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 the physical needs of those in need.

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 been to. She proud to be on the team.

Jeff - he’s enjoying the green countryside and the different smells.

Victoria - absolutely loves it, it has always been her dream to come to Africa.

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 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 on 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

The Amsterdam team has arrived in Houston. Don’t have any details about their trip just know all is well.

Part of the team is now home. The group that’s in Amsterdam will be home on Monday. Thanks to all of you for your prayers for the team.

Don’t forget to check back for the wrap up from Craig.

It’s 1:05pm I just got a call from Craig. The team traveling to Houston today had to make an emergency stop in Detroit. A family was bringing their 12 month old to the US from Egypt to get treatment for Leukemia. Craig and Rob had to code the child twice. Jennifer and Courtney were along side helping. An ambulance was waiting to rush the child to the hospital as soon as the plane landed. The plane was getting ready to refuel and they would continue the flight to Houston. They’ll be in a little past schedule but they have a long layover so they don’t have to worry about missing the connecting flight.

Pray for the child and his family. Give thanks for the medical team being there to help.

Betsy

Everyone made it to Amsterdam. As I said before part of the team is staying there for a couple of days. It’s very cold. I hope they took a coat.

The rest of the team will depart in different directions from Amsterdam….. Roy and Rebecca-Los Angeles arrival time 12:25pm…….Craig, Rebecca M, Christine, Jennifer, Courtney, Rob-Houston then Odessa arrival time 10:37pm…….Jack-Houston arrival time 2:20pm then on to McAllen…….Bonnie-Houston arrival time 2:20pm.

I believe the flights left on time.

Once again, it’s been my pleasure to bring you the news of the day. I hope it has helped each of you to feel like you were with the team. Look for a wrap up from Craig in the next week or so.

God Bless,

Betsy

The team is on the way to Amsterdam. I’ll let you know when the first group gets there and second group also.

It’s 12:20pm, weird, that’s 12 hours from the last post. The Amsterdam group has left Uganda. I’ll let you know when they get there. The rest of the group is at the airport and will be leaving in less that 2 hours.

A couple of things to share. This is going to be funny in the end but Diana was not laughing at first. They were on their way to the restuarant for lunch. Nobody knew there was a stork overhead. Diana just happen to be the one that walked right under it and it lets loose. Right on her hair and shirt. She’s was screaming and some near by Ugandans were laughing. She was able to go wash her hair and clean her shirt. I would imagine she changed once she got her luggage. (These are trash eating storks not the nice ones we think of. Not that it makes any difference, just wanted to let you know.)

Lunch today was at a place called Sam’s Club, of all names. It’s Indian food and was very good. They ate things like wildebeest steak and alligator tail.

A couple things from when they were still having clinics etc. Karen’s daughter Erin wasn’t feeling well one day while they were at clinic. She got a lot of stickers on her skirt so she kneeled down to take them out. A little girl came over and helped her take all the stickers. Kids are so sweet.

The father of one of the babies that was born wanted to name his child Joshua but the next day they told him that the mom changed it to Fred. There had been a little boy in the village named Fred that had died. Perhaps their child was named after him. Then the other one was named Craig Daniel. Well the Ugandan people put the last name first so the child is really named after a movie star, Daniel Craig. (Just kidding about being named after the movie star)

Instead of going to Lake Victoria the remainder of the team went to a resort that is near by. There was internet service, all sorts of things to snack on. They just sat around and chilled out and talked about their trip.

I’ll let you know when everyone gets to Amsterdam. Until then……………..

It’s about 11:20pm central time. Craig called and the team was finishing breakfast. I was able to talk to a couple of them. They all sounded like they had gotten a good nights rest and were ready to come home.

An addition to the note I wrote earlier about team members not giving any comments on their day…Jennifer said she would be so tired in the evening she would go to bed right after dinner and not stay for the get together after dinner when they all sit around and talk about the day. So I’m assuming that is probably the case for several of them.

One thing Jennifer wanted to add was teaching the kids the song Father Abraham. The kids repeated the words and afterwards the translator told the kids what it meant. Jennifer said it was really neat.

Roy said he had a cold shower that actually had good water pressure. I asked about having hot water and he said after ridiing in the van all day after the gorilla trek he was glad to have cold water. Also this ranked in the top ten of all the showers he’s taken.

One last thing, on the trip from Mbale to Kampala Craig was in the van with all girls. Poor Craig. He gave them some little speakers for the ipod and the girls were singing and I think he used the words getting down. He took some video, can’t wait to see that. I wonder what the driver thought of them.

Hope you all had a good night. More tomorrow…………..

