I wanted to thank you so much for your prayers! It’s been
such an encouragement to me and God has been faithful in listening and
answering them.
I’ve been here for about 3 months and to be honest—it hasn’t
been easy. But God has been good and at the right time, when I’m feeling the
most discouraged and disheartened He’s provided me with pockets of grace to sustain, encourage, and uplift (is this the
right word!?) my soul to Him. So thank you for your prayers &
encouragement. He hears and answers. He is good.
Some pockets of grace:
SAVED!
2 kids (I guess one is technically an adult) at GSF accepted
Christ into their lives!!!! God is working here in the kid’s hearts & I pray he continues to work in their hearts & I pray that their faith is genuine (they grow up in a Christian environment, sing
songs, go to church/Sunday school but yet they don’t truly know Him).
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Esther-One of the girls who accepted Christ |
20th Anniversary at GSF:
GSF’s 20th anniversary was awesome. I met some
old GSFers and was able to hear their testimonies and how God has been
working in their life and using them to further His kingdom. Crazy encouraging seeing the fruit of his labour.
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GSF's Hosanna Choir |
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Missionaries with founder Wayne Walker |
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Old and New GSFers |
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Photographer is advertising someone's wedding picture at the anniversary.
Ryan was an excuse to take a picture of the photographer advertising |
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Hosanna Choir |
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Anniversary Lunch |
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AIM crew -My Short term coordinator and Unit Leader: Cassandra and Linda |
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Some of the GSF girls |
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Me & Danielle |
KFC:
I asked Danielle what was one thing she wanted to do in Uganda before she left. Anything. She said she wanted to go to Kampala to eat at KFC and eat a good piece of cheesecake. So we did just that.
She's easy to please.
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when you ask for a knife..they give you a knife |
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Fries and a chicken sandwich |
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cheesecake..didn't taste like cheesecake |
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KFC! |
Mutiny:
So I decided to take 2 of our special needs girls on a walk
around campus. We sang and stomped around the campus grounds (singing I'm in the Lord's Army...let me rephrase--me singing I'm in the Lord's Army). I think they mutually decided not to go back to their house and to walk in the opposite direction when we were done with our walk (they are pretty strong…strong willed and physically
strong). I
am a weak, weak person. I had to run and get another girl to bring them back…But it was fun walking with them & I enjoyed that time with them.
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Kathy |
Reunited and it feels so good:
We brought in another child! Her name is Anisha! She's such a sweet girl and is adjusting to the changes well! I had to poke her twice while testing her for malaria and felt so bad I gave her candy. Now she associates anything with needles = getting a sweetie. We were also able to reunite her with her brothers! Such a sweet moment!
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Anisha and her brother Bahati reunited and cuddling it out |
Eye can see clearly now…
Some of the kids have gone… to an optometrist. It was cool. Also fun spending time with the kids. Our car overheated on the way back.
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Eye exam |
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Stranded while fixing the car |
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Waiting for the car to cool off |
White Ants:
Peer pressured to eat a white ant. Tasted crispy and like
oil.
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white ants |
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Danielle eating a white ant |
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white ants |
Irish Jig
Irish students came to visit GSF. The kids and students had a
dance party (kinda)…. It was pretty entertaining.
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dancing |
Hospital: Disclaimer: don't look at the pictures if you don't like wounds
For the next 8 weeks (4 now) I'm in Jinja for my hospital internship. It's been quite an experience (definitely a sanctifying one):
1) I felt like I went back in time. I wear an all white uniform dress and a little hat. The first day I wore it I got a splotchy brown/red stain on it--not from blood but beans!
2) I fell in love with a little boy who came into the hospital after being abandoned and locked up in his father's house. He was diagnosed with severe malnutrition, cerebral malaria, pressure sores, and he was severely contracted. He was just learning how to speak again!
3) I saw what would happen to child when an injection goes wrong
4) I saw many bones coming out of people's legs
5) I saw many burn victims
6) I saw many people admitted into the hospital that were bashed in the head by a machete/some weapon
7) I saw a "dog bite" (although we really don't think it was a dog bite but abuse).
8) I made friends with a 5 year old girl who swallowed a 3-4inch nail.
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the hospital building |
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ward 4 |
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ward 3 |
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Helen-She made my uniform |
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Oral morphine in a tinted water bottle |
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Injection gone wrong |
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Samuel |
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ward 9 |
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Dog Bite?! You can see the skull |
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Antibiotic bottle galore |
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Swallowed a 3-4 inch nail |
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Entertaining this boy while doing dressing changes |
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Faith-the girl who swallowed a nail |
Healthcare is very limited here. I respect the healthcare staff that do what they can do to make things work and make do when they are very limited in resources. It's been a learning process and an emotional roller coaster ride. I keep wishing and feeling that I should do more for these people. Wishing that I could pay for everyone's scans and x-rays just so we could have a better and accurate diagnosis to treat them and prevent further things from happening. Wishing I could pay for medications, especially pain medications when we are out so that when I do dressing changes or when a patient has a fever I can give them something. Wishing that I didn't know what we COULD'VE done to sustain a patient's life and keep them alive.
But thankfully I was reminded (& still being reminded) that God is the GREAT PHYSICIAN and He is SOVEREIGN. He is in control of their lives and no matter what we try to do He is the one who heals them or allows them to die. He is sovereign. He is also the one they need spiritually more than any healthcare and physical healing anyone can ever give. He is their greatest hope and need and what is lasting. So even though I can't speak Luganda or Lusoga that well (besides greetings) I'm trying to be intentional and pray for some of my patients and show Christ's love to them.
Fishermen's Lights & Fishing Village:
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Fishing Village |
I went to visit the fishing village nearby the place I am staying at. Also Carly (a girl I met who just left to go back to the states) and I went to watch the fishermen fish at night with their gas lanterns. It was pretty cool and nice after a long day of work.
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Fishing Village |
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Watching the lights on the lake |
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Carly and I watching the fishermen with their lanterns |
So thank you for your prayers, keep 'em coming especially for the remaining weeks at the hospital and for my time at GSF (now that Danielle left and I am the only American nurse)
Thanks for your openness and for the update =) And for introducing the staff to the joys of spam =)
ReplyDeleteI had to reread this post after I read your most recent post. To remind myself of those "pockets of grace" ;)
ReplyDelete