Spiders!…. And the Runs.
Comedic break. So I wanted all my blog readers to have a comedical break from serious eye-opening blogs about my heart. Because the WR has some funny moments.
So it's Month 5 in Mozambique and I still haven't gotten sick! Yay! Praise Jesus!…. Well until this weekend. Soooo we went into the bush… which was more like a small village… to help a community and do outreach. We were cleaning and painting the clinic there while getting to know some of the community. At the debriefing of this trip, we were told that the community has a clean water well that is safe to drink. Everyone from the community comes to fill up there buckets there. We were also told to watch out for the pumas and cobras (meaning spiders and snakes). We were warned that most of the spiders were large and furry, and that all the snakes in this area were poisonous. Ohhhh great.
Saturday was our main work day, and us Americans were dropping like flies. With stomach problems and dehydration. And it was burning hot in the sun cause this is Africa. Thankfully I was fine most of the day. I was a little nausea throughout the day…. Just come and go. Figured it was the heat, fumes from painting, and not drinking enough water. The team worked hard all day and rested when they needed too. We accomplished our task and got the clinic painted. Sooo we got back to our base site in the bush that night….
Now picture this… No electricity at night. Praising God in a cement church building with 25 ppl both African and American. Worshipping an incredible God. Dancing, jumping, and clapping… Celebrating God for the work accomplished in the bush this weekend. When in Africa nothing is simple and low-key. Half-way through a very active song, it hit me that I was about to have the runs (or diarrhea)… So I walked myself to the outdoor bathroom with my headlamp and didn't think anything of it. I was just thankful this place had a toilet! Yes I was on the toilet, now there was no door or roof to the bathroom… But a toilet. I sat myself down, and about 10 seconds later I saw… a massive fuzzy rain spider. Then I shined my light around and there was another slightly larger fuzzy rain spider about 5 ft away. I shined my light back and forth between the two. And prayed they didn't move…. then all of a sudden. The big one started chasing the slight smaller (yet still a good 3in) one. I screamed! But couldnt move (due to the fact that my stomach was upset and if I had moved from the toilet. I would have had a big mess). One of the spiders ran down the wall to the floor…. Freaked me out… Stupid spiders. Thankfully I was able to hurry up my time in the bathroom and hurry out of there. I returned to worship section… But decided to sit down for a while.
Soooo it was almost time for bed, and my stomach was in a knot. But I couldn't go out to that bathroom again. Thankfully my friend Becca agreed to come with me. And she is equally as scared of spiders as I am…. If not more afraid. But we went to the bathroom prepared. I brought a can of Raid. To kill those spiders…. In the outdoor bathroom. Lol. Basically it was a slaughter. And my friend Candace was already in the bathroom using it at the time and she wasn't afraid. She said upon arriving that there were no spiders….. But there were! You just have to look for them. Soooo we had some team building skills going on…. I would see one and point it out (then run away), Candace would spray it and kill it, and Becca danced and sang around out of fear. It was a success… All in the pitch dark of night at the outdoor bathroom. That night we slain 5 spiders. Sadly the one behind the tiolet seat got away. These spiders varied in color and size but all between 2 and 3 inches. After seeing all those spiders I was no more at ease with going to the bathroom even though we killed them…. But I had to…. So time to conquer that fear and go for it.
Ohhhhh what a night. Please note that I am better now. Only sick for two days and they just so happened to be in the bush with spiders. I am beyond thankful for my ministry site in Maputo with an indoor bathroom and no spiders. I was thankful to be home the next day.
**This happened last week on outreach to the bush. Our Internet has been out completely for the last week. Sorry for the delay. More to come from Africa (if Internet will work). Love yall and thanks for the prayers!