The journey home has begun. The team left Mbale this morning and headed to Kampala. They stopped to see the baboons and enjoyed feeding them bananas. They traveled on to see the memorial for the early christians that were killed. After arriving in Kampala the team enjoyed a nice dinner and a performance by the children of Elohim Child Development. The kids from this group are kids that at one time lived on the streets. The director takes children that live on the streets and teaches them the cultural music of the area. Money they raise keeps them off the streets. 

The team members that had gone on the gorilla trek was late getting to Kampala. On the way back their van broke down. It started overheating and they had to turn around and go back to a shop that could fix it.

Some of the team members will leave a little early tomorrow. They are staying in Amsterdam for a couple of days and will take a different flight than everyone else. After breakfast the team will do a little shopping. Then after lunch they will drop the Amsterdam group at the airport. The rest of the group will go on to site see a little around Lake Victoria, then head for the airport to come home. I love those words…come home.

I was thinking this morning that not every team member has shared something during the trip. I had someone get a little upset with me one year because she hadn’t seen anything from her family members that were part of team. Some of them just don’t have anything to add to what others have said. Does that make sense? I can only write what Craig gives me. 

Sometimes I check the blog in the evening to see if anyone has left a comment. As I was looking today I went back and looked at the blog from the last couple of years. I didn’t read all the enteries but read some.

So many amazing things have taken place in the last couple of years. I fail to give credit to God for all these things. Where would we be without Him. For the past two weeks the team members have given of themselves but have done it in the name of the Lord. Here are a couple of things I copied from previous years that I would like to share.

Lynne, a former team member, sponsors a child that lives in Uganda. Lynne was going to visit the child for the day. She left a note to share with everyone. 2 Peter 1:5-8. “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. For if  these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (From the Holman Christian Standard Bible) She said the whole trip they have been living these verses.

Many times at church we have sung “Here I Am Lord”. I can see all of our team members as I think of the words, especially the words “I will go Lord if you lead me, I will hold your people in my heart”. When the team comes home they will always have these people in their heart.  Read the words to this song if you get the chance, pray for the team as they start the journey home, as they think of the people they have shared their lives with for the past two weeks. Each one of them has said “Here I am Lord”……

I’m not very good at putting verses along with things I write about. But what I do know is the Lord leads me in all I do.

Untill tomorrow……………..

Today the post will be in  two parts.

Part 1….A little bit of frustation at the hospital today. They got to the hospital and the power went out. They only got to do 1 surgery in the morning. The power came back on after lunch and they were able to do two more surgeries. One patient that was scheduled to have surgery today did not come until it was to late in the day for them to start the surgery.

The surgery team was able to finish almost all the cases they had scheduled.

The medical team saw 309 patients today. Total treatments for today were 804. Greg Theodore went out with the medical team today and he said he has a new respect for the teams working in the villages. Also there are only outhouses in the villages so that was a new experience for him also. I don’t know exactly what they look like but they aren’t those plastic things we see around here at the work sites.

The medical and surgical team will leave Mbale tomorrow at 7am. On their way to Kampala they will stop in Tororo to see the baboons. If you hold out a banana the baboon will come up and take it from you. The next stop will be at a memorial for the early Christian missionaries that were killed. In the early 1800’s 22 missionaries were killed. I don’t have any other details. Hopefully I can get some information after the team stops and I can share it with you.

A few comments from the medical team today….They saw a sad thing today. A man had built a house but before he was able to move in he died. So the house stands empty.

Courtney….today was bitter sweet. She is glad to be going home but it’s hard knowing there is still so much to do.

Christine…Today at the clinic the people in the village kept saying “when will you be back, when will you be back?”

Laura…has enjoyed the trip and it has been a great learning experience not just in the medical field.

Jack….It has been wonderful to see God’s people in different settings and cultures.

Diana…It’s been neat to see how the team adapted to the conditions. On the first day they were little overwhelmed but  after that they got in there, set things up and started getting things done.

Part 2……As I stated in a previous post, part of the team went on a gorilla trek. I talked with Roy today. He said they had a great day. The forest is like the Amazon jungle. He never expected to see anything like this in Uganda.

They drove about an hour into the forest then got out of the vehicle and hiked for about an hour and a half. Once they found the gorillas they were able to get very close, 3-4ft away. (Stella I know your heart is pounding fast right about now) They were given instructions before they set out for their trip….. Do not touch the gorillas, no smiling at the gorillas so they don’t see your teeth, don’t look them in the eye, if they chase you don’t run but drop your head and squat down, if there is a baby gorilla don’t touch it and if it comes near you step back and don’t make eye contact and no flash photography.  

A gorilla pushed the arm of one the girls on the team. Yikes! I would have been scared. Hopefully I get some more details about that tomorrow.

