Saturday, October 24, 2009

Well, I do realize it’s been forever since I last blogged. Some of you may have wondered if I’d just stopped all together. But no I haven’t; I’ve just been out of control busy. I was in Kenya for a conference a couple weeks ago, and hit the ground running when I returned…

I was very privileged to be able to attend a medical training class put on by Arise Medical for all the AIM air pilots! The class was held in Nairobi, Kenya so I got to visit Kenya for the first time (yay); I don’t really get out to much! I would like to say a huge thank you to the Arise Medical staff and volunteers, as well as all the AIM missionaries who hosted us! They were all so gracious in letting me tag along, and pick their brains. Thanks guys!

I feel like there is so much to tell, and yet I don’t even know what to write at the moment. But I want to share with you some major events of the past few weeks. I hope this gives you a little bit of an idea of the happenings here in Masese.
The weather is changing. Everyone is sick. This last week over 110 people came for some kind of medical treatment. Most days I would arrive home and there would be 20 or 30 people sitting outside my door…I treat what I can from here and take the rest to a local clinic. Lots of piki rides with arm full’s of children!

Currently in my house there are 5 children all under the age of 3. AHHHHHH…Love it!

For those of you who think I do what I do alone, let me tell you that is not true. I have been extremely blessed with some wonderful volunteers! Many have come and gone, but recently we’ve been a team of 3. But last Tuesday we lost a third of the tag team. Elly, had been serving with us for the past 2 months, and was such a blessing in so many ways! Thanks for all your hard work Elly! It was a joy to see how the Lord worked in your life while you worked in the lives of those around you; while you LOVED those around you!

I have 1000 kids in my yard on Tuesdays and Thursdays! For many different reasons we moved, and are now having feeding here at my house. It’s actually been really nice, and way more controlled! Praise the Lord!

Chakool smiled for the first time, and now we can’t get him to stop… I never thought I would see the day (you can see a picture of him when he first came in a previous blog post)


The newest and most exciting news is, Selah Grace! Selah was brought to me on Monday of last week by one of the ladies in Masese. Her 15 year old mother abandoned her on the front steps of the house where she was a part time house girl, and has been MIA since. Baby Selah is said to be about 1 month old, but no one really knows when she was born, so it’s more of a guess then anything. When I saw her I immediately thought “that baby most only be a few days old.” She just looks so small to be a one month old; she only weighs a little under 6 pounds. We’re working on getting a more accurate age estimate though. When she arrived she was covered, and I mean covered in a weird rash that I believe came from being bound tightly in blankets and never being bathed. She was being kept by a lady in my village whom could not afford to feed her properly, so she has lost a considerable amount of weight since birth. She didn’t look good that first day. But when someone brings you a very sick, beautiful 1 month old orphan, you say “yes!”
I think I’ll let the pictures show you the progress she’s made!

the day of her arrival

Within the first few hours…

Day 4: we weighed her at the market on a bean scale.

She did NOT think it was a good idea...

Last night.

She’s doing so much better in just a week. It goes to show that sometimes a little food, sleep, and lots of love can go a long way in the recovery of any child. And I thank God for the opportunity to be the one to provide those things for her, to all the kids that the Lord entrusts me with! It’s truly an honor!

Again I’m sorry for the long gap of nothingness. But please do know that when I don’t blog it only means that I’m super busy doing the things I’m telling you guys about. thanks for your prayers!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

"To God Be The Glory"

Thank you so much for your prayers! Allafat, Chakool, and I were able to come home from the hospital on Sunday morning, in time for church! It turned out that Allafat actually had to stay another night as well, but I got back home an hour before leaving again, and was even able to take a quick shower (thanks to Heidi). It was a huge blessing to be able to worship with fellow believers after such an emotionally draining week.

I don’t think I can put into words how incredibly exhausted I was. When I arrived at the hospital on Friday I had not really slept since Monday, and sleeping in the hospital with 2 sick children was not exactly "restful". There are no nurses around at night, so if there’s a problem, you’re on your own. During many points of the night I thought “why am I here? I can care for these children better from home.” Yeah, I was up for 99% of the night for sure (not that I normally sleep much more then that at home); think I have a new appreciation for American hospitals… But, we’re home now and everyone is doing well other than the nasty cold that’s going around my house. Praise the Lord!

