Last few weeks...
Woke up covered in sweat. That's become a daily thing now. Drank ice water form breakfast. Got a flat tire. Discovered I can't learn French in 115 degrees. Danced in a worship circle with six other women. Bought grain. Delivered grain to a widow in our church with a courtyard full of kids. Didn't know she had so many. Sang in French. Danced in a worship circle with two dozen other women. Ate something African. Got incredibly sick. Rode on a motorcycle behind an African woman. Held on for dear life. Told 30 children about the birth of Jesus. Led them in a play of the Nativity. The next week, taught the same 30 children about the beauty of the resurrection. Gave candy for memory verses. Upped my water intake to several liters a day. Bumped along through a jungle of huts to go and pray for a sick elderly woman. Taught my 30 kids the story of Esther, of Jesus feeding 5000, of Jesus healing lepers. Tried to explain the power of prayer. Made plans to buy more grain and go on grain distribution in the villages to the North. Sat huddled in front of a computer screen waiting for CNN to load updates on the uprising in neighboring Mali. Had an early morning prayer meeting with 15 Africans to plead with God for his protection of their family in Bamako. Discovered that what I thought was shiny, healthy skin was in fact just a continual sheen of sweat. Broke down and turned on my expensive air conditioner.
Went to an orphanage in the bush. Cuddled babies. Held a three-pound three-week-old little boy. Silence on the way home.
Abandoned a nap and ran outside at the sound of thunder. Stood outside laughing in delight at the first rain I've seen in months. Stood in the rain until it passed. Got sick when the storm dropped the temperature from over 100 degrees to below 70 degrees. Prayed over a map of Burkina Faso. Lost too much fluid in sweat and tears, stood up from praying, and nearly collapsed. Burkinabe woman had to hold me up. A little embarrassing. Found the washer broken. Wrung my clothes out by hand. Bought strawberries from a woman's head.
Loved it all :).
Correction: It was a three-pound two-month-old. I felt like I had stepped in to a CNN documentary.
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