a day in the emergency room

Yes, the rumor is true. I have an addition to my headdress - 5 pretty little stitches, just a few inches above my right ear. How did this happen, you ask? I would love to tell you the story of how I fell off an elephant in the Indian jungle, or was chasing down a rickshaw to rescue a stolen child. But the truth is, my friends, in simplest form:

I fought the fan...
and the
Fan won.
(best if hummed to the tune, "I Fought the Law")

My team has been incredibly blessed since we arrived in India Monday morning. We have delicious rice dishes prepared for us everyday, a freezer where I make my own ice trays, and a huge open roof perfect for worship and writing in the night air. And to top things off - us girls found an AC box above one of the bunk beds! It doesn't get much better than that.

The first night it was about 103 degrees in our room as we tried to sleep. Turning on the AC the next night was glorious, but soon froze us as it dropped lower and lower in temperature. Being the smart, intuitive person that I am, I knew there was a way to set the temperature. I crawled up on the bunk bed, searched around the sides, poked buttons, and finally came to the conclusion that the controls had to be on the top. As I stood up, I was immediately whapped with a few hard blows from the fierce, iron ceiling fan.

Of course my roommates start to panic, when I assure them,
"I'm fine guys, really. It's not like I'm bleeding." Just then I reached up to find my hair covered in blood, and dripping down my forehead.

They proceeded to take excellent care of me while I bled all over the bathroom, and decided this might be a case for the pros. I argued, but my persistence was low. I have never had stitches in my life. Never gone to a hospital in any of the 10 countries I've traveled to. And I'd definitely never been taken out on my 2nd day of a trip. By a ceiling fan.

But rest assured. The fan is fine.
and so am I.

(me in the ER holding cotton gauze on my open head wound)

The hospital was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. After traveling by 20 min via bumpy rickshaw (holding cotton swabs to my head to stop the bleeding) we made it to the ER. I laid on an oversized plastic serving tray as dozens of doctors and nurses came in to look at me, bobble their heads hello, then exit through the dull gray curtains. After a couple hours of waiting, they agreed that stitches were what I needed - but would not do anything until I first purchased the materials. My leader Brooke graciously took my shopping list to the pharmacy to buy ethilon, needles, a syringe and rubber gloves. Then we were in business. There was an American doctor who stopped in, whom I graciously appreciated, for he insisted that the doctor didn't need to shave my hair off. They stitched me up for little more than my pharmacy bill, and I was out the door feeling good as new.

(my pharmacy shopping list - in the emergency room)

There's the story of my day in the emergency room. Do not fret - I am doing well. Finally able to shower and wash the blood out of my hair, 24hrs later, with little to no pain at all. Ministry started today, and my team is excited for what's to come. Hopefully that doesn't include any more hospital visits :)