Month 7 in currently underway. It’s a strange feeling. It seems like time is flying by, but it also feels like I’ve been away from home for ages. I’ve been thinking back to the second month of the trip. We were in Romania and attended church every night. During one service, a group of Americans entered the church about half-way through the service. We were naturally curious. They looked rugged and tired, but engaged in worship. We soon realized that they were also World Racers, members of an earlier squad. They had just come out of three months in Africa. There was an essense about them that we didn’t have. They were tough…experienced….hard-core. I remember our team discussing what we would be like after our time in Africa. We’ve had the “now we understand” revelation that we didn’t quite get five months ago.
Africa is incredible. It’s rich in culture, has beautiful scenery, amazing people, and a strong sense of God’s presence. Africa is also very HOT. Toilets are luxuries, as well as running water. We haven’t had either of these in our last two locations. The flies and mosquitos will drive you insane. I knew there would be a point on the race that I felt like I was falling apart. That time seems to have arrived for the two teams working here (Ninja and Journey/Pirate). It started with Anthony getting malaria at the end of last month. I then got sick and couldn’t eat at all for two days. I finally started looking forward to eating again a few days ago. Things were looking up, then a rash started taking over my entire body. It was evil. Five days went by and it kept getting worse and worse. The itching was unbearable, and sleep was almost impossible. The medicine I got seems to be working wonders. I’m on my way to being itch-free, and hopefully I’ll be able to sleep through a whole night soon. It’s amazing…two doctor visits and six prescriptions totalled a little over seven dollars!
Here’s a little recap. After debrief in Nairobi, we hopped on a bus to Mpeketoni. Fourteen hours later, we arrived and settled in. We’re partnering with Christ the King Church under Bishop Maurice. My tent is pretty comfy at night, but it’s far too hot to even think about going in it during the day. We’ve been doing home visits, hospital visits, preaching at church services, cell groups, and school visits. Open air crusades start today as well. Monday was our day off, so everyone else got to take a trip to the beach. I won’t lie, I was disappointed. I love the beach. However, the disappointment didn’t last long after they returned. Every single person was absolutely roasted. In no way do I delight in my friends’ suffering, but it did ease the sense of missing out on something. These poor people have been miserable! Our one day off turned into three-ish so everyone could recooperate.
Even though it feels like we’re falling apart, we’re in high spirits most of the time. We’re collecting so many stories to tell. For example, we rode to a funeral in a tractor the day after we arrived. We’re waiting for a chance to meet up with freshmen World Racers to see if they view us the same way we viewed the teams coming out of Africa. I like to think we’re becoming stronger, as well as cooler. Image is out the window at this point. I’ve cut a full-length skirt to make it knee-length, turned capris into shorts, and cut the rims off shirts. I like to think we look like ragamuffins. We’re just homeless wanderers who happen to love Jesus. I’m fine with the ragamuffin title.
Please continue to be in prayer for all of us. Being away from home gets harder with each day. God is doing great things, and I’m blessed to be able to share this crazy ragamuffin life with you!