Thank you so much from every corner of my heart for your prayers. Threw a very scary and utterly exhausting time I could feel your prayers surrounding all of us! A peace that passes all understanding…

Allafat on Thursday of last week

Today!


Soli Day O Gloria!!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Well, I have to say that the past few days have been some of the most emotional, and stressful ever. It started on Monday when I got a call to pick up 2 very malnourished babies from the children’s hospital in Jinja, and after spending a large portion of the day there I (along with Elly and Heidi) left with 2 little boys. `They both have the same name, Chakool. We quickly changed that by ever so slightly changing one of their names to, Shaquille. He’s adjusting to the change quit well!
Chakool:16 months old and has been in the hospital for over a month with his mother who could not afford to purchase food for herself or her child. So, he has been living off a formula called F75 (a high calorie, high vitamin milk made by the hospital) that is provided in the malnutrition ward for free.
Shaquille: an 11 month old little boy who has been admitted for the past 3 weeks, also with malnutrition, but his is mostly due to having a cleft palate (looking into options for surgery). All he can drink/eat is milk, so he’s on F75 around the clock as well.
Both boys are adjusting well to life without their Mom, and to a bunch of white girls taking care of them! I’m trying to get in the swing of things though because I’ve not had a baby, much less 2 in the house before, we tend to stick to older kids, not that we don’t want babies, just never had them before. It’s been fun! I feel without a doubt that the Lord sent these boys to us, so we’re doing everything in our power to ensure that they return to full health ASAP. It’s not been an easy road so far though… Many clinic visits, lots of crying, and 3 am feedings, and more 3am feedings which =no sleep. But god is gracious, and He continues to give me strength every morning!!

“O Lord, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.”

So…I know in my last post I asked you to pray for Allafat, and I would like to ask you to continue praying. On Friday Allafat and Chakool were admitted into a local clinic because their malaria count was so high. Allafat is able to go home today-praise the Lord! But Chakool has to stay at least one more night because his IV keeps entering the tissue. And because he’s so malnourished his veins are small and continue to collapse. So, tonight I’m going for night number 2 in an African hospital; it’s a good time! It’s not like I’m losing too much sleep though, I get about the same amount at home. I think I’m going on 5 days with only getting about 1 ½ hours of sleep at a time. God is multiplying the minutes though, and somehow I have the energy to get up in the morning and do what he has called me to do: LOVE HIS CHILDREN. Well, got to run. Lots of kiddos to tend to…

Allafat at the hospital today.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Allafat is a 4 year old boy from Masese; he’s one of the many on our “greeting committee” outside my gate! These days Allafat hasn’t been hanging around the outer parts of the gate though, He’s been sleeping on this side of my front door…

He was brought to my house about a week ago because most of his body was swollen so tight that he was in constant, large amounts of pain. His Mom thought he had malaria. Here if you aren’t feeling completely up to par, “you have malaria”. But, after several visits to different clinics it was determined that he has a condition called “Kwashaco”. Kwashaco is a form of severe malnutrition. It stems from lack of protein in the body, but instead of losing a ton of weight, fluid begins to collect in between your cells; you become swollen, and it’s very painful. Loss of appetite is common and becoming very weak is a given when you’re not eating food and your body hurts all over. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have a child that’s dying of starvation who actually wants to eat food. It seems strange that he doesn’t want to eat, but I’ve learned what happens when he over eats, so I let him go at his own pace. Sometimes Allafat will just start crying because he can’t stand up, or he’ll topple over for seemingly no reason. Poor little guy, he’s just so weak. But, now that he has a diagnosis we’re able to treat him properly!

A vigorous treatment plan has been put into place, and I believe he’s on the road to recovery, though he still has a very long way to go! He’s on a formula called F75; it’s a high calorie, high vitamin milk that he drinks every 3 hours around the clock. I was told that because of his condition he needed to be admitted into the children’s hospital, so that he wouldn’t get an infection because his immune system is so low (he also tested positive for HIV). But when I reached the hospital they said I should bring him home because it was more likely for him to get sick there, and he would get better care from my house. It’s pretty twisted when you’re told by the hospital staff not to leave your child there because he’ll probably become more sick then he already is. So I brought him right on back home, but while at the hospital the nutritionist was able to write down the recipe for F75, and gave me all the ingredients that cannot be purchased here. So, our trip to Navafenya (children’s ward) was a success! I’m so thankful they were willing to give me what I needed to make the formula from home.

