Today we traveled back to Entebbe…all day! We just finished dinner and are ready to leave for the Airport. God has blessed us with safety and health during this trip. Please pray for continued safe travels and good health. We are all now anxious to be home with our loved ones.
Christine
Ugandaholics say…
jambo little bear!
Debbie Conover
“I will return, my heart has been magnetized”
Mark E Van Wormer M D
Look at the people on that boda-boda.
Sherry Renfro, RN/BSN
I love being “incubated” .
Sue & Dan Vestal
“Another Fibroidzilla!”
M Gail Vanderlee, MD
How many more patient books, nurse Susan,just two? How come I see ten, and why are some of them men? I am a gynecologist, by golly! Anybody for a tubal? How about an IUD…anybody…anybody?
Elisa Brown
Only 6 people on that boda- boda? You can get 3 more easily.
Jim Huston
Over and over again, “I can’t believe the whole Nile goes through Murchison Falls”- favorite quote by Jim Huston. From me… “why does the driver like to drive almost sideways, just drive down the middle so we dont flip over!”
Kassidy James
forget the 12step program —– just do it!!!! Karen Carr
Godfrey, could you…, or Sherry’s, “let me see how much funny money I have left” .
Cora Ables
Dr. Liu…if I had it you would have it,sir !!! Sherrrrrry !!! I’ll be right there…
Judi Alexander
Does anyone know where Debbie is? I,m locked out of my room again. She,s got the key.
Lisa
Job well done! You are most welcome!
Christine
Kassidy, your in denile about staying at a resort on D Nile!
Jeff Reiswig, interventionist
The team is having trouble getting an internet connection to update us, they are on Safari as I type this. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Patrick’s email to me today.
The team is now on Safari, the visit was successful. 40 surgeries were done with 6 done in outpatients, totaling to 46.
The outreaches saw over 5000 people and 600 nets were distributed.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Dr.D
The funniest thing that happened…
We tried to dig a respectable ditch for the new water well. We (I especially) got muddy that stayed that way all day. I’m not sure how much we helped in the effort because the Ugandans got the whole job done in 3 days with or without our help.
Jim Huston
Me trying to jump rope, in a long skirt, and digging boots. The kids thought it was hilarious as I attempted multiple times and was unsuccessful. Although I would say making them laugh is a success for me!!!
Kassidy James
At the well today when a herd of kid repeated everything I said, “ We love dum dums!!”
Thomas Carrington
When Elisa and I discovered that we could control the lights in Dr. Liu’s operating room by turning the suction on and off.
Gail Vanderlee
Seeing Dr. Liu doing the boda-boda with the women outside the hospital in the yard as he was filming them.
Sherry Renfro, RN/BSN
My funniest moment would have to be when Dr. Vanderlee and I played patty cake during surgery. Dr. Brown was holding for hemostasis and we got bored.
Cora Ables, CST
The makeshift masks were pretty funny like a cross between an elephant and a gas mask.
Elisa Brown
We spent more time chasing a fly out of the room than doing a procedure.
Dr. Liu
Continuously changing Operating Room shoes going in and out of the OR for clinic and never really knowing whose shoes you had on your feet or what OR shoes you would wear next.
Mark E. Van Wormer MD
When I looked in the second OR and saw a foley bag hanging from the table with no patient on the table…only to learn it was a “community” bag, used for the minor GYN procedures because we were running out of foley bags. Today was a great day in surgery…we did three procedures which made us hit the forty Milestone mark…And with the six procedures done in out in the patient clinic, we did an amazing forty-six procedures this trip…GO OR TEAM.
Judi Alexander, RN, OR Team Leader
Having a lizard jump out of the shelf where the gloves were stored, Sherri giving out a little scream, but I scream even louder right after she screamed.
Debbie Conover, BSN
We were counting pills in the pharmacy. A child sat on the window sill all day until we gave him a soccer ball. He’d raise one eyebrow to say Sir, Ball? Took off like a flash when he got it. Then the friends showed up at the window to say “he’s not sharing.” Then they wanted pumps. It went on all day.
Lisa
On Monday afternoon we finished clinic late and then went to the hospital to pick up suitcases. The surgical team was all ready to go home for the day. While we were loading the two vans, I walked over to the surgical team. Dr. Liu leaned out his window and said, “Christine, you eat my dust!” We all laughed!
Christine
Yesterday while we were relaxing by the pool J.D. executed a perfect can opener in the pool. The splash was so big he showered a group of Middle eastern businessmen sitting near the pool. To say the least the men were not happy and when J.D. came up for air, we promptly told him to apologize for fear of a jihad like retaliation. Luckily we lived to tell the tale.
Jeff Reiswig, peace keeper
A small child thought it a good idea to try and steal a couple of empty water bottles from a local woman one day when I was working on water well. He grabbed the bottle s and took off running, unfortunately for the boy this woman had the sickest side arm in Uganda and beamed the boy in the back with a dirt clod as he fled.
J.D.
Post was delayed due to poor internet connection
Now that we are approaching the end of outreach and surgeries, I feel….
OR
Name one person who has impacted you on this trip…
J.D. Smith has impacted me the most on this trip. He has made me think of someone other than myself and has inspired me to go home and convince my friends to do the same, we are from the same place but I haven’t met anyone as selfless as him.
Thomas Carrington
Helen Mutono…for her selfless escorting of me around Kampala regarding job search. Dr. Lieu…for allowing me to more than just first assist on the many surgical cases we completed. Nurse Susan at the Kanginima Clinic for her calm, cool, collected attitude of managing Kanginima outpatient clinic department. Nurse Judy for her incredible organizational skills of running such a tight ship in the OR!
Mark E. Van Wormer, MD
The mothers who were so grateful for their treatment. They would come back to us just to shaker our hands and say thank you. Their quiet acceptance when we had to turn them away because we ran out of meds.
Dan and Sue. No matter what we were doing, they figured out a better more efficient way to do things. We were like rockets working together so coordinated.
Thomas. I never heard a crowd laugh so loud when he jumped into the jump rope line. Whole families laughing.
Lisa
Patients who go from the OR to the open ward with only non-narcotic pain meds
Gail
The person who has impacted me on this trip would have to be Simon. He worked as my translator the first day we held clinic outreach. Simon donated land near his home for a church to be built. We held clinic in this church on Wednesday. That said what impressed me about him was how he interacted with his baby son. It’s rare to see men have anything to do with their children in public, let alone play with your baby because you want to . It was truly touching. I made more babies cry today and as sad as it is to say I’m getting used to it. It’s almost funny. The parents expect it and don’t seem to be upset when it happens. If they can laugh at their children’s misery I guess it’s not all for not.
Jeff Reiswig
It is so hard to pick just one person so I will pick one from the team and one from Uganda. On the team, it would have to be Sherry. She doesn’t normally work in surgery but you would never know it. She circulates 2 rooms, at the same time, and never complains. Judy or I will call out “Sherrryyy” and she replies, “ be right there.” She is awesome!!! From Uganda it would have to be Agnes. She has a heart of gold. Will never say a bad word about anyone. I love her.
Cora Ables, CST
I like Cora cannot choose one person. Judy Alexander has done an awesome job running the operating room. I just met her on this trip but feel I have known her forever. Cora has been my rock. She keeps me in check from wake up announcement to tellin me what to take for our outings. Christine has been the best leader. The rest of the teams have been a joy to visit with and get to know. Most of all I would like to thank my family for giving me this opportunity to have this great experience. Love to all.
Sherry Renfro, RN/BSN
I have been so fortunate to be on both teams this trip. At the second village where we volunteered, the translator Mary sticks in my mind. She wanted her mom in law to get her blood pressure taken. She was so interested in the care of her family and the care of those in her village. She was so unselfish. I am so amazed at how 17 people can be thrown together and get along as well as the whole outreach team… each and everyone one of them is unique and very special.
Debbie Conover
Today was our last outreach day and I WANT MORE. I want more children with giggles when we try to jump rope with them. I want more beautiful women caring for their children. I want more time to continue to serve the people of Uganda. I want more time to get to know the translators we worked with in the villages. I have fallen in love with Uganda more than before I first came. I thank God he orchestrated my love for Uganda along with my love for medicine. I am humbled and in awe!
Kassidy James
Gail Vanderlee has impacted me the most. Her presence has made the gyn surgery effort strong and focused. She also shares Wes-isms (her husband Wes that is) such as “you have won the war, now you can stop shooting.” Caring for women is caring for the world and its future. It can never take a back seat…never.
We have one more day of surgery to do. May God hold our hands in his as we work. “Thy name is healing…”
Elisa Brown
The person who has impacted me the most next to Sherry Renfro (who has done an awesome job of circulating 2 rooms) is Christine whom has done a great job of keepin the “ship” from going aground. All the wonderful people of Africa who have welcomed us with open arms and hearts. It has been an awesome trip and over much too soon. Thanks to Jeff, J.D. and Thomas for including this “old” lady in their after dinner evening get together.
Judi Alexander, RN
It is sad to think that today was our last outreach clinic. I really enjoyed working in the villages with the people and also with the outreach staff from Kanginima. Anna and Susan and the students all worked tirelessly in the Pharmacy to keep up with filling all the prescriptions. When you think that we saw from 821 – 1020 people who were dispensed sometimes 3-4 prescriptions each…that’s a lot of papers and drugs.
I was most impressed with this team…it has been the best group of all! Everyone worked hard to do what we came to do without complaining (except for the roads and the drive) and everyone worked together as a team. I believe that friendships were formed that will last a lifetime.
Geoffrey, one of the PA’s from Kanginima thanked our team today for “our sacrifice”…we tried to tell him that it was truly ‘our privilege’ but he would not agree. He gave selflessly each day working with us in Outreach and then went home at night to study as he starts Medical school in the fall. He inspires me to do more!
Christine
Best thing about today…
The best part about today was the children’s choir at Simon Peter’s church. I also loved everything at Sisiyi Falls. I have an awesome video of Thomas, JD and Kassidy. Also some great pictures of other team members and the falls. My favorite picture would have to be JD in his shorts and boots Lol.
Cora Ables, CST
The best part of today was going and visiting the church. The children were awesome. They sing in harmony with nothing but their hands, feet, and voices. The trip to the falls was great. Very pretty and enjoyable.
