Friends

My last few post have been so full of complaints that I can't even read them. I'm sorry. In an attempt to be in a better mood I'm going to try to focus on the positives.
This group of people right here is the best positive in my life. I'm so thankful for these guys. They keep me sane. And fed. And healthy. And challenge me spiritually.  I love doing ministry and life with them.

So, that being said Ronnie and Collin and kids head to the states in two days for a well deserved furlough. We hung out together for the last time tonight. This is possibly the hardest part of being a missionary. The constant goodbyes. They will be back in three months. But things will be different. They always are. And there I go again. I can't seem to keep anything positive.

So here are a few pictures of their kids being cute.

I need a padded room

Lets start with the good. First, sometime in the last 12 hours, the city water pressure has been high enough to fill my water tanks. So, I have running water in the house again which means, at least for a bit, I can stop carrying jerry cans and I can shower and flush my toilets and filter drinking water instead of boiling it.

Second good thing, my parents are arriving for a visit in two weeks!!!! I can't wait. I'm going to spend quite a bit of time hanging out in Jinja with Izaac and Ellie and I'll drag my mom along on clinic days and put her to work and we are going to spend a day canning salsa and for my Dad I have a list as long as my arm of odds and ends around the house that need fixing.

However..... I'm not there yet. Last night I got home rather late and was re-arranging dirty dishes in the kitchen (until the water came back on I spent a bit of time doing that) and a scorpion came out from under the cabinets and attacked me. I've since been told they are just looking for water because it is so dry, but I'm pretty sure it was a malicious, pre-planned attack. I swore for a second or two then decided I had to kill it before I could go deal with my foot. After dumping a half liter of insecticide on my kitchen floor, I went and quickly swallowed 100 mg of diphenhydramine then packed my foot in all of this week's meals that I had in the freezer. (my freezer is the size of a shoe box, there is no room for ice in there.) After about an hour of thinking this actually doesn't feel anything like a bee sting, but having no difficulty breathing or arrhythmias I added a norco to the mix and went to bed. This morning it was a bit swollen and I still definitely have pain but there didn't seem to be any reason not to have a normal day. So I headed out to the garden where

Daniel and Collin have agricultural and livestock projects. (here and here)  I was cutting elephant grass and due to sweat and sunscreen and possibly a little scorpion venom (?) the machete slipped out of my hand and embedded itself in my leg. Well, a little more swearing and a lot of pressure held on the wound while I packed up the hay I'd cut and I headed back into town. I'd been kind of happy that I didn't have any referred patients today so wasn't going to spend any time at the hospital. Well, two hours and a few stitches later I'd gotten in my requisite time at the hospital. I should probably admit here that I had decided that steri strips would probably be good enough but in cleaning the wound it was pretty obvious that it was stupidly deep and that I'd hit the bone.  So, wise nurse that I am I went in for stitches. Where there was no sterile gloves or drape and the needle, needle driver and suture material all touched my skirt, the wall and/or the bed before being use on my leg. Started myself on antibiotics immediately after getting home. So, there you have it. Nothing productive accomplished today and I'm probably a danger to myself and others.

Not comfortable right now

I'm warning you this post is going to be whiny. But I regularly remind myself that I don't want this blog to contribute to the unrealistic picture people can have of missionaries. So I'm going to be grouchy and petulant as I write today.

Desperate for a bit of water....

