Measles...Mumps...Malaria??? No way!!

Yep that's right. Malaria. The mosquito-Anopheles- carrying infectious disease that causes diarrhea, vomitting, coughing, nausea, stomach pain, muscle aches, head aches, fever, chills, sweating, restlessness...and Stacie has developed all symptoms. Of course Stacie, who seems to be the one susceptible to getting all over seas diseases-African skin disease, typhoid, etc...-would get it even though AmyRose is the one who has been failing, consistently, to take her malaria medication and gets bit far more than Stacie does. Stacie began feeling restless and devoloping flu-like symptoms about a week and a half ago, not really understanding how she could be getting the flu when the weather is as constant as it is. She had just got back from praying with Jajja Alma-which has malaria and shared with her that her malaria began with flu-like symptoms-and on her way to meet up with AmyRose at Abba Home, found herself on the ground with people running up to her and trying to help her up. She had no idea what had just happened but she grabbed her stuff quickly and took off, far away from the crowd of people that had formed around her. She realized that she had collapsed and had not been hit, and that this illness she has been experiencing might be something more than just the flu. I rushed home where Krisann urged me to take a blood test. The first test we took came up positive for malaria and we didn't believe it so I took another one and sure enough, the results were positive.

I was very disturbed that I had malaria. I mean, it totally makes sense because lately I have not been wanting to do anything or even be here in Uganda. I have just wanted to sleep, but I couldn't fall asleep. I just laid there thinking all day, okay, God why am I here when I am feeling this way. I should be out doing something, anything...but instead I am just laying here in bed and not doing enough. I blamed it on satan saying that of course satan would want me to be knocked down and not doing anything for God. Then Krisann had said, "You know Stacie, It isn't always satan that knocks us down. Sometimes God knocks us down so that we can find our rest in Him." And that is when it hit me. It was Jesus. Because sense we have been here, I have been going back and forth with the same questions, am I doing enough? What else could I be doing? Am I doing anything that is just wasting time?? Sometimes I think we can all fall into this trap that satan wants us to get in that we miss what is going on right before us. If he can get our thoughts consumed with the need to do more and more, we totally fail to miss what we are able to do for God and that we are just the tool being used. The last five days has been absolutely miserable for me. I have had to allow everyone to wait on me, which really is a difficult task for me to do, and just lay around. It has also been really good for me because I have had plenty of time to "Rest in His arms" and reflect on why I am here in Uganda and where I get my strength and who really is in control of this trip. Continue to keep us covered in your prayers and thank you for all of your support!!