So, Allafat is now home with me, and making progress in his recovery, though it’s a very slow process, but hey, slow and steady wins the race right? I ask that you would please keep him in your prayers as he continues to get healthy and his body slowly becomes stronger.

His little hands and feet are so swollen, but they are now starting to go down!

He looks fairly healthy in pictures, and he smiled just for you guys!




Monday, September 14, 2009

What's your story gunna be?

I’m reading the book “Crazy Love” right now, ya know in all my free time. I would recommend it to anyone! Francis Chan really puts into prospective how “unloving” the church has become, we as Christians tend to take the easy way out, the comfortable way, whatever is less painful. I think we often forget the first and second commandment, or maybe we don’t forget, maybe we just choose not to remember- “Love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul, and mind” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” I know it’s easy for me to forget to love the people around me, and that’s my everyday job. I came to a different country to specifically love people, and I still find myself getting frustrated with that person who shows up at 9:30pm with malaria, needing stitches, or treatment for scabies. On those nights it’s sometimes only after the fact that I remember the incredible privilege I have to LOVE; to love them as if it were Jesus Christ himself sitting at my kitchen table. Christ said “whatever you do for the least of these, you have done unto me.” All too often when I look down at that dirty kid sitting on my floor, with jiggers in His feet, and fungus covering the top of his head, I don’t see Jesus. But only when I look into the teary eyes of that little boy, being so brave to sit and endure pain do I see Him! The pain he’s going through will make him clean in the end. Healthy even. I know that, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t know what the next few minutes, or hours will bring? Yet, he sits... He waits... He trusts that I will care for Him… I imagine what the eyes of Jesus must have looked like that day He endured unbelievable amounts of pain for me… I don’t think I can even begin to imagine, but If God in the flesh took all that suffering for me, why can’t I at the least get a little uncomfortable, do something outside of the box, and show His crazy love to the people around me? He continually gives me chances to LOVE, but what will I do with these opportunities, what will I do with the opportunities to serve Christ, and I mean literally serve the least of these? Will I embrace the challenge, whatever it may be? Will you? Will people remember you for running with reckless abandon toward the prize God has set before you? Will people remember you for living with CRAZY LOVE?


I want you to read these stories of people that ran hard for Jesus! People that LOVED, trusted, and served God in everyday life. Most of these people you’ve probably never heard of, but they made a difference, they changed the lives around them. I don’t think anyone has ever written a book about them, or given them a huge amount of recognition; they just lived with incredible love. As you read, I challenge you to think about what people would write about you. What would your story be? Is it worth writing about...?

George Mueller-
George was born in Prussia in 1805 and was attending the University of Halle when he became a Christian. Up until then he had been infamous for his gambling debts, drunken stories, and escapades. But his life was transformed when he came to know Christ. He finished school and left for England to be a preacher. He and his British wife eventually settled in Bristol, England, where they saw many orphans rooming the streets-uncared for, unfed, often sick, and virtually guaranteed death at a young age. At this time, writers like Charles Dickens and William Blake had not yet brought attention to the plight of these children, and nothing was being done to help them. George and his wife decided to start an orphanage that would be entirely free of charge, and for which they would never ask any money or support. When they had needs, they would go to God alone, trusting that He would give them everything they needed. Many people were incredulous, and so the Muellers’ purpose in starting the orphanage became twofold: the first was obviously to help the orphans; the second was to show people what it looked like to trust God for EVERYTHING. When the first orphan house opened, George and his wife, Mary, prayed for everything they needed. According to George’s meticulous records, God provided all they asked for! By the time George died, in 1898, over ten thousand orphans had been housed and cared for in the five orphan houses they built. During His lifetime, a million and a half pounds went through George’s hands in the form of donations. He directed every cent toward those in need. After his death, a British paper wrote of George that he “robbed the cruel streets of thousands of victims, the jails of thousands of felons, and the poorhouses of thousands of helpless waifs.” Another newspaper noted that it had all been accomplished by prayer alone.