On the way back to the hotel they stopped at the equator and got a science lesson. There was a little boy and he wanted them to pay $10 and he would show them how the water in the Northern and Southern hemispheres rotated in different directions. They didn’t want to pay a first but then decided they would. The boy got some water, dropped it in a drain of sorts in the Northern hemisphere, put a flower in it so you could see it swirl and it swirled clockwise. He did the same thing in the Southern Hemisphere but it swirled counter clockwise. Then he showed them how water can go down a drain and not swirl at all. The water had to be directly on the equator. At first the boy got the water just to the right and it started to swirl, then he moved it and it went straight down without swirling. Roy said it was really neat. I’m sure there’s much more to tell but that’s about all I could get over the phone.

Tomorrow the team meets up in Kampala. They will be treated to a children’s dance and choir performance around dinner time. On Friday they start the journey home. I’ll give you more information about that tomorrow.

Hope you all are doing well. Until tomorrow……………….

I wasn’t able to get much information today. I was traveling and forgot to call Craig. But…..

Can you believe it’s almost over. Tomorrow is the last day for surgery and clinic. Part of the medical team left early this morning to go on a gorilla trek. I haven’t spoken to them yet but I do know they had a really long drive. The remainder of medical team members had a lot of very sick patients in clinic today. Some with malaria, aids, some had to be sent to the hospital. I know the patients are thankful to have medical care.

Dan was able to get the motorcycle running. There are a few more things that need to be done to it. I don’t know if the parts needed are available there in Uganda. Maybe it will work good enough for the widow to sell.

Tomorrow I will let you know the schedule for the next couple of days.

Until then………………. 

Well, week two has begun. Today 3 surgeries were done. There was supposed to be 4 but one person didn’t show up. Medical teams had a good day. Team #1 saw 450 patients and team #2 saw 465. They will be tired when the week is over but it will be a tired that has been worth it. Another reason for keeping track of the number of patients at clinic is to give them an idea of how much medication they may need for the next trip.

During clinic today Vonda and Jordan were working in triage. A man told them to move away from the tree. They looked and a green snake was in the tree. Of course they moved away and so did a lot of other people. He told them it wasn’t poisonous that it was just a grass snake.

Diana noted when someone there drops a pill they just pick it up, blow it off and put it in their mouth. I guess at the hospital if you drop a pill it goes in the garbage.

Rebecca Diaz said she was attacked by a lizard. Apparently it ran up her leg. All turned out fine.

Jack said the patients just kept coming and kept coming to the clinic today. The supply of medication was getting low but seemed to last and last. Jack said it reminded him of Jesus feeding the 5000.  But alas, the medication did run out.

The team decided to make a top ten list of things they miss so here it is…….

#10…..not having to wear deet everytime they go outside

# 9……cold milk

# 8……pizza

# 7……Dr. Pepper

# 6……seatbelts

# 5…….no dust

# 4…….good roads

# 3…….traffic laws

# 2…….their bed

# 1…….ICE

That’s about all for today. I may not get a chance to post until late tomorrow evening. I’ll be traveling from North Carolina back to Odessa. I’ll post as soon as I can.

Hope all is well with each of you……..

Sometimes I make mistakes and I don’t worry about admitting it. I reported the President of Uganda was the person staying at the same hotel as the team. Well it was the former president of Kenya and he was invited by the Ugandan president.

Then I never gave the correct titles for a few of the team memers. They are….. Jordan Torres is an aspiring film producer, her sisters Jenny (but goes by Erin) and Camden are in the film and photography field. They have also been helping the medical teams. Christine works for Johnson & Johnson as a clinical reasearch specialist. I think the last person I may not have had the correct title for is Daniel Vestal, he’s a pharmacy tech and is now the mechanic working on the motorcycle in Uganda.

Jim was in the Army Reserve and went on humanitarian missions. He said this mission was as efficient but these accomidations are nicer. And if I didn’t get in his hello’s he said hello to his wife Sandra, his kids, family in Alaska Arkansa and Georgia.

Please forgive me for these mistakes and if you have information about a team member you think may be incorrect please send me a comment and I’ll change.

Betsy

Today at church the team was introduced then Craig gave the sermon. The sermon is translated at the same time Craig is speaking. It is very interesting to watch. I’ve only seen it on video. Who ever is giving the sermon says a few sentences then it’s translated then a few more sentences are given then translated and so on. It takes a little while but they get through it.

