We arrived at our ministry site in Kampong Cham, Cambodia, and had a more specific briefing meeting. This month we are teaching English to Muslim and Buddhist college-age students, and sharing the gospel and our testimonies with them. We got a huge tour of Kampong Cham, and then were dropped off at one of the TWO safe locations to eat aside from home (eat anywhere else and you’ll probably have diarrhea, said the ministry host).
About halfway through dinner, I start to feel really thirsty. My mouth went dry, and I felt a panic sensation. As we were leaving the restaurant, I ask the age-old question “is anybody else feeling cold?” and got those blank stares because it’s Cambodia and we’ve all been sweating all day.
I tweet asking for prayers as I begin to have chills, and we leave the restaurant. My team prays over me in the tuk-tuk, and once we get home I go straight to my sleeping bag. Mind you, it’s hot weather.
I went to bed at 7:30 pm, woke up intermittently every 45 minutes or so, dreaming about writing a poem for a prince the ENTIRE night, and I was trying to memorize the poem? Why is my brain so weird? It’s a mystery.
Then I discover there is more to my situation: diarrhea (like the font color change? You're welcome.)
I take my temperature and it’s volcanic. We call Melissa, one of our nurses on the squad, and she says to keep monitoring the fever, it’s probably a virus and it’ll be over soon (in a good way).
That was our first day of ministry and the girls introduced themselves to the students while I was bed-ridden with Cambodian fever* and the runs.
Pros: I composed this blog, and I’ve been told I’m a very pleasant sick person, and also that I look like a small child with my kitten shirt and a thermometer in my mouth.
Cons: fever and diarrhea, and missing out on meeting the students on the first day.
God took care of my fever in about 36 hours, so it was a little virus. As for the diarrhea, let’s keep praying, as my bowels are still holding a grudge… er… not holding a grudge.
*not a real diagnosis
