Friday, July 10- Faces
I woke up this morning to the sound of an African rain storm. I love listening to the rain at home, but I have never heard it rain so hard. It was amazing to just lie there, listen, and think about where I am and what I am witnessing and learning every day.
I saw patients again with Marion and Mike, another one of the Community Health Educators. The days here can get a little repetitive seeing so many patients. I don’t know how many we see each day, but you remember the faces. The morning started off with an adorable baby, he was so happy and smiley, he was not fearing us at all. He had the most beautiful, big eyes you have ever seen. Every day I think I have seen the cutest kid ever, but then another one comes in. And to make it even better, this was a perfectly healthy baby.
Another was a 3-year-old little boy, who was very shy, but not scared. Of course, he was cute too. Its kids like him who get me. They have big bellies poking out, but it is because they are malnourished, not full. His hair was patchy, his skin scaly and dry. He had mild bronchitis so we were going to give him a breathing treatment. Basically, a mask on his face and we squeeze an inhaler into it so he breathes the medicine. That did scare him and he cried, but that was good because he was taking deeper breaths and getting the medicine in. When we were done, I just sat on the table beside him and held his hand until the tears stopped running down his face.
Later a 10-year-old boy came in with his grandmother. He was skin and bones. With these kids, it’s hard to diagnose them with something specific because most of their problems stem from their malnourishment. As Marion was talking to his grandmother about his problems, she said “He needs to eat more food.” The grandmother looked away and replied “I have no food to give him.” We were both speechless for a minute as Mike explained to us how hard it is for some to find food. My heart went out to them both. It’s so easy for us if we come across that in the states, we can direct them to a food pantry or shelter or church to get help. But here, there is no one to help. Food is scarce for most everyone. I am humbled here on a daily basis.
One last face for the day, not sad, he just brought a smile to my face. This was the cutest little old man ever. He said he was 70, but he looked a lot older. He had a wrinkled, weathered face, and a gentle smile. He walked in with his cane, wide-brimmed hat, suit jacket, and pants rolled up like he was going to the beach. He was so cute, so appreciative for everything we were doing for him.
Please continue to pray for these patients we see, that they will see beyond just the medicine and treatment we are giving them. Pray that we will truly be able to make a difference in the lives of these people
Monday, July 13, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Weekend Two- 4th/ Jinga- July 4-7
This is the short version because the weekend stretched from Saturday to Tuesday and lots of things happened. But it still might be kind of long haha.
AAH was throwing a 4th of July/ 5th anniversary of the school celebration for us on the 4th. The celebration was supposed to start at 10:00 but this is Africa time, so 12:30 was when it started. Lunch was supposed to be at 2 but that didn’t happen. Parts of the celebration were great. The kids had some great songs and dances. And they did a skit, which was hilarious even though we had no idea what they were saying. But then the speeches started. They talked for so long and we didn’t really know what they were saying. Finally, the Mzungus were given an escape plan and taken to eat our special lunch. Rice and beans, of course.
During lunch we all reminisced on our favorite 4th of July traditions. Most of the conversation revolved around food, fireworks, and family. We all agreed that today has made us the most homesick so far. Not even really homesick, we would just really like to be in America for today. Its such a patriotic holiday, full of tradition and celebration, and its hard not to think about what everyone in America is doing today. But this is an experience I will never forget. How selfish is it of me to be thinking of all that I am missing out on when these people are trying to make this day special for us? Humbled again in Africa.
That night the school teachers threw a party for all the AAH and FIMRC staff and volunteers. It actually turned out to be pretty fun. The food actually was quite a feast. Tons of rice, beans, chipati (fried dough = amazing), pork, beef, and chicken. After going to the market and seeing how meat is cut and sold, I’m a vegetarian for this trip. And tons of beer. Our newest volunteer here is Tommy, a British med student, which made the 4th very entertaining.
Sunday
Two of the volunteers, Karli and Brea, were leaving this week, so we were going to their favorite place, Jinja, for the weekend. Jinja is a pretty big tourist city, because it is where the source of the Nile River is. We were staying at Bukigali camp site, again cheap dorm style rooms, but amazing views. The porch overlooks the Nile and some of the rapids. We arrived after a wild matatu ride, Molly and I decided to go bungee jumping, while the rest of the group went on a sunset gin and tonic kayak cruise. Yes that’s right, we went bungee jumping. Over the source of the Nile. It was amazing. 44 meters up, they sat us in a chair, tied our feet up (very securely, no worries), then made us hop over toward the edge. They told us not to look down and tiptoe over to the edge. That was the only scary part, inching toward the edge and trusting they would tell when to stop. Then it was “look toward that field, jump as far out as possible and do a swan dive. 3, 2, 1.” The first drop was shocking, I couldn’t even scream. I got to the bottom and then was yanked back up on the other side. Then down and up again. I never actually touched the water. When you stopped, you hung there, upside down for a minute, until the people in the raft hold out an oar to you and pull you into the boat. It lasted all of one minute, but so fun.
Monday
Monday was a day that I really wanted my thoughts to automatically just be written down because there was so much to take in. We got up and caught the rafting truck to the Nile River Explorers’ office where we checked in, semi-signed a waiver, then to eat breakfast. Perry- it was a continental breakfast Africa-style: toast, boiled eggs, chapatti, mango, pineapple, baby bananas, coffee, tea, jam. We met the rafting guide in charge of our trip and he told us how the day was going to work, what to take, what to leave, etc. It was a very organized operation, apparently during the summer they take a group out every day. Our group had 30 people and on weekends it’s usually 2 or 3 times that many. We got fitted for life jackets and helmets, then loaded onto the rafting truck for the trip to the put-in point. Once there, we were divided into groups and put with a guide.
