Over the course of this month, I’ve been eaten alive by bugs. Mosquito bites for days.
Also, for your information, I am a stubborn soul.
I like to fix things myself. I like to have myself as the only peson to depend on. I don’t like depending on others. I don’t like asking for help. That can translate close to this whole situation, because financially I don’t like asking for help- as I’ve said before.
But my not asking for help, not liking to depend on others also translated into the bug situation in Cambodia.
I did not bring bug spray.
I know, I know. A lot of people told me to. I was going to, really, I just ran out of time and didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Also, I am just a person that doesn’t like using medicine- using bug spray. I guess that in my mind I think that it shows a weakness… Don’t ask me why- it’s just the way that I’m wired.
I didn’t bring bug spray and I didn’t ask the girls on my team to use theirs. I felt like I would be putting them out and annoying them if I asked for some. Even though I know that if the roles were reversed, I would love to share my bug spray and it wouldn’t be a problem, I still felt like I would be a burden. So, I didn’t ask.
I didn’t use bug spray this month.
We were in the sticks.
My legs became a buffet for the mosquitos. It wouldn’t have been bad if it just stopped at some mosquito bites.
But it didn’t. In the States, I am a nail biter. Nasty habit. Nasty. It doesn’t define me in anyway, but I do it. I’ll admit. Sooo, here on the Race it is super easy not to bite my nails. With all the stuff that I am doing every day with my hands- playing with kids, playing in the dirt, brushing kids teeth, only using hand sanitizer, not being able to wash my hands like normal- it is a constant struggle to have clean nails. The struggle is real. The struggle is constant. My nails were only awesomely clean the four times I hand washed my laundry this month. The only good thing to come out of constantly dirty hands so far is that my habit has been broken- I don’t bite my nails out here and so my nails are a lot longer than I’m used to.
So,
tons of bug bites + longer nails that I’m not used to =
lots of bug bites that I have now scratched open
I’m not sure how: maybe it was that time that we walked to the cafe in the rain, or the time we walked down the muddy roads after a hard rain (actually, we were basically waddling- our feet got so heavy with acumualated mud- I just took my shoes off), maybe it was that we played in the dirt and sand all the time and constantly had dirty feet (I am the one that always, I mean always, had dirty feet. The other girls on my team managed to stay pretty clean, well, less dirty), maybe it was the water from where we took bucket showers that I poured on my legs a lot,
but the open mosquito bites got infected.
I thought that I would be fine. “Rub some dirt in it”. Not literally though. But, they just got more and more infected.
Yesterday, our squad went to Angkor Wat. Before we left last night to bus to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Angkor Wat is, I believe, the largest religious structure built by man. It is in Cambodia.
Anyways, we went there yesterday and some of us waited around until the third level of the temple opened up to tourists. (There are 3 levels)
*At this point, my team all knows about me getting mosquito bites and some squad people know: I didn’t call attention to them- I have a high pain tolerance, and didn’t think that It was something to worry about.*
When we walked around at Angkor Wat, the bites began to hurt pretty badly. Enough for me to not ignore it. One of my squad mates asked me if I was going to go to the third level when it opened up. I told her that I didn’t think I could make it because of my legs. She didn’t know about the bites, so I showed them to her. I had been wearing pants at the temple, so I hadn’t seen them myself that day yet. I pulled my pant legs up to show her and the red infected area had spread from a nickel size to the size of a pancake… overnight.
At that moment, the other girls on my team walked up to those of us standing around. I walked up to them and was like “guys, I have to show you my bug bites right now”. So, I showed them and
immediately the girls on my team told me that I needed to go to the hospital right away when we got back to the hostel.
I went up to the third level of Angkor Wat- because how many times are you at Angkor Wat in Cambodia?!?- and I saw some more of my squad mates. They all asked me about my bug bites and Katie took control and called other people that knew about clinics, trying to see where I could go. Megan asked me if I wanted her to go since she has been through the process. Andrea said that she would help me financially if money was an issue. Becky asked me how I was feeling when all of this was going on. I told her that I was overwhelmed. I feel like a burden. She told me that I’m not a burden and that they all love me. We are a family. The love of my teammates, my squad, enveloped me and God was just showing me His utter love through all of my squad. God was breaking my stubborness.
When we went to the clinic, the doctor there cut out the infection from all of the infected spots. I didn’t watch it, but I think it was more like the infection was dug out with like a pair of tweezer things as opposed to like cutting with a knife.
When that was finished, he ended up giving me like six medicines: an antibotic, a pain killer, something to make them not swell, ointment for the open wounds and an ointment for the ones that were dry. The total bill for the visit was $142. A chunk of change, but I felt so much better already.
When I got back to the hostel after the clinic and shopping with my team for a little bit, I got on Facebook. I had a message from my mom. I had received final checks from working my jobs before I left. She let me know which bank she put them in, etc. Then she said that I had a REFUND from my insurance company. She wanted to know what account to put it into.
The refund was for $144!
I think I told 90% of my squad what God had just done in a matter of five minutes. It was soo awesome!
It’s now been a bit over 24 hours since I went to the clinic. I have had so many people ask about my feet, my bug bites, ask if I’ve taken my medicine, ask if I’ve propped my feet up (to reduce the swelling) and ask if I’ve been drinking enough water.
Shout out to L Squad!! Thank you ALL so much for showing God’s love to me, you’ll never fully understand how much it means to me.
We just arrived in Chiang Mai about 5 hours ago. We are debreifing, talking/processing about last month, for about 4 days and then we are going to be ministering to women in the red light district of Chiang Mai this month.
Please continue to pray for all of my squad as we go through this all squad month: we are all going to be working together this month. Pray that we are fully present and that we listen for the Spirit and move when He wants us to move.
God is good all the time, and ALL the time God is good!!
P.s- This month my teammate, Asia, has a birthday on October 15th. If everyone would comment to her, it could be on her blog www.asiasmith.theworldrace.org
that would be so amazing!!
You don’t have to wait till the 15th to post and posting after the 15th is great too! We are kind of celebrating all month. This is her month and YOU can help make it special!!
Thanks everyone!!
I love you all!
<3 Ash