After church the team went to Sisiyi Falls, had a picnic lunch then climbed to the top of the falls. I think pictures will be posted on webshots after the team returns. I don’t know how to post anything or I would do it. But close your eyes and imagine the water falling down over the side of the mountain, with all the greenery on both sides of the falls. The sound of the water as it splashes down in the water below, the mist from the water going through the air. The beauty of God’s creation. As I sit here writing to all of you I look out the window across the lake and see more of God’s creations. The beautiful geese that swim by, the ducks, and just he sun gleaming across the water.

The desire and opportunity each of the members of this team have to serve in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The service they provide to so many that would otherwise not be able to receive.

You are a major part of this mission. Support you give them not just monetarily but through your prayers to watch over them, to keep them safe, good health, rest,  for the patients they are able to help each day.

I look forward to bringing you the news of the adventures of this next week. May God Bless You……

Well, we have another surprise but I’m going to write about it at the end. No peeking. Just kidding. The surgery team had a good day. They would have liked to accomplish a little more but things went well.

The medical teams went on a tour of a village. The host family had recently had a death in the family but they still waited for the team and gave them a tour. The team took some small bars of soap with them. A grandmother danced around she was so overjoyed to get the soap. A socceer ball was given to the kids and they liked that much better than the soap. Go figure.

One other place the team visited was a site for the clean water improvement. This summer a youth team will travel with Mercy Trips and work on the wells. I don’t have a lot of details but that will be forthcoming. A woman in the area danced around when she found out they will have clean water.

The medical teams had a chance to go do a little shopping. Diana commented on the clothes made by the local people and how beautiful they are. They can’t make much money making the clothes because of the area they are in but if they lived in the US they would be able to make more money.

A sad but then happy story….A gentleman that lived in the Mbale area needed to work on his motorcycle but was unable to buy the parts there in Uganda. The parts were available in the US so he ordered them and had them shipped to our house. Before the team left for Uganda the man had a medical problem that needed surgery and wasn’t able to get to a surgeon in time and he passed away. The widow of the man wanted the motorcycle parts so she could have it fixed and sell it. The happy part of the story….a team member, Daniel, works on motorcycles in his spare time. He takes them apart and puts them back together. The motorcycle in Uganda just happens to be a Honda and the kind Daniel works on is a Honda. It gives me goosebumps. He will be going in with the surgery team then go work on the motorcycle. It will be a tremendous help to the widow if she can sell the bike. Dan is very excited to be able to help with the bike.

The head nurse at the hospital is named Anna. An orphan was dropped off at the hospital and Anna began taking care of her. Apparently the mom had died and there was noone left to take care of the baby. Ana said they named the child Mercy. Laura became attached to the child and carried her around today.

This afternoon for lunch the team had hamburgers and fries. Kiska was excited to get fries. Then for dinner they had more fries. Kiska was excited again.

OK, here’s the surprise…Just before the team left the hospital today the local surgeon, Dr. David Nubooba, came out and told Craig that a woman in labor had come to the hospital. Craig went in with him and not only was there one women in labor but two. A few team members offered to stay with Craig and help him and Dr. David with delivery. Both women needed a “C” section. Dr. David does a lot of deliveries, “C” sections included. He was able to teach Craig how to do a “C” section. Craig was able to the next one himself. Josh was holding a baby when the dad walked in. The dad asked if he was Dr. Craig? Of course Josh said no. The man wanted to know his name and Josh, of course, said Joshua. The man named the baby Joshua. Dr. Patrick told Craig later the other family named their baby Craig.  What a special day! Now not only has the team been teachers, they have also been students.

Continue to keep the team in your prayers. We don’t know if there will be any more surprises but the Lord knows. It makes me wonder just what is in store for next week.

Continue to pray for those that are feeling under the weather. Jordan, Rob, Camden and Jack. Pray the rest of the team stays healthy.

I almost forgot..Jordan has been making a documentary but she was not feeling well. Her sister Erin was at the hospital with the camera but no film. Erin used Craig’s camera and was able to film the deliveries. When the doctor made the first cut for the “C” section Erin jumped back a little. I can’t wait to see some of the film. I don’t think I want to see all of it though.

Tomorrow the team will attend church then go for a picnic at Sisyi Falls. This is a tradition also. For those of you that haven’t seen pictures of the falls you are in for a treat.

That’s all for today, I hope you are doing well. Until tomorrow……………….

Pray for Rob he’s a little under the weather. Pray for the whole team that they all stay well.

The medical team did break a record. I got the final totals from team 1 from yesterday - 471 bringing the total for the day to 1239. Way to go teams. Totals for today reached 941. With vaccinations, vitamin A, deworming pills and tetnus shots total treatment for team 1 was 1104. For team 2 total treatments were 1274. This doesn’t mean we focus on numbers but just want to show you the importance of this medical mission. Many of these people would not be able to afford or even receive medical care .