The 5 of us (me, Molly, Amy, Vicky, Tommy) had a guide named Charles aka Prince Charles of the Nile. He was a local Ugandan who had been guiding rafting trips for 13 years, so he knew the river very well. He had actually worked for the competing rafting company, then didn’t agree with some of their policies so he came to Nile River Explorers. Very cool guy. We got in and went over all the safety issues; what to do if we flipped, what to do if you fell out, then he made us practice falling out. Along with the six rafts that went, there were two safety rafts (big rafts with safety people in case there was an emergency, we never needed them), and 10 or so safety kayakers that would come get you if you fell out and drifted too far from your boat. Quote from the guide “They are the crazy ones in the lunchboxes that look like Jesus when they come get you.” And away we went. There were a total of 12 rapids- 8 before lunch, 4 after, 4 class V rapids. It was so much fun. At several points during the day we were just paddling on flat water. It was amazing to look around at the scenery, at this huge river and just think about how big it actually is. It begins at Lake Victoria and flows north to Egypt. It’s the only river in the world which flows north. And this river has been here for thousands of years, nestled between the mountains of Uganda, flowing easily in some places and raging rapids in others. We saw tons of birds alongside the river- King Fisher, storks, little white birds which are called ‘Mzungu birds.’ Our guide also liked to tell us stories while we were just paddling along. The favorite was of the Nile Perch. Apparently these fish are bigger than people, and they eat people. When you go over waterfalls, which we did, they sit at the bottom with their mouths open to catch Mzungus who fall out. We ate lunch on the river, the safety rafts were converted into makeshift tables where they prepared the food. Really it was a packet of glucose biscuits- a staple around here, a mix between a cookie and cracker- and the greatest pineapple in the world. They cut the pineapple into fourths, ran a knife through it to cut pieces, and then handed you half a pineapple. So good. After lunch we had the final four rapids, one that was an actual waterfall, one which we did with our eyes closed, and one that we did with all the girls in the back and Tommy in the front, therefore vertical. An amazing day.
We rode back to the campsite for another free meal, which was awesome. Real food. No rice or beans. Pasta, salad, chapatti, green beans, steak tips, rolls. Then another hot shower and hanging out with the rest of the group. We were exhausted from a full day of rafting so we went back to the room to read. But then we ended up just talking. After the long weekend, my trip is at the halfway point and Molly has only a week and a half left. The weekend was the perfect relaxation/rejuvenation/get pumped about what we are doing for the rest of our time here. We are at a point where we know what is going here and what we want to accomplish in our time we have left. Sometimes it’s hard to see how I are making a difference and what exactly I am accomplishing, but with a list of specific goals we are excited for the next 2 weeks. It’s weird because I am pumped for the next 2 weeks and what we are going to accomplish, but I also can’t wait to get home and share with you more what God is doing over here.
Thank you so much for your prayers for the weekend. It was fun, safe, and some people used good judgement….but overall it was awesome. Prayer requests for the week: safe travel for those coming and going; relationships among the volunteers; continued enthusiasm and ambition for my remaining time here!
This is the short version because the weekend stretched from Saturday to Tuesday and lots of things happened. But it still might be kind of long haha.
AAH was throwing a 4th of July/ 5th anniversary of the school celebration for us on the 4th. The celebration was supposed to start at 10:00 but this is Africa time, so 12:30 was when it started. Lunch was supposed to be at 2 but that didn’t happen. Parts of the celebration were great. The kids had some great songs and dances. And they did a skit, which was hilarious even though we had no idea what they were saying. But then the speeches started. They talked for so long and we didn’t really know what they were saying. Finally, the Mzungus were given an escape plan and taken to eat our special lunch. Rice and beans, of course.
During lunch we all reminisced on our favorite 4th of July traditions. Most of the conversation revolved around food, fireworks, and family. We all agreed that today has made us the most homesick so far. Not even really homesick, we would just really like to be in America for today. Its such a patriotic holiday, full of tradition and celebration, and its hard not to think about what everyone in America is doing today. But this is an experience I will never forget. How selfish is it of me to be thinking of all that I am missing out on when these people are trying to make this day special for us? Humbled again in Africa.
That night the school teachers threw a party for all the AAH and FIMRC staff and volunteers. It actually turned out to be pretty fun. The food actually was quite a feast. Tons of rice, beans, chipati (fried dough = amazing), pork, beef, and chicken. After going to the market and seeing how meat is cut and sold, I’m a vegetarian for this trip. And tons of beer. Our newest volunteer here is Tommy, a British med student, which made the 4th very entertaining.
Sunday
Two of the volunteers, Karli and Brea, were leaving this week, so we were going to their favorite place, Jinja, for the weekend. Jinja is a pretty big tourist city, because it is where the source of the Nile River is. We were staying at Bukigali camp site, again cheap dorm style rooms, but amazing views. The porch overlooks the Nile and some of the rapids. We arrived after a wild matatu ride, Molly and I decided to go bungee jumping, while the rest of the group went on a sunset gin and tonic kayak cruise. Yes that’s right, we went bungee jumping. Over the source of the Nile. It was amazing. 44 meters up, they sat us in a chair, tied our feet up (very securely, no worries), then made us hop over toward the edge. They told us not to look down and tiptoe over to the edge. That was the only scary part, inching toward the edge and trusting they would tell when to stop. Then it was “look toward that field, jump as far out as possible and do a swan dive. 3, 2, 1.” The first drop was shocking, I couldn’t even scream. I got to the bottom and then was yanked back up on the other side. Then down and up again. I never actually touched the water. When you stopped, you hung there, upside down for a minute, until the people in the raft hold out an oar to you and pull you into the boat. It lasted all of one minute, but so fun.