Sherry Renfro, RN/BSN
My favorite part of today was sitting in the rapids at the base of the falls. The water was really cold but felt wonderful. Napping on a mat under a shade tree was a great way to round out the afternoon. This place never ceases to amaze me. We gave out suckers to the children after church this morning. One baby didn’t know what to do with it, so I unwrapped it and struck it in his mouth. The mothers watching me found it hysterical I’m not sure why.
Jeff Reiswig, candy dispenser
Today was a good day! We had church with Simon Peter and a picnic at Sisiyi Falls Park. I accomplished one of my goals – to climb to the top of the ridge, something I couldn’t do last time because of my ankle. The base of the falls was peaceful. The people at the church were so welcoming towards us. I think every Sunday should be similar. Back to work tomorrow.
Jim Huston
It was such a great day. Church was wonderful. My favorite part of the day was the sweet little boy who walked up shyly to the children’s time at church. I reached out my hands to him and he raised his arms for me to pick him up. My heart melts daily for these children. I cannot get over their smiles and deep joy! Also, I swam at the bottom of the waterfall in Africa…never thought I would say that 
!!!
Kassidy James
The view from the top of Sisiyi Falls was awesome!
Gail Vanderlee
The waterfall…
Debbie Conover
Watching the children’s choir sign and dance. Little girl who never left Sherry’s lap.
I thought that Debbie did a really great job teaching the women’s Sunday services. Had a great time at the Falls.
Judi Alexander, RN
The church service was great, and the children were precious.
The falls were spectacular, and it was so peaceful.
Sue & Dan Vestal
At Sisiyi falls I liked pulling the sword from the stone and becoming king of the local tribe.
JD Smith
One word “grappling”. Google it!!!!
Thomas Carrington
Teaching Sunday School class to a group of Rural Ugandans.
Attempting to explain the concept of Christian Discipleship and why our group is here in Uganda on this mission. Traveling to an incredible setting, the majestic Sisiyi Falls.
Mark E Van Wormer MD
The favorite part of the day for me was when the children taught us a song during Sunday School. At the end of the service, Simon Peter’s wife asked me to follow her home as she had a gift for me. She presented me with a traditional Ugandan dress, a Gomese and helped me to change into it. These people have so very little of monetary value. I was very touched by her generosity!
Christine
These are a few of my favorite things….
Some of my favorite things here in Uganda are the smiles on the children’s face. The children also sang Happy Birthday to me at the hospital.
Sherry Renfro, RN/BSN
First thing I want to wish my rock star nurse a very Happy Birthday!!! My most favorite thing about Uganda is how polite everyone is. When we show up at the hospital they say ‘you are welcome’. I love it.
Cora Ables CST
I love the laughter of the children.
I love the faces of the people. Plus I love the food.
Debbie Conover
I love the faces of the children and how warm and friendly the people are.
Sue Vestal
Today was awesome. We were able to be a part of digging a Water Well for a village and also see a finished Well. It is so amazing to watch children and adults come to a place where they can get fresh CLEAN water. Jumping rope with the children had to be the best part of the day…I need to work on my jumping skills. It has been a while.
Kassidy
Life is a well, dig it!!! We helped dig a well today and the people were extremely appreciative. This place really humbles you while you have a blast at the same time. I can’t wait to come back already. Happy Birthday, Sherry.
Thomas Carrington
The surgery team did an awesome job today…we did seven surgeries for a total so far of thirty…we are aiming for thirty-five. I love the people and their smiles.
Judi Alexander, RN
It was a good day at the hospital. Post-op care came together with Susan, Kintu Stephen and Deb becoming a team. We are up to 30 cases to date and will really enjoy tomorrow’s day of rest.
-M Gail Vanderlee, MD
Tough case, today but we pulled it out. I am grateful.
Elisa Brown, MD
Working on the well today was as rewarding as I remember it being. There is something about being able to give people that which they’ve never had. In our case it’s something as simple as clean water. It’s a reminder once again of the things we take for granted. I can’t say I have one favorite thing to say about Uganda. The simplicity of life, the light heartedness of the people, and the joy I see in the eyes of children reinforce that I’m where I’m meant to be. On a lighter note I tried to scare some kids on purpose today…just for fun…They totally laughed at me. Must be opposite day.
Jeff Reiswig, warmest well digger ever
Today the village team went to the village where a new well was started. We had the privilege of digging in a rice paddy. The village men politely waited for us to tire and they were quick to pick up the hoe or shovel and start digging. They were able to dig 2- 3 times faster than any of us. As the village men took over the digging, we wandered down to play jump rope with the children. The children are so full of joy and laughter! They enjoyed mimicing Jeff and Thomas when saying goodbye. When passing out candy, the little boys of course crowded to the front of the line, leaving the girls in the back. The first little girl to recieve her candy dropped to her knees in front of me saying ‘thank you’. It was a very humbling experience! It made me think about how often do we express heartfelt thanks? Loving Uganda,
Christine
The trip to the village today was over unpaved roads that were covered with pot holes. The trip was long and somewhat painful for all involved. Luckily we made it there and back without incident. Work in the village was hectic to say the least. Crows control was poor at best. I was surprised to see Ugandan police show up at clinic for treatment today. Mosquito nets are only distributed to mothers with 2 or more children. Imagine my surprise when the Ugandan police demanded nets this afternoon after I had spent the day denying people nets who hadn’t qualified for them. I explained that the masses would riot and likely hang me if I gave them nets after denying villagers nets during the day. His response? “Your right” and promptly walked away. I was kidding but have the feeling he was not.
Jeff Reiswig, chief net negotiator
The person I miss the most from home is my husband Robert. I want to tell him that I love him dearly and miss him very much. This trip makes me very appreciative for all that he does for our family. And I would like to tell all my grandchildren hello from Uganda.
Sherry Renfro, RN/BSN
I so wish that I could share this incredible experience with my wife Lori. I think this experience changes one’s world vision. It is difficult to explain how this experience tugs on your heart strings. Those types of experiences are best shared with your loved one, in my case my Lori.
Mark E Van Wormer MDI
The thing I miss most about home is the air conditioner. LOL. As for who I miss the most, I can’t choose just one. The people I miss the most are my daughter Katie, Mom, and of course my dog Molly. I also miss everyone at work. Thanks to everyone for supporting me and my adventure.
Cora Ables, CST
Hi everybody, I miss you. I should be home soon.
Shai Liu
I miss contacting my friends whenever I want.
Today’s cases were challenging – large uterine tumors – which made us miss things like adequate pot-op care and supplies. It’s tough when you ask for an instrument and your scrub tech says, “If I can find one”. I also miss: my husband, my daughter, my cat, and diet coke.
Gail Vanderlee
I miss medications and tools to be able to make our patients more comfortable.
Elisa Brown
I miss my family. I hope you are reading this Mom and Greg and KK!!! I love you, we are having a great time as well as being tested by the roads every day and some of the unruly people. Sorry we haven’t sent pictures but we will try when we go to the next city on Friday. Talk to you soon.
Thomas Carrington
I miss my husband and I hope he is not worried about me as my cell phone does not work despite signing up for international service before I left. I miss not being able to get something I need quickly.
Debbie Conover
Oh, traitorous butter. Last night you filled my taste buds with joy. Now, you caused my gut to cry – Imodium & Bentyl to the rescue.
Sue Vestal
We had the Longest day so far on outreach clinic. It took 2.5 hour each way over really rough roads and way up a mountain overlooking Mt Elgon. We got back at dark to eat again under the stars. Tomorrow is another day – digging wells. Not a typical work day at home. Makes you realize there is a lot more to the world than your little part of the world.
Jim Huston
I miss my baby girl and husband! So thankful for all the family and friends back home praying for us. It was a rough day, but we were able to see the mountain areas for our clinic today…beautiful! And ditto Jeff:)
Kassidy James
Built the walls, steps and second floor slab of a four pipe well. At the end of the evening I sat down to talley the material, transportation, and labor. It really set in what a large logistical challenge building a well is. Further I was really out worked by a 45 year old man who would have worked through the day without water or lunch if I did not insist. Miss the kids.
JD Smith
I miss unsweetened ice tea with lemon. Especially the ice part. I miss my grandchildren the most. A special thanks to all of my friends who are praying for us.
Judi Alexander
Today was challenging for the village team as the drive was over two hours on narrow, rough roads. At times it was hard to know which side of the road the driver would choose. Often we felt that maybe it was a game of “chicken”. Ultimately, we arrived there and returned home safely.
Today a grandmother brought a 2 day old baby boy to the clinic. Her young daughter had died after a C-section. The grandmother had not been able to find a wet nurse. One of the team offered to purchase formula, bottles and supplies for the baby. Pray for this grandmother that she will be able to provide for this baby or that a family will step forward to take him. I could not hold him as I would have wanted him in an instant!
The surgical team only had the power go out for 20 minutes today! Dr. Liu is concerned about a small child recovering from surgery. Please pray that God’s healing touch will be upon this child and that Dr. Lui will sleep and awake refreshed for another day in surgery tomorrow.
I miss my family and look forward to the day when each of you comes with me!
Christine
THE DRUGS ARE HERE! THE DRUGS ARE HERE!
Today was day 2 in the Village. What a difference a day makes! This village group was extremely organized and the children well behaved. We treated nearly as many people today as yesterday in less time. The children appeared to be sicker today with Malaria and Pneumonia.
The surgical team had a successful day as well even if it was a bit trying. Throughout the day they lost power 6 times during the procedures, undaunted the crew still did 2 hysterectomies, 2 tubal ligations, 1 thyroid and three hernias. Given the circumstances the team rose above the obstacles of the day and did a wonderful job.
My first day with the surgical crew was awesome. I first assisted on multiple surgeries in a setting just like the TV show “Off the Map”. In Uganda the people are warm, caring, trusting and charming. They live in absolute poverty but they are all happy, well fed, well groomed, colorful and proud. They are absolutely wonderful trusting patients always with a cheery welcoming smile. Practicing medicine in Uganda is both a challenge and a joy, probably the most meaningful experience of my life….