The surgery team has been a little bogged down. They haven’t been able to accomplish what they set out to do in the first week ”yet.” Or have they and they just didn’t know? Some of the doctor’s that are from around the area have been helping in the OR and at the same time they are learning from our doctors. This seems to be turning into a mission for education. The Lord is in control of each of these mission trips. He already knows the things that will take place. Having the mission team teach these other docotrs will have a huge impact once the team leaves.

Surgery was a little difficult today. Everyone is doing fine but pray for a speedy recovery for the patients. Two of the patients that came to the hospital for surgery had to be canceled. Lab test are done before each surgery and these two patients are HIV positive. Even though they weren’t able to have surgery they now know they need treatment for the HIV.

Things with the medical teams are going well. Rebecca Diaz saw a patient today that was wheeled in on a bike. He had infected ks tumors on his foot due to HIV. There was not much that could be done but to give him some antibiotics.

Roy has a translator that has done a really good job. The translator brought his dad to see Roy today. When they left, the translator returned with a chicken and gave it to Roy. The translator said he was very honored to give the chicken to Roy. The chicken was given to Dr. Patrick and he took it to his mom. When he set the chicken down it laid an egg, this is supposed to bring good luck. Dr. Patrick said he didn’t know if that means good luck to Roy or the medical team or to Mercy Trips. Maybe all three.

Today Bonnie was playing with some kids and she barked like a dog. When the people working in the pharmacy heard this they got scared thinking it was a real dog.

Some of you may not know of the Free Wheelchair Mission. A past team member, Lynne Dobson, became involved with this mission and was able to raise enough money to bring 550 wheelchairs to the Mbale area. A recipient of one of the wheelchairs came to the clinic today. For those of us that have been invloved in the wheelchair mission it is a special moment. If you have to opportunity visit the Free Wheelchair Mission wedsite. It is incredible.

Tomorrow will be a day of rest for the medical clinic. The surgery team willl have one or two cases then hopefully take the rest of the day off. 

Until tomorrow……………………….. 

Clinic went well today for both teams. Don’t know the offical count for team #1 but they saw around 350 patients. Team #2 had 759 patients. Whew! Almost reached the record high. Surgery went well also and I forgot to ask about the electricity but am assuming it stayed on today.

The big surprise for today was having the pleasure of meeting Jerry Lanier, the American Ambassador to Uganda. Along with two other gentlemen, Brian and David, with USAID. I believe it stands for USA International Development. They work with economic development and agriculture. Brian’s father is a retired trauma surgeon and does mission work. A special day for all.

Jerry Lanier spoke with the team and they will all have to share with you later about their conversations. I would not be able to write it all.

I wonder what other surprises may be in store for the team. They didn’t get to meet the president of Uganda but he was at the same hotel as them. What a trip it has been already.

The team said they wanted to write on the bog that Jim needed a haircut. Don’t know what is going on but it sounds like they are having some fun.

Some of the team members have been able to read the comments you all have left. I know they appreciate the prayers. I also appreciate the comments. Continue to pray for the team as the first week is almost over. Can’t believe they have been gone almost a week. Seems longer.

When I write the blog I think of all the family and friends that may be readying this blog. I hope you are all doing well.

Until the next post…………Betsy

Not entirely an unsual event for team members that have been to Uganda before but for first timers this was a new experience. During surgery the electricity went out. It didn’t go out for a long time but flashlights were needed to continue the job. Josh told me there were a few flies that had to be swatted during surgery. Can you imagine flies and no electrictity in operating rooms here in the US? I’m sure everyone would be going nuts. Some people would probably be yelling, I won’t say who that would be.

Some of the surgical instruments couldn’t be sterilized until the electricity came back on thank goodness it came back on but then it went off again. Craig has a head lamp and was able to finish the surgery he was doing at the time.

Medical team #1 had to deal with a few unruly people today during clinic. It was nothing serious but a little extra help was needed today. There 574 patients at this particular clinic.

Team #2 had 375 patients. In all 950 paitents were seen by doctors and medical personnel. This got very close to the record number of patients in one day, which is 1100.

Some patients need other things, I don’t know how many of these patients overlap with the ones seen in clinic.

Deworming pills were given to 589 people, vaccinations-157, vitamins-478.

With two team this year they will probably reach close to that amount, if not over, each day. Pray for stamina.

Diana commented the people were anxious to receive the deworming medicine. She said she thought about how it is in America that you can’t hardly get someone to take the full round of meds they receive from the doctor.

Rob’s team was deep in the bush today. He said at first it was slow but people just kept coming in. Usually once people know doctors are there they come in from all over.

