Our team's status

So this update was written by one of my teammates,
Tara, a few weeks ago.  It's an update for the AIM
website of how are team is doing.  Tara took the
liberty of telling the truth in detail!  Since the
time it was written, people have gotten healthier and
all is well.  It wasn't allowed on the AIM update sight because it's a
bit graphic :)
Enjoy!

The Status of Our Team
Tara Skarin

Hannah started us off. Hers was the one enduring and
maliciously dependable illness. The verdict, disagreed
upon at first, was finally decided on as gastritis,
typhus and an intestinal ulcer. It was the heavy
hearts that we saw her off to America to rest, regroup
and regain her strength. She was the bravest of us
all.
The casualties continued, nothing too serious at
first, just colds and headaches, but then it hit! It
was as if a plaque swept through our compound. What
was the cause?  Maybe the revenge of tribal gods, the
wrath of Satan, or just bad water- no one is quite
sure.
Saturday morning Nikki was out. The tiredness and ache
in her limbs had begun. What I at first felt as
exhaustion from a long hike quietly morphed into the
achy body and muddled thought process of an infant
illness. We survived the long, sleepless night, but
just barely – only through stories about black goats
and matatus. We still managed to make our way to Blue
House in the morning and slowly plunder through the
day. We’re missionaries- we can handle anything-right?
Violet still claims she wasn’t sick. Whatever! Her
Valentines Eve dinner was upchucked repeatedly before
morning, though she seemed sounds and in good spirits
throughout the next day.
Nikki and my condition deteriorated throughout the
week: “the mysterious room one flu.” Limbs ache,
fevers rage, and all senses and capacity for rational
thought quickly dissipated, along with appetites, into
one dominating grown of “ugh! I don’t feel so good!”
Food looses its appeal when you know your going to see
it again soon. Your best friends become your books and
your pillow. My 104.7 degree temperature never seemed
serious enough to warrant a hospital visit. Nikki came
along, too, for moral support, like a good roommate.
Just kidding- not about the good roommate part, but
she didn’t look so good either. What better way for
her to spend her 21st birthday than trying for an hour
to pee in a cup? The results of the day showed her
with a virus and me with a bacterial infection. They
sent us home, exhausted, but with hope and drugs.
Katey’s cold-turned sinus infection made her nose seem
like it was training for a marathon. As if that wasn’t
enough, and as if we didn’t have enough matatu
misadventures, an impatient matatu friend shoved Katey
our in a hurry resulting in a sprained ankle. We
returned from the hospital to see the sad sight of
Katey limping around on crutches.
The gloriousness of my regained health was
overshadowed by the prolonged misery of Nikki. After
no sign of improvement, and a return visit to the
hospital, they decided to keep her there. And our
numbers continue to dwindle.
Then came the flood. Though she valiantly vowed to
abstain from sickness, Kayla suffered a sneak attack
and dizziness overcame her. Overnight, Stacy went from
perfect health to feeling “like she got hit by a mak
truck” and Bekah wasn’t keeping food down. After a
visit to the hospital it seemed as though typhoid had
struck again. “Floyd” shows no mercy and takes down
one of the strongest on the team.
This is where we stand, or rather lie. A sad, sad,
sight. Who will be next? The real question though is
why are the guys not sick? Despite our best efforts
for health and sanitation we get sick and the guys are
still untouched? Are they poisoning our tomatoes? Is
the real road to well-being found in a dirty house?
Are their supporters praying harder than ours? God
Only Knows!