Mark E. Van Wormer MD
I am one happy blessed girl today! We were so privileged to start our day in the village with the children singing songs. They are beautiful, smart and have smiles that come from within. I am loving every minute of my time here!! Kassidy James
Today the hospital team welcomed Dr. Mark Van Wormer, rock star clinic doc and first assistant. We did 8 cases (again, thyroids and fibroids), put in an IUD and enjoyed African steak fritters for lunch. The Gyne Girls figured out that we can have suction or lights, but not both! M Gail Vanderlee, MD
Yesterday evening on the ride back from the hospital I sat with Agnes, our anesthesia provider. I was
showing her my pictures of my daughter and dogs on my iPhone. We went thru all of the pictures and, out of habit; I put the phone in my shirt. Agnes asks me “Cora, what have you done?” as she pats my phone in my shirt and trying to see where I put it. I tried to explain that I put it there at work so I know when someone calls. Agnes says, “Cora, put it in your bag!” Like a good girl I put it in my bag. LOL!
Cora Ables
We had a good day in outreach clinic today, much smoother. There was the same number of people but we got finished earlier. Once again, everyone was appreciative that we were there. I feel like I really worked and looking forward to supper outside under the stars. Jim Huston, MD
Village today was beautiful. The children sang to us, and we sang for them. I forgot how hard it is to jump rope. The kids were so happy when I tried jumping rope. It’s hard to believe that I could call my new friend Daniel on his cell phone, but I could not send him a letter or package by mail. Africa is a very welcoming place. Debbie Conover
Hello to all. Today was a great; even with minor holdups we did 8 surgeries. Looking forward to tomorrow and another great day. Judi Alexander, RN
Had a great day in the operating room. We did eight cases and I was able to circulate two rooms. I have worked with four great surgeons and an awesome scrub tech. Many thanks for the lessons learned. To my family I love ya’ll very much and miss you. Looking forward to another great day in the operating room. Sherry Renfro, RN/BSN
Today was another great day in Country. I’m constantly amazed at how wonderful the people here are. The children are the heartbeat of the work we do and a complete joy to be around. The Village today was definitely sicker than the one we visited yesterday but, one would never have known speaking with the people. They were joyful and upbeat regardless of their conditions. It’s incredibly humbling and definitely unforgettable. Oh yeah. The sight of me made 3 separate children cry…
Jeff Reiswig, will never be a babysitter
Pray for our surgery team that the hospital will have power all day (it went out 6 times for about 20 minutes one time and 5-10 minutes the other times.)
Pray for the anesthesia provider who is having difficulty maintaining anesthesia.
Pray for the Village team as they travel to another village and set up clinic.
Many thanks for all the prayers for this team. They have truly made a difference.
Day 4, 25JAN2012
The village team setup clinic at Simon Peter’s church. After an unexpected delay we arrived at the church around 11 A.M. to find the property inundated with men, women, and children of all ages! The day proceeded with a few bumps along the way but nothing serious.
Throughout the day:
# of patients treated: 446
# Children dewormed: 410
# Patients given tetanus inj.: 80
# Children given Vit A: 70
Total treated: 1,020
Feelings from the teams regarding their day:
Overwhelmed – Jim Huston
Ditto, exhausted but so much fun at the same time!!! Karen Carr
LONG day, exhausted but so much fun at the same time!!! Kassidy James
Incredible experiences, so much life and colors, intense and exhausting but oh so rewarding. Mark Van Wormer
I really didn’t expect to feel as helpful as I did today. My part, be it not a medical one, I realized just having shown up, you can make a big difference. I encourage anyone who reads this and isn’t a doctor to please just come to this place and you will realize how important you can be in these people’s lives.
Thomas Carrington
Outreach was wonderful… The children were so loving and charming. I loved the way Lisa got them to laugh and sing. It was very difficult to tell the people that we could not help anyone else as we were preparing to leave. Sue Vestal
Extremely tired, and feet are filling me. But feeling like we accomplished our goal for the day and leaving with a happy heart. Sherry Renfro, RN/BSN
Today was first day of surgery. This being my second trip I was far more prepared and knew what to expect. I was VERY impressed with my nurses in the OR. A huge thank you to both of them. Couldn’t have done all we did today without them. 8 surgeries today by the way! Go Team!!!
Cora Ables
Great first day in surgery even though twice we had to operate by flashlights Dr. Lui only yelled at me once!!! So I just yelled back, he smiled and we kept going. The team did a fantastic job. Thanks crew for a great day.
Judi Alexander
The end of the day today brought on a lot of mixed feelings for me. I was tired and hot from a long day in the clinic but nothing could outweigh the joy and sense of accomplishment I had for all that we had done today. The rewards of the work we do here numb me to the physical discomforts.
Jeff Reiswig. Mosquito net dealer
Had a great time dancing with the kids…I was their favorite!
Great mixture of OR and outpatient today for the GYNeies!
Elisa Brown
This afternoon while outside visiting with a man, I felt someone press a piece of paper into the palm of my hand. When I unfolded the paper and read the message, I was totally overwhelmed! The note said, “I want that you could be my friend’. The little girl had added her telephone number. I now have a new friend!
A very busy, long day, but the team is still excited about going back tomorrow and looking forward to what God has in store for us in the village and the hospital.
Christine
Our first day at the hospital was busy but quite productive. The day was spent sorting and packaging drug for the village while the surgical teams worked to get the O.R. prepped for surgeries tomorrow. I was blessed with the opportunity to see child we were able to treat for malnutrition in July 2010. I’m happy to say the Ambrose is doing terrific? He’s walking and now talks some though not to me. Can’t say that I blame him. When do we ever truly know the impact we make in the lives of the people here. I feel truly blessed to be a part of an organization that is as committed to the service to humanity as Mercy Trips is.
-Jeff Reiswig
Controlled chaos in the operating theatre yielded 10 cases booked for tomorrow and many more to come. Elisha and I feel good about our tubal ligation schedule, as we saw mostly women who are well above the national average of 6.2 children. One lady brought a baby so cute that I’d take 6.2 of her!
-Gail Vanderlee, M.D.
Everyone worked well together. The gynecologists got to see women!!!!!
-Elisa Brown, M.D.
Great first day in the surgery dept. My two great surprises today, number one was when a lizard fell off the upper shelf on my head and then to the floor. Number two was when a patient showed up in the OR ready for a circumcision but I hadn’t been told about and the OR table was filled with anesthesia items….but it all worked out well and the surgery was done.
-Judi Alexander, RN
The boxes with medication were released today! We did not have room on the vans at the airport, and if we had them on top of the van they may have fallen off and been lost.
-Dan & Sue Vestal
It was amazing to see the hospital and the grounds. I am in awe!! I had a hard time going to the pediatric ward but as my eyes filled with tears I was reminded how before this hospital was built there was nothing to be done for them. Now there is hope for healing and life!!!
-Kassidy James
It was great to see everyone come together and work as a team. I look forward to seeing how we disperse the medications in the bush for the rest of the trip and can’t wait to see the looks on their faces as we help.
-Thomas
I had spent all day stocking shelves in the OR and then had changed clothes to go wait outside. I was watching the village people and the nurse midwife came from the hospital and asked me if I wanted to see her new baby. I of course said Yes! After seeing this beautiful baby boy sleeping in his auntie’s arms, I then went back outside. I then saw the mother on the back of a motorcycle with the auntie on the back holding the baby headed. Less than three hours after giving birth. I was amazed and shocked.
-Sherry Renfro
The ride to the hospital was familiar. Bumpy, dusty and long. The best part was the children running to the road yelling ‘jambo’ (hello). Another favorite part of today was seeing Agnus, Jane and Godfrey, among others. I was very moved when they remembered me and was truly happy to see me. I so love this place.
-Cora Ables, CST
Loved every small improvement like the pill counters, the abundant supplies, and the great team work. Loved all the humor from the guys.
-Lisa Danielsen
I am so surprised how at home I feel here, not threatened. I love the faces of the Ugandan people. They are so gentle. I had the opportunity to provide encouragement to a patient today. I told him to squeeze my hand during the surgery. He squeezed my hand so tightly my right index finger was numb. I hope I made a difference for him by being there.
-Debbie Conover
Today God showed how His abundance works! Our drugs are still in Entebbe, yet we filled 12 suitcases with medicines for our four village clinic days. In surgery, they had so many supplies, the shelves were full of gloves and drapes were falling off. We separated the extra supplies into four suitcases. He giveth and giveth and giveth again!
-Christine
So longing to be with the team, yet very proud of the job they are doing in Uganda without me, supplying the abundant love of Christ to those in need. May the Lord grant them restful sleep tonight as they continue to minister tomorrow. Interestingly, in the midst of melancholy today, I was able to be here for a dear friend’s wife when she had complications from a medical procedure and needed emergent surgery. Thank God for His unfathomable will in working all things together for good. Rom 8:28 — Dr.D
After a short but well needed night of sleep, the team enjoyed a day of travel tourism and shopping. We arrived in Mbale around 7pm to smiles and warm greetings at Mt Elgon. The team is thrilled to have finally arrived and is excited to begin the work we have set out to do. Please continue to pray about our drugs that are still at the airport in Entebbe. They have not been released and we will be starting the clinics in the villages and surgeries at Kanginima on Wednesday.
This is our team and their first impressions:
Dan & Sue Vestal San Antonio, Tx.
Dan is a Pharmacy tech and Sue works as a Regulatory Affairs Coordinator.
Long flight, food and hotel have been good so far. Enjoyed meeting and getting to know team.
Gail Vanderlee, Midland, Tx
Obstetrician/Gynecologist; Planned Parenthood Medical Director
Beautiful country; extreme poverty
Judi Alexander, Sebring, Florida
RN Circulatory, scrub OR
Like coming home, but still feel like I will need to have a Kidney check up when I get home (bumpy roads)
Debbie Conover Clinical Research Specialist New Jersey
Lots of energy here
Thomas Carrington, Midland Tx Petroleum Landman
Excited to make a difference.
Jim Huston
Physician Midland, Texas
Plenty of food!
J.D. Smith
Petroleum Landman
Big Spring, Tx.
Better than expected…Very excited.
Elisa Brown
Ob-Gyn Physician
Odessa, Texas
…felt a sense of familiarity and joy at the sights, sounds and smells…
Cora Ables Surgical Tech, Odessa, Tx.
This is my 2nd trip and I was very surprised by my emotions when the plane landed and again when stepping off the plane. I feel blessed to be back.
Kassidy James, PA, Internal Medicine Lewisville, Texas
My first trip and I am already in love with the people of Uganda. So excited to get to serve in the villages.
Sherry Renfro, RN/BSN Endoscopy Charge nurse Odessa, Tx.
