So this weekend was our midway retreat... we officially have one more month in Africa! And I have a random opportunity to use the internet!! Yea!! I can't believe how much I miss having it, especially since I am so use to having my iphone at my fingertips! This weekend has been extremely nice; just a relaxing time to be able to fellowship with other interns from surrounding areas and talk about our experiences. I had ice cream for the first time in over a month; it was awesome! We also had a BBQ and a DANCE PARTY last night!!!!!!! For two hours we broke it down and I stayed up till 10:30 haha! Has only happened one other time when we stayed up to watch Ghana play in the World Cup. Omg and I got to dance! It was pretty much amazing! Even better, I got to see Edina again! She wasn't as shy this time, which was great! Her mother invited me to come to their home yesterday; so today, I was able to go and sit with them for about an hour. I found out that 2 weeks ago, Edina was sick with malaria and had to go to the hospital. I also found out that I was able to help with her recovery.... COTN pays for sponsored children's medical care! I was incredibly thankful for that because her mother said she was extremely sick and it was a very scary time for her. Praise Jesus that she is ok! Oh and I got to take a hot shower!!! I've never realized more than my time here, that it is definitely the small things in life that bring me the most joy! Probably one of my favorite moments from the weekend would have to be church. Today we got to go to an American-style church!!! It felt so amazing to praise God in English and to be able to sing and understand fully what I was hearing for the first time since I've been here. It was refreshing and a revitalizing moment for me; one that I didn't realize I needed until it happened. And it was so nice to feel connected through a familiar church!
Although this weekend has been great and I have enjoyed it, I am even more excited to get back to the kids! Before we left, one of our kids, Isaiwallie, came to me saying he was sad that we weren't going to be there this weekend to read them bedtime stories! He seemed pretty upset about it, which was the motivation I need to continue my work over these next 4 weeks. The fact that he was genuinely bummed out that we weren't going to be there was God's way of showing me that my work here is not in vain! We are having an impact on these children's lives and are a part of his plan. His timing is perfect... "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." Ecclesiastes 4:11-14.
Quick prayer request.... one of the girls on our team, Jessica, has a flesh eating disease. Ok not really, but she has developed this weird blister/hole on her ankle, which has also become swollen and painful to walk on. She did go to the clinic and the doctors and treating her for a staph infection-- they think it might have been a bug bite that got infected. Key words... they think. Please be praying for a fast recovery, that there are not any more complications, and that it is not anything more serious.
More to come Tuesday :)
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