ever thanked God for your toilet seat?

hey friends,

some of you may be surprised to see a blog from me since i am suppose to be in the jungle right now...but you know, plans change which always keeps life interesting.

so, with that said i find myself awake at 4:30 a.m. back in Pucallpa. i guess you are now waiting for an explanation for the change of plans and the fact that i'm awake before the roosters. well, long story short, i'm sick. i won't go into details here because i don't believe that the general public will appreciate the details.

however, i do want to tell ya'll a little story. one involving kind peruvians, a float plane landing on the river, and, of course, toilet seats--no, let me rephrase; the absense of toilet seats.

on monday february 12th Autumn (my partner) and i left the community of Pensilvania to head back to Atalaya (a jungle "town"). this was a planned trip. we were to rest there for like 2 and half days before going to the next community of Jose Olaya.

well things were going along as planned until about Wednesday the 14th--that would be Valentine's Day. so Wednesday late morning i called Dena, my SC's wife, to inform her of some health issues that i thought might need to be considered before going to the communities again. i asked her to get in touch with my doctor in Lima. she did and i called her back that evening to get info from the Doctor. well, i was instructed to buy a certain kind of medicine and keep them updated on how it was treating my symptoms. the plan was still for me to leave the following day at noon for the next community (aka village, aka middle-of-NOWHERE!).

so, i took the medicine as instructed and woke up kind of late Thursday morning (about 9). i didn't have the greatest feeling about the trip, so i called Dena back. told her i felt a little weak, but i would tough it out. she said, "no, you call this doctor." soooo, i called my doctor in Lima. we conversed IN SPANISH. not that big of a deal i guess, but none-the-less difficult. she told me not to go on my trip and to go get the same medicine in an "ampolla". i had yet to come across that word while sharing the gospel in remote villages; however, the day before the pharmacist tried to sale me the medicine in the form of "ampolla" so i knew she had it. so i went straight back to the pharmacy (well, we will call it a pharmacy to make all of you worriers feel better) and i bought the "ampolla". haha, i soon learned, after being led to a back room with one of those lay-flat doctor chairs, what an "ampolla" is. a SHOT. yes, my friends a shot, in the jungle, in something i will refer to as a pharmacy. i completely trusted the lady because this town is so small that i had already conversed with her about 4 times and that day learned that she was a believer. so i was injected. i left there and went to tell Autumn what all was going down. well, i had to walk about a block and a half. i found her and i told her the story. she, however, didn't realize that i had already gotten the shot, but thought that i was going to have to get a shot. so i left to go back to our hostal to call Dena and lie down. now here is where things get interesting...

i was walking with Quilmer (our Peruvian partner) and i told him that i had not been able to get Dena. he informed me that he had the cell phone numbers in his calendar. perfect. so the plan was for me to try the house one more time while Quilmer went to get the cell numbers (up in his room in the same hostal).

so i picked up the phone and realized that i needed to lean on the counter a little because i was feeling weak. then, i heard Dena's voice on the other end. and this is how our conversation went:

i heard myself say: "Dena!".
she said: "yes, Lane."
i said: "we can't go and the doctor told me to get a shot."
she repeat: "a shot"
then i heard myself say: "Dena, i feel really weak."
Dena said: "sit down, where is Autumn"
then as if from dream world i heard my voice say, "mama, i want my mama."

the next thing i know i'm laying on the lobby couch with several Peruvians around me spraying water, rubbing alcohol and amonium. i was extremely confused and Quilmer was sitting beside me. i said--IN ENGLISH--"what happened"...to which he looked puzzled. then i said, "que paso". to which he tried to explain, but i couldn't put anything together.

i proceeded to cry and try and figure out what happened. it was all very overwhelming. but i finally got the entire story.

i fainted, Quilmer caught me, the kind Peruvians awakened me, but sadly I never talked to my Mama!

well, needless to say Autumn and i did not finish the second half of our trip. a plane was sent for us on friday...but because the regular plane was unavailable we were sent for in the float plane. you know the kind that lands in water!

so what's all this about a toilet seat? well, in my 2nd home there of Atalaya the toilets had no seats...only the rims. now coming from a squatty potty i have found myself numerous times thanking God for my seatless potty. however, when your body goes through what mine did the result seems to be long periods of time spent on the toilet. therefore, as i was sitting there, dizzily (with my head resting on the sink cushioned by a toiletpaper roll), for those long periods of times i was thanking God for all the toilets in the U.S. and in Pucallpa that had nice soft seats. then i thanked him for the toilet in Atalaya that was not a squatty potty. and then i prayed for all the Asheninka who get sick with no float planes to rescue them and no soft potties to comfort them.

i am back in Pucallpa now. still spending lots of time in the bathroom, but this time with a much more comfortable seat. i will go to Lima either Monday or Tuesday to visit my doctor and get everything straightened out.

before you click off of here...please thank God for your comforts. however meanial you think they are...you have been given much. i too have been given much. and to those who are given much, much is required. will i ever learn this truth?

i love you all,

lane