I ended up going to an Urgent Care center in Connecticut on Monday evening, October 3 because my three hip wounds were infected, red and swollen. They were healing well until I had an allergic reaction to some band-aids which caused them to reopen and get infected. I had gotten an antibiotic the Friday before but I had an allergic reaction to that (!) which left two-thirds of my body covered with an itchy red rash. The Urgent Care doctor we saw that night was a Christian and a huge encouragement and help. He gave me an IV with a cocktail of meds for the rash and a new antibiotic. He also suspected I might have scarlatina so he tested me for that; later, that test came back positive, which means a lot of my rash is caused by strep/scarlet fever. We got home from Urgent Care at around 2 am.

Armed with my new meds but splotchy and itchy, Corey, Wheaton, and I got up at 2 am the next morning to leave for Senegal and traveled until we arrived in Senegal just after 1 am EST (5 am GMT/Senegal time) on Wednesday, when we crashed into beds at a guesthouse in Dakar and slept. On Sunday we traveled to spend the day with Emma and Molly at their school and had a wonderful time with them. On Monday we made the trip home to Kaffrine. We were warmly welcomed by neighbors and friends.

Tamxarit meal from a friend–millet couscous on the bottom and a separate dish of meat and vegetable sauce.

Tuesday night was Tamxarit, a Muslim holiday, so three different neighbors brought us bowls of millet couscous and meat sauce, which was a sweet homecoming gift.

Prayer requests:

• It is in the high 90’s and extremely humid. I still have itchy rash all over my neck, torso, arms, and legs so I am pretty miserable. But the three infection points are now well healed. The doc said the scarlet fever can take several weeks to clear up. My main prayer request is for health and strength: for the itchiness to stop!
• We thank God for bringing us back to Kaffrine and for our guard and househelper who kept our home, our dog, and our rabbits in good shape during our four months away.
• We are beginning to gather what we need to do another homestudy update for our adoption. We are going to do the update without a home visit this time. The agency said that USCIS might accept this or they might require us to find a social worker to do another home visit. Please pray that we will have everything submitted by the Dec. 4th expiration date, and that USCIS will extend our approval without requiring another home visit. Pray too for things to move forward on the Guinea side!
• Pray for our readjustment to life here. It is hot and humid and there are many challenges in day-to-day living. We have less emotional and spiritual support here than we have in the US and the needs around us are myriad. There is so much work we want to do — please pray for the Lord to guide us moment by moment into His priorities for our time and energy.
• Wheaton and I started her 6th grade schoolwork on Wednesday. Pray for her transition back to homeschooling and for a good school year for us, as well as for Emma and Molly at their school.
• Pray for the Sanderfers and the Gallaghers as they work to come join us in the work here. We praise God for calling them and pray that He will bring them to Senegal very soon!

We are so grateful for and dependent on your sustaining prayers; we are so weak…

Katie