Everyday Battles

I think this picture is the best representation I can give you of the place I live in. In every imagineable way, physically, emotionally, mentally and the unmentioned 'other', people here are dry. Anything I throw out there lands in places like this and we all know what happens to seeds after that. Even me and my friends while we are here, we all just feel so dried up.

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling great. Things were going good and I decided that I would go visit my friend Mary. I have this special gift that I still haven't been able to give her and I resolved that I was going to go see her and give her the gift. The very minute that I made the decision I threw up.

Sorry that's kind of gross, but I did. I immediately recognized it for the battle that it was and not just another stomach thing and decided that I was going to press through. So I got dressed, threw up again, and headed out for Mary's.

We had been there only about 5 minutes when some little kids came in and started saying something about our car and the 'neFFis'. I don't know what 'neFFis' means but I know that 'nefs' means 'the same' and we were driving a different car than usual so I thought they were just pointing out that we weren't in the same car. Then a grown man came in, pulled my friend outside and showed him the nail in the tire where the 'neFFis' (air) was coming out.

Since we were in a different car and unsure of the spare tire situation we kind of needed to get back to town quick to avoid being stuck out in the village forever. Mary tried to make us stay and eat the bananas and drink the coke that we'd brought for her family but we really didn't know what we would do if we got stuck out there so we went home. When we got home I barely made it in the gate before I threw up in the front yard. Again, sorry it's gross, but that's life here and at least I didn't do it in the street in front of all the neighbors!!!

But the tire just helped to affirm that the throwing up really was more than just a bug and it's just a small example from this huge battle that we fight in this dry place on a daily basis. I know the present I have for Mary is really special and important but I did not see this battle coming, which makes me think that it will be even more special to her than I imagined.

We are planning to go back one day next week and deliver some more coke and bananas and other things...I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of dreading what will happen that day to keep us from getting there.