Our favorites of this trip- Giraffes plus a great shot of Murchison Falls !

One of the fun things about the Murchison Falls National Park is the giraffes. The other national park we have been to did not have giraffes. The beautiful waterfalls is also a sight to behold. Murchison was the backdrop for the movie, African Queen.

tough decisions

So here’s a tough decision that none of us have to face everyday but our social worker grappled with this situation today.  We found out yesterday about a woman in a village nearby who had triplets and was asking for help.  Our social worker, one of our American nurses and one of our interns went to check out the situation.  First of all, I must explain that village here means no running water, no electricity, charcoal or wood stoves, and dirt floors.  So they discovered the babies, all little girls, were born 2 months ago.  They were all small and probably came early (the mom didn’t even know she was pregnant with triplets until she delivered!).  One of the little girls is very small and sickly and may die.  The father fetches water for a living and earns probably $2-$3 a day.  The mother, age 22, is of course totally worn out and doesn’t have anyone to help her during the day.  She was given some formula when the babies were born but she feeds all 3 babies out of the same sippy cup.  She also is breast feeding.  A small tin of formula, that would probably last one day or two, cost $10 here.  Our group did bring two tins of formula and some bottles.   The social worker asked the mother about us taking the one sickly child so she could manage the other two.   The mother said that in her culture they believe that you cannot separate triplets or they will all become sickly.  She is asking us to take all the children.   

 

We really have not come to a conclusion as yet.  We know we do not have room right now for 3 babies, but even if we did, we really would not want to take all 3 children from an able bodied, sound minded mother and father.   As I stood on my veranda speaking with our social worker, the thought flashed through my mind, “wow, not a decision we face everyday!”  I am so often floored by the decisions we are faced with.  Decisions that affect peoples’ lives!  Would you pray for wisdom that comes only from God for us?  We praise God for the one who gives it.  Thank you for praying for us!

Jesus is the Winner Man

There is a song that we sing in our GSF church that always makes me smile and even chuckle. Thought I would share it with you! I have an amateur video but it is 255mb and on our internet it just wouldn't work to get it downloaded so I have written it out. It goes like this:

"Jesus is a winner man (pronounced weiner man); a winner man; a winner man; Jesus is a winner man; a winner man all the time.

Chorus: (add the electric slide to the moves)
He's a winner man, a winner man, a winner man, a winner man, a winner man, a winner man, a winner man; a winner man all the time. (Repeat and reverse electric slide)

Satan is a loser man; a loser man; a loser man; Satan is a loser man; a loser man all the time.

Chorus: (continue the electric slide)
He's a loser man, a loser man, a loser man, a loser man, a loser man, a loser man, a loser man, a loser man all the time. (Repeat and reverse electric slide)

I am on the winning side, the winning side, the winning side; I am on the winning side; the winning side all the time.

Chorus: (yep, you got it!)
On the winning side, the winning side, the winning side, the winning side, the winning side, the winning side, the winning side, the winning side all the time.

Birthday Girl!

So, I am a little late but wanted to share pictures of our 9-9-99 girl's birthday! Her favorite gift was a bottle of Top Up, which is the Ugandan version of Ketchup. Our kids have gotten accustomed to it and prefer it over Ketchup. No, I usually don't give food items as birthday gifts but she actually told us that is what she wanted for her birthday!

We had Cookie Cake that she helped make.She invited several GSF friends, a missionary friend from Jinja, and her teacher for a party.

Super Hero day!

 

Our kids are having spirit week this week at GSF international—love it.  Above is  a picture of the entire school and teacher on super hero day.  Super heroes are as follows:  Snowball girl, Pink Powder puff girl, Wonder Woman/Gumboot girl, just an average girl in trouble, Classy Girl, Seminole Boy, the Green Hero, Tambourine Man, and Sugar boy.