This is my first trip. My first impression is scared, but also excited to be here. And ready to get to work!
Sai Lui, M.D. General Surgeon Odessa, Texas
My third trip, people are still nice; I am the youngest in the group.
Jeff Reiswig Odessa, Tx. T.A. UTBP
Thrilled to be back and excited to see what is in store.
Christine Reiswig, Site Manager, Odessa, Tx
When I stepped off the plane, a feeling of homecoming overwhelmed me. I am so blessed to be able to be here again.
All is well here in Kampala. The Speke hotel is beautiful this morning -1:42 a.m. And dinner was superb.
70 bags….
Over 36 hours in travel time….
Sleep depravation…
Airplane food…
Surviving Heathrow…
Retrieving dropped baggage from our cargo van in the streets of Entebbe…
making it to Kampala….
Priceless.
The team made it safely to Entebbe, but they have had 3 boxes of medications detained at the airport. Pray that they are able to get the medications tomorrow and head of to Mbale.
The Mercy Trip Healthcare Outreach 2012 Winter trip has begun. We loaded the team members on the Plane this morning, and sent them off covered in prayer. I must admit I am a little melancholy about not going with the team this winter, but it also felt like we grew a bit as an organization sending a team that I am not leading. Christine Reiswig will be leading the trip this winter. She is a veteran of 4 previous teams to Uganda and has been instrumental in helping us partner with Johnson & Johnson for funding and supply assistance. J&J employees are funding a well during the trip this winter as well. There are 17 team members this trip, we will let them introduce themselves on a subsequent post. Christine and Jeff will have the team members updating our FaceBook page daily and we will cut and paste the posts to this blog along with my expert commentary. There’s going to be a lot of exciting posts coming up during the trip, and I am anticipating reading over them from this side of the “Pond” just like most of you. Thanks for your continued support and prayers for our team!
God Bless,
Dr.D
The main group had a wonderful safari at Murcheson Falls National Park, they saw many wild African animals both on the driving safari and on the river tour. The new lodge is very nice and the location makes it easy for them to get back to Kampala tomorrow.
Jack had a great day with the dean of the allied health school, looks like he will be able to write a good propsal for bringing PA and Nursing students from UT Pan American here during their “mini-mester” in 2012.
Craig drove south through the rain forrest to the southern hemisphere to visit his Compassion International child, her family and the CI project at Kigasa (which is the oldest in Uganda). It was an amazing experience for him. If you aren’t sponsoring a child through CI or World Vision, you don’t know what you are missing and the difference you could be making in the life of a child bound by poverty, go to their website and become a child sponsor today!
Thank you for your continued prayer support.
It was a day of travel for the team. Craig and Jack are in Kampala, the hotel where they are staying tried to say they had no reservations but they did finally get a room. Tomorrow Craig will go see the child he has sponsored through Compassion International and Jack willl have meetings. The rest of the team will go on a safari (no donated funds used for this). More tomorrow…………………
FINAL IMPRESSIONS FOR THE OUTREACH AND SURGERY TEAM
Kelda Atkinson: Surprised by how the people seem to have so very little, but give so freely of what they do have.
Cora Ables: I will be leaving part of my heart here. I will miss seeing things along the way to and from the hospital.
Shari Speed: I continue to be amazed at the generosity and kindness of the people. Several people told her they would miss her. She was touched by how genuine the people are.
Nora Mitchell: As she finished up and was walking to the van several nursing students came to walk with her and say goodbye. They expressed their thankfulness for her being here.
Bonnie Parker was pleasantly surprised at how effective and helpful it was to have the Nursing students at the hospital, and how that will improve the overall care in the long term.
Elisa Brown is impressed with how much need there is and how the people work to survive. She is struck by the need of the students to continue learning and is trying to think of ways to help them.
Dan Vestal: A nice smile has no language barrier. He states this is the neediest of all countries he has visited.
Christine Reiswig: I really enjoyed working with the Nursing students with their limited knowledge. I absolutely love being here.
Laura Beard: I was glad to have the experience in surgery today. In outreach clinic, you don’t have an opportunity to see the fruits of your labour. In surgery you are able to see what you have accomplished. Surgery gives instant gratification that you were able to fix something.
Karen Tolsen: At the well today, I noticed that some things are similar in all countries: children playing! I was impressed that everyone participated willingly: I saw one small child who would pick up a hand full of clay and toddle over and throw it down.
Lisa Danielsen: The country is hard, but the people are very resourceful. Amazed at how patient they are.
A note from Betsy: The mission has been accomplished. Our prayers need to continue for the team as they prepare for the journey home. As Cora stated, part of her heart will stay in Uganda. Team members from previous mission trips have stated the same. Pray for each of them as they transition back into their jobs here in the states.
God has heard all our prayers and taken care of our loved ones. The prayers for cool air were answered today when it started raining.
Until tomorrow……………
Today was a busy day for both teams, the clinic team saw over 1000 patients today and had to have meds restocked 3 times. The surgery team worked late on a bad goiter. Everyone is pretty tired. One more day to go.
We did find out that Dr. Daniel has an irritation flashpoint in the OR, which results in an expectant tone in his voice (no yelling), Cora informed us that every surgeon has a progression in their demeanor just before they reach irritation flashpoint. Dr. Daniel’s progression is 1, Eye roll, 2. sigh, 3 step away from the table and sight, 4. expectant tone in the voice. Expectant tone was used several times today : (
A note from Betsy: Tomorrow is the last day for surgeries and clinics and it’s been so hot, even for those from West Texas it’s been hot. For those team members from the East coast I can only imagine what it’s been like. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in or heard of how cold it is in an operating room here in the states but it is so cold they give you a warm blanket. Well in Ugnada they don’t even have an airconditioner in the OR, only a fan to circulate the air and open windows. I know in the past they talked of using a fly swatter in the OR and that’s really for swatting a fly.
Pray for the team as they finish up their mission, for a little cool air, for no expectant tones from anyone and especially for everyone to stay well. Thanks to all of you for your continued pray support for the team.
Kelda wanted to mention that she had a great time in the OR, today taking pictures and helping to recover patients. (We guess it was made all the better by finding out what the rest of the clinic team ladies did yesterday)
Today we had an awesome time worshiping at the church in Kanginima, and then went out to Sisiyi falls for a Ugandan barbeque picnic. It was nice to unwind and relax, and was made special this year by taking along some of the hospital staff and nursing students who have been helping us this week.
Now we have to get back into the mindset of finishing out the home stretch with a couple more days of ministry.
A note from Betsy: A few things to pray for, continued good rest, energy to finish out the clinics and surgeries, for all things to go smoothly and for good health for the team members.
Bonnie wasn’t feeling well when I talked to Craig this afternoon and Kelda had slipped and hurt her leg. Please keep them in your prayers also.
Until tomorrow………….
A quick check in….It was so hot in the OR today you could wring water out of your scrubs. Despite the heat 4 surgeries were done. The clinic team had the day off from treating patients but they still worked. They went to the site where the water well is being dug, a more detailed account of that will be on tomorrows update. Sunday is a day of rest. After church, where Dr. Daniel will give the sermon, the team will head out for a picnic lunch at the Falls….. The numbers from Friday’s clinic are 1100 patients seen by the doctors and total number of treatments was 2900. Pray for a good days rest for the team. They need it.
The teams had a great day today. Bonnie Parker completely organized and streamlined the clinic procedure from registration to seeing the provider, and lined everyone up like school kids to proceed from station to station, multiple kudos to Bonnie from the clinic team.
The sugical team did a very complicated procedure today for a difficult problem. It went well but unfortunately tied both surgeons up for several hours, and has thrown our schedule into back-up mode. Please pray that we will improve our efficiency and catch up so that we can finish our schedule by the end of Tuesday.
Here are some quotes from our Ugandan friends that our team has enjoyed:
“You need to rename the clinics Inreach!” (on moving the outreach clinics to the hospital grounds).
“Welcome” (said by everyone all the time as we arrive, it reverses the usual Thank you - you’re welcome to welcome - thank you)
“Well done!” (usually said at the end of the day with sincerity- amazing how it makes a frustrating day seem great)
“We did good work today” (ditto)
“Thank you for saving lives today’ (and they mean it too!)
and my personal favorite = “just one more patient?” or “what about this one” Usually said as we are trying to clean up our workspace and leave, and actually means there are 3 or 4 patients they want you to still try and see).
From Betsy: It sounds like all is going well for the team. Continue to pray for them to get good rest and for continued good health. Thanks to all of you for your continued support for the team.
Until tomorrow…………
by Mercy Trips Healthcare Outreach on Thursday, January 27, 2011 at 1:46pm
Laura Beard: Team was awesome today. Everyone worked really hard and things went very smoothly even with a huge number of patient
Christine: It was a wonderful surprise to see the triplets today. The triplets were born in July and are healthy, happy and thriving babies apparently one is named Craig. Mom wanted to see the providers because of fatigue!(surprise surprise)
Kelda: Could not believe all the people we saw today could possibly be from the same village.
Dr. Daniel wonders since Patrick announced it on the radio, how would we know if they came from the same village since the clinic is being held at the hospital and not the village.
Shari: Did not train anyone today because the students were busy helping with other patients and the clinic officers were helping to see outreach patients.
Everyone talked about the nursing student named Rogers who is like a knowledge sponge asking lots of questions and remembers everything, Shari said after one lesson he could work the sono machine correctly. He wants to go to medical school, but is worried that his family may not have funds for him to even finish nursing school.
Here are a few numbers for today…patients treated by physicians 1054, Children given vitamin A 408, deworming medicine given to children 1246, immunizations 12, tetanus shots 31. That’s a total of 2751 treatments.
All clinics will be held at the hospital for the duration of the trip. If the team continues to treat the same amount of people each day it’s likely more medicine will need to be purchased.
Pray for the team that they will get good rest each night. Also pray for good health for the team members.
Until tomorrow…………
Wednesday 4:08 Central Time (There are 3 post for today)
I picked up some medicine yesterday and the pharmacist said “drink a full glass of water each time you take the medicine”. The first thing that went through my mind was “oh man, I hate drinking a full glass of water with a pill”. But then when I took my first pill I filled up my glass and began to drink. I looked at my glass of water and thought of all the people that don’t have fresh water to drink everyday. How selfish of me to complain about 1 glass.
