Sick of being Sick

June 17

As some of you know I have been sick for the last five days.  I really don’t like being sick.  In the last six weeks I have been sick three times (thankfully the others were shorter).  Unfortunately, one or two other family members were sick each time I was.  This seems to sum up our year.  I hate to say it but since moving to the village I don’t think we have had more than four weeks straight without someone or multiples being sick.  This has been a discouragement we continue to pray about.

We are not getting sick from food or water (or we’d have more bathroom issues), other than a few of us we aren’t getting crazy African sicknesses; it is mostly fevers, headaches, and flu like stuff.  We are pretty careful people. We live freely here but wisely.  It is our home and you can’t worry about everything all the time.  People in village seem to be sick a lot and must share a lot.  It is pretty communal living but outside in the fresh air.  However, even our close friends here feel back for often we have sickness in our home.  This year I have recognized all the sickness as a spiritual attack.  The enemy has some pretty big strongholds here and that means there is a spiritual battle going on.  The enemy loves to discourage in anyway possible – to win.

It can almost work.  I am still lying on the couch to write this but it is one step better than being in bed where I have been for three days.  We finally tested for Malaria and it was positive.  I quite mad at myself.  We have lived in Africa since 2001 and this year we couldn’t get the preventative medicine I do best on.  I fell into the lie that others aren’t on preventative and are fine.  I haven’t been on anything for two months and got Malaria for the first time.  I have always said I would rather take a little medicine everyday and not get Malaria than be sick in bed and take a lot of medicine.  I am eating my words.  It was not worth it.  I was miserable and Josh was caring for everyone best he could.  Needless to say, I am going back on preventive.

I am on my five day of not feeling well and still have to get rid of the sick taste, feeling not myself, and gaining strength.  I am down, lonely, (when I feel well enough) bored, I want to do something, go somewhere but am not up to it yet, I am homesick for MI… We had to cancel the Marriage Bible Study we were going to start Monday and tomorrow is our 16th wedding anniversary which we were going to celebrate yesterday because Josh teaches the next two days.  Lots of bummers.

However, now that I am thinking straighter and have hope of feeling well soon, I still know how very blessed I am.  My husband was fully capable of caring for our children, making meals, and holding the mother and father role.  Our children are so positive. Lydia and Luka were both sick for a day or two too, but everyone cared for one another and helped out.  Our neighbor Charles came and prayed over me.  Some of you emailed and prayed for all of us.  God is with us, faithful, and healer.  So many people hurt every day…that must be so very difficult.  May I always have compassion for those who endure sickness and pain as part of their lives.  

As soon as I get back to drinking coffee, I should be feeling better and life will be back to a normal.  Thanks for praying with us and for us.  God hears and answers.