It currently climbs above 100 degrees in the daytime right now. The sun is unrelenting and the dust is downright dangerous at times.  And the nights just don't cool off.  I took a look at the 8 day forecast and 108 is the upcoming average. Without a drop of precipitation on it. My water tanks are all empty. City water pressure is so low that outside my house, my ground tap has a drizzle out of it but there isn't enough pressure to put any water in my storage tanks or into the house. So for the few hours a day that the water is on, the watchman and I monitor and fill jerry cans. It takes us a few hours to fill four. If the water stays on that whole time. Yesterday, as I was heading out to the hospital I reminded the guard to fill up again, once the water came on, and to remind the house girl that there wasn't enough for washing clothes. Well, the water never came on and something got lost in translation so when I got back yesterday the dishes had not been washed and there were three basins of soapy, clothes "soaking" in the bathroom. With no water left to rinse. So she left. And that also means no water for flushing toilets, dishes, or anything else. And I'd just had several frustrating hours at the hospital.  (Which is far from air-conditioned, btw). No water for showering.
I had several phone calls of people wanting things from me in the evening. But I ran out of airtime. This is significant because here people call you, letting the phone ring once or twice then hang up. That is your signal to call them back, using your minutes instead of theirs. But I didn't have minutes left. So people called and hung up over and over again. I just turned my phone off and went to bed. But it was too hot to sleep. And I have a head cold. I'm all stuffed up and can't breath. Over the course of the night I developed a full blown sinus headache and I laid awake all night. Finally at 6:45 when I decided I didn't want to toss and turn on my sweaty sheets anymore I got up and turned my phone on only to discover that my running partner had tried to call and couldn't get a hold of me. But I was out of airtime to call her back.  I did finally talk to her but discovered that she had panicked and called several other people who also needed to be reassured that I was fine.  I had just wanted a few hours with my phone off.
Today is pediatric immunizations
day at the clinic, so even thought I'd had so little sleep, I told myself to buck up and headed out to Obulle. Where the porch (also known as the waiting room) was overflowing with people and crying kids. After an hour of illegible records, screaming kids and working without help (translation or otherwise) from the clinic staff I realized I now had a migraine superimposed on my sinus headache. It was hot, dusty and we didn't have half the supplies we needed so they seemed to just decide they didn't want to work today. Then I stabbed myself with a dirty needle. That sounds slightly worse that it was, but only slightly. John, the other nurse, who was actually out in the village center, not working at all, came in with a friend and pushed through my mess of moms and kids and got his friend a Hep B vaccine. Then tossed the syringe into the trash can, right next to the sharps box. It got stuck in the lining and didn't fall down but I didn't see it until after I threw some stuff in the can and stabbed myself deeply in the side of my hand. I'm not proud of it but I kind of blew a gasket and pointed out to John that "The blasted sharps box is right there! and it would actually be really nice if you would work today as I'm a volunteer and you all are paid staff and there are still forty people waiting to be seen and could someone please translate for me?! And why does this entire blasted clinic not have a place where anyone can wash their hands?!"

Possibly the thing that is pushing me to write about all of this is that this morning during my quiet time I was reading something a fellow missionary had written. I had been sitting here feeling sorry for myself, telling God I just wanted things to be easier sometimes.  That it wasn't too much to ask for just a bit of a more comfortable life. For example running water.  And then I read this:

The more I grow in the Lord the more I think most Christians are not living for God's Kingdom and like Christ.  I am reading through the Gospels again and I am once again struck by Jesus - He and His ways are radical!  In other words crazy.  Christians today, are comfortable, not crazy.  We protect our comfort, safety, family, even things above the will of God.  Jesus said things like, "Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, do not worry about your life, seek first my kingdom, in everything do to others what you would have them do to you, many will say my name but those who DO my will will enter my Kingdom, anyone who his parents/family more than me is not worthy of me, you have to loose your life to find true life, don't look good and be clean on the outside but inside/who you are needs to be good,  my loved ones are those who do God's will...  Yesterday I read Matt. 13:44-46 the parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl Merchant.  This time it really struck me.  The words, "the Kingdom of God is like..." in each parable is very important.  Jesus said His kingdom is like a treasure hidden and when someone finds it he joyfully sells everything to get the treasure.  Jesus said His kingdom is like a person searching for a precious pearl.  He found it and gave everything to get it.  When we are in Jesus' Kingdom we will joyfully give up or give everything for it!  
I really don't see God's people willing to give everything - their comfort, safety, their home, things, family... - because Jesus is so worth it!  Anything He wants for His kingdom should be worth it - if He is the King of the Kingdom we should always say yes and obey. Christians are too comfortable.  Christ suffered and we are to continue His ministry – of suffering with and for others.  Jesus gave.  He gave up Heaven to come to earth, he gave His time, His heart, feelings, emotions, cried, He gave His love, His power, His wisdom, His blood, His life...  And He was glorified for it.  I think we are missing out on Jesus, His kingdom, and His glory when we want to be comfortable instead.  It is hard and painful, messy and scary when we have to enter someone else problem and pain.  Too many give money to help, say they are praying, care but stay away because it will interrupt our lives, it will cost, it will hurt.  We might not have the answers or what is needed, but we can love, we can be there.  If our goal is to become like Christ, then I want to do, think and feel like He did.  He would go and love at whatever the cost.  

So now, I'm still sitting here feeling sorry for myself, wishing life were more comfortable and also feeling guilty. I do want to be more Christ-like.  But today I'm having a really hard time joyfully giving up everything for it.

Turkey Committee Part 2

A few months back I wrote about a turkey program my church started. Post here.

