Well, I thought clearing customs in Atlanta on the way in would be the hardest part of my journey...I thought wrong. My 4:00pm flight was canceled, so I was put on a waiting list for a 9:40pm flight that night. That flight was delayed until 12:30am, but there wasn't enough room on that flight...soooo...since I'm not old enough to get a hotel room apparently, I got stuck in "Dusty's Den" - the childrens "holding" room for the night. Basically it was a bunkbed. Luckily rather than having to wait until 6:30 that night like I was originally told, they got me out of there by 9:30. Suffice to say, it was not the greatest day of my life.

I was never so glad to be back in my own home and in my own bed...Until...

that morning I woke up with what I thought was a mosquito bite- until I pulled back the covers to make my bed and discovered a brown recluse!! That's what I get for bragging about being healthy all summer I suppose. Still! The irony that nothing would happen to me in Mexico, but the very night I return to my "safe" home- I get bitten by an extremely poisonous spider.

My mom immedietely got me into the doctor, and she said it looked like a pretty minor bite, but gave me antibiotics just in case. Apparently, there's nothing they can do about the venom- the only treatment is to try to keep it from getting infected. Well in a matter of hours later, my "minor" bite had turned into a full-on infection that was tracking the vein up my arm and spreading too fast to keep up with. We started the antibiotics and on monday I went back to the doctor. By this time, it was much, much worse, having spread nearly around my arm. It also started to swell and it was really hot to the touch. Not only was it very painful but it itched like crazy! Anyway, two more doctors visits, 5 shots, and 2 courses of antibiotics and steroids later, my arm has almost returned to its normal color and the pain is almost gone. The blessing in all of this is that only the infection and not the venom spread. In the worst cases of these types of bites, the venom can cause the skin to break down and wound care is required- often leaving pretty awful scars. I thank God I didn't have to deal with that side of it.

So now I am home and (finally) well. I am immensly enjoying being with my family, eating Ameican food, and worshipping in English : ). Thank you so much for supporting me in prayer and encouragment over these last two months. Expect to recieve an update letter in the next month or two- I should also have lots more pictures up at stephinmex.shutterfly.com in a day or so. The password is monterrey.

Thanks so much for everything, Stephanie