Monday
Monday was a day that I really wanted my thoughts to automatically just be written down because there was so much to take in. We got up and caught the rafting truck to the Nile River Explorers’ office where we checked in, semi-signed a waiver, then to eat breakfast. Perry- it was a continental breakfast Africa-style: toast, boiled eggs, chapatti, mango, pineapple, baby bananas, coffee, tea, jam. We met the rafting guide in charge of our trip and he told us how the day was going to work, what to take, what to leave, etc. It was a very organized operation, apparently during the summer they take a group out every day. Our group had 30 people and on weekends it’s usually 2 or 3 times that many. We got fitted for life jackets and helmets, then loaded onto the rafting truck for the trip to the put-in point. Once there, we were divided into groups and put with a guide.
The 5 of us (me, Molly, Amy, Vicky, Tommy) had a guide named Charles aka Prince Charles of the Nile. He was a local Ugandan who had been guiding rafting trips for 13 years, so he knew the river very well. He had actually worked for the competing rafting company, then didn’t agree with some of their policies so he came to Nile River Explorers. Very cool guy. We got in and went over all the safety issues; what to do if we flipped, what to do if you fell out, then he made us practice falling out. Along with the six rafts that went, there were two safety rafts (big rafts with safety people in case there was an emergency, we never needed them), and 10 or so safety kayakers that would come get you if you fell out and drifted too far from your boat. Quote from the guide “They are the crazy ones in the lunchboxes that look like Jesus when they come get you.” And away we went. There were a total of 12 rapids- 8 before lunch, 4 after, 4 class V rapids. It was so much fun. At several points during the day we were just paddling on flat water. It was amazing to look around at the scenery, at this huge river and just think about how big it actually is. It begins at Lake Victoria and flows north to Egypt. It’s the only river in the world which flows north. And this river has been here for thousands of years, nestled between the mountains of Uganda, flowing easily in some places and raging rapids in others. We saw tons of birds alongside the river- King Fisher, storks, little white birds which are called ‘Mzungu birds.’ Our guide also liked to tell us stories while we were just paddling along. The favorite was of the Nile Perch. Apparently these fish are bigger than people, and they eat people. When you go over waterfalls, which we did, they sit at the bottom with their mouths open to catch Mzungus who fall out. We ate lunch on the river, the safety rafts were converted into makeshift tables where they prepared the food. Really it was a packet of glucose biscuits- a staple around here, a mix between a cookie and cracker- and the greatest pineapple in the world. They cut the pineapple into fourths, ran a knife through it to cut pieces, and then handed you half a pineapple. So good. After lunch we had the final four rapids, one that was an actual waterfall, one which we did with our eyes closed, and one that we did with all the girls in the back and Tommy in the front, therefore vertical. An amazing day.
We rode back to the campsite for another free meal, which was awesome. Real food. No rice or beans. Pasta, salad, chapatti, green beans, steak tips, rolls. Then another hot shower and hanging out with the rest of the group. We were exhausted from a full day of rafting so we went back to the room to read. But then we ended up just talking. After the long weekend, my trip is at the halfway point and Molly has only a week and a half left. The weekend was the perfect relaxation/rejuvenation/get pumped about what we are doing for the rest of our time here. We are at a point where we know what is going here and what we want to accomplish in our time we have left. Sometimes it’s hard to see how I are making a difference and what exactly I am accomplishing, but with a list of specific goals we are excited for the next 2 weeks. It’s weird because I am pumped for the next 2 weeks and what we are going to accomplish, but I also can’t wait to get home and share with you more what God is doing over here.
Thank you so much for your prayers for the weekend. It was fun, safe, and some people used good judgement….but overall it was awesome. Prayer requests for the week: safe travel for those coming and going; relationships among the volunteers; continued enthusiasm and ambition for my remaining time here!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Wednesday
Last week, when we went on our boda tour of the city, we visited Bududa Hospital. It was built by the Japanese government, which surprised me some, but I’m finding more and more that other countries come into Uganda and build hospitals, roads, etc. and then leave. They don’t send supplies or workers, just the building. So Molly and I were really impressed by this hospital and what they were doing, and they practically begged us to come back and volunteer because they were so short-staffed. We planned to go back to Bududa Hospital on Wednesday and back to Bukigai Health Center this Friday. Now, you can’t just walk in and volunteer, which was what we thought the process was. We had to send an official letter, in letter format with a FIMRC stamp and everything. We asked Rashid and Mike who to address the letter to (In-charge, Bududa Hospital) and then delivered them with Rashid. That was Friday. On Tuesday, we get our letter back from Bududa Hospital, and it needs to be re-written. Why? Instead of the in-charge (who had given us the tour and the invitation to come back) we needed to write it to the Medical Superintendent and send it back that day. But they also said that Wednesday would be a great day to come because many ‘activities’ were going on. TIA.
