Here's a riddle for you, "What is worse than a 23 hour flight across the world?" Answer, "Having a stomach virus on a 23 hour flight across the world!" On Monday before Ethan and I left on Tuesday, I caught a violent bug and it didn't run it's course until we had arrived home Thursday night. There's just nothing like being sick in a 3X3 airplane bathroom. I really didn't know if I could do the whole airport thing-packing up, lugging the bags around, setting on a plane that long...God provided in some really tangible ways. Thank goodness that Ethan was with me, he totally took care of all 4 of our 50lb bags, even lifting my heavy carry-on to the overhead bin was such a blessing. The most amazing thing was that the 10 1/2 hour flight from Heathrow to Bangkok was WAY undersold. I could totally spread out across 4 seats right by the lavatories. I can't tell you how many times I whispered to the Lord, "Oh, thank you, God." I'm glad that I serve a personal God who knows my every need and hears me when I call.

When I initially started getting sick I was hoping it might be food poisoning. Wouldn't that be ironic, getting food poisoning in America?? rather than Thailand! But my suspicions have confirmed, it was viral and bad news. Ethan began getting sick as soon as we landed early Thursday morning, we couldn't get home fast enough from the airport to get to our beds and our toilets, not much of a greeting for Mark and the boys. I felt weak and exhausted. Enough of a greeting that I passed it on to Mark.

I've been setting at his bedside in the ER here now for three hours while they try to get some control on his diarrhea, replace some of his lost fluids...Some of you may remember another similar episode Mark had in VA? The thump I heard from the basement, when he had passed out on our bedroom floor from dehydration with the overnight visit to the ER?

I had managed to stay awake all day, pushing myself hard to get to the grocery store and get a nice dinner on the table for my guys-my first official night home. I called Mark at 6:30pm and told him I just couldn't hold out any longer and had to go to bed. Ethan had been vomiting during the day and had slept off and on. I left Dustin and Nathan in charge and went to bed. I do remember Mark coming in and kissing me at one point otherwise I was sleeping on and off, cognizant that Mark now had diarrhea! I was awakened about 1:00 a.m. with him calling for me from the bathroom floor. He was cold and clammy and saying, "I think I better go to the hospital."

I'm so thankful we live close to the hospital and that we both obtained our license just if even for occasions like these. Dustin helped me walk him to the car and I drove us over and got him right in the ER. After some IV fluids and drugs he is resting between trips to the bathroom but not feeling as faint and weak now. He just doesn't have that residual fat that I do to sustain him when he gets so sick! Hopefully, they will send us home in a few hours.

Please, please pray that my Mom continues to be symptom free, she had been when I talked to her yesterday? She is due to receive her last chemotherapy session on Monday. I've been praying protection for her ever since I started feeling ill while I was sleeping with her in the hotel. Please also pray that Dustin and Nathan will be protected as well. They didn't accompany us to Houston because they have been studying intensely for their IGCSE exams, cumulative, 2 year exams required for British schools. Two years of work riding on these exams. Nathan has three this week and Dustin two, I'm just praying they don't become ill. The times are regulated by the British government and I'm not sure if they would have to wait until November to retest. Let's just pray it doesn't come to that. That the Lord will protect them from this bug. Pray that Marko will begin to feel better. He is moaning a lot and wiggling around in bed, it is so difficult to get comfortable with all the stomach cramping. Not a very good gift I brought him from America.