Laura was impressed with how thankful people are to just see the doctor for a few minutes. People in America aren’t satisfied with the amount of time they are seen in the clinic. I know I’ve said “I waited for an hour and the doctor was only in the room for 5 minutes” It makes me feel selfish.

Christine is continually amazed at the happiness & contentment of the people. She kept kids, and adults, busy while the team packed up for the day. She got a stethscope and let the kids listen to their hearts and the hearts of the adults, and vise/versa.

Bonnie, as a civilian, was inmpressed at the professionalism of the doctors to get things done right for the patients.

Karen commented she had an overwhelming but a thrilling day.

Norma said as they were leaving a little girl kneeled down and bowed her head to say thank you. Norma was touched.

Greg saw a man riding down the road with a chicken tied on the handle bars.

I was able to talk to several of the team members today. They all seemed excited to be there helping the less fortunate.

I hope everyone is doing well, I’ve given Craig the comments you have left.

Untill tomorrow…………………..

Hello everyone,

I’ve been traveling today so sorry for the late post. I’m in North Carolina visiting family

The team had a long day. Medicine was packaged to last for about 3 days. Supplies were put away. The pictures I’ve seen in the past show only a big bookcase like shelf unit holding all the supplies. Tomorrow will be the first day to treat patients and to begin surgeries.

When you read those small sentences it may not seem like much. Picture 26 suitcases full of medical supplies and some surgical instruments and putting all of that on a shelving unit you can imagine it is no easy task. I’m sure after clinic and surgery tomorrow there will be lots of stories to share.

He are a few hello’s from some of the team members.

Roy and Rebecca-Hi to all the folks, mom and dads reading the blog. Roy dedicates this mission trip in memory of his grandpa who passed away on Wednesday just before the team left on Saturday.

Norma-Hello to family and friends in Marfa, Midland, Odessa and co-workers at Texas Tech obgyn and Midland Co. jail.

Becca-Hi mom, all is well and I didn’t hurt myself.

Jennifer-Hi mom and dad & Zach, love each of you all is great.

Laura-Hi mom, dad, Laurie, Nicholas, Beth & Natalie. Miss you all but am having a great adventure.

Greg-Melissa, Audie, Bosco and Zoey. Love and miss you all.

Kiska-Hi mom, dad, family and friends keeping up with us. Love and miss you.

Diana and Vonda say hi to their familes.

Josh-Wow what an experience & it isn’t even half way over. Love ya momma. Call and kiss my girls and tell ‘em “love ya bunches”

Rob-Hi Linda,Thomas Alex and Natey. Hi to Brayden and the rest of my family. I love you guys.

Christine-Hi guys.

Jack shared a funny story-he asked a nurse assistant that works at Dr. Patrick’s clinic if the deworming pills were chewable. She said I guess, if you chew them up.

I’m sorry if I spelled any names wrong. Craig tries to spell everything to me but it’s hard to understand sometimes.

Just now getting a chance to post. Hope you all have had a great day.

The mode of transportation for the team is by van. And not very big vans as I’m told. And the seats aren’t very big. I’ve also been told they stuffed 17 people in one van. The team had a 2 1/2 hour trip in the van today and it was bumpy, hot and dusty. When they got closer to Mbale it started to cool down. Jennifer joked she thought she was going to get a pressure sore sitting in the back of the van. Everyone agreed they may also. I guess sitting in the back of the van is worse than the front.

The surprise they had was getting to go to the Nile River. I think most of the teams go there but they didn’t know it was in the plans this time. They took a little boat ride, (Diana did fine, her family told her not to go near the water or hippos. And when they went into a souvenir shop the first thing she saw was a hippo) The guide  told them all about the river.  It sounded like everyone had a nice time. Then of course, a Mercy Trips tradition, they ate at a little Chinese restaurant called Ling Ling’s. Apparently it’s really good. Who would’ve thought.

Right now there is a celebration there like Independence Day here. It’s called NRN. The Ugandan president is there and some dignitaries. The team got booted out of their rooms and they have to sleep in the rooms that have no air conditioning. But as soon as those people leave the team can have the rooms they were supposed to have.  Pray for just a little rain and clouds to keep things cool.

Tomorrow the hospital will be set up for surgeries, medicine will be packaged and the pharmacy will be set up also.

There were 50 people that were coming to the hospital to possibly have surgery. But with only one surgeon the number is going to be more like 20-25. The patients will come and they will be screened, meaning the ones with bigger needs and ones that can be done at the hospital there. Some of the patients that come in for surgery can’t have surgery there because it is something that can’t be done at this particular hospital.