When we got there, it took us 30 minutes or so to find someone who knew where this nurse we were following was. We found her and she took us to the Pediatric Ward, just a pediatric clinic, where we shadowed two medical students. They were very nice, Peter and Moses, and very knowledgeable. I took lots of notes on what they were diagnosing, the process which brought them to a diagnosis, and many of the similarities and differences between Bududa and FIMRC. They spend more time talking to each patient, and they included us in every step, asking what we thought and why the prescribed certain medicines, etc. They do not, however, take any vitals, except weight when they are prescribing medicine. They don’t have a thermometer so if a parent says their child has a fever, they do. They listen to heart sounds, check their eyes (something FIMRC does not do, and either prescribe them medicine, send them to the lab for tests, or admit them to the Ward for meds and observation. It was a very enlightening morning.
They then had to go scrub in on a C-section and we tagged along. When we got there, apparently they didn’t have permission from high enough authority for us to watch, and they had already started. So we sat in a room, for an hour, ate some crackers, and read/ played Sudoku- we’re always prepared. Finally, we said 5 more minutes and we’re going back to the ward to watch more. We waited, and then Peter came and told us to go change into scrubs, we were going to watch a surgery. The scrubs there were like 20 times to big, no joke, and we have pictures. And you have to wear rain boots, or gum boots as they call them, into the OR. It was a really interesting surgery, a molar pregnancy, but the details are not G-rated, so ask me sometime if you really want to know. There are only two operation rooms in the operation theatre complex, but they were a fairly good size. They had some really nice equipment, overhead lights, anesthesia machines, heart rate monitors. Did they use it? No. One of the medical students held a flashlight for the doctor; an old oxygen tank was used for the anesthesia. It was so weird to have all the equipment but not be able to use it. And on everything there was a sticker that had a Japanese flag and “donated by the people of Japan” written on it. The surgeon seemed to be very capable, she had done the c-section before and then right into this surgery. They do ok with what they have. We didn’t actually volunteer as much as we would have liked but we got to see some really cool stuff and we are going back one day next week, no letter needed.
After work we went and picked up some skirts we had made out of some fabric we bought. Then it was back to the Guest House. Nights at home are fun; we have family dinner, lots of laughter, and usually a game of Cranium or something. Everyone has fun together.
This is probably the last post I will have till the middle of next week, because we don’t have internet on the weekends, and Sun/Mon/Tues we are going to Jinja to go white water rafting on the Nile. Please pray for safety, good decisions for everyone in our group, and for fun. Thanks for your love and prayers!
Last week, when we went on our boda tour of the city, we visited Bududa Hospital. It was built by the Japanese government, which surprised me some, but I’m finding more and more that other countries come into Uganda and build hospitals, roads, etc. and then leave. They don’t send supplies or workers, just the building. So Molly and I were really impressed by this hospital and what they were doing, and they practically begged us to come back and volunteer because they were so short-staffed. We planned to go back to Bududa Hospital on Wednesday and back to Bukigai Health Center this Friday. Now, you can’t just walk in and volunteer, which was what we thought the process was. We had to send an official letter, in letter format with a FIMRC stamp and everything. We asked Rashid and Mike who to address the letter to (In-charge, Bududa Hospital) and then delivered them with Rashid. That was Friday. On Tuesday, we get our letter back from Bududa Hospital, and it needs to be re-written. Why? Instead of the in-charge (who had given us the tour and the invitation to come back) we needed to write it to the Medical Superintendent and send it back that day. But they also said that Wednesday would be a great day to come because many ‘activities’ were going on. TIA.
When we got there, it took us 30 minutes or so to find someone who knew where this nurse we were following was. We found her and she took us to the Pediatric Ward, just a pediatric clinic, where we shadowed two medical students. They were very nice, Peter and Moses, and very knowledgeable. I took lots of notes on what they were diagnosing, the process which brought them to a diagnosis, and many of the similarities and differences between Bududa and FIMRC. They spend more time talking to each patient, and they included us in every step, asking what we thought and why the prescribed certain medicines, etc. They do not, however, take any vitals, except weight when they are prescribing medicine. They don’t have a thermometer so if a parent says their child has a fever, they do. They listen to heart sounds, check their eyes (something FIMRC does not do, and either prescribe them medicine, send them to the lab for tests, or admit them to the Ward for meds and observation. It was a very enlightening morning.
They then had to go scrub in on a C-section and we tagged along. When we got there, apparently they didn’t have permission from high enough authority for us to watch, and they had already started. So we sat in a room, for an hour, ate some crackers, and read/ played Sudoku- we’re always prepared. Finally, we said 5 more minutes and we’re going back to the ward to watch more. We waited, and then Peter came and told us to go change into scrubs, we were going to watch a surgery. The scrubs there were like 20 times to big, no joke, and we have pictures. And you have to wear rain boots, or gum boots as they call them, into the OR. It was a really interesting surgery, a molar pregnancy, but the details are not G-rated, so ask me sometime if you really want to know. There are only two operation rooms in the operation theatre complex, but they were a fairly good size. They had some really nice equipment, overhead lights, anesthesia machines, heart rate monitors. Did they use it? No. One of the medical students held a flashlight for the doctor; an old oxygen tank was used for the anesthesia. It was so weird to have all the equipment but not be able to use it. And on everything there was a sticker that had a Japanese flag and “donated by the people of Japan” written on it. The surgeon seemed to be very capable, she had done the c-section before and then right into this surgery. They do ok with what they have. We didn’t actually volunteer as much as we would have liked but we got to see some really cool stuff and we are going back one day next week, no letter needed.
After work we went and picked up some skirts we had made out of some fabric we bought. Then it was back to the Guest House. Nights at home are fun; we have family dinner, lots of laughter, and usually a game of Cranium or something. Everyone has fun together.