Mercy Trips will sponsor a fresh water project in Uganda during their two week trip. Where water flows out of the earth a well will be dug, pipes will be inserted and a cement area built around all of it so the villagers can walk up to the pipes and fill their containers with fresh water.
With every pill I take I’ll drink my glass of water and be thankful that I can turn on a faucet and have fresh water.
John 7:37-38
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
This happened during clinic today……..
In need of immediate pray…Dr. Patrick is running for office, to become a member of Parliment, and has been accused of buying votes with the promise of free medicine from the clinics and campaigning without a permit. He hasn’t been arrested, but can be. He’s at the regional police station right now being questioned.
Update……….
Patrick was not arrested but we have to do the rest of the outreach clinics at the hospital and have the villagers come to us, fortunately the villages we were doing the clinics at are all nearby, so maybe those who are in need can find an easy way to come to the hospital.
Thank you for your prayers.
Welcome to our Meeting. My name is Craig Daniel and I’m an Ugandaholic.
Laura Beard: “I fell in love with Uganda, the people and even the heat (of course we are to have another 8 inches of snow at home). I find it funny that the people here laugh at me trying to speak their language. When I returned home last year I had a hard time re-adjusting as people complain all the time. I found myself wanting to write prescriptions for trips to Uganda and no complaining!”
Lisa Danielsen: “The people here are so very gracious. You don’t hear complaining. I especially enjoyed visiting with the nursing students and hearing about the effort they each made to be able to attend Nursing School”.
Karen Olson:” I am amazed at how well people work together. There is a wonderful willingness of the Uganda workers to welcome outsiders (us) to come in and re-arrange the OR without complaining or being territorial! We invade their work space and change things to our way and they welcome us. They are willing to take risk and learn new and/or different task. This doesn’t happen in the hospitals in the States.”
Dan Vestal: “As part of the military, troops will band together out of necessity to cover for each other and get the job done. That is what I see here. We come from different places and backgrounds and regardless of what happens, we work together to accomplish what we have come here to do. “
Bonnie Parker: “I have two reasons I love Uganda: I feel at home here and I came to be with Mercy Trips due to being friends with those who came and only seeing them once a year.”
Jack Bunyan: “I keep coming back because Patrick owes me money. LOL! I come back because of Patrick and everything he has done. He inspires me and also my son.”
Kelda Atkinson:” I enjoyed hearing the different dialects of the people and trying to decipher what they are saying. In America many times people don’t stop and take time to have conversations. I have enjoyed the time to share with the team and also workers. “The Girls” (Nursing students) were very helpful in the Pharmacy.”
Christine Reiswig: “I come back because I love the people, love their smiles. They are happy and content in spite of circumstance. No Whinese spoken here!”
Nora Mitchell: “The word that comes to mind is Graciousness: of the people and of the team. In Research I know my job and its expectations. Here I am totally out of my element. The team and Nursing students were very gracious to show me the way and help me through the day.”
After hearing everyone speaking of the tolerance and acceptance of the Ugandan people Dr. Daniel felt the need to offer an apology for not being ‘Ugandan like’ as he felt that he was a little cranky and possibly short with people working in the OR.”
Today the Medical team saw approximately 300 patients by lunch and the hospital team did 4 surgeries.
Shari Speed:”I’m impressed with the eagerness of the students to learn and their eagerness to be able to help others. They are sharp and intelligent and quick learners! Yesterday I felt no one would be able to learn Ultrasound. Today we made good progress. What a difference a day makes!”
Cora Ables:” I love the kindness of the staff and how eager they are to help everyone in the OR. I will be returning as I am already making a list of things to bring next for the next trip.”
Elisa Brown: “I’m impressed with the Resourcefulness of the people. They make their own bricks to build their homes and businesses. The Resourcefulness of Dr. Mutono is incredible! I love how the people respond ‘you are welcome’ and ‘well done’ to each other.
Closing note from Betsy: Craig made a statement the other day that he was in a Uganda frame of mind. After reading the comments from each team member I think they will all be experiencing the same thing after they come home.
There are 3 post for today make sure you get them all.
Dan Vestal/Nurse: Best: I was pleasantly surprised that food has been better here at hotel and also at hospital for lunch. We even enjoyed the Chicken wings for breakfast.
Worst: I had too many eager assistants made progress slow (New nursing students).
Bonnie Parker/Economic developer: Best and Worst were different aspects of the same thing: Women from villages kept handing in their new Committee lists throughout the day. It’s great that everyone wants to participate in the Associations, but now the expectation is that I will be able to follow through on all requests. The name of one association is “We who work while others Watch”.
Elisa Brown/OB/GYN MD: Worst: The heat and having to cover the windows in her examine rooms resulted in little to no airflow. Best: “I had all female patients!” I was able to review charts prior to seeing the patient and could choose which ones (female). It was really good to be able to perform Ultrasounds as one woman had been misdiagnosed. Just having the Ultrasound changed our ability to manage the patient’s care.
Laura Beard/Nurse Practitioner: Best: I am happy being back in the environment at the clinic and working as a team. Worst: The nursing students did not do the vital signs prior to patients being seen. Since we have 58 nursing students, you would think that vital signs could have been completed prior to my seeing the patients. The duplication of efforts was very frustrating as some patients had been seen yesterday and were back to be seen by the “American” today. “I was not really prepared to see patients today but spent all day in the clinic.
Jack Runyan/Physicians Assistant/Ph.D: Worst: See Laura’s comment above!
Best: it was great Seeing people from previous trips and being with friends. I enjoyed being with Geoffrey and meeting his wife.
Christine Reiswig/J&J Pharmaceutical research: Best: It was great being back and seeing old friends and growing the relationships deeper. It made me feel special for Geoffrey to come look for me so that he could introduce his wife to me. I had to laugh at Moses ‘saving a place’ in his van for Kelda and I.
Craig Daniel/Surgeon/Leader/Team Chief/Problem Solver: Best: Two patients who were seen last January and then had surgery in July for advanced cancer were seen in the Clinic today. Both patients are doing really well: gaining a little weight, able to eat and sleep better.
Worst: Having to be a problem solver and so many people needing immediate help at the same time
Here are some initial impressions and stories of “how I got here” from all of our first time team members.
Cora Ables – surgical tech – Feels amazed and is very emotional, she is blessed to be here and to be given the opportunity to have this experience. She told the story of how she had heard stories from the other surgical techs about their experiences on the trips and had wanted to go for several years. This year when she decided her daughter was old enough that she could check into it, she ran into Dr. Daniel at the OR desk. She said she was walking up to ask him about going and the first words out of his mouth were “ how would you like to go to Uganda this winter”, she knew from that point it was meant to be for her to be here today.
Shari Speed – Radiology and Ultrasound technician – She told of how she was searching volunteer opportunities to serve using ultrasound and had started a search of volunteer opportunities, She was told about Mercy Trips by another person in radiology and had been perusing the website when Dr. Gil came and asked what she was looking at, after she told him he said “I was just upstairs talking to Dr. Daniel he was asking if I would be interested in teaching ultrasound in Uganda as he was thinking of buying a unit”. She found Dr. Daniel later that week and joined the team. She like Cora feels very blessed and emotional, now if I could only speak Chinese (the ultrasound machine was purchased from China it has instructions in English but the keyboard controls have Chinese characters – We did find a man from China eating at the world famous Ling Ling’s Chinese restaurant in Jinja who translated the keyboard for us!! – Thanks to God who always knows what we need)
Nora Mitchell – Nurse (currently a site manager for Johnson & Johnson research) – Impressed by the tremendous need of the people. Each of us has a time in our lives to give back, and she feels honored and blessed to be here as a part of this team doing good that is so needed.
Kelda Atkinson – Medical Assistant – As a child had always listened to the missionary’s stories of Africa, and it had been a lifetime dream of hers to go. She said last night in bed in hit her that “She was really in Uganda” Driving through the country today still feels surreal.
Lisa – also a site manager for J&J – Had always had the desire to volunteer but hadn’t found the right opportunity until Christine Reiswig presented her Mercy Trips experience at the J&J national meeting. She can’t wait to see how much she grows, what she learns and what she can contribute while serving in Uganda.
Karen – Contract research manager- Has been friends with Lisa for many years and they have often discussed volunteering in the third world. After knowing that Lisa was coming she read about the history of Uganda and decided to come also. She was most surprised during the drive today by the predominantly great needs of the people. Normally when visiting developing countries she had witnessed areas of affluence interspersed with areas of need, but it seems from her observations today that there is very little area that is not in great need here. She was also surprised by the organization of the team which she describes as highly organized in a disorganized way.
We think this is going to be a great team, tomorrow we will hear from the experienced team members
4:50pm
Pray, Plan, Pack, Pack Pack…The suitcases were stuffed and even though one was way overweight the airline let it go through without charging and extra fee. Thank you American Airlines.
The team has arrived in Uganda and will begin their mission starting tomorrow. But for now all is well and as soon as I get an update I’ll post it for you.
Pray for the team to get good rest after a long flight and for the busy days ahead.
Until then……
I am sorry that this final post for the summer trip 2010 has taken so long to get to the blog, I had it pretty much written in my mind when we returned but had a hard time putting it into words and condensing it from a sermon to a blog post. Then after writing it I had trouble deciding to actually post it, kind of drug my feet so to speak, but here it is, I pray that it blesses you in some way.
Hope
The theme that kept resonating with me during this summer’s mission was hope. We all need hope, we all have many hopes in our lives,and for most of us these hopes are similar no matter if we live in the states or in rural Africa. We all hope for a better future, especially for our children, for our countries, for the world. Our teams helped fulfill some of these simple hopes for the future this summer. Along with Patrick’s organization, we helped to provide clean drinking and cooking water for over 2500 people with the two spring wells. We passed out 500 mosquito nets during our basic medical clinic to help prevent malaria. We provided operations to forty individuals that would not otherwise be able to obtain them. Although I’m not able to go into all the details here, these surgeries definitely made a difference in the lives of these folk, with pain relief, ability to return to productivity, and relief of social stigmatism. All in all one of the most gratifying sets of surgeries we have performed since we started. All of the things that our team supports in Patrick and Helen’s efforts feeds the hope of the people in the villages that things will get better for them and their children. Slowly their vision is coming to fruition in Pallisa, eastern Uganda and hopefully the entire country. Yet all of this, as good as it might seem, pales in comparison to the eternal hope shared by the village team as they presented the gospel to families and school children in the areas around the well sites. To quote Paul “if we hope in Christ for this life only, we are above all men to be pitied”.
