Anopheles Anxiety

I woke up this morning feeling terrible again so Bob and Bonnie suggested I get some blood work done to make sure everything is okay. I went right after school and had my tests done in a remarkably modern and friendly clinic here in Tamale.

The bad news is I have malaria. The good news is, I now know why I haven't been getting any better using Cipro! I've already started on malaria medicine so I should be feeling fine before long. I don't teach again until Tuesday, and I'm sure I'll be better by then.

I realize the word malaria conjures up images of soldiers, explorers and missionaries dying in the jungle somewhere, but nowadays, if treated properly, malaria is not so bad. Unfortunately it is still a huge killer in the tropical world, especially among the very young and very old. I'm grateful for my smart hosts who sent me to the clinic, for the speedy diagnosis, and for the relatively inexpensive medicine to treat it.

And so, dear friends of this blog; do not worry. Everything will be fine. This is just one more of life's interesting learning experiences to go along with a host of others I seem to be experiencing lately. Besides, like I told Bonnie at lunch today; now that I have malaria I actually feel more like a "real" missionary. Thanks for your continued prayers. I'll keep you updated.