This is probably the last post I will have till the middle of next week, because we don’t have internet on the weekends, and Sun/Mon/Tues we are going to Jinja to go white water rafting on the Nile. Please pray for safety, good decisions for everyone in our group, and for fun. Thanks for your love and prayers!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday
Today got off to a slow start. Last night was kind of a wild night at the Guest House. Our house manager and project manager are in the city for a couple days, so getting to bed was not a priority last night. Molly and I did make it up to the clinic only 30 minutes after it opened, but we shouldn’t have worried. As expected, it was a slow day. Taking temps and heart rates and entering them in to the computer was the main task for the morning. We got to a girl who was only 3 months old, but she was skin and bones. I’ve never seen a baby this tiny. Her cry didn’t even sound like a cry really. We noticed that her chest sounded really congested when we were listening to her heart. Luckily, on Tuesdays, Dr. Abeso, who works in the hospital in Mbale, comes to see patients so she was able to take over. This baby girl was severely dehydrated. She tried for almost an hour to find a vein where she could get fluids into her, but they were so small. Dr. Abeso then gave the father some money to take the child quickly to the hospital, where they would have the necessary equipment to nourish her. She told us at lunch, however, that often the parents will go home first and to the hospital later, when it is too late. Sometimes we do what we can, but even then it is not enough.
Yesterday, my devotion book began a section on the life of Daniel. Daniel was born into nobility, but his land was invaded by Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar. He was taken from his home and offered luxuries to persuade him to give up his commitment to God. The first day was titled “Far From Home,” apropos I think, and talks about how everything changed for Daniel, but God’s presence sustained him. That is exactly what I am experiencing right now. Everyday, whether it is something big or small, I am constantly reminded that God is right beside me and he will be with me always, wherever I am (Isaiah 41:10). I am praying that you at home are experiencing His nearness as I am here. He has gone before us and prepared a way until the very end of our days. Nothing we are going through or experiencing surprises Him, He has purposed everything in our lives. Ultimately, God honored Daniel’s commitment and granted him unusual wisdom and a long, productive, and honorable life. Wow. That my faith would be as steadfast as Daniel’s and that I would learn and grow in God’s wisdom and grace- that is my prayer. And that I may never go back to a place where I am not actively seeking God’s will for my every day and seeing His touch in every part of my life.
Today got off to a slow start. Last night was kind of a wild night at the Guest House. Our house manager and project manager are in the city for a couple days, so getting to bed was not a priority last night. Molly and I did make it up to the clinic only 30 minutes after it opened, but we shouldn’t have worried. As expected, it was a slow day. Taking temps and heart rates and entering them in to the computer was the main task for the morning. We got to a girl who was only 3 months old, but she was skin and bones. I’ve never seen a baby this tiny. Her cry didn’t even sound like a cry really. We noticed that her chest sounded really congested when we were listening to her heart. Luckily, on Tuesdays, Dr. Abeso, who works in the hospital in Mbale, comes to see patients so she was able to take over. This baby girl was severely dehydrated. She tried for almost an hour to find a vein where she could get fluids into her, but they were so small. Dr. Abeso then gave the father some money to take the child quickly to the hospital, where they would have the necessary equipment to nourish her. She told us at lunch, however, that often the parents will go home first and to the hospital later, when it is too late. Sometimes we do what we can, but even then it is not enough.
Yesterday, my devotion book began a section on the life of Daniel. Daniel was born into nobility, but his land was invaded by Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar. He was taken from his home and offered luxuries to persuade him to give up his commitment to God. The first day was titled “Far From Home,” apropos I think, and talks about how everything changed for Daniel, but God’s presence sustained him. That is exactly what I am experiencing right now. Everyday, whether it is something big or small, I am constantly reminded that God is right beside me and he will be with me always, wherever I am (Isaiah 41:10). I am praying that you at home are experiencing His nearness as I am here. He has gone before us and prepared a way until the very end of our days. Nothing we are going through or experiencing surprises Him, He has purposed everything in our lives. Ultimately, God honored Daniel’s commitment and granted him unusual wisdom and a long, productive, and honorable life. Wow. That my faith would be as steadfast as Daniel’s and that I would learn and grow in God’s wisdom and grace- that is my prayer. And that I may never go back to a place where I am not actively seeking God’s will for my every day and seeing His touch in every part of my life.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Weekend 1
Sipi Falls
This weekend we went to Sipi Falls. An interesting time. First thing Saturday morning we got up to catch a matatu. A matatu is another form of Uganda transportation. It is a van that seats 12, but rides around 25. But it’s cheap and safer than riding a boda boda long distances. So we rode to Mbale then switched to a different matatu to ride to Sipi. Once we arrived at Sipi we checked into the Crow’s Nest. It was a nice little place; we found it in our book of Uganda under the ‘shoestring budget’ section- so we paid about 6 dollars. So it wasn’t much, all 6of us were in a small room in bunk beds. We then ordered some lunch. It was ok, I had grilled cheese with tomatoes, don’t know exactly what kind of cheese it was but it suppressed my appetite. Several in our group ordered coffee, which they said tasted like real brewed coffee.