Rings-
I don’t know how old Rings is, but he’s definitely what you would call an old man. I also don’t know where he was born or what his real name is; he simply goes by Rings. His home is in the cab of His pickup, which he parks near downtown Ocean Beach, California. He is a chain smoker, and ex-convict, and ex-alcoholic. Rings likes to say that if Jesus saved him, then Jesus can save anyone and everyone. So instead of using his monthly check to buy alcoholic or a hotel for himself, he spends it on food at the local supermarket. He transfers the food he buys into coolers in the back of his truck, then drives down to the beach and makes meals for the fellow homeless. While preparing the food, Rings tells the gathering crowd about the freedom that Jesus brought into his life. He tells them that God is the One who told him to feed others with his money, and it’s all because God loves each of them. This man gives everything he has to others-literally everything-because he knows that he has nothing that wasn’t given to him by his Savior.

Nathan Barlow-
A medical doctor who chose to utilize his skills in Ethiopia for more than 60 years. Nathan dedicated his life to helping people with mossy foot. Mossy foot is a debilitating condition primarily found in rural districts, on people who work in soil of volcanic origin. It causes swelling and ulcers in the feet and lower legs. The subsequent deformity, swellings, repeated ulcerations, and secondary infections make people with mossy foot social outcast’s equivalent to lepers. I met Nathan shortly before he died when his daughter brought him to her home from Ethiopia when his health started to fail. After only a few weeks, he couldn’t handle being in the states. The people he loved were still in Ethiopia, so his daughter flew him back home so he could spend his last days there. Once while on the field, Nathan got a toothache, the pain of which was so intense that he had to fly out to get medical attention. Nathan told the dentist that he didn’t ever want to leave the field for the sake of his teeth again, so he had the dentist pull out ALL of his teeth and give him fake ones, so that he wouldn’t slow down the work of the Lord. This amazing man was the first to help these outcasts, and he spent his life doing it. Yet he died quietly without a lot of attention or recognition; no one knew about him. He worked for the Heavenly Father, not for the praise from the world. That’s a beautiful thing!

Lucy-
If you met Lucy at church, you would think she was somebody’s innocent dear grandmother. She’s the kind of woman who would come and give you a huge hug and then introduce herself. You would never guess that she was an ex-prostitute. When she was in her teens and twenties, drugs and prostitution dominated her life. Through an older woman who reached out to prostitutes, Lucy met Jesus and her life was completely transformed! To this day, almost 40 years later, Lucy lives near the streets where she once worked as a prostitute and consistently opens her home to other young women caught in prostitution. It is common knowledge on the streets that if you need anything you can go to Lucy’s house. She doesn’t have a lot, but her home is always open. Prostitutes, pimps, drug users, dealers, and anyone else who most people avoid-Lucy invites them in! This is her way of loving people who are in despite need of the hope and love that she, herself found 40 years ago.

I hope these life stories have done more than just encourage you; I hope they have eliminated every excuse in your head for not living a radical, love-motivated life. Hopefully these average, everyday people give you hope that you too can live a life worth writing about.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

This morning I woke up with 5 children in my bed. Not exactly sure how that happened; throughout the night someone had to pea, needed water, was scarred, and didn’t want to sleep alone, somehow that equaled getting into my bed to finish off the night. Most of my nights these days go about like that; I’m learning to run on very little sleep, and appreciate every minute I get. Sleep is a precious commodity here at my house! Because of the frequent coming and going of children simple things, such as bedtime/sleeping can turn into a very difficult task. Like right now I have 5 little girls’ upstairs still talking, crying, singing, and very much trying my patience. I had to get out of the shower 3 times to break up crying disputes. Some days it’s hard to be Jesus to the people around you. I pray for strength. And the Lord delivers!

One of the “non-sleeping” girls upstairs is named, Moraine. She came here under a unique circumstance. The other day after feeding program a man came up to me, and said He needed to talk to me…. I was not surprised, this is a common after feeding, or really just anytime I walk out my gate. (Whenever I have other volunteers with me, I normally get left behind because I have to talk to everyone and their Mom along the way). He said that He knew of a little girl who was being severely abused by Her step father and explained that said she needed a place to stay where she would be safe. Here if the child isn’t biologically yours then a lot of times He or She will be neglected, beaten, and cast out of the house. That was the case with Moraine. Her Mom remarried after her husband died, and had 2 other children, since Moraine was from a different marriage, she was “unwanted”. Without really thinking twice, I immediately said “yes”. Yes, I will take her. Yes, I will feed her. Yes, I will care for her. Yes, I will give her a bath and put her to bed at night. Yes, I will love her! It just blows my mind to think that someone would cast a 5 year old child out of the house to sleep in the rain simply because she doesn’t have your DNA. I don’t think I’ll ever understand. But she’s here living with me now, and I think she’s adjusting well all things considered! I don’t know what the future holds for her, or where she’ll go from here, but I do know that the Lord sent her, so she’ll stay here until the Lord takes her somewhere else.
For the time being I’m going to get her into school, and teach her some English words so I can communicate with her better; she doesn’t speak any English. Well, that’s not entirely true, if you ask her “how are you?” she can say “I am fine.” Oh yet another adventure!
Internet decided to work, so I was able to post some pictures! These are the girls currently living with me!
Christina & one of our volunteers, Elly

