I dropped my toothbrush.  face down.  on goat poop.

Although many of you may have a difficult time imagining the likelihood of this occurance in your regular life, I can assure you that it was quite simple for me.  In Swaziland, we spent a significant amount of time chasing goats away from things like our wash basins, our water spicket, our dinner, our hut, and our personal belongings.  They outnumbered us.   We struggled to outsmart them. 

When my toothbrush went down, it fell in slow motion, but I was still too slow to save it.  The damage was done.  The bristles and the goat poop met on the unkind African soil. . .

Because I've earned a college degree, I was able to summon my knowledge and devise a plan for what to do next.  A simple rinsing would not suffice... I would have to boil it.  Our fearless leader Wilson Bunn became the overseer of the process.  As we watched the toothbrush boil on top of our tiny stove, I marveled at the wonders of toothbrush materials.  How can the plastic hold its shape in such hot water for so long??  . . . As it turns out, it can't.  My poor toothbrush was removed from the pot with a spatula, and it was in desperate need of reshaping.  When it was finally straight enough to re-enter my toothbrush holder, I felt satisfied. 

. . . Until I decided to brush my teeth.  Much to my surprise (and horror), my now poop-free bristles were no longer attached the brush.  One by one they fell out of the plastic and into my mouth.  I was left with approximately 25% of the original bristles in order to brush the remaining 50% of my teeth.   It was a sorry display of dental hygeine (sorry dad)!

Thankfully, I was able to purchase a new toothbrush after only 2 days of using my sparse looking brush...  I managed to survive the goats and cows.  I even enjoyed them sometimes... as long as they weren't eating my shampoo or pooping on my toothbrush. . . ;)

I am now back in South Africa for a short time, and will be leaving with my team tomorrow morning for Jeffery's Bay in order to meet another team who is hard at work on the coast.  I am excited to have the opportunity to see the ocean, to reconnect with some friends, and to serve the Lord just a little farther South.

Please continue to pray for my team for safe travels, team unity, and effective ministry. 
Also, ask God to help me to hold onto my toothbrush a little more tightly next time.

With love and blessings from Africa,
Katie Movic