After lunch we got our guide, Patrick, and set out on our hike to the falls. It was so beautiful there, we took tons of pictures. We hiked to the very farthest and highest waterfall first, then hiked down past the rest of them. At one point we ran into a school group there on a field trip and all they wanted to do was take pictures with white people. It was kind of funny, we felt like celebrities. We continued down past the second falls onto the third. At this point some people in our group were feeling really sick so they went back a little early and we continued the short way back. By the time we got back more people were feeling sick, so they went to rest and me and Amy just sat outside and looked at the scenery. It was all the people who drank the coffee so we’re thinking that maybe the water was bad? We don’t know for sure but we just took it easy for the night. We did get to take a hot shower with running water. AMAZING- worth every scent of the six dollars.
Some of us went to grab some dinner, which we paid 35 cents for, and then hung out with some of the other guests at the lodge. We met two Israelis who had just finished their required term in the army and were traveling around Africa for 4 ½ months. It was really neat to be at a random camp/lodge in the middle of Africa meeting people from all around the world. Everyone at FIMRC is so well traveled and it really makes me want to do more traveling when I can. They have great stories about different cultures and places. Being able to travel on a college student’s budget has been a blessing they say because they stay at cheaper places and become completely immersed in the culture, rather than staying at nice resort places and watching the culture from the outside. Which is definitely true of my experience thus far. Sunday morning we got up, checked out, went to a nicer resort for breakfast- which was so good. On our matatu ride back to the Guest House, a mother and daughter were crammed in the front. The girl winced every time we went over a bump, but I didn’t think anything of it, matatus aren’t comfortable rides. But then we came to their stop. Beduda Hospital. There was no car to comfortably take her to the hospital, no ambulance, only a hot, sweaty 3 hour matatu ride. A reminder of how blessed we are at home.
I’ve talked a lot about how different Africa is from America, but there are so many similarities as well. Mainly the people. Today we saw 3 little boys swimming in the river, just playing and having fun like kids in the states. They may not have brand new toys from the store, but they have toys they make. They jump off high things and are scolded by their moms. They run around and get dirty. Sometimes when we say ‘How are you?’ to a child, we see their mother nudging them and whispering to them the polite response. And of course there are the people at the clinic. They kids that you can tell just don’t feel good at all, the mothers that hold them in their laps and worry until the doctor can see them. Realizing how similar we all are helps in the daily work at the clinic, when a piece of candy, a smile, or holding their hand can make it less scary.
Sipi Falls
This weekend we went to Sipi Falls. An interesting time. First thing Saturday morning we got up to catch a matatu. A matatu is another form of Uganda transportation. It is a van that seats 12, but rides around 25. But it’s cheap and safer than riding a boda boda long distances. So we rode to Mbale then switched to a different matatu to ride to Sipi. Once we arrived at Sipi we checked into the Crow’s Nest. It was a nice little place; we found it in our book of Uganda under the ‘shoestring budget’ section- so we paid about 6 dollars. So it wasn’t much, all 6of us were in a small room in bunk beds. We then ordered some lunch. It was ok, I had grilled cheese with tomatoes, don’t know exactly what kind of cheese it was but it suppressed my appetite. Several in our group ordered coffee, which they said tasted like real brewed coffee.
After lunch we got our guide, Patrick, and set out on our hike to the falls. It was so beautiful there, we took tons of pictures. We hiked to the very farthest and highest waterfall first, then hiked down past the rest of them. At one point we ran into a school group there on a field trip and all they wanted to do was take pictures with white people. It was kind of funny, we felt like celebrities. We continued down past the second falls onto the third. At this point some people in our group were feeling really sick so they went back a little early and we continued the short way back. By the time we got back more people were feeling sick, so they went to rest and me and Amy just sat outside and looked at the scenery. It was all the people who drank the coffee so we’re thinking that maybe the water was bad? We don’t know for sure but we just took it easy for the night. We did get to take a hot shower with running water. AMAZING- worth every scent of the six dollars.
Some of us went to grab some dinner, which we paid 35 cents for, and then hung out with some of the other guests at the lodge. We met two Israelis who had just finished their required term in the army and were traveling around Africa for 4 ½ months. It was really neat to be at a random camp/lodge in the middle of Africa meeting people from all around the world. Everyone at FIMRC is so well traveled and it really makes me want to do more traveling when I can. They have great stories about different cultures and places. Being able to travel on a college student’s budget has been a blessing they say because they stay at cheaper places and become completely immersed in the culture, rather than staying at nice resort places and watching the culture from the outside. Which is definitely true of my experience thus far. Sunday morning we got up, checked out, went to a nicer resort for breakfast- which was so good. On our matatu ride back to the Guest House, a mother and daughter were crammed in the front. The girl winced every time we went over a bump, but I didn’t think anything of it, matatus aren’t comfortable rides. But then we came to their stop. Beduda Hospital. There was no car to comfortably take her to the hospital, no ambulance, only a hot, sweaty 3 hour matatu ride. A reminder of how blessed we are at home.