Well, this week some of the recipients gave back two or three turkey chicks (depending on how many hatched) so that other vulnerable people could receive a pair. About half of the folks that received were already able to give back.  We will keep the chicks for a few months, until they are closer to mature then the committee will sit and select new vulnerable people to receive. Here are two of the widows proudly holding the chicks they are giving back.  Highlight of my week!

Daniel also wrote about it. His post here. 

OK friends, new prayer request. I have this stupid wound on my thumb which despite my vet's best attempts and a minor surgery in Kampala is still getting worse. I'm afraid I have a splinter of glass under the nail and pus just keep accumulating. I've been traveling but am now back in Soroti. It's quite painful and on my right hand so I need to ask for help far more than I am comfortable with. I feel like maybe God is trying to teach me something.....

Update- well, thanks to you quick pray-ers. I got a nerve block and had it all debrided this afternoon by a PA here in Soroti. Also some new antibiotics.  I'm hopeful things are now headed the right direction.  Also some ultram which is a wonderful thing.

Quick blog post about baby Anna! She has put on 3kg so is big enough and the specialist from the US have arrived to do as many kids as they can in the next two weeks. Anna is "booked" with the maxillogacial/ ENT surgeons tomorrow!  I'm still in western so I don't have a current picture but keep her in your prayers over the next few days.


Update- change of plans. They traveled and met with the doctors again but the surgeon had too many patients scheduled so the smallest ones were bumped to the next time he comes in August. Anna and Judith will just have to wait.

Felt very weird to spend the past several days teaching and not mention a single thing related to pregnancy, communicable diseases or hand washing even once! 

Mountain Baptist Church. 

Rabbits

So one of my favorite parts of the work we do in the Batwa villages is rabbit revolving loans. This lady got two rabbits a few months back from her neighbor who received a pair of rabbits from Dr. Daniel after receiving training on how to breed and care for them. Her neighbor trained her and once her's produce she will give two to someone else and train them. Rabbits for everybody! 

Kisoro

I'm in western Uganda right now taking a break by working differently than usual. Here are a few pictures of the people we spent time with yesterday.

 These are the batwa people of Bwindi Forest. Their story in a short video is here along with he guys I'm serving with this week. http://www.fueluganda.com/kisoro.html

Christmas stuff

A few pictures of just doing life the days before Christmas.....

 When all of your Christmas decorations fit in a shoe box you use all of the Christmas cards you've received since living in Uganda.

It was really hard work getting good gifts for friends and family but well worth it! Started planning way back in July to get it packed and delivered here! 

I had most of my sponsored kids over this morning to help me get ready for Christmas dinner at church tomorrow. That meant killing several ducks.

Making and frosting 6 dozen cupcakes. 

 And of course opening gifts and receiving new clothes for Christmas.

Prayers please!

I'm headed into the clinic in just a few minutes. I don't usually go in on friday but I've gotten a call that a young woman is in labor and as the midwife is on her own maternity leave I'm the available staff member. But also the district has given us hundreds of Hep B immunizations to dispense. A radio announcement has been made that we will be giving them free of charge TODAY. We are expecting between 600 and 800 people to arrive. And each one of them will need to be screened first before we can immunize. That is a blood draw and test per person. Back on Wednesday I visited another location that was doing it to learn how the process should work. It looked like this

Hundreds of people waiting in lines..... It will be at least 100 degrees today, and our clinic is smaller than this one. Oh yeah, and don't forget that I have a women in labor in the midst of this chaos....How soon until my Christmas vacation starts?!

Update- Survived the day. It was touch and go at times but we all pulled through. I think we even may have had a little fun. Lots of community members pitched in to get more than 600 people registered, tested and injected. We also had a little baby boy born in the midst of the confusion though somehow I didn't manage to get pictures.

Miracle Mary

Our amazing little miracle, Mary, is going home today! Even the doctor admitted to me the other day he never expected her to survive. I'm sure it was the prayer from all over the globe! She is doing really well but is actually not quite ready to go. However, we've pushed up the date of her discharge because of terrible news. Her father committed suicide yesterday and the burial is today. Mary really wanted to go and be there so, hence the early discharge. I never met her father and really know nothing of him except that he was also HIV positive. I don't think anyone had any idea he was so depressed.
Mary was brought to me in Obule but she is actually from Serere, which is something like another 20km further away. I couldn't take them out to there so they had to pack up several weeks worth of stuff and a physically handicapped child and get on public transport. Life is just tough here. Please keep praying for this family!!

Smiling is still tough as all the muscles of her jaw are still very tight but she wanted me to tell you that she is very happy even if she doesn't look like it.