17 January 2011

Get Thee Behind Me!



We had a prefect flight from the states to Cape Town.  Davis was a champ and was able to sleep for most of the flights.  When we got to baggage claim we were happy to find all 11 bags unbroken and everything in it.  Our friend that we meet in China (he lives in Cape Town) was there eager to greet us, and help us with are bags. What a blessing!

Then the happiness started to fade away when we got to the guesthouse that we are staying at. It is a lovely facility and the owners are so helpful and kind.  When we were taken to our room all I wanted to do was cry because of how small the room was.  I tried really hard to hold it together.  I kept telling myself that I should be grateful to have a bed and running water.  Our friend, Richard came into the room and came over to me and said how humble he is to see what we have given up and that God will bless us for this.  He put his arms around me and told me this can’t be easy for you as a wife and mother, but know this will be an amazing experience we will never forget.  I wiped my tears and got to work on making this room our home for the next little while.  We do have a common area with a kitchen, tables, and couches that we are sharing with another missions group. 

Our first night we got into bed with a room totally unpacked and I was feeling so much better until about 2am when Davis woke up crying that witches were on his bed trying to get him.  He came into our bed and I knew right away he had a fever and that started us down the road of the “24hr stomach bug.”  The poor boy was so sick.  We couldn’t get him to eat, drink, or get out of the bed.  By the evening he was starting to feel better so we went for a little drive. 

This drive turned into one more disaster. I had gotten out of the car to look at something and on my way back I tripped and fell very hard on the sidewalk.  When I fell my forehead banged right into our car and my legs got scrapped up.  I couldn’t believe that pain I was in and I scared the mess out of Noah.  I went to bed that night very sore and so ready to sleep off this hard day of sickness, bumps and bruises.  Little did I know it was far from done!

I woke up at 6am on Sunday morning with the gift of the stomach bug and I spent the next 10 hours feeling so awful.  This was all I could handle for one week! I couldn’t stop crying and all I wanted to do was go home and be in my own bed with my dogs lying next to me.  Then I got to thinking, what bed? What dogs?  I haven’t had my bed in 11 months or my dogs for 6 months.  I am missing something that isn’t there anymore and to top it off I was allowing the enemy to make me second-guess our decision. 

In 11 months I haven’t even once doubted and now I am. This didn’t make any sense and I wasn’t going to let the enemy win, NOT now, NOT ever.  I prayed and had others pray and today (Monday) we are all well and thinking positive of our call and future. The enemy can get thee behind me because I am not looking back!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you can survive the week you just had then you'll make it the next two years. This is a great place to vent your feelings because you'll definitely have support from your family and friends here in the states. I understand what it's like to move to a city where no one knows you and start from scratch. So any time you need advice, just e-mail me.

mommy to many said...

hey tricia i'm with Melyssa...if you ever need to say somethign that you dont' feel like you can put on here, please email me...i spent 4 years in Japan. culture shock isn't fun and jet lag will play with your mind and body! pray, pray and pray some more and when you can't, just cry out the name "Jesus" you gus are doing and awesoem work for HIS kingdom, the greater the fight now just means the ENEMY is working against you too...though it's hard the battle belongs to the Lord and in HIm the battle is already won. we are praying for GOd's provision , protection and anointing upon you, Pastor Noah and Davis!