Today a lot of things happened.
First, we were being given fire demonstrations on how to cook outdoors and how the nationals manage their fire and their wood consumption,
and my wife asked to borrow the bush knife (machete)
I offered her the gloves but didn't insist, and before I knew it, she had cut her right index finger above the knuckle. The cut wasn't deep, and while we thought it might need stitches it in fact doesn't.
She was very brave and we spent some time praying and laughing in the nurse's station about it.
Then it was time for our hike, she was told not to go, so she didn't.
I was told not to go because I still have a stomach virus and for the 5th day now, I haven't eaten much and my body was weak.
But I insisted I go. It was the hardest hike yet, as they each get harder than the last, but I wanted to go to prove the Scripture, when I am weak, God will be strong, and so I went.
As a joke I attached a role of toilet paper to my staff so that others would have a laugh. Turns out, many people confessed to me about being sick too and showed me the T.P. in their own pockets. I wasn't alone, and many people didn't feel well on the hike.
I've never pushed my body that hard in my life. Which isn't saying much, but it even surpassed that time my uncle took me hiking at Yosemite and I thought I would die the entire way and didn't mind saying so.
The entire hike I kept putting one foot in front of the other, and while it took me an hour longer than expected, I finished it because God supplied my weakened body with His strength and a good attitude.
The kids loved the hike which was good.
oh we overheard Calvin saying:
"Sydney, go to the dining hall, where there is a fish tank, near the fish tank, there you will find my water bottle. Please bring it to me."
What kid talks like that? We had a good laugh.
The kids are picking up pidgin so well.. Sydney joked today with me at dinner (which was 5 minutes after we got back from the hike)
"yu i stink tumas, yu kisim sowa"
(a pinglish way of saying, you smell bad, take a shower)
Looking up that hill I still can't believe I walked all that way, it was a very long distance, but we were hiking some steep terrain on roots and slippery ground most of the way, which is what took most of the work.
Well I don't have long online.
Please pray for Kendal's finger to heal, the kid's are doing much better than a few days ago, and pray that this stomach bug would go away. I am not eating much or well, and it takes more work to do anything. It's been on 5 days now and I'm hoping it to be gone by tomorrow.
Still, we're loving POC when we thought we'd hate it and that's because God is supplying us with great attitudes. (okay my wife knew she'd love it!)
Things I expected to hate, I love. I am fully embracing the discipline of my body and mind as I struggle to bring everything in line with Christ. I am being very humbled by the experience but at the same time, I'm loving every minute of it.