Something happened one day that brought this home to me in a new way, we were traveling to the hospital as usual enjoying the the children running out to the edge of the road as we passed yelling out “Jambo!” and waving enthusiastically. Our driver Kenneth began to explain something to me about this that I had previously missed. He talked about how the people view our coming to the villages, not just the kids, but most of the adults too, and he related to it as one who grew up in the villages. He said it was very special when the Mzungus (foreigners) passed by the roads because it gave hope that they were there to help improve things for them in one way or another. He said it was very special to the children to have the glance, wave and greeting returned because it was attached to the hope that came with most of the foreigners, who usually came to the villages to help with some project or medicine or some other positive change. He also said that most of the adults still felt that way also. I had never thought about the mere passing by of the team as inspiring hope, and it hit me hard in a humbling way, passing by on the road had become routine to me. So I decided the next day, I would smile, wave, and greet as many people as I could make eye contact with as we passed by. The results were amazing, young and old, men and women lit up with smiles and waves, and still the children ran shouting “Jambo”. Most all that I made eye contact with gave a welcoming gesture, wave or shout, but I did notice a few that gave angry looks or a blank stare, and others that didn’t look up; some concentrating on their work, some distracted playing, chasing or arguing with others. Just then, I felt the Lord speak to me in my spirit saying this is exactly how it is when I come to you, I want you to run to me like children and embrace my hope, or at least to acknowledge and welcome me, but too often you are wrapped up in your work, your play or some other distraction to see and accept what I am bringing to you, the hope of abundant life and everlasting life, so much more than you can imagine. I wept in the front of the van as I continued to wave, smile and shout to those we were passing. I don’t think I will ever look at a van ride to the hospital in quite the same way again.
My Desire is to continue to bring hope to this area of Africa, the hope that there is a love that will send people to heal, bring medicines to treat and prevent sickness, and help provide clean water, but most of all that there is a love that will send people to share the good news that God so loves them that he has given them his son to heal the disease of sin and death, a hope for a forever abundance with Him. My prayer for us is that we would look up and run to Jesus like children when he comes to us, and not be preoccupied with our daily lives to the extent that we don’t see Him when he tries to make eye contact with us. Letting Him pass by without taking hold of the hope he wants to give us, hope for a fuller abundance now, and a forever future with Him.
May God bless you today,
Dr.D
Aug 7th 9:00am
The team had a good flight from Entebbe to Amsterdam. Not all team members live in the same city or state so Amsterdam is where they all depart. There was a five hour layover in Amsterdam, at least for the people flying into Dallas. I don’t have the intinerary for each person but the Dallas flight arrives at 1:40pm.
In the next week or so Craig will write a wrap-up for the trip so don’t forget to check the blog for that.
It’s been my pleasure to bring you the daily updates. I hope it has been a help to you all. I want to say thank you to everyone for the suppport you’ve given the team. Knowing everyone has been praying for them I’m sure has been a comfort. Not only through pray but also by giving them encouragement. Thank you all for being part of the Mercy Trips support team.
God Bless
Friday 6th 9:30pm
Sorry for the late post today. It’s been a busy day, our 4th grandchild was born so writing on the blog got pushed aside.
The team left Entebbe today and will arrive in Amsterdam at any time now. Almost everyone was feeling better today. Jeff was still wasn’t feeling all that well.
I’ll update as soon as I hear from Craig that they’ve arrived in Amsterdam.
Until then………
Thursday 5th 8:30pm
The team is in Entebbe. My last contact with Craig was at 4:30pm and noone else had gotten sick. Hopefully everyone will get some good sleep and be better tomorrow. No more news to report for now. I’ll post again as soon as I hear anything. Pray for wellness.
Thurs 5th 2:35pm
The team arrived in Kampala and for those that were feeling good they ate pizza. Last message I got 7 people were sick.
When they were leaving Kampala there was a traffic jam so as soon as they get through the traffic jam they will be on their way to Entebbe where they will spend the night.
I’ll keep you up to date to how everyone is doing and when they get to Entebbe. Continue to pray for the sick team members and pray the rest don’t get sick.
Until later…….
Thursday 5th 10:00 am
There are 5 team members that are sick. Thought this was going to be the first trip were everyone stayed well. The first call I got 3 people were sick then this morning I got a text message that 2 more were sick. Hopefully that’s all. I wondered if it was something they ate since it was more than 1 or 2. Pray for those that are sick that they recover quickly and pray noone else gets sick. I’ll give an update later today.
Wednesday Aug 4th 5:00pm
Other than one water project not being quite finished the team accomplished everything else they set out to do.
Dustin will give an update for the village/outreach team tomorrow. They finished with evangelism at a school today. I’m looking forward to hearing what he has to say.
The final total for number of surgeries done on one trip is 40. That broke the record. Most of the supplies brought for surgery were gone by then end of the last surgery.
By the end of each trip Craig ask the team members to tell one thing they miss the most. Missing their family is a given and is always on the top of the list so Craig changed things up a little bit this year. He told them they couldn’t repeat what the person before them said so they had to think of something else to say. Also he asked them to tell one weird thing they saw on trip. To make it easy to type and read #1 willl be what they miss and #2 will be the weirdest thing. Here goes……..
Bonnie- 1. drinks with ice. 2. The soccer game where the african team let the americans win.
Christine 1. family. 2. woman carrying a mattress on her head.
Beth 1. her own room 2. a sign that said “you can trust us for the future” but the bottom of the sign was missing.
Camilla - 1. her own cooking. 2. a motorcycle with 4 people on it.
Victoria - 1. flat iron for her hair. 2. unmentionable surgical procedure.
Sarah - 1. Chick-fil-a. 2. toddlers walking out to the field carrying a full size hoe.
Jeff - 1. decent roads. 2. newborn triplets.
Trina - 1. her own cell phone. 2. gecko in the OR
Judi - 1. NCIS. 2. mother carrying one baby on her front one baby on her back carrying a sack of grain on a bike.
Michelle - 1. low humidity. 2. they had to stop the van one day because there were bulls fighting in the middle of the road.
Mari - 1. Rosa’s. 2. in town they saw a goat in the middle of the road and the van went around it but if people were in the road the van would honk.
Dustin - 1. couch & tv. 2. guy on a bike with his friend on the back and the friend was carrying a dresser.
Shai - 1. fan. 2. heat (the OR was really hot)
Craig - 1. Dr. Pepper. 2. seeing local people caught up with a soap opera that’s from Mexico.
Some very odd things wouldn’t you say?
Today at the hotel the team was given a cake saying “Thank you 4 coming”. The people from the hotel told the team thanks for the work they do and it gives the people in the village hope.
Tomorrow the journey home begins. The team will leave the hotel at 9am and go to visit an orphange. After they leave they will go see the baboons then on to Jinga for lunch and shopping. Then it’s on to Kampala where they will have pizza for dinner then spend the night in Entebbe. A full day.
Until tomorrow……….
Tuesday Aug 3rd 9:30 pm
Today the spring well was dedicated. Over 500 people will benefit from this water project. Everyday the people of this village will be able to walk to the well and fill up their jugs knowing friends from Odessa came to help them in the spirit of the Lord. About 100 people attended the dedication. Dustin gave a mini sermon and the people of the village gave thanks to everyone.
The surgery team just missed getting to the dedication but they at least were able to visit the sight and see the work that had been accomplished. Tomorrow will be the last day for surgery and they may break the record for the number of surgeries done on one trip. So far they have done 32 surgeries( I’m not sure what the record is) tomorrow they will probably do 6 more. Thank you Lord for giving the Mercy Trips team the opportunity to serve so many people.
Beth, a physical therapist, worked with 28 people that have back issues. This was the most she has worked with so far. I know from experience how wonderful it is to have help from a physical therapist.
The team wants to share a few things they have been blessed by this past week. (The word “here” in the following sentences means Uganda)
Christine - the openness and love the people freely give.
Camilla - the response she gets when she waves at everyone and their face light up and they wave back.
Bonnie - to work with all the people on the team.
Victoria - being here and being around a group of people with the same ambition and drive and fitting in with the team.
Jeff - seeing how much people can do with so little.
Beth - takes for granted what she has at home compared to how little people have here.
Judi - when she walks into the hospital and the people like to touch her and say thank you.
Trina - by meeting Judi and finding out about Mercy Trips she can use her experience in the OR to help those in need.
Shai - Western or African, they have the same kind of heart.
Mari - they whole experience, the people are so receptive, listen and respond to the gospel.
Sarah - looking around the OR she can see the evidence of God’s provision for the people.
Michelle - how good God is. He did not let her fear overcome her faith. She was able to experience life, hospitality, joy and was glad He brought her here.
Dustin - in talking to pastors here that have no seminary training they are able to study God’s word and take it literally. Pastors here show you God’s word is all you need to believe.
Craig - seeing a very diverse team fit together and work together. He never knows how it’s going to work out with teams from different backgrounds, how God sends different people to be on the team and it’s good to see them all joking and laughing like a big family at Thanksgiving.
Helen (Dr Patrick’s wife) blessed to have ladies here. She works with groups that usually have lots of men so it’s good to work with the ladies. She’s laughed more in the last week than she has in the last six months.
Dr. Patrick - is in a constant state of blessedness. When he and his family came back to Uganda to work they felt alone. God has sent people to join them and help them accomplish their goals. God is at work in all the team. Thank you to the church, family and friends he knows God is working on them being without their family while being here doing His work.
I’m not in Uganda but I feel blessed to have so many people willing to travel with Mercy Trips and help Craig accomplish the task he feels the Lord has given him.
Continue to pray for the team as they finish up their mission. Their journey home will begin soon and it will be a bitter sweet experience.
Until tomorrow…………..
Monday Aug 2nd 6:00pm
Like I said the other day, sometimes I don’t quite understand what Craig is telling me so here’s another thing I have to clear up or correct. After re-reading my notes I realized I had omitted one thing the village/ministry team did last week. The last hut they visited had a very sick child. They wanted the mom to bring the child to the outreach clinic on Saturday. She never showed up.