 

 

Gloria and Lilly

Gloria, one of our special needs girls,  is in the hospital for pneumonia.  She is not doing well and has been very weak for about a year.  She has been in the hospital for about 2 weeks now and has been feverish and vomiting most of the time there.  I was told today that the doctors are going to try one more antibiotic for 5 days and if she doesn’t get any better, they will recommend that we stop trying and just continue giving fluids via IV.  They also recommend that we bring her home and focus on quality of life as opposed to quantity of life.  Tough decisions but we are praying that God will bring healing and allow us to bring her home to recuperate. 

This morning before I was given this news, I really felt impressed to take Lilly to see Gloria.  Lilly is another of our special needs kids and one who can cause anyone to smile.  Those of you who have come to visit most likely remember Lilly and her full-body hugs.    Lilly makes every situation seem better.  Some days I just sit out on the veranda with Lilly and somehow she makes life better.  So this morning, I just wondered if Lilly could lift Gloria’s spirits as well.  The other thought is that almost any other kid at GSF would be stunned by Gloria’s feeding tube and IVs.  Somehow, I knew that that would not phase Lilly.

Later in the afternoon, our farm manager asked Mark if some of us could go and pray for Gloria.  Mark and I got ready and filled our car with 2 house moms, one of our American nurses, our tailor, our farm manager, Mark and I and of course, Lilly!  And by halfway through the trip, I think everyone was glad we brought Lilly.  She made us all laugh with her tries at saying all of our names and with the common phrases she uses all the time. 

“Lilly, are you happy?”  I asked her.

“Hmm, appy!” was Lilly’s response.

When we arrived to see Gloria, Lilly was quiet but still animated.  Gloria was very still and sleeping.  We gathered around and prayed.  Lilly leaning very strongly on me, was very quiet except when someone would say, “In Jesus Name. . .”

“Amen!” would be Lilly’s loud response. 

When we all finished I asked Lilly if she wanted to pray for Gloria. 

“Hmm, ray Goriah!”

She then repeated after me a prayer for Gloria.  When we finished, I looked down at Gloria to see she had her eyes opened and fixed on Lilly!  She realized Lilly was there!  Anytime Lilly moved, Gloria’s eyes would follow.  When Lilly began to speak again, Gloria began to move her mouth!  Wow, what a blessing!

When we finished talking to Gloria, Lilly was ready to continue her new found hospital ministry.  She turned to the many onlookers in the big hospital room filled with many patients and their caregivers.  She started waving and saying, “Hi!”  When we told her to go greet some others, she quickly walked over and gave high fives to unsuspecting people who were expecting handshakes.  One of the caregivers in the room even gave her money.

We have now decided Lilly is going to be making more hospital visits because she cheers the ones taking her, the person she is visiting and those in the ward. 

We think God for Gloria and Lilly.  When you think of them, pray for these two special girls.  Pray that they will be able to visit each other in their houses right next door to each other real soon!

Uganda Driving

One thing that makes driving difficult in Uganda is the number of people (and animals) on the roadway.  Driving back to GSF by myself yesterday, I decided to keep track.  In a 10 km (6.2 miles) distance, there were over 200 pedestrians!  Now consider this… These are mommas with babies, small children, kids hauling water on their heads, people pushing or riding bicycles loaded with supplies, etc.  Furthermore, the people are ON the road with you, not walking beside the road on a sidewalk.  Beyond that, we’re talking about roadways that normally aren’t paved and aren’t as wide as a two-lane street in the states.  Rural roads are generally just wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other.  And if there is a guy on a bicycle there at the same time, then he either has to bail into the grass or one vehicle has to slow down and wait to ease around the bicycle until the other vehicle has passed.

I know this still isn’t a good picture.  Next time you drive in the states, count how many people you pass walking on the road/sidewalk in a distance of one mile.  According to the number above, which was a typical day, there were 33 people per mile – again, pedestrians on the road, not walking near/alongside the road.  That doesn’t count how many goats, cows and sheep were there also.  We learn to adjust and pray more sincerely for safety while driving!