MIA

It's Ellie here. I've been a little MIA in the blog world. I'm more of a let's experience the experience rather than write about them. Anyway, this past week has kind of been crazy. yesterday I woke up feeling kind of sick. By the afternoon, I knew I was sick. We brought a themometer from home and every time I checked my temp it was rising and rising. I had to lie down the whole day and whenever I would try to stand, I would feel dizzy and nauseated. I was scared I had malaria and REALLY didn't want to walk down to the clinic 1) because it would require standing which would make me throw up and 2) I would be garanteed a malaria test which includes getting poked (and I hate needles and blood). By 4:30 I really knew I needed to go in so I prayed hard that I could stand and walk to the clinic and back without falling or vomitting. It was sucessful! I did indeed, get a malaria test. It was just a quick prick on the finger (which was done by Ann, the short-term American nurse. She says when the head of the clinic, Roger, tests, he uses a huge needle that is extremely painful and quite unnecessary. I'm glad it was Ann who did it!) the test was negative. YAY.

then I said I feel really sick. She gave me a bucket and I pretty much puked out my brains. I told Ann that I think she is the first person who I threw up in front of outside my family (except maybe Melodie M. who took me to the hospital from Cedar Campus but I can't remember if I actually threw up in front of her....I'm sure she'd remember though!) I felt much better after that and could walk home ok but then in the evening I felt awful again. my stomach was turning and turning and finally at midnight....I felt like my guts were being thrown out of my body in both directions and..... let's just say.... the latrine was too far away and would require getting dressed in skirts etc. so the plastic wash basin had to do. All I have to say is that I fell sound asleep after that and after I woke up in the morning, it was all cleaned out, thanks to a very loving and kind husband. THANKS JOHN I LOVE YOU AND CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH!!

today I still don't feel great --definitely not making the long walk to the Baby House. I am just resting in the house and trying to keep some food down. Whatever is in my body, my body doesn't like. But I think the worst of it is over (let's pray).

Maybe some of you are wondering what I've been doing during all these resting times. The cyst thing kept me out of commission for about 11 days, 15 days to fully recover. And times like now when I can't do much, not even think that great because it is kind of hard to concentrate on things like letter-writing or paper-writing or scripture studying when your insides feel like they're turning inside out. I haven't neglected those, but an excellent game I found that allows me to not think too much but is much more challenging than solitaire, is Spider Solitaire on the computer. I just learned it while I was here and now it's really fun!

Besides puking in front of Ann, another awkward situation I was in a couple days ago was letting go of the girl who had been doing our laundry. It was really awkward being in a different culture and trying to fire someone in front of me, hoping I'm keeping the sensitive nature of the conversation cultually appropriate. I know Africa culture is a shame-based culture so I tried my best not to shame her but also explain why I was letting her go. I think it went ok in the end. At least she left with some money I owed her so she didn't leave empty-handed and angry.... maybe just angry. but it had to be done and now it's over.

Since I've been at New Hope, I feel like I keep accidently being in these awkward situations --trying to decipher what is cultural and what is moral, what I can agree is a neutral thing that I am just used to doing differently versus determining that I can't agree with something because it is a moral questions instead of a cultural one. It can be really challenging (by the way, I love how Ugandans say challENging instead of CHALLenging). But it has been good for me to express a frustration in a positive way and then it has really helped to get explanations of why a certain thing is done in a certain way; then I can decide if it was a question of morality or culture. It hasn't been easy to keep from turning the construtive critism into grumbling (last week's message at church was from the book of Numbers which we've been calling "the Book of Grumbling") so that is something I'm trying to keep myself in check about.