1st Weeks in Monrovia: A flip-flop and an unwelcome guest

Last night in Bible study we talked about journaling as a way to remind ourselves of questions posed to God and what the answers looked like. This morning I decided to look back through old journal entries I had written right when I initially arrived in Monrovia.  Here is a particularly memorable moment:

“I’ve been in Monrovia for about six weeks.  First temporary apt was bad experience. Second permanent apartment is working out pretty well… except for the A/C issues -- and then the unwelcome guest. After my bedroom A/C started leaking and soaking into the carpet on Thursday I shut it off.  A/C men didn’t come on Thursday. No show Friday.  So I was to spend the weekend without A/C.  That was fine since it wasn’t too hot in my bedroom.
 But then late last night I saw an unwelcome guest on the move with purpose coming down from my malfunctioning A/C. A roach! A big one nevertheless, known by some as a waterbus.  I screamed and realized I had no insect spray.  Instead I grabbed a fly swatter.  I approached it.  It fled in the opposite direction and continued to descend the wall. I texted a neighbor to ask if she had spray.  She had none. A few thoughts of desperation raced through my mind.  I lamented the fact that I didn’t have any.  I thought about using white vinegar mix instead. I resolved to sleep in the living room that night.  I wondered how comfortable my couch would be. Then I prayed, sincerely asking for help.  It was one of my most heartfelt prayers.  How was I to a) get to it and b) kill it? Dead.
 I imagined it roaming around the room, maybe even following the path of my wet upturned carpet and making its way onto my bed.  Oh, the horrors!  Then, breaking my train of thought, I saw it near the window close to me.  I grabbed the vinegar mix and sprayed it.  Then it started moving across the floor towards me, in plain shoe-hit range!  I flung off one flip-flop.  Not sure why.   It moved a bit closer within my reach.  I grabbed the flip-flop and “Bam!” I stopped it in its tracks, yelling the entire time.
 David had his Goliath. Mine was a bit smaller but equally unnerving.   What praise went up that night! God hears my prayers, tends to the needs of my weak heart and strengthens me to do great exploits!  An hour later, once I was ready to go to bed I mustered up the courage to clean up my kill.  I approached it to scoop it into the dustpan.  The antennae moved. “Bam!” It was truly flat them. Scooped it, howled/squealed/groaned in angst, heaved it out the front door, then went off to sleep.  In big and small things, God is a true Father, Keeper, and Strength.