I met the mother of one of the sponsored children in our program as she came walking out of the jungle with a honeycomb in her hand. She held it out to my host and me offering us a taste.
“Have you ever eaten raw honey?” asked my host.
“Sure,” I replied. “Many times, at home in the States.”
“Would you like to taste it?” she asked.
“Of course,” I answered.
I was always anxious to try things and I felt that the mom who held the honeycomb would be pleased to share with me. We were staying among a remote people group called the Agay in the northern part of Luzon, Philippines. I learned that finding this honey was a rare treat. I took her picture along with two of her children. There were no utensils with which to taste the treat and certainly no bread to smear with the honey. So, as she held out the honeycomb to me, I simply dipped the tip of my finger in the honey and put it on my tongue. I don’t remember that it tasted any different than honey I had eaten before. However, it was only a matter of minutes and I began to feel my tongue swell.
Oh no, I thought. What had I done! I must be having an allergic reaction to that honey! I carried Benadryl with me, so without making any kind of scene, I quickly swallowed a tablet. I waited a few minutes, but It felt like my throat was continuing to swell so I downed more Benadryl. I knew that if this didn’t stop the reaction, I would be in trouble. What should I do? We were at least a 14-hour drive from Manilla and medical intervention. I finally privately explained to my host what was happening.
“Please don’t blame yourself if I should stop breathing. I know there is nothing you can do so far from medical care,” I said. “I’m going to lay down for a few minutes and give the medicine time to work. Hopefully I’ll be ok.” And I was.
As I laid on the bamboo cot, I thought of how each trip I took held its own adventures and challenges. I recalled how in preparation for this trip, Psalm 62:1, 2 spoke to me: My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.