So it has been snowing in Ohio a lot, so much so that church has been canceled. I had been scheduled to give a missions update at the upcoming service, but even though that is no longer part of the plan, I still wanted to share with everybody what I was going to say… Think of it as Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth… only Molly Fae’s letter to the church in Fairborn.
Good Morning,
As most of you know I set off last September for an eleven month mission trip. Now, if everyone here is familiar with their months and numbers, you may have noticed that it has not been eleven months since I left. I have had a number of questions about how I am doing and why I’ve returned, and I wanted to answer them to the best and the fullest before I head out again.
In the Philippines I was bitten by a mosquito that was carrying Dengue Fever, and 2 weeks later, as I traveled to Thailand, I started showing some pretty severe symptoms. I had a high fever, exhaustion, dizziness, I had all over soreness, a headache, nausea, and would suffer from confusion and “white outs” (like black outs, but everything went white.) Towards the end of my symptoms I got a head to toe rash, that just looked like sunburn, but actually ended up killing the top layer of skin on my body, mainly my face, hands, and feet. As you can imagine, I was stunning. At that point I went to the emergency room and was diagnosed with dengue fever. Dengue is a tropical disease you get by being bit by a mosquito… also know as break bone fever due to the severe pain and soreness it causes.
I had started feeling better and was able to attend orientation and the first day of my Ministry in Thailand, then I relapsed pretty bad. I could not keep food or liquids down, had difficulty breathing, had difficulty focusing, so after a few days I was admitted to the hospital overnight, then moved to the home of Pam and Larin Adams; Cora’s daughter and her family who are missionaries in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Despite the comfortable living situation and the desperate desire to rejoin my team, I was just not getting better and had lost 30 pounds in the process. It was then that I was diagnosed with “Post Dengue Syndrome”, a follow-up illness that can last anywhere from a few weeks to 6 months, which is known to have symptoms similar to a severe case of Mono. So with the help of my family, a number of doctors, and the missions organization, the decision was made for me to return to the states to fully recover.
Hence, why I am here. Per doctors orders, I have been exercising on the treadmill, taking walks when the weather allows, attending water aerobics with my dad, and have been taking more and more outings to just get out of the house. I’ve gained back some weight, and a lot of strength. I’m back to pretty much 100%, I’d say I am at a solid 92%. And I am so pleased to say that I am returning to my team to finish this month in Nepal then continuing the remaining 5 months. In fact, I fly out for Nepal Monday morning.
Thank you for all the cards, support, well wishes, and prayers. I will continue to keep everyone updated via my blog, and I look forward to reuniting the correct way in 6 months time!
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
-1 Corinthians 16: 23-24
