stinky and sticky

I am sitting in the internet cafe after Kroo Bay hoping that no one around me can smell or see how dirty I am. The day was a hot and sunny one....this means that you walk around perpetually damp due to your own profuse sweating. This is a state of being that we have all accepted and it really doesn't even bother me that much anymore....except today. Damp and sticky I descended into Kroo Bay for the good news club. Then, every cute little face and dirty set of hands wanted to grab, touch, hug and be held. My arms went into Kroo Bay white and came out brown. My pants went in tan and came out orange. (I just ran my finger across my neck and a film of black dirt rolled off. Yuck!) I picked up a little one today and because my arms were so sweaty...when I put him down I could literally see where his dirt had come off and stuck to my arms. Saturday night showers are always a must in our household and are relished by all. It is the best feeling to see all the dirt being washed away... they are completely refreshing! This brings me to the my dilemma this evening....the city has shut off the water supply and it could take up to a week for them to turn it back on. There is no telling. Last night we made due and it never dawned on me that tonight we would be sitting in our Kroo Bay dirt and not be able to get it off. This little issue has revealed to me that I am not quite cured of my need for comfort as I thought I was....a little dirt and I have been whining like a baby. The whole way to the internet cafe I kept lamenting to poor Jeremy about how dirty I am...like he wasn't covered in the same filth. (rolling my eyes at myself) It makes me think about one of the really little pekindem (children) today that was just covered in charcoal. His family must work with it or he must have gotten into some right before coming. He was black all over his face and hands. I sat there during the singing part of the good news club wondering how I could get him clean....I had no options that could fix the problem because if I had cleaned him up with my bottle of water.....I would have had 300 other little dirty faces looking at me saying - "me next?". All those precious kids live in filth day in and day out....I am miserable because I have been dirty for about 5 hours and I don't know whether or not I will have to stop and buy water to sponge bath with or if I will have a bucket waiting for me at home. Either way....I do have options. I know it is not wrong to want to be clean, it is just a sobering reminder that I really don't know what it is to really live like those kids live....I will never fully know because I will always have options. So, there you go....my lesson in humility for today....stay tuned for more.