rough weekend

It was a pretty tough weekend in Zambia. Brian called Saturday afternoon-he’d about had it, as had his dad, thus the prayer request post. He was still working 12-13 hour days despite the fact that he was getting sicker, his was tired of people around all the time and the lack of progress… and well, it hit him. Brian doesn’t get sick too often, but when it does, it hits like a freight train. Henry had been sick (thought it was malaria, but really just a virus) and Brian was run down from working and not resting enough, so he caught it. He was on the couch all day yesterday sweating and fevering to beat the band. It finally brought in the evening. As you can imagine, everyone was concerned. They were all going to stay home from church and take him to the clinic. Wendell was talking to them in the other room and Brian (I can hear it in my head) got so mad he yelled out “NO! I am not going to the clinic!” After church his African dad Alfred and John Zimba walked the 45 minutes to our house and prayed over him on the couch. I am sure the whole church prayed for him as well that morning.
I called him at 1:30 while up feeding my Henry (8:30 his time) and he was up and doing a little work, but was weak, so was taking it easy. He didn’t make it to town today, so will go tomorrow. It probably sounds as if I am not overly concerned, but I was and am. But I also know my hubby enough to know how he and his body work and where this came from. He was so tired and down Saturday that I told him he had to rest on Sunday. We need 1 day in 7 to rest, and he was at day 14 without rest. If he wasn’t going to rest, God was going to make him! This will also sound harsh, but it was/is a good lesson for him. There will always be plenty to do, things he will want to be done better, done right away, done a certain way…and he just can’t do it all and it wouldn’t always be done the way he’d like. I love that he wanted so much for the house to be more “done” before we go there, for it to be nice for us and have an easier transition; but I know we will be fine. It wouldn’t be super wonderful right away, but we will be there, be together, and be okay. And as things get done while we are there, they will seem nicer and better all the time!
The roof is on, there is a little ridge cap and corner trim we are missing, so we will need to bring that over with us somehow in our luggage. The toilet works, there is running water, and they are hoping to have a tub and sink in before they go (one of the two sinks didn’t survive the trip). Wendell and Witness are working on stripping the ceiling to get the ceiling up in a room or two more before they go (one bedroom and one bathroom are done). Brian really doesn’t know what he would have done had Wendell not been able to go. He probably would have just gotten mad and thrown things up however to be done and be unhappy about it forever. So Wendell, THANK YOU can not even cover it!!
The people at the school keep talking about the party we have to have when the house is done and the goat we’ll eat…that will be awhile. Their definition of the house done and mine and Brian’s is probably going to be pretty different!!
Found out a real bummer too the other day when Brian was in town-Zambia just switched all the valves on their propane tanks. So the tank we had can’t be used yet-has to be sent away to get changed. Well, that is what one place said. He was going to try somewhere else tomorrow. I think Wendell was REALLY looking forward to the fridge working for some cold water and pop though . All they had at Game (think Wal-mart) were the 20 lb. tanks. It would work for a quick fix, but wouldn’t last us very long for the fridge and stove. We’ll have to look more when we go.
We so appreciate your continued prayers! Oh yeah-and we have a showing tomorrow afternoon on the house. Pray this is the one!