Jeff and Moses (driver) went looking for the sick child today. The baby, 1 1/2 yrs old, was with a brother (9 yrs old) and some adults. The child is very sick and needed to be taken to the hospital but none of the adults wanted to do it so they let the brother take care it. The brother can not admit anyone to the hospital so Jeff and Moses went looking for the mom. The counsel of the village was contacted to help find the mom. They found her at work and made her come take care of her baby. She said she hadn’t been taking care of the baby because he had been so sick. The father had left the family when the baby was very young. The mom and baby were taken to the hospital where the baby was treated for severe malnutrition. Along with that the baby needs a circumcision, to put it mildly. Pray not only for the baby but also for the mom. The mom works to take care of the children but yet can’t take care of them herself.
Jeff said it was very surreal to be involved in the process of helping the child.
One of the wells was completed today. It will dedicated tomorrow.
Bonnie, Beth and Christine went with Dr. Patrick today to the site of a hotel Dr Patrick is building. The hotel is located near the hospital and future medical team will be able to stay there so they won’t have to travel to Mt. Elgon at the end of each day. As they arrived at the site the local school let out for the day. All the kids came running to them shaking their hands and smiling. Christine said it was like a sea of blue when they came running out of the building.
The surgical team did 6 cases today. One lady that was scheduled to have surgery got sick before they operated on her so they sent her to Mbale to have an endoscopy. When she got to the hospital in Mbale the power was out so she had to go back home and will have to go back tomorrow.
What’s one thing we take for granted? Electricity. We complain when it goes out for a little while but in Uganda I guess it’s the norm. What’s another thing we take for granted? Being able to take off work and take our kids to the doctor. I can’t imagine what it must be like for people that cannot take care of their children.
Please pray for the people of Uganda. Pray for healing for this small child. Pray for the patients that await surgery, for the women that’s needs an endoscopy before she can have surgery.
Thanks to all of you for support for the team. Until tomorrow……..
Sunday Aug 1st 11:30pm
Sorry for the late post. My son and I were traveing and all our flights were delayed so we got into Dallas late.
The team had a good day at church. During Sunday school Mari worked with the kids and helped them make the witness bracelets. The kids did a good job listening to Mari as she taught the lesson. Christine said she heard some of the kids repeating the words that Mari was saying. The kids got to make one bracelet and take the materials to make another one so they could share the story with others.
Michelle gave the lesson in womens Sunday school class. As she was coming to the end of her lesson she realized there was still time left in the class. She didn’t know what else to say to last til the end of the class. She said she heard the Lord say to her “ask for testimonies”, so she did and the women began giving their testimonies.
Dustin’s sermon was very excitable and the members of the church loved it. Dustin said he’s associate pastor in America but in Uganda he is full pastor.
After church they went and had a picnic at Sisyi Falls, then climbed up the falls. When they got to the top of the falls it started raining and it rained the whole time they climbed down. Needless to say it was muddy muddy muddy.
Pray for the team as they continue their mission. This will be a busy week for them.
Until tomorrow…….
Saturday 31th 8:45pm
When Craig is giving me notes for the blog I try my hardest to make sure I’m getting everything correctly. I apologize if I don’t get everything quite right. The medical team was joining the outreach/village team today. I thought they were doing ministry work today but they were all working together doing a medical outreach clinic. That said here’s how the day went.
The clinic was set up at a school and several rooms were used to see the patients and different areas outside were set up also. In the clinic they treated 584 people. Deworming medicine was given to 1300 kids, immunizations were given along with vitamin A. They ran out of medicine and some people came in late and when they couldn’t be seen by the doctors they were a little upset.
Jeff and Dustin were in a room giving out mosquito nets. The people receiving a net had a piece of paper with a number on it showing how many nets they were supposed to receive. Some of the people were trying to change the number so they could get more nets. One person crawled in a window took a net and went out the window before Jeff and Dustin even knew what was being done. Afert that Victoria went in and sat on the nets while they were waiting to be distributed. They distributed 500 nets.
A few comments from some of the team members…
Shai - taking care of the patients today took him back to the days of his internship when he saw patients that didn’t have surgical problems.
Trina - this is the 1st time for her to experience anything like this and she is blessed to be able to help.
Michelle - not being a medical person it is hard not to help everyone, craig told her even being a medical person it’s hard also.
Jeff - all the people at the window today wanting nets, he heard a little voice say, I love you.
Victoria - amazed how crazy people were about getting the nets.
Christine - amazed to see the extent the people will go to to protect their family. It’s sad having to turn people away.
Sarah - when they are driving down the road (little dirt road) the kids would run out when they saw the outreach team coming, she felt blessed when the kids came to greet them.
Adding a note to her comment. The road is very small with the huts close to the road. When the kids come out they are saying “jando” (hello in swahili). There are lots of kids saying jando at the same time almost in unison, Craig said it was really cute. The clinic officer said the kids wave and the mzunga’s (americans) wave back it shows good fortune because they know the mzungs’s are there to help. Sarah said it made her feel like they (the americans) were a symbol of hope.
Dustin - added it’s great to provide hope and it also represents the hope of Christ.
Beth - was playing the hookie pookie with the kids and says it works in any culture.
Bonnie - the kids don’t think it’s anything about a woman with gray hair trying to do anything to entertain the kids.
Judi has respect for the previous team members that have worked in the pharmacy because it’s not easy. Since she’s always worked at the hospital this is her first time to experience this.
Mari - interesting to see parents make the kids take their medicine. (the deworming medicine apparently taste bad) The parents have to make sure this kids are chewing the pills up.
Camilla - it’s hard not to be able to serve all the people. She was taking temperatures of the kids today and if any of them had a high temp she made sure the child got in to see the doctor right away.
Now to end on a funny note…
Craig - the americans usually are the ones taking pictures but today a guy came over and stood by Craig and the guys friend took a picture of them. Craig felt a little like a celebrity.
Tomorrow the team will have a day of rest. They will attend church, Craig will teach Sunday school and Dustin will give the sermon. After church they will have a picnic at Sisyi Falls and then climb up the side of the falls take lots of pictures and hopefully be rejuvenated for next week.
Hope you all have a great day tomorrow. I will be traveling tomorrow so the post will be late.
Until tomorrow………..
Friday 30th 4:30pm
Everything seems to be running smooth. The surgery team did 4 cases today. Some of the people that were scheduled for surgery did not show up so the surgery team ended their day early. There were some lizards running around the OR today. Craig picked the lizard up and took it outside. The head nurse at the hospital was scared of the lizard and turned around when Craig walked by her. Can you imagine what would happen if a lizard got in the OR here in the States? Yikes!
Speaking of lizards….Victoria and Sarah found a lizard in their shower. They couldn’t find where it went after seeing it and were afraid it was in their room somewhere. Craig told them it probably went down the crack where it got in or went in someone else’s room already. That would not be very comforting to me.
Well the soccer game ended in a tie, 1 to 1. Not saying anything about girls not being very good at soccer but Michelle and Mari were given 5 chances to make a goal and they missed every time.
Things went well at the outreach today. Camilla gave her testimony and it tied in nicely with the bible story. More work was done on the wells but don’t know for sure what all was done. When everyone got back to the hospital today they all went in to see the triplets. It was like having a celebrity there because triplets have never been born at the hospital before.
Beth has been teaching Anna, the head nurse at the hospital, about physical therapy. After they were done today they went and visited Anna’s house and she showed Beth around and took her out to show her the garden. She asked Beth if she had a garden and Beth said no. Anna wanted to know how Beth got her food if she didn’t have a garden. Beth told her at the store. A lot of people there have a garden so Anna just couldn’t believe Beth didn’t have garden.
Michelle was playing with a baby outside the hospital today. The mom handed Michelle the baby and went inside and just left Michelle and the baby there. And guess what happened….the baby wet on Michelle’s shirt. They don’t have pampers over there. Poor Michelle.
The surgery team will join the rest of the team doing outreach tomorrow. Hopefully the patients scheduled for surgery next week will show up.
That’s about it for today. Hope you are doing well and hope the blog is helpful to you all.
Until tomorrow………………..
Thursday 29th 7:45pm
It’s always fun to have a surprise. The surgery team arrived at the hospital today to find triplets being born. One baby was delivered last night but they were unable to deliver the placenta so a c-section had to be done this morning then the other two babies were born. All surgeries went good today they were able to get 7 surgeries done.
A few problems with one of the water wells may delay getting the well done before the team departs. It has something to do with putting the pipes further in the ground. I wasn’t able to get the whole story from Craig today as I was traveling and didn’t have much time to talk. I’ll try to get more information to you later. At the other well there was a beehive so that had to be taken care of before anymore work could continue.
In Uganda the American people are called mzungu. Today granite rocks had to be carried and the Ugandans were laughing at the mzungu’s because they couldn’t carry the heavy rocks. One women, with a baby strapped to her back, picked up a rock and put it on her head then picked up another one and carried it while the mzungu’s could only care small rocks.
Two schools were visited today and the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) was presented to the children. Someone climbed a tree to help illustrate the story. I’m sure the kids enjoyed that.
Tomorrow the team will play soccer with the some of the kids from the schools. I have a feeling the kids will win.
Thank you for your prayers for the team. Continue to pray for them as they present the gospel to the children as well as the adults, as they continue to work on the water wells and for the surgical team as they care for the physical needs of those in need.
Until tomorrow….
Wednesday 28th 5:30 pm
It sounds like a good day was had by all. The surgery team did 7 cases. One of the cases was unscheduled but they were able to get it done. Craig said the students fit right in with the surgery team and everyone is doing a good job.
The village team started on the water project today. Everyone had a chance to dig. Michelle and Mari got blisters from digging. Michelle said her blisters were the biggest. Also they had to go buy some kind of boots to wear while digging.
Craig didn’t know they whole story but Mari was chased by a chicken. When he finds out more about that I’ll let you know.
Pastor Simon Peter took the village team to a school today and the kids (668 of them) sang for them. Jeff said he felt like a rock star beacuse the kids were so excited to see the team and they wanted to come and greet them.
Jeff also found out he looks like a guy, named Salvador, on the popular soap opera there.
The team also did some hut to hut evangelism. Bonnie has never done hut to hut and she was very appreciative of the evangelism team. Jeff asked a man if he had ever heard of Jesus Christ and the man answered “yes, but I have never seem him”.
