It's been a rough 24 hours.

Julia seems to have caught a cold. To compound the matter, she's in that awkward pre-walking phase where she falls all the time. Monday she busted her lip. This morning, it was her nose. I'm not sure I've ever had a bloody, runny, sore nose, but it can't be pleasant. These Samoan germs are really giving us a good old one-two combination punch.

Sue (our truck) seems to also have a cold. She's leaking green snot, otherwise known as radiator coolant. Since Sue is our only car between our family (including Paul) we're pretty bummed. Rather than prolong the agony, I went ahead and put Sue in the shop today. Hopefully, it's nothing serious. But I've got a bad feeling she may be diagnosed with cancer of the radiator. I'm not sure how much radiators cost on the island, but I'm sure the shipping alone would blow my mind. We'll be bumming rides and bussing it for a while.

Last night I bugged out. As I was working on the computer, desperately trying to get that *^#$@# wireless card to work, I began to get attacked by bugs. I soon realized another termite invasion had begun. So, I spent 30 minutes or so rounding up termites and corralling them outside to our inviting wood porch. When I finally went to bed, I couldn't sleep. I kept feeling bugs in my hair, on my arms, on my legs (some imaginary and some were not). It took me a while to calm down and get some rest.

And just as I'm about to explode, I read an email from our good friends, The Howells, who are working in Mozambique (www.makuateam.org). Their trials and tribulations with ghiardia (not a country, but a bad stomach virus), lack of plumbing, learning two languages (Portugese and Makua) and teaching the Bible make our life with broken trucks, broken noses, and phobias, seem a little less terrible. I really love the Howells and all the work they have accomplished. Truly, the Howells, and their mission team, have endured some rough nights. I kick myself all the time for not praying for them enough.

Please keep Julia, Sue and the Howells in your prayers.

Until the next sickness,


***** update *****
Sue needed a new water pump... a $220 problem. Not too bad for a minor operation.