Making Light Of A Parasite
In the word it talks about “having joy in the midst of varies trials” James 1:2 so when sickness came I took authority over it with laughter!
Let me start by saying on the World Race there’s NOTHING to uncomfortable that you can’t talk about. Laughter is medicine for the soul, right? Even if you don’t think its funny in the moment; give it a few weeks and it will soon be the source of entertainment.
Here are a few so far: We were stuck on a bout in the middle of a thunderstorm and to keep from freaking out we make music videos of, “ I will praise you in the storm”. After a long day of construction and major sunburn someone decides to pick up what appears to be a perfect aloe plant. After rubbing it all over their forearms, they obtain a rash that looks very similar to poison ivy. We learn terms like, “ Got to drop the kids off at the pool” “Goin to meet the browns” & “ Takin the Obama’s to the white house” sly bathroom terms bc we are sharing a coed bathroom (we are still ladies and try to keep it on the down low). The list could go on but this leads right into my funny story.
Whether it was a bacterial infection or parasite I arrived in Honduras very sick. After vomiting for two straight days, the second part of my sickness hit fast. It left me leaping out of the hammock running full force to the restroom. As Haleigh and I headed back to our hammock we realized there was this person looking straight at us with a flash light shining on there face. Like that creepy thing your do when you tell spooky stories; ya this person was doing that. We were a little freaked out but we rationalized that it clearly had to be one of our squad members playing a trick on us. Second go around to the restroom we were walking back and this persons head starts to turn. It stood up and very observantly watched us walk all the way back to our hammock. Third go around we are headed back this person gets up and steps to the edge of the porch intently watching our every move. We are totally freaked out by now but I’m to sick at this point to continue the back and fourth walking from bed to restroom. So I make the decision to go sleep somewhere close by the bathroom.
Haleigh grabs our sleeping mat, we grab sleeping bags, pillows and head to the community room. We pass the creepy person and just as we think we are safe this person comes running full force at us. We were so freaked out; we completely froze. We noticed it was an officer with a big gun. In that moment it dawned on us that she was our night security guard but we are still a concern to her. I begin to tell her we are visitors staying on the property but I’m very sick and need to be close to the restroom. She informs me that she doesn’t speak English and she’s still waiting for an explanation. As Haleigh is trying to keep from laughing, so we don’t get arrested, I’m trying to think of spanish words to tell her I’m sick. So I start gesturing and tell her, “El stomacho BAD need bonyo”. The only words I knew was stomach and bathroom. Needless to say, I can understand more than I can speak. So she proceeds to ask if I need a Dr. and/or need to go to the hospital. I inform her, “I just need mucho bonyo” ( in english- essentially I need the bathroom very much). She got the gist of what I was saying.
So we started on our way to the community room but soon found out we were locked out. We then decided to slept in this tiny side room beside the community room. We weren’t laying there very long when I told Haleigh, “I think I’m gonna pull my arm under my covers bc I don’t want anything to touch me”. Haleigh starts freaking out and gets totally in her sleeping bag. By this I mean she zips it up and ties it around her head with the only skin on her body showing is her face. It wasn’t five minutes later and we heard this squeak. Then Haleigh feels something touch her back. I’ve never seen someone move so fast. Haleigh jumps over me and literally runs out of the room on her knees, bc she cant get free from her sleeping bag quick enough. She’s freaking out. I’m still standing in the room laughing my head off and she’s screaming at me afraid somethings gonna get me. I couldn’t help it though, she looked like a mummy with a face.
So we decided to sleep in the restroom. I know its gross but we were scared, sick, and desperate for rest. All was well or so I thought until Haleigh saw something black run pass the door. We lasted in the restroom for two seconds and decided to just head back to our hammock bc needless to say we felt the safest there. Our night was a funny unexpected adventure. And I guess the saying is true laughter can really be medicine for the soul. By the next day I felt ten times better.
Have you thanked God lately for the joy he brings in the midst of your trials? God has a since of humor choose to laugh about it!