 A couple things from team members…Bonnie has been part of the Mercy Trips team for a couple of years now and she said she feels like she has come home. Norma felt very blessed and Beverly said even though she has been to Uganda several times she is struck by the beauty of the country and by the people. After tomorrow I’m sure more people will have things to share.

Hope the paragraphs aren’t to wordy (is that a word) I just want to explain as much as I can so everyone can understand it. Since it’s the first time for some people to go on this trip, it is the first time for some of you to read the blog so hopefully I’m not rambling.

Until tomorrow…………..

Just in case you have trouble posting a comment you can send them to me at twinki1106@cableone.net. We’ve had trouble in the past with posting of comments. Thanks, Betsy

Good afternoon, Just got a call, (it’s 1:05pm central time). Only had a couple of minutes to talk but everyone is fine and all baggage arrived. Uganda is 9 hours ahead of us (central time) so it’s night time there. Busy will be the key word for the next couple of days. Pray the team gets good rest tonight. I’ll post again when I get the next call. Until then…….. 

Good Morning, I received a call around 1:30am and the team had arrived in Amsterdam. This is the first time all team members have been together. There was a short layover then on to Entebbe. Since there’s not much news at the moment lets meet the team.

Physicians: Craig Daniel-Surgery, Greg Theodore-Anesthesia, Roy Diaz-Emergency Medicine, Rebecca Diaz-Emergency Medicine, (yes they are husband and wife), Rob Webb-Emergency Medicine, Karen Carr-Oncology, James Huston-Internal Medicine.

Phycsicians Assistants/Nurse Practicioners: Jack Runyan-PA/PHD, Laura Beard-FNP, Beverly Lyons-ANP,

PharmD: Kiska Boyd

Nurses: RN’s-Vonda Duncan, Diana Huerta, Rebecca Miller, Jennifer Grimes, Courtney Barner, DuRonda Yeager, LVN-Norma Martinez

Surgerical Tech: Joshua Reeves, Anesthesia Tech: Mattie Justice

You’ll have to forgive me on these next few people I don’t have an official title for them so I’ll check on that and let you know. Maybe a family member can comment on this post and let me know.

Christine Reiswig, Jenny Torres, Jordan Torres, Camden Torres, Bonnie Parker, Dan Vestal

A couple years ago when a team traveled to Uganda I mentioned to everyone they should listen to “Thank You” by Ray Boltz. You can look it up on youtube. If you can’t find it let me know and I’ll see what I can do to help. The just of the song is a young person saying thank you for giving to the Lord and because of this, this young child became a Christian….This is what I think of everytime a team goes to Uganda. The Lord has led each team member to travel to Uganda to help so many in need. Not only has a person chosen to travel on this journey but you as family and friends have given your support to help make it possible. So Thank You for giving to the Lord.

May you all have a blessed day……

Hello everyone, The big day has finally arrived. Check in at the Midland airport was a little hectic but the employees of Continential were very helpful, it just took a little while since we had 16 people and 32 bags. Each person has a personal suitcase then they each have a suitcase with medical supplies. There was a little changing around of supplies from one suitcase to another so they were under the 50 pound limit.  They arrived in Houston after a very bumpy flight, so bumpy that people were nauseated, didn’t get sick though thank goodness. I don’t have an update from the team members that are flying out of New Jersey, San Antonio or California but I will let you know when they arrive in Amsterdam.

Two of the team members had to cancel at the last minute. Elisa Brown and her cousin Jacqueline Brown had to stay in Houston as Elisa’s dad became ill and they could not leave him. Please say a pray for the family. Elisa and Jacqueline are both OB/GYN doctors so this will change the surgery schedule in Uganda. We know God is in control so He has already worked this out we just don’t know the details yet.

I will give you an update when they arrive in Amsterdam then I will introduce the team. Until then…….

Hello friends and family. Tomorrow is the big day. The majority of the team depart from Midland/Odessa to Houston where they will meet up with a few more team members then transfer to KLM, the international flight. One team member will depart from New Jersey, two from California and one from San Antonio. All the flights will meet in Amsterdam and this will be the first time they will all be together.

No doubt Satan will do his best to throw obstacles in the path of the team members as they do the Lords work. Daily prayers for the team will help them get past these obstacles. A few things to pray for right now…travel safety…going through customs, good rest on the plane, they will be “very busy” once they get there so anytime they get a chance to rest will be a welcome opportunity. Pray for those in Uganda that are waiting for the Americans to arrive.  As I bring you daily updates I will also give you daily prayer items.

As I write each day my desire is to help you feel like you are on the trip with the team. Thank you all for your support. Untill tomorrow…………………..

