I’m sick, the winter crud we all pass around every year 🙁 Tess is here to hang with me until I feel better, so that’s nice. But generally speaking, I don’t like to be sick. This also makes me thankful. I remember while serving in Mexico I was super sick so this little viral thing is no big deal.

Salmonella

  I was sick multiple times in Mexico. Within three months of arriving I had salmonella with typhoid fever. I had a head injury too, I wanted to shower but I fainted trying to get in. Even tore off the towel rack falling down. That was a rough few weeks.

  I determined I could not eat chicken from Mexico. For a couple of different reasons. One, the way the chicken was handled, and two the way the chicken was not handled.

  I was at a supermarket in Ciudad Juarez and they had a display of chicken. Big box, middle of the aisle, lined with plastic. I don’t know if they had ice under there? They could have, I guess. The box was full of chicken pieces, bone in, skin on, chicken pieces. People were digging through there and picking out the pieces they wanted. They were all fine with it, they did not get sick, they were used to this. This was normal.

 They also do not pasteurize their eggs. They have a section in an aisle of the store and you grab your eggs from that shelf. One time I cracked open an egg to find a grey clear and a black yolk. I threw that egg away. For sure crack your egg in a cup first. Again, they were all fine with this, they did not get sick, they had grown up this way, were used to this.

  I stopped eating chicken from Mexico after that first salmonella incident. When I flew to Nebraska to visit my family I was excited to eat a big salad with chicken. But my tongue swelled up and got bumps on it. I thought this was weird and wondered if the chicken was bad. So I did not eat chicken again on that trip. I waited months until I was in New Mexico visiting a care team member who is a nurse. She had bought chicken from the local butcher that day and cooked it up on the grill. I ate three nickel size bites and waited. Wouldn’t you know it, my tongue started to swell up.

  So, I have not had chicken since. I do still eat eggs sometimes. Although, my doctor told me that I would probably be allergic to eggs one day, too. This makes me sad because breakfast burrito, souffle, omelets… I digress.

  I share this to let you know I am thankful, I am very thankful. Even with all the sickness. All the hard times. The physical wear and tear on my body. The constant spiritual attacks. The drain on emotions from living in a different culture. I am thankful. I am very thankful for the opportunity to serve Jesus Christ. Even knowing what I know now I would still go. I am still going.

  Shoot up prayers please:

• For people with the winter crud.

• For missionaries who right now are living through those physical, mental, emotional & spiritual attacks.