So, I'm 'back in the saddle'

I think this trip overseas (perhaps my 30th) has been one of the hardest for getting 'into it'. There is always, of course, jetlag and getting re-oriented to new weather, language, and people. However, this time, for the first time, I seriously wondered why I had accepted the invitation to do this work, in fact, I concluded that it had been a blunder on my part, a serious blunder.

As is too common with me, you didn't hear about this until I'd experienced a turn-around.

So, what changed?

I'm not entirely sure, but here are the most likely reasons for the turn-around.

I happened to catch a Facebook friend on-line and we chatted briefly. I dumped, there wasn't a lot of response, other than some expressions of listening, but that helped.

I had lunch with some people from Southern Alberta who went to school in Winnipeg who are working here - so that was a geographical/cultural connection, as well as some thoughtful responses to one of the difficulties I was facing in the work I'm doing here. Again, I hadn't known them before, I'll not likely see them again, but it was friendly and engaged Canadian contact.

I went to church in the morning - maybe the sermon which took some time to outline the deep suffering of others helped me to put my own troubles into context. It's the first time I've heard relatively familiar music since I arrived. Someone asked me to do them a favour by carrying a package back to someone they know in Manitoba - I like being a 'connector' between people. And, I was asked to close in prayer, which I took as an honour (yes, it wasn't so much personal as it was my geographic and cultural origins in a Western country, but still, there are times when you take what you can get.).

I figured out how to do the laundry here - I'd been collecting clothes that needed washing, but the number of clean underwear was now merely one, so I needed to take some initiative. I found the washing machine (I was sure that it was only going to be a washing board), frightened off a rat (NOT a common occurrence in the contexts I'm in Africa), and proceeded to get my clothes washed - which wasn't entirely straightforward until I figured out how to keep it running all the way through the cycle. Which was good, because I 'solved a problem'.

I have a phone - got a simcard for my open phone and now am 'connected' locally.

I think I'm getting control of my weight again - it's been a struggle for three months as I've tried to get below 180 pounds, but my body stubbornly refuses. In fact, I'd been eating enough on this trip that my weight and waistline are increasing at least a little. But, today I weighed the situation mentally, and decided to turn down the inclination towards 'pleasure'/eating, and turn up the inclination towards 'discipline'/eating responsibly. I've already eaten considerably less today than in the each of hte last four days, so I'm feeling good about that.

I figured out how to make a 'yoga mat' out of a couple of woven floor mats, so I'll do yoga as soon as I've done the blog. It isn't the 'yoga' so much, as it is the 'exercise'. I've identified this year that there is a very strong connection for me between strenuous exercise and emotional well-being. And, believe me, yoga in this heat qualifies as 'strenuous'.

In large part, these changes occurred as a result of that 'chat' with a friend, which led to me thinking, 'what do I usually do when I need a shot in the arm?', and slowly identified, and opened my eyes to, ways to get those things done here.

Have a good week, everyone.