first days

4 de enero 2014 7pm

-same smell, that I had so quickly gotten used to

-same woman making announcements resounding throughout the town

-same “pichichis” (bird like duck animals) outside our home

-same warmth

I remember how foreign it all was in August when I showed up at these strange peoples home, how great it feels this time around.  I feel as If I was gone 3 months instead of 3 weeks. The walk to the beach never felt so good. I am thankful for this opportunity, to return and continue here. I never thought I’d be in Oaxaca or content in a small farmer/fishermen town. I guess that all changes when its right where God has you and wants you. I never thought I’d be content in a place like this. I was wrong. I loved being away these 3 weeks celebrating life with my family, mourning the death of a loved one, laughing together and crying together but I know this is right. I get to trust in God for all He is doing in each of us whether we see it or not.

5 de enero 2014 9am

Well hey

I’ve been up, throwing up all morning. I can’t hold anything down. I tried to sip different liquids but my body is in REJECT mode. Maybe it was the torta I ate, or some bad water I drank… who knows. Today I’m going to take it easy and skip the Sunday service here in town. Tomorrow is school, thank you Jesus this happened today! Jesus heal me, from the inside out.

6 de enero 2014 5:42am

Hello there…

Yesterday was quite a day. My family left for church and I stayed in bed. It really went downhill once they arrived home again.

I was lying in bed and the girls knocked on the house front door. I sprang up and rushed to open the door not realizing how bad that action is when you’ve been lying for a few hours. Let me tell you, I hadn’t eaten or drunken since the day before. All that I tried to drink only came back up, so I was very dry and dehydrated. So I opened the door for them then felt nauseous and ran for the bathroom. After some time in there I stood up and was losing my balance. I held onto the bathroom sink trying not to fall over. All of a sudden my hearing was gone and my eye sight was going. I saw black cloudiness filling my vision and a blurry brightness… I don’t know if that makes sense but that’s what was happening. I remember staring at myself in the mirror so frightened. I became dizzier and somehow wobbled over to the shower. I held onto the walls, at least tried to, and then all I remember was my head banging around. It felt as if I was in a box, but a concrete box and someone was shaking it around, me getting slammed. I remember thinking “What is going on” and “I can’t see anything but I can feel it all”. I stood up, opened the door and called out to the girls, Dana and Tali. Julio and Delia were outside. I walked down the hall trying not to fall over feeling like I could puke and with blurry vision and hardly any hearing. I was praying for the right communication in Spanish… that was the last thing I wanted to worry about, but God put the right words in my head and somehow they formed. I said “I can’t hear, I can’t see, I fell down” and I asked them “where are your parents? I need them.” The girls rushed out to the front porch while I tried to keep my balance holding onto a wall.

After that everything moved so quickly. Delia right away started to pray over me and I remember hearing her tell Dana to hurry and do things. Perhaps they saw the look on my face because they ran to bring me a bowl and right then I (sorry) puked.  Someone then held onto me and directed me straight outside and into their car. Delia put some kind of liquid on the back of my neck. While driving down the road my vision and hearing came back. I know for sure that the breeze at the window felt great and refreshing.  Julio drove to the Nurses house looking for help; we then were told to meet her at the Clinic where she could help. I think we were all very frightened. Apparently my heart rate was too low and was in need of an IV. The nurse, Laura, had to find a good spot which was difficult; my veins could not be found easily. We tried one spot but it didn’t work then then another and thank God it worked. It was in the moments looking for my veins praying for my blood and worried it would not work that Laura asked me which name of God was tattooed on my wrist. El Roi. God of seeing, how easily I had forgotten. He sees me, in this situation where I am at, He has compassion. I can trust Him. That was all that I needed. After a few hours I was still very weak but much much better. Still even this morning easily lightheaded and nausea. I’ve only been drinking water and Electrolit, I can’t eat much… I had 5 salty crackers and have a whole bag I am hoping to nibble on throughout the day.

Well that’s what I’ve been up to since yesterday. Today we have school. I am praying for healing. As much as I don’t like this, at all, I feel God is with me each step and even though I was “dry” thirsty and hungry. The IV helped my body out but it was a good picture for me I felt that He was/is filling me up. He is doing a new thing. I know He is using everything, every situation to teach me. I can trust and cling to Him through it all.