it is also difficult because if i am unable to raise the $8500 by october i will not be able to go and will likely go on the january race (or some other race). for those of you who are unaware, i have to raise $8500 by the time i leave in october. if i don’t have the full $14,300 by the time i leave i will have to continue to try to raise funds while i’m in the field – which i imagine won’t be all that easy. and basically, if i am unable to raise the money in the field i will be sent home at whatever point my money runs out. however, as far as i know these world races have been going on for several years with many routes each year and through the grace of God no one has been sent home from a trip yet. but there might always be a first, right?
so i went yesterday to the “travel doctor” or whatever you want to call her. i didn’t have a ton of information and i didn’t feel too helpful as i was in there. i know that the plan is to go to 11 countries in 11 months, as far as details (what cities, where we’ll sleep, what exactly we’ll be doing, even which 11 of the 15 countries we will visit) i have no idea. i learned that almost every country on the itinerary has at least one high “malaria area” which means i will probably be taking a ton of those malaria pills in this upcoming year.
so there’s those complications and then there’s complications because many of the vaccines i need occur in a series and the timing of the series is usually pretty important. i had my first hepatitis a shot yesterday and i will need the second in six months…so if i end up on this october race i will have to get it in the field and hopefully we’ll be in a country with “proper” facilities so that i don’t get hiv or something. maybe i’m just panicing or maybe i’m just sore: yesterday i received the yellow fever shot, hep a, rabies, and japanese encephalitis. i also got a ppd to test for tb – i’ve had tons of these because i’m at high risk due to the population i work with, but it always forms this huge, red, itchy bump and sometimes the nurses seem to have a difficult time reading the test. oh, and i fell down the stairs at my apartment when i was on my way to this appointment. i guess i was skipping down the stairs out of excitement to be shot up with some vaccines and i slipped and fell backwards slamming what used to be my soft spot (and it still feels pretty soft) into the corner of a stair. i woke up with a huge headache, a sore neck, and an achy arm.
i want all of you to feel bad for me. take a moment right now and feel bad for me. i know that sounds ridiculous to request that, and it seems almost as ridiculous for me to complain about these shots. i mean, thank the Lord these shots are even available and they will decrease the likelihood that i will get any of these diseases that have claimed many, many lives. i guess the trip is just starting to get real and i’m starting to feel some physical pain and i’m starting to act like a baby. couple that with stress and probably spiritual attack that i feel i will never be able to raise the money and i feel overwhelmed.
however, God has been showing me that He is faithful. God has been granting me peace and giving me many opportunities to make myself right with Him and to allow me to come into His presence. i guess i wanted to share this to let you know that i do struggle and i don’t want my pride to get in the way of this trip. your prayers are much appreciated at this time and i am doing my best to keep all of you in my prayers like i said i would.
until next time…
