HOLLA
Its month nine of my Race and we are currently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! We’ve been here for about a week but the first few days were spent debriefing the last month. We officially started ministry two days ago and we are all over the place. Some of the squad has parents visiting and they are doing ministry together for four days; another group is ATL-ing (asking the Lord) for ministry; and another group (my group) is helping out at an all-girls ministry playing games, leading devotions, and teaching English for four days.
Sadly, I have not been able to actively participate in ministry because I’ve managed to contract typhoid and typhus and also have acute gastroenteritis (this is basically a bacterial infection). I began feeling unusually fatigued and short of breath the first week we were in Kenya so I went to a clinic there to get tested for malaria. I tested negative so I figured I was just tired because I’ve been traveling for so long (and because I’m terribly out of shape lol). I continued to experience these symptoms throughout the month, some days feeling fine and other days struggling to play and dance with the kids. I honestly thought I was crazy. But a couple of days after arriving in Addis one of my teammates tested positive for typhoid, typhus and a bacterial infection and I knew my symptoms were very similar to hers so I went and got checked myself. Not only did I test positive for the same things, the doctor said my samples were “very reactive.” I also had a pesky recurring ringworm… GROSS.
So I’m on day four of two different antibiotics and I’m feeling a little better physically but much better mentally!
Please remember to keep myself and my squad mates in your prayers!
Maci