I’ve talked a lot about how different Africa is from America, but there are so many similarities as well. Mainly the people. Today we saw 3 little boys swimming in the river, just playing and having fun like kids in the states. They may not have brand new toys from the store, but they have toys they make. They jump off high things and are scolded by their moms. They run around and get dirty. Sometimes when we say ‘How are you?’ to a child, we see their mother nudging them and whispering to them the polite response. And of course there are the people at the clinic. They kids that you can tell just don’t feel good at all, the mothers that hold them in their laps and worry until the doctor can see them. Realizing how similar we all are helps in the daily work at the clinic, when a piece of candy, a smile, or holding their hand can make it less scary.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday
Today was a pretty normal day at the clinic. I got to watch Rogers, the lab technician, test children’s blood for malaria. It was similar to the gram staining process in microbiology. He showed me a slide with malaria and a slide of blood without malaria. Very cool. Also our burn kid came back today to have is burn redressed. And another girl from school came in with a burn on her leg from a motorcycle. Other than that it has been a fairly uneventful day. We also worked on inputting patient record into their computer system. Every other patient has malaria. No joke. As I said, it is fairly easy to treat if you have access to treatment. We also saw a lot of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, anyone who complains of abdominal pain or back aches probably has it. It’s just a whole different world. Everyone is prescribed ibuprofen, even if they have no diagnosable illness. Healthcare in Uganda is such a rare thing, it’s not something everyone is responsible for themselves. If you feel the least bit sick, go to the clinic to get drugs. FIMRC has many outreach programs and patient education programs to work on changing this. Their goal is to teach them to value the doctor’s advice, not just medications.
I experienced my first African thunder storm today. This one wasn’t that big they say. It’s just rain and thunder, no wind, but the rain comes down in sheets for a solid 20-30 minutes. The thunder claps are loud and long, they seem as if they are right on top of you. Probably because they are.
Tonight after work was great. A few of us took a soccer ball and walked through the woods to this random field where a bunch of kids were hanging around. And cows, they just tie a rope to their foot and then stake a stick into the ground. Ugandan soccer is nuts. There were six Mzungus and 6 Ugandan kids. We tried to organize them into teams, but then more children just kept joining us. Out of 30 kids none of them spoke English. Finally some referees came, they knew how to play soccer and spoke English. And carried machetes. (Think- out of bounds= lose an arm; red card= off with your feet…) It was so crazy. We had picked up our goal keeper when we were walking to the field; he was very, very drunk. But a really good goal keeper, so funny. Every time the ball came to him he fell all over it, sacrificing his body in a very dramatic way, but usually keeping the ball out of the goal. The Ugandan kids were good. The Mzungus, not so good. Since it had rained today it was also pretty muddy, which added to our gracefulness. By the end we were exhausted from running and laughing. But overall it was a great day.
Today was a pretty normal day at the clinic. I got to watch Rogers, the lab technician, test children’s blood for malaria. It was similar to the gram staining process in microbiology. He showed me a slide with malaria and a slide of blood without malaria. Very cool. Also our burn kid came back today to have is burn redressed. And another girl from school came in with a burn on her leg from a motorcycle. Other than that it has been a fairly uneventful day. We also worked on inputting patient record into their computer system. Every other patient has malaria. No joke. As I said, it is fairly easy to treat if you have access to treatment. We also saw a lot of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, anyone who complains of abdominal pain or back aches probably has it. It’s just a whole different world. Everyone is prescribed ibuprofen, even if they have no diagnosable illness. Healthcare in Uganda is such a rare thing, it’s not something everyone is responsible for themselves. If you feel the least bit sick, go to the clinic to get drugs. FIMRC has many outreach programs and patient education programs to work on changing this. Their goal is to teach them to value the doctor’s advice, not just medications.
I experienced my first African thunder storm today. This one wasn’t that big they say. It’s just rain and thunder, no wind, but the rain comes down in sheets for a solid 20-30 minutes. The thunder claps are loud and long, they seem as if they are right on top of you. Probably because they are.
Tonight after work was great. A few of us took a soccer ball and walked through the woods to this random field where a bunch of kids were hanging around. And cows, they just tie a rope to their foot and then stake a stick into the ground. Ugandan soccer is nuts. There were six Mzungus and 6 Ugandan kids. We tried to organize them into teams, but then more children just kept joining us. Out of 30 kids none of them spoke English. Finally some referees came, they knew how to play soccer and spoke English. And carried machetes. (Think- out of bounds= lose an arm; red card= off with your feet…) It was so crazy. We had picked up our goal keeper when we were walking to the field; he was very, very drunk. But a really good goal keeper, so funny. Every time the ball came to him he fell all over it, sacrificing his body in a very dramatic way, but usually keeping the ball out of the goal. The Ugandan kids were good. The Mzungus, not so good. Since it had rained today it was also pretty muddy, which added to our gracefulness. By the end we were exhausted from running and laughing. But overall it was a great day.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday
It’s 9:30 in the morning here and already I have had an absolutely amazing morning. We woke up early to go to Arlington Academy of Hope where the students were putting on an assembly. They do this every Monday and Friday, but since there were visitors they decided to do it on a Wednesday. Because there were visitors it was a special program today. AAH is primary school, grades P1-P7. School starts at 8am every morning but the assembly begins at 7:30. School ends at 4:40 for P1-P5, but at 6 for P6-P7. They go three terms each year, getting the month of in January, May, mid-August to mid-September, and December. However, P6 and P7 only have one week of at each of these breaks because they are preparing for their exit exams which determine if they get a scholarship to secondary school and/or get to graduate. So when we got to school this morning all 325 children were out on the lawn of the school. We were given seats, in the shade, to watch from. The children just giggled every time they looked at us or saw us taking pictures. To begin, they were marching and doing drills. They are so well disciplined. They all marched together and sometimes the teacher would call out a number and a class and they would have to say the times tables up to 12 for that number. Even the P1’s and P2’s knew most of their time tables. It was very impressive. They also had fun with them, like making them squat down then try to march. It was hilarious and the kids were just on the ground laughing. I took tons of pictures. Then they raised the flag and sang the national anthem and opened the morning in prayer. Oh to hear this 3rd grader pray and thank Jesus for his school and his teachers and the visitors, so overwhelming. The whole P3 class then came and stood in front of us and led in the morning praise songs. These kids all know English so they were singing “Hallelujah, praise Jesus” over and over. Having 325 elementary students sing praise songs was such a beautiful way to start my morning, and again a reminder that God is working in this place. The joy on these children’s faces was amazing. We were then introduced to the students. Over and over the teachers emphasized that we have come a very far way to see them and it is because we love them that we are here to see them. What a morning.
