nairobi eyes + sunburn.

Nairobi eyes are bugs that, when squished on your skin, secrete acid.  The acid spreads on your skin by touch. A very bad sunburn from walking around last Friday praying with different villages for the coming Independence Day and then from being outside at the Independence Day festivities added to the effect of the Nairobi eyes.  But with prayer, toothpaste, and a little bit baking soda, it is all getting better!

 The original one on my arm the first day.  It got worse after this...

 The two on my elbow.  The one on the right burned onto the one on the left.  These also got worse before getting better.  A third blister appeared on the outskirts of one of those as it was actually getting better.  I'm a pro now in dealing with them though.  :)  On goes the toothpaste!

 The lovely sunburn/nairobi eye around my lips.  Got a little worse too.  Put carmex on it at first, thinking it was just sunburn.  Then, it blistered more, meaning some nairobi eye in there too.  Changed to baking soda/toothpaste mixture for two days on there.

 Could it be spreading to my neck?  Yep.  On goes the toothpaste here too.

 I could still smile (even though it hurt!).

I made this sad face as we headed to Kapoeta (only for the picture!).  Just realized the sunburn was also nairobi eye.  Hence the baking soda!

 The healing process.  Peeling city.  The bandaid is on the third new one.

Healing on the arm.  Not too shabby.

Praise the Lord that He is my security.  I went to town and out to several villages the two days I had white stuff on my face, neck, and arm.  It really doesn't matter what I look like.  It doesn't matter what other people think.  What a relief!  If I had any hesitations about going out in front of people looking funny or not "just right", God removed all of those.  He loves me at all times, even with blistering lips and acid-oozing spots all inside my elbow.  And that is all that matters.  

And, as a good friend told me recently, God is not so limited as to require my perfection in drawing others to Himself.  I have often thought, along with so many, that it's all about the presentation and the looks when sharing the gospel and God's love.  WRONG!  It's all about trusting Him, leaning on Him, taking those steps to reach out to others.  He's the One with the perfect words and the unfailing love.  He's the One at work.  

And so, I was able to walk out there resting in Him.  Explaining along the way to everyone that a "zzzzzz" (with hand motion of pinched fingers flying around), "sttssssss" (hand touching lips, then elbow twice), "apilpil lowi" (something akin to "very much paining"), "nyekitoi" or "dawa" (rubbing motion to show "medicine" application), and then "covered" (as I gently rub my hand over my bandaids or just above the toothpaste).  They understood!

Nairobi eyes + sunburn = fearless real me.  And God getting the glory.

Praise the Lord for funky skin stuff!