not a great time for pregnancy

After several weeks of being too sick to go, and after like 10 days of not leaving the Seminary, I was determined to go to church this morning.  I'd been throwing up before we left, but I was GOING.  At 8:45 we started the walk to the church, and it was SO GOOD to see many friends along the way and in the service that I haven't seen for a long time.

I felt good, until we got there.  The service started, most of our 16 students were there, Dodo was helping me with Lily, and it was GREAT to be a part of worship with this dear family.  Then I started feeling worse and worse, and finally Dodo said, "Are you OK???"

I quickly headed out the back (which is actually the front of the church) and since there is no bathroom or running water at this church, I just sat on the front step.  Of course, the front yard of the church is the side church of 10 houses, all of which had lots of people in the yard, who are all now staring at me.

I kind of waved, and sat there trying not to get sick...to no avail.  So I'm throwing up in the yard, in front of all these bored and staring people, trying to keep some dignity.

Immediately, I hear a woman in the yard next door say, "She has CHOLERA!" to her friends, and then everyone is muttering and pointing about how I have cholera, which I normally would have fought, but I was feeling so terrible that all I could do was point to my stomach and shake my head "no."

Hopefully, Abel or someone cleared my name in the community after the service :)  As sad as it is that this is such a fearful reality among all of us in Haiti right now, Matt and I had a good laugh later.

Julie, Kate, Jane, Bud and Hannah brought lunch for the McCluskey's, the Cooper's and us, and it was another great afternoon of hanging out with friends, catching up on how they are and how things have been, AND they did all the dishes (and the large pile of dirty dishes that were already stacked in our sink :)  That is true friendship....

Everyone is preparing for riots and barricades again tomorrow morning, with many schools in town already declaring that they will be closed all week due to "the crisis."  Just in case, we're bringing the professors that can stay for the week in tonight, so at least they'll be stuck AT the school and can be teaching.  The students have been trickling in all afternoon, afraid that they won't be able to get in tomorrow.

There are, as always, lots of reasons and rumors, none of which really make much practical sense to us, but if we're to be stuck in all week again, we're all ready for a good week of Bible teaching!  Thankful to be in the center of His will and plan for such a time as this.