there was an old lady who swallowed a fly...

I am not old,
But it was I.

I was talking in the car ride home from another crazy day in Sudan, and a bug flew into my mouth nearly choking me.  I spat.  Instead of coming up and out?  It went down and in.  Blegh.  Nastiness.

Anyway...guess what happened today?  If you guessed changed plans, you are correct!!!

Today is Tuesday, which means that we have the women's gathering to hear God's Word on the compound in the afternoon around 3:00pm.  I finished school early today, the subjects went fast, and ate lunch around 12:30pm.

Carrie then came over to remind me that we needed to pick our translator up in Lomeyen (I saw a sign today--this is actually how it is spelled) which is about a 30 minute drive away.  And we had wanted to ask her some language questions before the women came.

So Carrie and I left for Lomeyen.  We found Rebecca where she said she would be!  When we got back to the compound, she helped to translate some very useful sentences such as...

Tochoito iporonokinete nyagari ikwamakin iyong totan.
Take care, don't chase the car.  You will fall and die.

Ayakae ayong akisimar Felicie.
I have been teaching Davis.

Nyacamitai ngitunga lukwalak, ikarabaar ngakajen ka nyagari na nyichuri elote.
We don't want many people, it will destroy the feet of the car (tires) and it won't go.

Acamit ayong ngamadarai kotere nyiyekito ngakongyen kang ejok.
I want spectacles because my eyes do not see properly.
(this last one's because they always want to take my glasses so they can wear them for their ngakidamdams, or celebrations--many people wear sunglasses as decoration for these jump fests)

When it came time for the women to come, only three showed up.  Odd, because before picking up Rebecca, we reminded two villages about coming at 3:00pm.  We soon found out why.

A little girl, maybe five years old, was having seizures and convulsions at the clinic that is right by our compound.  They do not have emergency medicine at this clinic, so they needed to get the girl quickly to the clinic in Naskal (out toward Lomeyen but not quite as far).  There are no cars to be used by the clinic so they came to us.

We made the quick decision to have the women's gathering on Thursday this week, and Carrie and I took the car and drove to the clinic.  We picked up precious Lotaa and drove to Naskal.  I held her head the whole bumpy and muddy way, as she was spitting up a lot and needed to have her head kept sideways.  Both Carrie and I prayed aloud in the car for her healing and for God's power to be shown.

We got her there, and they immediately gave her a relaxant for the seizures and began treating her for malaria.  She did calm down some, taking time in between seizures to rest and sleep.  After we left, we encountered her mother walking to Naskal.  She was not in the village when all this happens, but was in town.  I have never seen emotion like hers from a Toposa before.  She was panicking and so afraid for her daughter.  Please take time to pray for little Lotaa.  For complete healing.  For no permanent brain damage.  For peace for her mother, Lokuru.  For God to demonstrate His power and to receive glory in the midst of all of this.  Thank you.

There was another little girl in the clinic with serious anemia.  Her name is Nyamuria.  She has been sick for three days, but her parents sought help from the witch doctor first.  She had fresh scars on her chest from where they cut her to let evil out in her blood.  She looked like she was in so much pain.  Please pray for Nyamuria as well.  For complete healing and an end to the pain.  For transport to the hospital in town as soon as possible for a blood transfusion.  For God to be glorified.

On the way home from this trip was when that bug decided it wanted to end its life by flying straight into my esophagus.  Oh well.  More protein, right?