Recounting His blessings through hellos & a goodbye

Said goodbye to our lovely interns--Kaitlin, Hannahbeth, and Joshua. Their internship and friendship to me at GSF was such a blessing! 

Hannahbeth & Kaitlin 

Said hello to Katie and Cody—a new LT missionary couple who will be working at GSF.  Cody will be helping out at the MK school and Katie will be working with the children with special needs!

Said hello to one of our nursing interns—Teddy!  She’s an old GSFer and is currently in a program called Investment Year. For this term she will be working with us—the nurses. She’s interested in nursing and will be helping out at the clinic.

she took selfies on my camera....so now I have a picture of her to show you ;)

Said hello to MANY MANY medical trips! Trips for severe malaria, oozing pus, glasses, pneumonia, skin problems, ear problems, seizure problems, orthopedic problems, EEGs, more pus, and so much more I don't remember! It’s fun spending time with the kiddos when taking them on medical trips…although it leaves me exhausted.

Matthew got hungry while waiting for the Dr.

Matthew and Tom

Daudi...he screamed when he got on a boda…but we survived! I bought him a Fanta and some fish and chips. I think he enjoyed the rest of the day.

Took Chloe on a date to Jinja after her medical trip 

Esther and Sam

 Their first experience at KFC and an elevator ride(s) 

Said hello to village visits! Besides medical trips, I was blessed with the opportunity to take our kids back to their home/village for the holidays.  It was insightful and humbling meeting their relatives, seeing their village, seeing what their life would be like and will be like for a couple of weeks. I wish I knew what the kids were thinking. One of them cried when he left to go home.

Driving the children to visit their village

One of the girl's home

Dropping off Nikko and Silas

Said hello to intestines and jackfruit! Our social worker Loyce dropped me off with one of our kids to visit with her family and jokingly told me “I hope you survive”. I went with them and had my first intestines & jackfruit. It was fun. YES, i know Chinese eat intestines...but I never tried it until then. 

Said hello to vicious toddlers. For some reason the toddlers keep biting my butt! I don’t know why. I try to stop them but they don’t stop! But…I still love them

Toddlers

Said hello to my first game of “Scalping”. Got to run with one of our boys whose in a wheelchair in the dark. I also almost got peed on.

Said hello to my first world cup game in a small room full of about 15 people.  It was fun.

World Cup

Said hello to much much more acne. Everyone keeps asking me “what are those bumps on your face?” or  “is what you have in that book? (referring to the skin disease book they were looking at with me).”  Thanks kiddos. Not my fault your skin is flawless.

Said hello to many false alarms. The aunties call our on call nurse phone if they need us to check on one of the kids. One of the aunties called regarding one of the toddlers (one who has been sick) and I thought she said, "her heart!" so I rushed over there...and THANKFULLY  it was a misunderstanding and our poor toddler was just feeling sick. Another time she called about another child getting stung by a bee on the lip. She was telling me how the face was swelling and I thought --anaphylactic shock!  I asked her if he was breathing (while running over) and she said, "No, he's not breathing"...but thankfully, once again, it was a misunderstanding. 

Said hello to my first encounter with measles. One of our toddlers and another staff member came down with measles. We had to move around a lot of our kiddos.  I ended up housing our child with measles for a night. Please continue to pray that NO ONE else gets it. 

Said hello to a glimpse of a struggle of what it would be to be a long term missionary. It's hard being far away from family and friends. It's hard being away from important things going on in their lives-- especially if they are hurting or sick.   If it's been hard for me, I can't imagine how much harder it is for the people who are long term missionaries.

And said hello to a wonderful reminder:

I think God has been reminding me, once again, to fully rely on him. I was re-listening to a message by Pastor Kim on Jonah and I was reminded that if I fully relied on Him I would have greater dependence on Him and an application of that would be through prayer.

It was encouraging to see that dependency of God through one of our 6 year old boys, Silas. Silas got stung by a wasp on his head (not the toddler incident--different bee sting incident).  Now this boy is SEVERELY allergic to bee stings. Before one of the boys could rush him over to me, I heard the first thing Silas did was repeatedly call to his brother Nikko to tell him, “Nikko, pray for me!”. By God’s grace, Silas ended up being okay.  (it was scary because Silas' swelling was spreading rapidly throughout his face and I had no epipen or epinephrine nearby but thankfully his allergic reaction stopped progressing because of God (and with the help of Benadryl that I had on hand (heard the last time they had to give him epinephrine)).

I was also encouraged to see that dependency of God through one of our toddlers. One of our toddlers looked sick so one of our other little toddler boys ran up to him and started to pray, “Apart, together, Dear God, I pray for Richard, please heal him. Amen”.  Amen.

God’s been reminding me of dependence on Him through the means of prayer. Praying for the routine, mundane, little things in life to the big, important things.

I'm sure there's so much more that happened but I can't think right now! Life has been busy here and I can't believe it's been exactly 6 months since I left!

Thanks for reading! 

This is Africa

I just read a post on Facebook from someone complaining of an aspect of healthcare in America.  The post helped reveal to me my own heart and thoughts on healthcare and also showed me how ungrateful I’ve been because I’ve done the same about our healthcare back home (complained).

