives.  I have been sick quite a bit but for the most part i think it is just nerves, and it has only been a small stomache ache or two.  The medical care is really great here, so i feel really comfortable that no matter what happens they are going to take really good care of me and that they have also gone out of their way to make sure that i know what to do in order to take care of myself. I have learned everything from regular first aid to how t deliver a baby!!!! Last week I moved in with my host village.  I have a huge family, and last saturday my host sister had a new baby right in our concession!  dont worry I was not in charge of the delivary. We also saw a wedding on Sunday of last week.  it was really pretty but nothing like american weddings.  The bride and groom hod compmetely seperate cermonies in different villages if they are from seperate towns.  I viewed the brides ceromony.  The roles of women are different here and some of the ceromonies that they have are hard to view.....  weddings are one of them.  there is a lot of dancing and drumming but when it is time for the bride to get married the old ladies gather around the girl, talk to her in secret, and then she is suppossed to cry to show her love for her family and friends that she is leaving in order to go and begin a new life with her husband.  So for the remainder of the goodbyes the bride is crying..... that was hard to view and understand.  There are other ceromonies much more drammatic than that........however i am hoping that I will not have to view too many of them.  Yesterday I was also baptized with my malian name.  It is Duso Batigoyogo.  This will be my name for the remainder of stage and maybe for the next two years. OK, so I am going to go now.  I sent some pictures with my last letter.  Only a few are in Africa and the rest are from the going away party.  I will send another roll soon so you can put some up on the internet.  I will try to call this week or next week too.  Its expensive, so I wont be able to talk long.  Write me really soon ok, and email me back to let me know how you are doing.  Everyone here has got mail but me.....I am feeling left out.  I miss you and love you all.

Love,
Pattie