Diseases, Rain & Beach Bums

Stacie woke up with ridiculous stomach cramps yesterday morning. We think it may have been salminella poisoning from the still-bleeding chicken we ate the night before. We were quite thriled about our very American meal of fried chicken and mashed potatos. But not so thrilled upon realizing that our much-awaited and pined over chicken was in fact, still partially raw, with a texture a bit like that of rubberry leather. YUM.

So Stacie woke up with ridiculously painful stomach cramping and to her dismay, slept until about noon, which apparently was the latest she has slept in, in several years. AmyRose assured her that this was perfectly acceptable since she was, afterall, getting over being poisoned. Later that day AmyRose noticed a rather itchy, irritated spot on her right arm which apparently is none other than Ringworm. Awesome. Most likely this was contracted from her nearest and dearest orphan Dafeen, from Abba House orphanage.

It rained this morning in Uganda. All morning. We love rain. We just don't love rain that lasts for several hours and seems to put all of life on hold. In Uganda when it rains, life as we know it ceases to exist. Appointments are cancelled, outings are assumed to be put on held; everything and everyone stops, until the return of the sun.

Maybe that is how God sees us. Not just Uganda, not just us, I mean Christians. I wonder if active and living faith and service seems to be put on hold until the Son returns. Like we as Christians are in some sort of rainy season, claiming that nothing can really be done now that Jesus isn't actually among us, in flesh. No great miracles are commonplace. No walking on water. No feeding of 5,000. I wonder if that is b/c God just really doesn't want those things to happen anymore, or because it is raining. Because He sees the complacency of our faith and knows our faith has dwindled to the point that these great things simply can no longer be done--bec/ the Son is not in flesh among our midst. Because we fail to recognize the Spirit, who is the same God, is present. . .

Last night we decided to hit up the beach of Entebbe. Our dear friend/3rd partner-in-action/interpreter Ivan had invited us along, and so after or daily trip to the internet cafe, we headed that way. The beach of Entebbe is quite a cultural experience, really. It is like the melting pot of Uganda. There was a ridiculous multitude of Indian men, the local Ugandans, the European business men, the European women, the random American couples with children--and us. While spending the late afternoon on the beach and conversing with Jerry, a catholic priest and missionary to Kenya for the past 40 yrs, and Corrie, a catholic nun in Entebbe, we realized the beach is quite the place to be. And it is not just the place to be b/c it is the beach--b/c after all, we can't get in the water anyway :( We realized that the opportunity to minister there was incredible. There are people of all ages and races and genders and nationalities, gathered together in one place, simply to relax. What better time and place to get to know and minister to people !!!! We ended up spending a few of our last minutes on the beach chasing around some random children, who belonged to a nice young couple, the mother whom Stacie prayed with before our departure.

So thankGod for diseases--as these 'tribulations' will only make us stronger. And thank Him for rain, that we may recognize the Son. And thank Him for beach-bums, as our newest friends and ministry.