Update #4
January 1, 2008
Dear all,
Just a quick note to update you once again on our travels. As Nicki stated in her Christmas update; the two of us have been around many sick people and alas I did catch the bug. I am feeling much better now and am back to normal. There is dysentary and cholera running throughout Zimbabwe. The heavy rains and depleting conditions are making health factors a bit more cumbersome these days. We have ample medications that our American Dr’s insisted upon our bringing with us (THANK YOU) and nurses within most of the communities we are working with and so are in good hands. Nicki remains well and we are both grateful for our very healthy lifestyle.
I am going to name this chapter: Angels and Bats in the Hallways. Picture this:
It’s the night after Christmas…a night which had me up every 15 minutes to be very ill in the very old concrete bathrooms. It is dark and gloomy in this ill-constructed novitiate. We are safe and I am recuperating. Suddenly I hear angels voices (Nicki and some sisters) swirling through the long hallways and drifting to my room. They are singing Christmas Carols in such a melodic manner that despite my swooning head and stomach, a wide smile spreads across my face.
I am brought to thinking in terms of my being frightened the night before, when each time I got up (DId I mention it was every 15 minutes?) 🙂 🙂 I had to move through the darkened halls. Then my mind travels to the fact that Nicki had mentioned earlier that she had found a bat in the commode of the stall next to the one that I had made my own personal remedy station the night before. Suddenly it dawns on me that this bat could have drifted and swirled its way through my stall while I was being ill and I laugh and then thank God because I swear, had I seen the bat while being alone in the bathroom being very ill at 3am, I would have had a nervous breakdown. It’s funny now to think about and on another sick note Nicki has a great imitation prepared for you all its hysterical…she really is funny…I must be rubbing off on her. She was absolutely wonderful tending to me by the way. How she does it all we will never know,.
The retreats continue to be an inspiration. The people here are amazing. What they are dealing with here just amazes me and the work Nicki does with themshould bring nothing short of future peace. She is a gift to these people. We
continue to operate as a team (Health permitting) and are constantly encouraged by how much is needed and the requests for future retreats are a testimony to all of this.
Nicki and retreats to update later, but we thought you might like to know we are both well now.
Love and Prayers Karen and Nicki
