a difficult week

Plans kept changing again, and it was the 3rd before we made it back to the village. Tim had been getting sick, so our first few days in the village were a lot of resting. We prayed with a few of our brothers and sisters in the village on Sunday, and Monday the 5th the school opened. Or rather I should say, registration began. It seemed like many of the people put off going to the fields to come see if it was really happening. Many parents paid part of tuition, so later that day Anand and I came back to Hyderabad to buy school uniforms, books, school supplies, and even sports equipment for the kids at the home. Tim was still feeling sick, so he stayed in the village, splitting us up. The plan was for Anand and I to wake up at 4 AM on the morning of the 6th and go back to the village.

It took me until midnight to fall asleep, and even then I stayed asleep only until 2, when I started having diarrhea at least once an hour. By 10 AM when I decided to go to the ER because I couldn't maintain any water, I had full body chills and the hottest fever I've ever had. The ER doctor gave me about 9 different antibiotic and vitamin pills to take, but as I began taking those and eating bananas and sliced bread, I began throwing everything up. I was pretty worried, and felt absolutely awful, but I also prayed more on that day than any other day this trip. I really found my Father in the place of suffering as He began to heal and give grace to get through it. Most of the day I felt so bad I just wanted to die/go be with Him, and there were moments when I wasn't convinced that wasn't about to happen. The 7th was a lot of the same, but mostly not as bad. I'm still not all the way better, but at least I can eat most foods now. Assuming I'll be back in action, tomorrow I'll go back to the village one more time, coming back the next day. Not really sure what Tim, Anand, and our shepherd friend J. Anand have been up to there, they have no accessible phone service most of the time. Despite the difficulties of this week, I'm trying not to look forward too much to coming home (we leave Hyd in 4 days, India in 6), so please pray for us to be fully here in the home stretch. Pray for our health, and spiritual protection (I suspect foul play with the suddenness of my sickness; we had not eaten anything that seemed at all suspicious). Pray for our safe travel, and our reunion with many friends in Beantown. love you guys