We have a prayer request. It's one of those off-the-wall requests that might make you chuckle, but try to take me seriously. While we're in Africa we are going to come into contact with lots of bacteria and germs that are foreign to our systems. Things that our bodies don't know how to handle. It's unavoidable. I've been preaching about hand washing and food washing and such. (I'm not a germaphobe, just trying to be safe.) But, we have a little problem.  At least 3 of the 4 people in this family habitually chew their nails. I mean all the time, like beavers. The 4th person just nibbles occasionally. Can you imagine what will happen if we constantly have our hands in our mouths in Africa?  We'll be perpetually sick! This has got to stop, ideally before we leave the country.

If we are constantly sick in Africa we'll be useless to the people we're going to serve. We may even have to be sent home. So, our prayer is that God would help us overcome this obstacle. Of course we've tried it on our own. I can gnaw through that nasty tasting nail polish in less than 2 seconds (sorry, I know that's kind-of gross). Gloves get pulled off. Keeping files and clippers close at hand - useless.  Using red nail polish as a "stop sign"...nope.  Nothing seems to work. And the boys are just as bad, mindlessly chewing on their fingers all the time.

We are asking for your help in this silly, but potentially serious matter. We must learn to keep our hands out of our mouths. If you have any tips or tricks to help us overcome our bad habits, we'd love to hear them! If not, just pray. Thanks!