After working at the hospital here for the last 8 weeks, I’ve been humbled with the realization that I have no right to complain. I have no right to complain about how “good” we have it back at home.

My internship at Jinja Main Hospital has broken and burdened my heart for the healthcare here.  These people have every right to complain but they don’t/can’t and that is why my heart breaks for them.

My heart breaks for the families not having the option to put their loved ones on oxygen. It breaks for all wounds I had to dress on patients' who screamed in pain because of lack of pain medication. It breaks for the MONTHS of waiting to perform a simple surgery on a child who eventually developed other health issues during the delay. It breaks for the poverty that denies people from treatment. It breaks for the fact that we have to tell our patients to go buy IV cannulas, medications, dressings, supplies and syringes.  It breaks for the delayed care that many die from (and it’s too late when you try to correct the care that was delayed that could’ve possibly prevented a death). It breaks for the fact that patients cannot even get an accurate diagnosis because they can’t get an x-ray or scan. It breaks for the misdiagnosis and missed treatments. It breaks for the malnourishment ward where the children stare at you with their huge haunting eyes. It breaks for the anemic kids who cannot receive blood because there's a shortage. It breaks for the fact that mothers have held their child while waiting in the emergency line to see a doctor only to realize that their child stopped breathing in their arms (and not having the equipment on you to try to revive them). It breaks for the fact that people go to witch doctors first instead of thinking of going to the hospital, believing they can find better treatment with the witch doctors (and then seeing the marks on the child from the witch doctors when the family eventually brings them in).  It breaks knowing that children are being sent home very unstable—and even hearing a Ugandan nurse state that they are being “sent home to die”.  It breaks for the fact that when you attempted to save a baby's life (and they actually survive!!) you know that it would be a struggle to keep them alive when you leave at the end of the day (& coming back the next day in hopes that they are alive only to realize that they ended up dying).  It breaks for the fact that a ward was even nicknamed “the death ward” because of the high mortality rate. It breaks for the fact that people fear going into the hospital because they associate the hospital with death. It breaks because as a nurse I know the physical care these people need yet cannot provide it for them.

& It breaks my heart that I’ve been told many times by Ugandan health workers that healthcare is this way merely because “this is Africa”.

  

It’s bittersweet ending my internship tomorrow at the hospital. It’s hard leaving when you know what you are leaving and wishing you could physically do more. Sadly, ignorance really is bliss, but seeing all this helped me realize how thankful I should be and also how God is a good God and He can do anything in Uganda.  so Pray for Uganda.

Pockets of Grace

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).

Esther-One of the girls who accepted Christ

20^th Anniversary at GSF:

GSF’s 20^th 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.  

 

GSF's Hosanna Choir

Missionaries with founder Wayne Walker

Old and New GSFers 

Photographer is advertising someone's wedding picture at the anniversary.
Ryan was an excuse to take a picture of the photographer advertising

Hosanna Choir

Anniversary Lunch

AIM crew -My Short term coordinator and Unit Leader: Cassandra and Linda

Some of the GSF girls 

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. 

when you ask for a knife..they give you a knife

Fries and a chicken sandwich 

cheesecake..didn't taste like cheesecake

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.

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!

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.

Eye exam

Stranded while fixing the car

Waiting for the car to cool off

White Ants:

Peer pressured to eat a white ant. Tasted crispy and like oil.

white ants 

Danielle eating a white ant

white ants

Irish Jig

Irish students came to visit GSF. The kids and students had a dance party (kinda)…. It was pretty entertaining.

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.

the hospital building

ward 4

ward 3

Helen-She made my uniform 

Oral morphine in a tinted water bottle

Injection gone wrong

Samuel

ward 9

Dog Bite?! You can see the skull

Antibiotic bottle galore 

Swallowed a 3-4 inch nail

Entertaining this boy while doing dressing changes

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: 

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.

Fishing Village

Watching the lights on the lake

Carly and I watching the fishermen with their lanterns

Special Olympics:
We took some of our special needs kids to a sports day for special needs kids. It was fun and cute.

Spam:
Almost everyone thought I was gross for liking Spam! So I introduced the other missionaries to the goodness of Spam. GOTCHA now--take that! It's totally better than cow innards!

Jungle Cruise:
Okay more like we went on a forest trek (wilderness adventure) in the backyard of GSF. We were led by our tour guide, Titus (whose 12 years old). Basically, he used a machete to hack at the forest to kinda make a path for us. First time getting a leech on my arm and stepping in many knee-high swamps (halfway through I realized I punctured a hole in one of my rain boots).

our group minus one-we wanted a boy band picture

entering the forest 

going through the first swamp--her socks were white

hacking the forest for a path and crossing the swamp with a tree

Kaitlin (an intern) and I after almost falling in a swamp

Got to the other side of the forest

Deciding which way to get back into the forest to get to the other side

And then some... I've been going back to GSF on the weekends. It's been good seeing the kiddos and hanging out with them. I do miss them when I am gone! 

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)