Sept. 4th, A Day To Remember

September 4th marks a day I vowed to never forget (although I almost forgot it this year, the first anniversary of the day I vowed to never forget!). September 4, 2005 was the day my life was spared by God. I still remember the feelings quite vividly: the feeling that the sun was so bright even inside the darkness of the hut, the feeling that my brain was somehow being attacked, the feeling of thinking I was dying, the feeling that my end had come... in a village in Togo, a 1 1/2 hour motorbike ride from the nearest hospital. I remember Kodjo's mother praying fervently and trying calm me down when I started pacing. I also remember her crying with me as Kodjo was running around the village to find the nurse. I found out later that Kodjo was also crying, for the first time in his life (ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, since I'm sure he cried as a baby. Maybe it was the first time in his adult life). I remember the nurse coming and telling me I would be fine and that he was going to put me to sleep for a little while. I asked him how long I would be asleep, even though I don't think I really expected to wake up. And then I remember waking up, no longer feeling like I was dying, and saying, in somewhat of an astonished voice, "I'm alive". I couldn't stop smiling, weakly I'm sure, but definitely smiling. Kodjo was there; he had been there and stayed there the rest of the day. I remember him fanning me for a very long time because I was so hot in the hut... and couldn't go outside since I was hooked up to some IV fluids. Most people would tire after 5 minutes of waving a piece of cardboard around. Not him, he just kept going and going! I remember beating him at an African card game as bad as you can beat someone... and he claims he did not let me win! I remember repeatedly thanking God for sparing my life and thinking that He must have something important planned for me to give me more time on earth.

And so here I am, one year later, September 4, 2006, thanking God for sparing my life and asking Him what it is He wants me to do with this time He has given me here on earth.

If I figure it out in the next few days, I'll let you know :).
Celebrating the gift of my life,
The Thankful Yovo


This picture was taken 09/05/05, the day after The Day I Almost Died and Will Never Forget. On the "blackboard" on the side of my little hut Kodjo had written "The first IL (Illinoisan) had an IV in a small tepee in Africa."