His mercies are new every morning

Hello all!

So I made it to Good Shepherds Fold last Friday! The drive to GSF is so very beautiful!  It’s really hard to express how beautiful Uganda is, especially near GSF, (haha maybe I don’t get out much but I think it is VERY beautiful…) so I will try to show you through LOTS and lots of pictures!

Drive up to GSF

Village

Sugar Cane Fields

But to verbally describe to you there’s green everywhere ---from the tall sugar cane fields to the tall grass covering the hills, to the brownish broccoli looking trees (they really look like broccoli that’s getting old), to the banana and mango trees surrounding the random scattered mud hut or brick buildings!

Right before you enter GSF site--GSF sign

the school on site

GSF campus

Admin block/clinic with chapel in background

chapel

Being at Good Shepherds fold, which is in the midst of villages, but not too far off from The Dairy (in Jinja), where I’ve had the best passion pineapple ice cream ever, I’ve been (and I am still am) learning so much. I’m humbled by the realization of how comfortable I’ve been before (which is even more humbling because GSF is pretty comfortable:).

GSF campus--water tower 

GSF houses

I’ve learned that gecko poop is as big as mouse poop, I’ve learned to silently kill grasshoppers that crawl up my skirt during communion, I’ve learned how wonderful my kitchen light is because it electrocutes half the bugs flying around—(sucks for them), I’ve learned how wonderful it is to have DOOM (bug spray) and a fly swatter (I’ve broken off three of the fingers from the fly swatter already)

my room

I’ve learned to not freak out when I hear the bats partying right above me (although it really sounds like it’s in my room or that they’ll break the paper-thin ceiling) I’ve also learned why Batman was scared of bats (I will not judge you Batman), I’ve learned how to do malaria tests, I’ve learned what a hyrax sounds like (they cry out a lot during the night and it sounds like a cross between a dying goat and a turkey with it’s head cut off ---look it up), I’ve learned that my feet will be continuously brown and dirty no matter how many times I wash it (or maybe I’m just not clean/washing it well), I’ve learned that these kiddos love the camera and want to see themselves all the time (they will say--“let me see Richard” “Let me see Tony”, etc, etc), I’ve learned to ignore the flies that swarm my face while I’m trying to read with my headlamp (yes, I have a headlamp…), and I’ve learned that people assume any Asian person is from China, hence being asked if I am from China all the time.

Baby Arthor

Pinto and Richard

Elijah, baby Letitica, and me

the Agape boys--tried to get them to all look up but it's hard getting group pictures

Baby John

Ivan

I am still learning and in the process of not fearing killing spiders with my bare hands because there is no tissue with me at the moment (okay… I can only do little ones), I’m learning that my job consists of being a Dr., pharmacist, and nurse at times, I’m learning tricks in taking quick cold showers (although China helped me with that one), I’m learning the importance of brushing the top of my head with my hand when I feel the slightest “something” because the majority of time it’s a bug, I’m learning a little bit of soccer, I’m learning (haven’t said I accomplished this yet) to not care when stepping barefoot on bugs (there’s a lot all over the floor—I really hope I don’t have to step on a centipede), I’m learning not to be so dependent on internet (because it’s really hard to get any signal here), I’m learning the works of the markets to get meat, veggies, fruits, and fish

Veggies/Fruit market

Fish Market

Meat Market

I’m learning the workings of mercy ministries (ministering to the elderly, moms, and babies), I’m learning that flu does not mean they have the flu all the time, I’m learning the gist of the schedule here, I'm learning my responsibilities as a nurse, and I’m learning to respond to “Auntie Kenny” because some of the toddlers call me that.

Elijah and Richard

Shakira 

Daudi and Joseph 

Betty and Lily 

Besides all that silliness, I’m learning how blessed I am that God placed me here first instead of the hospital (see previous post if you do not understand). I think God knew that I would need this month (or however long) here first so that I would be a little more settled a GSF before the other nurse, Danielle (from Kentucky), leaves. He knows me better than I know myself!

Nurse Danielle with the babies (Timothy and Joshua)

I’m also learning the importance of turning to God in all things and depending on Him. It’s funny, once I got here everything that seemed to come natural and easy to me before seemed hard and impossible and the things that I feared the most have become a reality. But God is showing me that I need to rely on Him--from the littlest things, like memorizing all the children’s names, to the bigger things, like treating and diagnosing the children and elderly (mercy ministries).  It’s humbling knowing how weak I am (probably already would’ve given up by now) but realizing that it is not by my strength that I can do anything at all but through His grace and strength that He can work through an inadequate me (& that things take time!). I’ve been resting on this truth:

2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities, for when I am weak, then I am strong.“

Pray that I will be able to daily rely on Christ and that He will help me with wisdom & insight in how to diagnose & treat these children

Pray that I will trust in Him in all things and continue to do so

Pray for local friends and missionary friends

Pray that God will use me for His kingdom

GSF