Earthquakes, Dengue, and Other Complications

I kind of feel like just leaving the title as the blog, because it's been challenging enough to live through it, and it seems like it will take a lot of energy to try to retell it.  I honestly feel like I'm living in a war zone--with all but literal bullets.  It seems like Satan is pulling out everything he has, and it's making me angry.  But I'm getting tired.  Too tired to fight.  I am praying that God will help us all to not give up, to hold on to Him through all of this, and that our faith will remain strong no matter what.  But that itself will be a miracle.

EARTHQUAKES
On Thursday evening last week, a few days after my birthday, we had all just come back from town trip.  I had already gone to my apartment upstairs, and saw Lorraine taking a nap.  I don't remember exactly what I was doing, but all of the sudden the apartment was shaking...at first just a little, then more and more until I really thought it might collapse. I realized my instinct in an earthquake is not to do what they tell you (find the "triangle of life" by a strong table or something).  Instead, I ran out on the deck--where you could really feel it swaying, and down the stairs (by that time it was over).  Needless to say, we were all pretty freaked out.  Well, the whole island was actually.  We found out later that the epicenter was 27 miles away, and it was a 5.8.

The thought that struck me in those few seconds was...is this really it?  Is this the beginning of "The End"?  And it was kind of scary, and yet sobering to think about what I believed actually coming true.  Others also talked about thinking about if they were ready to die.  Only a few seconds can really make you think.  And we've had a hard time forgetting since every other day or so we still feel small tremors.

DENGUE
Sunday night I went to bed healthy and happy after a Canadian Thanksgiving celebration on the porch.  But I woke up at 2 a.m. freezing cold, which doesn't happen much here.  I got up and made some tea and drank it and felt a little warmer, and went back to sleep, but the next morning I felt like I couldn't get up.  I was sore everywhere, had a headache, and a painful pressure behind my eyes.  I felt ok enough to go in a little late, and stayed in the office until noon, when I couldn't handle it any more.  I knew I had a fever.  That night it got up to 102.6 or so, and was the most miserable night.  Lorraine helped by keeping my feet bathed in hot water, and a cold rag for my forehead.  That helped bring it down.  Pamela also helped, and enjoyed seeing the tables turn, since I used to be the one trying to make her eat. :)  Anyway, the rest of the week was basically spent fighting an unknown illness, checking with friends and relatives, checking the internet.  At first I thought it might be the Zika Virus, a type of malaria here that often gets confused with Dengue Fever.  But someone mentioned that there were actually people in the hospital right now with Dengue, so we should be careful.  As we checked into it (and with the help of a couple of the teachers who are nurses), it seemed like all my symptoms matched up.  Still, by the time we were figuring this all out yesterday evening, I was feeling better and didn't have a temperature, and was able to eat fine.  I felt better this morning than I had all week, but still had the rash on my legs, and they were really concerned, so they made sure I went to the hospital to get blood-work done.  Although I do not have the results yet for the actual Dengue test, my blood platelets were low, and something else showed that it was a virus, and not an infection.  I'll go back tomorrow to get checked again, and just praying that those platelets are high enough so I can stay out of the hospital.  There is not medicine for Dengue--you just have to stay hydrated and get lots of rest, which I am trying to do.  But I'm glad for this reprieve, and hopefully it really means I'm getting better now.

OTHER COMPLICATIONS
Our appendicitis teacher is still having complications with her infections, and we need a miracle in a very short amount of time if we are going to keep her.  We are praying for one tomorrow.

And tomorrow the evangelistic series begins.  Is this the cause of all these attacks?  I don't know.

I just know I can't laugh it all off any more.  It's a time that requires great faith...at a time when I feel like mine is very small.  Lord, do a miracle with this mustard seed faith.  Do a miracle for Pamela...and for me.  Do a miracle for all of us here who are fighting with everything we've got, and running out of strength.  Please look down and see us and have mercy.  We are just trying to do what You called us here to do.  But we can't do it if You don't show up to help.  Please help us.  Thank You.

"But those who wait on the Lord..."