Billet with the Roaches...

I got a call late last week to join a friend (Tamar) for an adventure in Toronto. Since Tamar, had arranged for a billet, my sweet-about-to-be-golfing-for-a-week-in-a-lovely-resort-in-North-Carolina-husband said sure go.
Tamar and I had never spent time together, and this promised to be an adventure that I looked forward to connecting with her on...little did I know!
We set out with gorgeous sunny skies on Friday morning. Our hearts were set to receive all that God had for us over the next 2 days of services. Ahh! What could be better?

We'd been warned our accomadations were rough...that's OK, we'll pretend we are camping in doors...it'll be an adventure. I felt prepared...after all Tamar was armed with paper towel and Lysol! Plus a candle, in case it was stale...

NOTHING could have prepared me for what assaulted my senses as we walked through the front door. I have been to the mission field, and eaten and lived with people in poverty...I'd do THAT again in a heart beat.
Some boys had been living there, and were recently evicted...their stuff was still everywhere...clothes, broken mirrors and furniture...garbage...smells Tamar was able to identify through her nursing experience...but my "uneducated nose" was afraid to discern. There was a bathroom...shower worked/no shower curtain, but although it had been "cleaned", Tamar would testify otherwise. The sink did not work...we could brush our teeth with water from the tub.
We were educated on how we could use the bathroom without touching the toilet seat...I am very visual, so this turned out to be a real gut-splitter.

Our bubbly guide had already spent a night and let us know that it really wasn't that bad...
I panicked and called Mark...we were all set to book a hotel, but were afraid to offend our hosts...we chickened out.
Our bubbly guide prayed in the room Tamar and I would share...we thought...maybe we can do this...it's only one night.

We went to the eve. service, trying to put the night ahead out of our minds...easier said than done! The service ended, the church was getting locked up...it was TIME...
We decided to use the washroom at the church...and I decided I was going on a "pee fast" until the church opened at 9:30 the next morning.

I steeled myself...and bravely faced my adventure!
We were troopers...we'd been spieled rhetoric about humility...prep. for missions...(who said I was called to the garbage dumps?) We were not going to be so proud as to cause offence...so in the dark, we got some things and headed through some high metal gates to our adventure.

Our guide unlocks the door, and my senses reeled once again...
Then we turned on the lights...
It seems we broke up a party in full force, the bright lights blinded the TRUE home owners, and they scurried in every direction...
COCKROACHES!!!

I am thinking there is NO WAY!
Our guide tried to convince us they would not be in our room....Tamar actually tries to make a barrier of Lysol across the thresh hold of our room...maybe they won't cross it.
I am getting sick, but we check the room anyway, maybe our guide is right....NOPE!!!! Tamar's barrier probably kept them from LEAVING our room. That's it! I am prepared to sleep in the car in a very unsafe neighborhood at this point...I would have...it was clean! Offending anyone was no longer an issue.
Finally, it is almost midnight and we call Mark to find us a hotel...Tamar and Mark worked out the hotel...
All of my senses went into overdrive, and I began to heave...
Now, in the worst of flues, I don't throw up...only a little when I was pregnant.
I am praying by now, "God don't let me throw up here, I could never handle cleaning it up in this mess". I got outside and got air...OK, I can go in and get my stuff..I am picturing these critters invading my stuff and making their way home with me.
I get my stuff ready to take to the car, heaving the whole time...I rush for the night air...not a second too soon!
Mark has given us directions to a hotel about 35 min. away...I am exhausted, it is about 12:30, I am so nauseous...I just want to get out of here.
I get ready to take my things to the car at the back of the building...both gates are locked for the night! Tamar is trying to convince us and herself that she can climb these 7' fences to get the car...yeah, well what about the big white pit -bull-looking dog between the 2 fences!

We are situated in the middle of the block in a bad area of down town TO. I DON'T CARE!
Our guide waits with our stuff, as Tamar and I set out together to walk the block to get to our vehicle. Tamar is worried about muggers or something...she walked with her keys between her knuckles.
All I had was a lip gloss...not much help...I didn't care, I wasn't the least bit scared. I'd have taken on 5 massive muggers with guns single handedly AND WON in order to get away from the assault I'd already experienced on my senses. Goliath couldn't have stopped me!

Tamar convinced our guide to join us for a clean bed and a clean shower...I was not as focused on being charitable...I just wanted to be able to breathe...far away from here.
We found our hotel, I crashed immediately...it's now after 1:00...and I need my sleep. I had to pray so I wouldn't be inundated with giant critters in my dreams...Thank you God...I slept well.

I admit I am a real girly-girl...but come on...would any of you "humbled" yourselves to have a pajama party with the roaches?

No Mark, this is not part of the "equal money/equal time" deal...in fact, I think I will need time in a five star hotel to truly heal from my adventures with Tamar!

What a way to really get to know each other though! We did have fun, thanks Tamar!
Next time, let's try something less challenging like , oh I don't know....climbing Mt. Everest!

Tamar has a must read poem on her blog about our adventure....check it out!