We then went back to the house to meet up with Brea and Carly to go on home visits. This is where we walk around the village to random houses and the people invite us in and then we give them health education lessons. The people are so warm and inviting and always so glad to see us. We walk up these mountains and tucked into patches of trees are these homes and fields. All the way up the mountains you can see houses and gardens. I have taken tons of pictures that will hopefully be able to show you the scenery. Today we were teaching lessons on family planning again. It was again amazing to us that these people had never heard of these family planning methods we were teaching, but they were so interested because they know the poverty and problems that come with over population. Molly and I got to teach two of the lessons so that we will know what to do when Carly and Brea leave. It was…well an experience haha. Our final home visit was that of Richard’s (our translator) aunt. They invited us inside and they had so many questions about this lesson. At the end, the man said that he was very old and past having children but that he will take what he knows and teach his children so they can learn from him. He doesn’t want them to worry about how to provide for their children as he worries about providing for his family. PS. He had two wives who we met, one who had 2 children, the other 11; 13 in all. But that is what it is all about. Giving them knowledge to use and pass on so that it will have an impact on future generations. An incredible morning.
This afternoon we went back to AAH to help teach computer lessons. These kids were so excited to even just learn how to use a mouse or open a word document. It’s so strange because in America kids in kindergarten can use the computer, but here they are so eager to learn the simplest things. And its so worth it when one turns to you and says “Thank you for teaching me the computer.” Africa is great.
The catch phrase around here is “TIA”- This Is Africa. It gets said so much, i.e. if someone says something about not having power for the past seven days, well TIA. Cold water bucket baths, TIA. No one around here ever being on time, TIA. This is Africa.
In Him,
Becky
It’s 9:30 in the morning here and already I have had an absolutely amazing morning. We woke up early to go to Arlington Academy of Hope where the students were putting on an assembly. They do this every Monday and Friday, but since there were visitors they decided to do it on a Wednesday. Because there were visitors it was a special program today. AAH is primary school, grades P1-P7. School starts at 8am every morning but the assembly begins at 7:30. School ends at 4:40 for P1-P5, but at 6 for P6-P7. They go three terms each year, getting the month of in January, May, mid-August to mid-September, and December. However, P6 and P7 only have one week of at each of these breaks because they are preparing for their exit exams which determine if they get a scholarship to secondary school and/or get to graduate. So when we got to school this morning all 325 children were out on the lawn of the school. We were given seats, in the shade, to watch from. The children just giggled every time they looked at us or saw us taking pictures. To begin, they were marching and doing drills. They are so well disciplined. They all marched together and sometimes the teacher would call out a number and a class and they would have to say the times tables up to 12 for that number. Even the P1’s and P2’s knew most of their time tables. It was very impressive. They also had fun with them, like making them squat down then try to march. It was hilarious and the kids were just on the ground laughing. I took tons of pictures. Then they raised the flag and sang the national anthem and opened the morning in prayer. Oh to hear this 3rd grader pray and thank Jesus for his school and his teachers and the visitors, so overwhelming. The whole P3 class then came and stood in front of us and led in the morning praise songs. These kids all know English so they were singing “Hallelujah, praise Jesus” over and over. Having 325 elementary students sing praise songs was such a beautiful way to start my morning, and again a reminder that God is working in this place. The joy on these children’s faces was amazing. We were then introduced to the students. Over and over the teachers emphasized that we have come a very far way to see them and it is because we love them that we are here to see them. What a morning.
We then went back to the house to meet up with Brea and Carly to go on home visits. This is where we walk around the village to random houses and the people invite us in and then we give them health education lessons. The people are so warm and inviting and always so glad to see us. We walk up these mountains and tucked into patches of trees are these homes and fields. All the way up the mountains you can see houses and gardens. I have taken tons of pictures that will hopefully be able to show you the scenery. Today we were teaching lessons on family planning again. It was again amazing to us that these people had never heard of these family planning methods we were teaching, but they were so interested because they know the poverty and problems that come with over population. Molly and I got to teach two of the lessons so that we will know what to do when Carly and Brea leave. It was…well an experience haha. Our final home visit was that of Richard’s (our translator) aunt. They invited us inside and they had so many questions about this lesson. At the end, the man said that he was very old and past having children but that he will take what he knows and teach his children so they can learn from him. He doesn’t want them to worry about how to provide for their children as he worries about providing for his family. PS. He had two wives who we met, one who had 2 children, the other 11; 13 in all. But that is what it is all about. Giving them knowledge to use and pass on so that it will have an impact on future generations. An incredible morning.
This afternoon we went back to AAH to help teach computer lessons. These kids were so excited to even just learn how to use a mouse or open a word document. It’s so strange because in America kids in kindergarten can use the computer, but here they are so eager to learn the simplest things. And its so worth it when one turns to you and says “Thank you for teaching me the computer.” Africa is great.
The catch phrase around here is “TIA”- This Is Africa. It gets said so much, i.e. if someone says something about not having power for the past seven days, well TIA. Cold water bucket baths, TIA. No one around here ever being on time, TIA. This is Africa.
In Him,
Becky
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)