Hey everyone! I promise I'm still alive out here. It's been hard to blog recently because after ten months on the Race everything just seems like normal life. Talking to people about Jesus is normal. Trying to communicate in other languages is normal. Different food is normal. Cold bucket showers? Normal. Being surrounded by community 24/7? Pretty dang normal. Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited to go home to what's normal in America, but it's just difficult sometimes to write updates on my daily life. It's weird, because I blogged before the race, but for some reason it's been difficult to convey things right now. I think I'm just going to need some time to process after the Race, to really realize and let sink in everything that's happened this year. Please continue to follow this blog after I'm home, because I know I'll have things to write after the Race. Thank you for giving me grace in the meantime :). I have "Recap" blogs that I'm slowly working on as well, that will start to pop up as they're finished. So don't be surprised if a blog about China comes when I'm in Costa Rica :).
[At a hot springs nearby. It's beautiful here]
As for this month, I'm in Nicaragua! As laid back as this country is, it's still been kind of crazy for my squad, because a ton of us have gotten sick. Some have malaria, some have awful fevers and diarrhea, and then there's me–the girl who somehow got scabies from some place I slept last month (I was thinking about writing my own version of "5 things I took home from 5 days in Guatemala"…haha :).
[So. Gross.]
Right now I'm in the process of cleaning out all of my clothes and bedding, but getting rid of scabies in a third-world country is just about as hard as it sounds. I got some great advice to boil all of my things (which means pot by pot), pack them in air-tight garbage bags (which I'll be sealing with a lighter), buying 2-3 outfits to wear for the rest of the time (one dress, one outfit to work in, one to sleep in), and trying my hardest not to itch. I also have been taking antihistamines, a prescription to take orally, and also a cream (that my whole team had to put on too for prevention). It's been a process, but wow I can't wait to be in a place where I have the ability to just get rid of scabies normally (as in putting all of my things in the washer on the "hot" setting, then in the dryer). I actually just can't wait until I'm in a place with a dryer. Anyways, please be praying for us!
So much connects with getting scabies though, one of the biggest things God was teaching me before was about how past relationships are still affecting me now. Like some insecurities I have now are definitely because of ways I allowed myself to be treated in the past, and things that I went through. The scabies are a physical parallel to what's going on spiritually inside my heart. There are things in it that you might not be able to see when you speak with me, but if you look closely, my heart is infected with things from my past. Without me putting in the work to get rid of them, I risk hurting others with them, or making them go deeper. If I just itch to try to reduce the annoyance of feeling their presence, I risk getting scars or letting other infections in to the open wounds. It's just interesting how there really isn't any coincidences, how God can teach us things in anything. The work that it takes to get rid of things is difficult, and not fun, but I know it's worth it in the end. I'm thankful to be with a community of women right now who are fighting with me in this, and to have such support right now. I know these are things that I could easily work on at home too, but I know that now is a unique time where I have such a unique community of women who have been living with me 24/7, who I have no doubt about if they're praying for me or not, who ask me questions about things in my life, and who are willing and ready to speak truth in me when I voice a ridiculous insecurity or lie in my head.
[These girls are awesome.]
Between all this physical and spiritual cleansing, I've still been able to do ministry. Our ministry this month is helping out at Good Samaritan Church in Ocotal. It's kind of interesting because this is a very healthy church–there are plenty of men here, people of all ages, and the people who come are carrying bibles that you can tell have been read over and over for years. People could work here. But there's still places that they need help. It's just a reminder, that all churches have places where they could use extra hands. We've been cleaning, doing a TON of painting, organizing, etc. For a couple days I went through every key that they had, found locks that the keys belonged to, separated the keys that didn't have homes, and numbered and organized each key and their subsequent lock. Little things like that make a huge difference, and it's kind of fun doing things for a place that could easily be thriving in America. We go to a ton of church services too–these people don't mess around with church! It's almost every night. While I can understand and communicate in a lot of Spanish, I can't understand a lot of the messages, so I use the time to read my bible. I've read almost half of the New Testament just this month because of the time we've had! It's been filling me up so much, and I'm so thankful for everything.
[We also put on puppet shows for the kids…one of my many new-found talents on the Race]
We stay in a homestead with the pastor (Bismark) and his wife (Sarai) and two children (a 2 year-old boy named Isaac, and a 3 month-old named Aime), and Sarai's mother (Melba). Sarai's sister, Franci, visits every weekend after working in Managua. Melba makes us homemade meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which are INCREDIBLE. I'm going to try to learn some of the dishes she cooks, and have already gone with her to kill a gallina (chicken) for our dinner (one of my WR bucket list things was to kill my own food…and I've got it in me, haha). It's been so sweet to be in a family's house, and they've taken us in like we're their own family. We're all really blessed.
[Pictures of me and some of the family at the pool. We have "family days" which are fun outings with the family. Photo 1: Franci and Isaac; Photo 2: Melba]
Thank you for your continued prayers and support! Love you all!
[photo credits go to Jamie Moats]