Moraine

Rusty

Atasha (a 2 year old that weighs a little under 13lbs)



Faith (she's getting fat)





Sunday, August 30, 2009

Wow! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks; hence why I have not blogged in forever. Sorry. I have had 9 kiddos in my house for the past few weeks, and it’s been pretty insane. But also so fun! There’s been lots of bodily functions, sleepless night, and lots, and lots of crying going on in this household. Our littlest guests have been: Rachel, Rusty, Tracy (all sisters), Christina, Bethsheir, Winith, Judith (twins), Esther, and of course Faith! It’s been challenging having many sick children here who do not speak English, know how to sit at a table to eat, or use a toilet. Oh, it’s been a good time! Rachel, Rusty, and Tracy all got dropped off at about 9:30 at night (which is not uncommon, a large portion of my nights I get people coming to the gate with medical needs up till about 10:00) they had scabies, so we removed their clothes, bathed them right away, and started them on treatment. Before bed, Rachel made it know that she had to “fuka” (pee), and looked at me like I had horns coming out of my head when I showed her the toilet. She looked really hard at it for a few then made an attempt… It was one of the most hilarious things I have seen in my life! Once she had made it successfully into a sitting position she looked up at me, and gave me the biggest grin I’ve probably ever seen. She was SO proud of herself! Unfortunately the other girls did not catch on so quickly…

Along with all the munchkins, I have some new volunteers in the house as well: Heidi (Helping to start the Bible club program), Elly (my cousin!), and our 2 visitors: Rachel & Airelle! But along with the coming of new help my right hand man (well, lady), Shana is headed home for Canada this week, and my heart hurts a little bit. Shana has been with me since I got here, and has helped get everything on this side started, and it’ll be so sad to say goodbye. Shana has not only been an incredible blessing to Serving His Children, but has been a huge encouragement and good friend to me as well! But I’m blessed to have new volunteers, and excited for the coming months!

Last week we started Bible Clubs, and that’s been super fun! We always have any/all children over for “playtime” on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, so we just added bible class to those days; it’s great because we already have many kids here on the compound, and I already somewhat know them! Heidi and Elly are doing a great job being creative with their teaching tactics; the kids love it! Especially the music! Some of the older girls are asking a lot of good questions and seem to be very curious, so it’s super exciting to see God working in their hearts!

Feeding has been great! Instead of numbers shooting up, they have actually decreased since school let out. I found out that it’s because we feed all of the kids at the local school, Lake Site Primary and most of their students walk for a good long hour or so in the morning to get to school, so when they’re on holiday it is too far for them to walk for lunch. We’re sitting at about 900 these days.

All around life has gotten back to normal, well, as normal as it can be… All the sickys are now back home, except for Faith. It was sad to see them go because I had a lot of fun with them, but at the same time, I was a little relived. We had a couple major, major fit throwers, and I mean I don’t really blame them; I would through fits for the white girl who was shoving nasty tasting meds down my throat, and sticking needles in me. But they are now home, Happy, and Healthy!

Oh, quick Faith update: She is doing really well, being put on ARVs in the next few weeks. Her white blood count is dangerously low though. For a child of her age she should be at about 25%. 14% is considered critical, and hers is 7.8%. The doctors said if she has not been found when she was, she would be dead in less than 6 months. Thank you God for bring her to my doorstep. Both she and her Mom are now enrolled in an HIV relief program in Jinja where they can receive free treatment; In Uganda ALL aids treatment is free. Thanks America!

Well, I guess that’s about it. Though I sat down to write this blog at 2pm, I was continually interrupted (surprise), so It’s now almost 2am, and Faith will probably expect me to be up with her by 6 to change her dirtiness; I think I should probably go to bad for a bit. I tried to post pictures, but the internet is being “Ugandan”, and refusing to be timely, so check back in a few days….

The Children we SERVE