"Be sure when you're blogging home, you're writing about something worth writing about."-George, our ministry contact.
I'm quite literally the luckiest guy alive. Like I'd be hard pressed to love my life anymore than I already do, but I know by tomorrow I'll be doing just that and so on and so forth. I'm wrapping up my first month on the field and oh man what a month. I haven't blogged a ton because honestly I'm not interested in filler blogs and every week we've had the same schedules so I haven't seen the point of repeating all that being as I've already written about it. Just know that God is insanely good and this month has been so stretching in the best of ways both for me, my team, my squad, and our ministry. Our ministry contact this month, is the picture of where I'd like to see my life by 50. He's determined, passionate, adventurous, and has that stubborn resilience that allows him to set his sights on what He wants and then never stop until it's achieved and because of that, you can see the results of his ministry all over the world. Every time I talk to him or hear him preach, something inside of me just comes alive like never before. It's incredible.
Yesterday I finally got some much needed man time in. Zach, Brady, Jeffrey, and myself have been eyeballing this nearby castle on top of a hill all month long and finally decided to go conquer it. It was really nice getting a small group of like minded men together and just getting off the beaten path and exploring. About half the hill we could do on a road but then the rest we had to climb up the steep side of a hill, rock climb, cut through brush, and then once we reached the castle, actually rock climb/scale the wall to get in about 25 feet up. I'm still excited just thinking about it.
On the way back down the hill we found an off the beaten path restaurant that served us several platters of grilled bread, a couple American sized beers, and a heaping platter of meat. There was nothing more we could ask for in the sense of man time! I'm so blessed to get to work with such an incredible group of guys. I don't know how I ever got so lucky. I'll be amazed if Zach's not in my wedding some day.
Now for some damage control. I know a bunch of you saw some pretty intense pictures on facebook from yesterday and I didn't get the chance to explain so let's shoot for some of that.
When we got back, Zach asked if I wanted to take a walk to the beach but I declined and decided to stay back and take a nap instead. (I should have gone, he got the chance to go fishing with explosives…just my luck) When I woke up, I went to hang some laundry and had a wasp land on my finger. I shoed it off and it came back and stung me in the arm. I didn't think anything of it cause it's hardly the first time I've been stung but within ten minutes I was having cold shivers, and head to toe (literally) I broke out in super intense hives. Two benedryl and two Epi pens later, I was on my back getting rubbed down with grapes by all the wonderful kitchen women with one of them calling her daughter screaming "JED IS DYING!!! GET DOWN HERE, WE NEED TO TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL!!!!!" (I knew all this sweet talking the chef's would work in my favor) and thus I got rushed off to the hospital and stuck with an IV full of anti cortozone to get all the fluids out of my system.
Above is what I looked like head to toe.
"Nurse" Matilda taking care of me.
Long story short, I'm completely fine today, just need to figure out where I can pick up some epi pens for my new found allergy. I'm sooooo thankful to have some great nurses and caring people on my squad and ministry site or else it could have been a lot worse but hey….through all this…. God is still good and I'm more excited for what I'm doing with a greater spirit of adventure than ever. If I compare this month to all the things Paul went through throughout his life I've still got plenty of abuse to go but none of that compares to the glory that comes from living this lifestyle and knowing that through it all, He is glorified and people get to encounter Him through what He's doing in me. Paul got beaten, stoned, ship wrecked, executed, poisoned, bitten by snakes, stuck at sea, imprisoned, and so on and so forth and yet he openly considered himself the luckiest man alive. I've used squatty potties, slept in rooms that feel like ovens, eaten 1/3 sized portions of my usual meals every day, been mosquito bitten, wasp stung, and cold showered….I think I still have it pretty darn good;)
I hope everybody back home is still doing great!!! I think about and pray for you guys all the time. Cousin Trevor, if you're reading this by chance I miss you a ton man and would love to skype soon. Logan, I'm so excited for your wedding when I get back, I was talking it up yesterday on our man hike. Sidney, as always, I'm so so proud of you. Dan and Tiff, I couldn't love you or think about you anymore than I already always do. Revolution Church, you guys were built for revival and intimacy, run in that!
Thanks so much to everybody who's donated to my trip, I still have about $3,000 more dollars I need to raise as well as having used some personal money on hospital bills yesterday. Also, my amazing team leader: Lindsey Vansparrentak hasn't had her account move in a long time and we honestly can't do this trip without her so I'd love it more than anything if you'd consider even tossing 5 bucks her way. You'd be amazed by how much encouragement even that little bit of a change makes for us out here in the field. A little morale boost goes a long long way.
Be blessed, don't survive….live.