A former team member, Lynne Dobson, gave a donation to the hospital to help purchase a generator. Having a generator at the hospital is a true blessing. They will no longer have to worry about loosing electricty, which is something that happens from time to time. Lately vandals have been climbing electric poles, cutting the wire and stealing the copper to sell. Purchasing a generator couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you Lynne.
Until tomorrow………….
Tuesday 27th 4:30 pm
Today was a busy but good day getting things set up at the hospital. Normally no surgeries are done on the day of set up but a man came to the hospital today with a very painful hernia so the surgical team went to work and operated on him. If he has a family and has to provide for them and is unable to work due to a hernia, having this surgery can change his life for the better. He will now be able to work and take care of his family.
The custom of the local people is to bow when they greet you. Mari and Michelle said it makes them feel humbled.
When the team brings all the supplies to the hospital they organize the shelf so they can readily find what they need. Most of the supplies are used while the team is there but what is left stays on the shelf. Judi says it amazes her how disorganized the shelf is when the team returns.
Sarah said she enjoyed being in the OR today and seeing how the nurses work with basic supplies. She’s excited to work in the OR for the rest of the week.
Craig said one of the drivers, named Moses, had a brother that died and left 6 children. Moses has 6 children himself and is now caring for his brother’s 6 children. He’s working extra jobs to provide for the family and put the kids through school. He makes about 20 shillings a day, which I think Craig said amounts to about $10. Moses picked up a gentleman from the airport and as they talked the gentleman said he was feeling lead to give Moses some money. Moses was able to pay for his kids to go to school. He said God will never leave us or forsake us, (Heb 13:5b). Craig said it is amazing what faith the people have when they have nothing else.
Most of the team members meet each other for the 1st time when then go on the mission trip. Dustin is glad to see how they work together after such a short time.
If you want to call a team member call around 3pm eastern, 2pm central, that will be about 10:00pm their time.
Hope you all are doing well.
Until the next post………………………
Monday 26th 6:00 pm
The team has arrived at Mt. Elgon Hotel. Usually after dinner the team sits around and talks about their day. They each gave a short 1st impression to post on the blog. This will also give you a chance to meet the team.
1st impressions from the village team:
Camilla - beautiful country, impressed with the people and it’s just like the rest of the country she’s been to. She’s proud to be on the team.
Jeff - he’s enjoying the green countryside and the different smells.
Mari - everyone is friendly. It’s nothing like she expected.
Michelle - expected to see things like you see on a safari film. Both the country and people are gorgeous. She’s glad she faced her fears to come to Africa.
Dustin - it’s a culture shock. Community is big, it not just about individuals. He loves the green scenery.
Bonnie - people don’t change but the country is changing for the better. She has forgotten how powerful it feels coming to Africa.
Christine - Wonderful homecoming, she loved being greeted and hugged by the hotel staff.
Medical team:
Victoria - aboslutely loves it, it’s always been a dream to come to Africa.
Shai - takes him back 65 years when he was a child growing up in Tawain.
Judi - homecoming, spiritual, peace.
Trina - very different from what she expected not ever having left the US before. She’s very appreciative of the things she has in the US and is glad to be part of the team.
Beth - relaxed yet excited, good to take a trip away to get into an African mindset.
Craig did not give a first impression but he’s been traveling to Uganda since 2002 and I know he loves the people and the country and is excited to have the opportunity to go every six months. (Incase you didn’t know I’m his wife that’s how I know what he thinks)
I hope when you read the blog you will feel like you are with the team. It is my pleasure to update the blog each day. If you leave comments I will pass those on to the Craig and he will then pass them on to the team members.
Here are some phone numbers so you can call team members. You will have to dial 011-256 before the phone number. If you have a cell phone you can dial +256 before the phone number. Dustin will carry the phone for some of the village team members, 784250669. Shai, 784250670. Camilla, 78440797. Mari & Michelle, 784578504. Bonnie & Beth, 787440790. Judi & Trina, 778801880. If you have any trouble let me know and I will check on the numbers.
Until tomorrow………
Monday 26th 9:27 am
If things always went smoothly what would we have to learn. If things always went smoothly would we forget to rely upon our Lord and Savior to guide us, to watch over us, to keep us safe from harm. All things happen for a reason.
Thankfully only a few small things have happened. All suitcases arrived the same time the team arrived in Entebbe but somehow one suitcase was left at the airport so they had to go back and pick it up this morning.
Some medication and surgical instruments were left at home. In America we have the convenience of sending something overnight if needed but in this case that’s not possible, only a few things will change because of this.
While traveling, the team took pictures of a dam, they were stopped by security and told they had to delete the pictures. Security is high right now not only because of the recent bombing in Kampala but with the African Union meeting I would think extra security would be needed.
Before the team arrived one of the vans they would be using was in a small accident. A driver behind the van hit someone on a motorcycle and it caused the motorcycle to crash into the van. The driver of the van was fine. I don’t know what happened to the other people but pray they are ok. Dr. Patrick had to hire another driver and get another van.
Pray for the team that they will not be discouraged before they even get started. Pray for their safety as they travel. Pray for good rest and lots of energy as they get ready to start their mission.
I’ll post again this evening to let you know how the rest of the days goes for the team.
Until then……….
Sunday 25th 8:30 pm
The team arrived safely in Entebbe along with all their luggage. This week Uganda is hosting the African Union meeting. The Presidential Palace is just down the street from where the mission team is staying. While the team was on the way to the hotel they had to stop and wait for the president’s motorcade to pass. That’s something you don’t get to see everyday!
Pray for the team to get a goodnights sleep and for safe travel to the hotel they will be staying at this week. Pray for the team as they prepare for the Lord’s work.
Until tomorrow……….
Sunday 25th 1:21 am
Welcome to the Mercy Trips blog. Each day I’ll give updates of what the team has done for the day and some special or extraordinary experiences. Most of the time I will post new information in the evening so check in and find out the happenings of the day.
The team departed Saturday afternoon and arrived safely in Amsterdam. Thank you Lord for watching over everyone while they travel. There will be a 3 hour layover before departing for Entebbe. Continue to pray for the team for safe travel, for all their bags to arrive and for safety while they are in Uganda.
In the next day or two I’ll introduce the team. Thank your for being a part of this journey.
Until later……………
Wow, what a great trip we had, so many things I can think of to write about, and so little time.
Numbers
First the numbers; on this trip the outreach providers held 10 clinics in the rural villages, some very deep in the bush. The doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners (including Dr. Patrick and his team) gave basic medical evaluations and treatment to 4744 patients. Additionally, vaccines, vitamin A supplements, and de-worming medications were given out, which put total treatments provided to exceed 12,000. With just one surgeon, our numbers for the surgery team were smaller, 21 operations provided, but we also gave some great education to the OR crew, the anesthetist, and the surgeon who does cases intermittently throughout the year when we are not there.
Our flexibility meets God’s sovereignty
Pro 16:9 - The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. (NASB)
Things did not go as planned on this trip, at least not according to our plans. It was wonderful to see how our team managed to fit into God’s plans however. #1- I guess the most glaring example of this has to be the motorcycle. While we were planning the trip, a 53 year old Brit who had moved to Kanginima and had been helping Dr. Patrick with some repairs at the hospital asked if I could bring some parts for his aging Honda motorcycle. He ordered and had the parts shipped to my house, and we packed them with the medical supply bags. A couple of weeks before we left for Uganda he died suddenly. We brought the parts to give to his widow in case she could have the bike repaired and sold to help her out. As it was, there was no one there who knew how to fix Hondas, almost all the motorbikes in Uganda are made in India. Amazingly, one of our team members, Dan Vestal; in addition to being a nurse and pharmacy tech, happened to be an experienced Honda motorcycle mechanic, and was able (because our team was flexible enough to spare him from the pharmacy) to spend 2 days repairing the bike for the man’s widow. Coincidence? You tell me. #2- We had planned on having 2 gynecologists along with us for the surgical team and thought it was a blow to our plans when they had a critically ill family member that forced them to cancel at the last minute, but God knew that Dr. David Madooba, who does some surgeries at the hospital between our trips, needed some additional surgical education, and I needed some humility. We would not have thought to call and ask him to come work with us if the gyn docs had come. #3 - We had not planned to be at the hospital on Saturday, but because the surgery schedule was backed up we came out to do one case. As we were having lunch and getting ready to leave, we found out that the midwives had two women in need of C-sections. I could go on and on; there have been a few splendid examples of this on past trips, but never so many examples on one trip. Praise the God who directs all of our steps no matter what our plans.
Never underestimate what you are doing
It is easy to look around at the situation in Uganda with regards to medical care and despair. There seems to be so many sick, and hurting people, and all the work we do there seems to be only a drop in the bucket compared to the need. Jack Runyan and I were discussing this after we had watched the children of the Elohim Child Development Center perform for us. Jack mentioned that the story of the children was a good corollary to the starfish story that I like to tell team members, and would serve as a good reminder for the team of what good has been done even though it seems like such a small amount compared to the need. The director of the center David Ligaka (I hope the name is correct) finds street children and takes them in at the center, feeds them, provides basic necessities, and even school fees. Then he teaches them the cultural music, dances and songs of Uganda. They then are able to go out and do performances for groups like ours, raising money to help keep the center open, giving hope to even more street children. He said he knows he cannot help all the street children and orphans in Uganda, but is happy to do what he can for those that he can, knowing his efforts will multiply over time. Who is to say that our team by treating the sick in one village this year did not prevent the death of the next Dr. Patrick or Dr. David, both of whom came up from the villages to serve their people? The starfish story that I like to tell the team members goes like this (you can skip if you’ve read it before): A man comes upon a little boy on a beach where a storm the night before has washed up hundreds of starfish. The man notices the boy is picking up the starfish one by one where they are starting to dry up and die, and is throwing them back out in the ocean. The man tells the boy, “why are you bothering to do this, there are hundreds of starfish dying here and you can only throw a few back in the water, you cannot possibly make a difference in the number that will die”. Without stopping the boy looks up as he throws another back and says “I made a difference for that one”. I guess all that each one of us can really do is make a difference in the lives of as many others as possible. I am happy for the many that our team has touched this year. Never underestimate what you can do, because God can multiply your efforts in ways you cannot know.
Mat 10:42 - “And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” (NASB)
Thanks for following the blog, and I thank God for everyone who participated in this mission, team members, supporters, prayer warriors, and anyone else who helped us pass out water.
Blessings of Christ to you all,
Craig