All the Single Ladies

Remember our trip to New Orleans? Yeah this is the friend/co-worker/Mattie's best friend/most awesome girl we know that we were meeting down there. The reasons for her trip were 3 fold. 1) We missed her. Desperately. 2) We wanted her to experience the South. And by "the South" we mean southern food because, really, what else is there to do down here other than eat? 3) We thought it would be good for her to experience the heat and humidity before moving to the jungle. Jesus told us all to count the cost, and while the Missionary Training Center did an excellent job of helping us to consider our health, safety, comforts, families, and the daily hardships that we will face, they did not prepare us for the weather. (Although, they used to. Did you know there used to be a training center or "boot camp" in Durant, Mississippi? They never should have closed that thing down. I can imagine the heat and culture shock all the students got down here!) So, we thought she should endure this one final test before deciding to go to New Guinea. She passed with flying colors, even though once I thought I heard her mumble something under her breath about going to Greenland. In fact, I think yours truly here complained the most about the heat, but as a pregnant lady, I have the right to do that. I am pretty sure that is in the Constitution- freedom of religion, speech, the right to bear arms, and the right for pregnant ladies to complain about any temperature above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The end.

Anyway, the whole point of this post which I am getting to now is to introduce you to another special breed of woman. The Tribal Single Lady. If you think the Tribal wife is tough, brave...crazy, then this girl is tougher, braver, and crazier. She goes into the jungle alone. I wish I could say they are a rare breed...well, in some ways they are...but, sadly single women missionaries are all too common. In fact, way more common than men. Our graduating class had 7 single ladies and no, I repeat, no single guys. The 1st semester class that year had 10 single ladies and again, no single guys. Where are all the men? Seriously? Why are these ladies willing to trek out in the jungle alone, but very few guys are? I don't get it. I mean Survivorman? Man vs. Wild? I guess guys just like to watch these shows rather than live them. Who knows? Anyway, I did not mean for this to turn into man- bashing because it is not. I am just saying that these girls deserve some serious props for what they are willing to go through for the sake of the Gospel, and I tip my hat to them...if I had a hat...I have never been able to wear hats...I have a weird head. Anyway, that is all for now. Just wanted to give a shout out for all the Tribal Single Ladies. Guys if you like it...put a ring on it. Just know that you will have to go live in the jungle, sleep under a mosquito net, and build an odorless outhouse for her. But trust me, she is worth it!


P.S. I will leave you with one more picture of our New Orleans experience. Walking around in all that heat and humidity was worth this moment. YUMMMMMMM!