Hi, y'all! Just wanted to update you on the second half of month one! Turns out, it was very similar to the first half, haha!
So, after healing from my first 5 ailments, I had a really blessed day or two. We ventured out to Chitwan National park and rode elephants through the jungle! It was pretty darn fantastic! My elephant's name was Ramkali and he was very well behaved. He even nudged me with his trunk when I went to hug him for a picture 🙂
When we returned, we dove back into ministry, singing in church, one of us preaching, taking turns teaching in the elementary school and building a school room with large cement bricks and concrete, while also taking time to visit and pray with Christians in the village and the towns near by. It was incredibly inspiring to watch them engage in scripture with one another and to belt their hearts out in worship!
It was during this time that the physical struggles resumed. I was literally eaten alive by mosquitoes, spiders, and tiny red fire ants. My body, from the tops of my hips down to the tips of my toes, as well as my arms, neck, and face, was covered in welts, some large, some small, all being itchy and painful. The discomfort was very distracting and became more than I could bare. I ended up having to shave my legs (sorry, guys. "No shave Nepal" became "hairless Haripur"), returned to the doctor for a second time for medication, and spent much time crying out to the Lord for strength and supernatural healing! *thank you for all the prayer and encouragement in this time, friends!
Then, about a week before we left, I discovered a painful mystery rash on my right inner elbow and shoulder., as well as a fungal infection on my foot. It was also at this time that I started to feel severe intramuscular pain from my right shoulder down to my wrist. One morning, 4 days before leaving, I awoke in so much pain that I hit my breaking point – I sobbed so loudly that the girls two school rooms down could hear me. It was pretty intense. I did everything I could to stay checked in, though, trying to spend time getting to know our unbelievably wonderful hosts – we grew great bonds with our "uncle" "brothers" and "sisters" and saying goodbye at the end of the month was very difficult! How blessed we were to have been sent to Haripur to serve and be served by these beautiful, hilarious people! To be honest though, I was ready to leave for Kathmandu to see a REAL doctor and to rest for India after such a difficult month!
Once there, I went to the CIWEC CLINIC, where the doctor told me I had torn my muscle fibers and now have pinched nerves. I received creams and pills and a sling, as well as 2 sessions of physical and electrode therapy, and was instructed to keep my right arm immobilized for at least 10 days! Despite this bad news, and all the discomfort, I managed to muster up energy by God's grace, to spend time with my team and squad, indulge in some American-esc comforts (like a real toilet!) and drank a ton of coffee 🙂
