m is for malaria.

week 7 began with malaria. funny, of course, because i took the anit-malarial drugs my doctor prescribed for me... religiously i took them. every day. after breakfast.
yet
i
still
contracted
the
malaria.

and it's a strange thing, i'll tell you. (and let me please insert here that i am fully recovered at this point.) yes, but it's a strange thing to know that 3 days ago, i was dying. millions of people die from malaria each year. left untreated, within a number of days, a person who has malaria will certainly die.

okay, seriously. i'm not trying to be dramatic, but i've never had something that could kill me before. i will spare you the gorey details, but just know that it was not pleasant, and i didn't do much more than hobble from one room to another for nearly three days. throughout it, God's presence was almost tangible though, and i never felt alone. (it is through our weakness that His Strength is shown). however, what a blessing that they have access to affordable malaria medicine here. it's very common for the kids to have it, and within two days from when you take the medicine, you are good. really good though. not just okay.

i feel renewed and excited to be here. today, i was walking toward the boys' house from the girls' house, and one of the boys sees me coming and begins yelling "whit-me! whit-me! whit-me!" (which is what he calls me, which is pretty great.) and he runs up to me and gives me a hug (which is also pretty great considering he is not usually excessively affectionate) and then he asked "you feel okay?" and i told him that i felt much better, and then he yelled "thank you Jesus!" which is also pretty great, considering he is not one of the children who says what he is "supposed" to say, ever, at any time. and that made me feel great joy.

so as i'm entering my last week here, i'm excited about what i see God doing with these kids. we're really beginning to see changes and growth in them, and we're growing as a team. we've been talking a lot about how maybe it took 5 of us to just overpower them with love and affection and attention. i will be flying from beira to cape town, south africa next wednesday to spend time with sarah yates and volunteer there, before heading back to america in november.

please continue to pray for us and the kids, and lee and greg (who run the orphanage).

whitney