October, 23-25th Both of these days will be forever burned into my memory. Sunday the 23rd started off as any other Sunday. We started meeting under Jamica's house because the village said they didn't want us meeting in the school building anymore. We waited to see if anyone would volunteer to have the meeting on their property and he did! We sang and had a regular meeting about 5 men showed up so we are thankful. That afternoon Jamica and his wife, Nano said there were going into the bush (the jungle) to get sak sak which is their staple food from a tree. My day went on and we went about our business until it was coffee night. Coffee night is something we do for every Sunday afternoon where we serve coffee and have a devotional. This time normally leads into some great conversation about Biblical things. Well anyway we were all talking when a kid ran up to tell his mom that another kid got bitten by a poison snake. I over heard this and ran into the house to get the snake bite kit and started down towards the river. When I arrived I found out it was Jamica's granddaughter, and she was already dead. They were wailing over her and holding her up. It is such a hard thing to be a part of because culturally it is so different. There is no satin sheets or a beautiful box it is just raw straight up reality. A dirty body that died of the poison of that awful snake. But worse then that is the evil one just keeps winning another one. Sandra was about 10/11 and was walking the jungle with her grandfather to cut little trees to make a shelter. She was bit on the leg but not really aware of it and within three hours was dead. I found it to be ironic that it was the granddaughter to the man who had opened his house up to have the Sunday meetings under. The gospel was heard that day and the evil one was not too happy. Satan is real and he is not thrilled about us. Please pray for this village, please pray that the Word will go forth and His Holy Spirit will save.

Oct 25th Wednesday was the day Caleb was coming back from the village 8 hours away. I didn't sleep well that night. I had fear and felt overwhelmed by many things. I was making supper around 3:30 pm figuring I would get it all ready for when he arrived. Elijah yelled out to me while I was chopping onions, that a man was in the yard. It was Sibona, I ran to see what he needed and he yelled that his son was bitten by a poison snake. At first I honestly thought he was joking. We just had buried the other girl the day before. I was like are you sure? I saw his wife in the windhouse (our little gazebo type building on the property) with the boy on her lap. Elijah helped me gather the snake bite stuff and we went running. He was alive and talking. I first went right to the wrapping and then the suction of the poison. I did that for about 15 mins and just started praying. His name is Benjamin so I asked him questions and he knew who I was and was well aware of what was happening. He told me that his side was in pain and I figured the poison was already raging through his body. Bella and Elijah were sitting there as well. I couldn't get a good timeline of when he was bit so I was not sure what would happen. I told them I would be right back for I was going to call out on the radio to my in-laws to have them pray. By the time I came back the whole village was there and they were doing their custom stuff on him. I think at that point I lost it. I started talking really loud that none of this would save him. Nothing could save him now other then God Himself. I could feel this oppression of evil pushing down on me. Benjamin was screaming now and the pain was making him convulse. Yes people this is real and this was happening. I was watching his little body die and the people have such fear in their eyes. I was holding his hand at one point and his parents were screaming his name in his ear. We were losing him to the poison. I felt like I was defeated. I felt helpless and surrounded by no hope. Caleb was still gone so I was on my own with Christ as my warrior. Why couldn't he save him? And then he died. I wailed with tears rolling down my face. He was gone and he was only 5. Why? Lots of why's, ran through my mind. Doubt crept in at points. My children see and are apart of things not many children in the states are. They see real life is ways many might think they shouldn't but this is reality we all die and there is no sugar coating it here. Right after he died they whisked him down to the village to cry and with that everyone was gone and the kids and I were left alone. As I cried I feared as well, What if it was my children? Lord why do you have so many people here die from TB and snakebites help me... Please Lord guide me through the struggle help me I need you more than ever because I feel so stripped of all things. (side note, I found out later that he was about an hour away and his father ran to my house from the bush to get help. So he was bit over an hour before he got to me.)

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. Psalm 91: 11-13

There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 1 Samuel 2:2