The 2010 journey to Uganda is about to begin. With 28 team members there will be more patients seen than on any previous trips. Of course the more patients the more medicine and surgical supplies are needed. Mercy Trips has been blessed with many donations including those raised at our annual New Year’s Eve gala. The task at hand may seem a little overwhelming but God has prepared the way for the team. The clinic sites have been chosen, the patients needing surgery are being screened. Due to the short amount of time the team can spend in Uganda only a small number of people will be able to have surgery. Many of the patients have been waiting for the american doctors to arrive. A few things to pray for are…the team members as they finalize details before their departure on January 23rd, for Dr. Patrick and his wife Helen as they make preparations for the arrival of the team. Pray for safe travel, not only while on the airplane but also while they are in the country as they take vans to the hotel and the hospital and clinic sites each day. Each day I will post an update of the daily happenings. Feel free to leave a comment if you would like and I will pass them on to Craig and he will then pass them on to team members. Thank you for all your prayers. May God bless.

I think the theme for this past trip has to be teamwork.  This was clearly one of the most enjoyable teams I have had the pleasure to lead to Africa.  The way that the team fell together in their various roles, and worked together within and across those roles to provide care to the lovely people of eastern Uganda was truly amazing and very efficient.  But beyond that we had a good time with each other and became closer friends.  I was able to enjoy the trip much more readily as a leader because there were very few problems to solve, any issues were worked out by the team as a team leaving me free to concentrate on the more pleasant aspects of leadership.  The effeciency of small teams such as the pharmacy improved the overall operation of the larger team and so on.  Certainly when a job (mission) is approached with a team attitude the work is easier for all and the results are enjoyed all the more.  During our dinners I kept hearing comments like “so and so helped out with such and such”, and “someone” did a great job with this, which made it so much easier for us to do that”. 

I love reading the end of many of the letters of Paul, such as the last chapter of Romans, where Paul sends greetings from those who are working with him as well as giving them credit alongside of him.  You get the picture that the early mission trips were being performed by teams of friends and coworkers in the gospel that had a spirit of comradery and joy in spite of all the hardships they faced.  In fact, God has designed us to work best in a team.  Consider the following from Ecclesiastes chapter 4 from the Contemporay English Version -

Ecc 4:9 You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn.

Ecc 4:10 If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble.

Ecc 4:11 If you sleep alone, you won’t have anyone to keep you warm on a cold night.

Ecc 4:12 Someone might be able to beat up one of you, but not both of you. As the saying goes, “A rope made from three strands of cord is hard to break”.

This is highly applicable within the Church at large of course, see 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 for Pauls discourse comparing individual members of the Church to the different parts of the human body.  The Church functions best when all the members work together as a team, and every member has a function which is important to the overall body of believers.

So to this team, I thank you for all your wonderful work among the eastern Ugandan country side, you have made a difference in the lives of many this winter, and I thank you also for your wonderful living example of teamwork which has made a difference in my life.  You truly functioned as one rope of many strands. 

Dr. D

1:20pm

Hello Everyone,

Most of you know by now the team arrived safely to their destinations. Smiles and big hugs greeted everyone. It sounded like everyone had a good trip. Look for one more post which will be from Craig to wrap up this mission trip.

Betsy

12:15am

The team is in Amsterdam. The majority of the team flies in to Houston so goodbye’s will be said to Judy, Rishad and Roy as they fly out to different destinations. I know this has been a rewarding trip for everyone.

This may be the last time I post an update so I would like to take this time to say thanks to all of you who  have been reading the blog.

Whenever I post for the last time, at the end of each trip, I always feel like I’m saying goodbye to alot of friends. As always, I hope the updates have given you the feeling of being with the team each day.

Thank you all for praying for the team. Thank you for giving them the support they needed as they embarked on this mission.

Most of all, I thank God for putting His loving arms around everyone and keeping them safe.

Blessing to you all…………Betsy

12:30pm

Hello Everyone,

The team had a leisurely day and are now in the pre-boarding area waiting to begin their journey home. In another hour and a half they will depart for Amsterdam. YEA!

Praise God for keeping them all safe and healthy. Pray for a good flight and good rest.

As soon as they arrive in Amsterdam I will post it but it won’t be until late tonight.

Until then……………. 

5:25pm

Hello Everyone,

I talked to several of the team members today and they all said the safari was great. One of the first animals seen was a lion. There were vultures sitting on the ground and the driver said something must be dead. About that time the lion picked up it’s kill, an antelope, and walked off.

They saw more elephants, giraffes and antelopes. They took a boat ride on the Nile River. Christine said it was surreal being on the Nile.

There were crocodiles and lots of hippos in the water. If I’m not mistaken I think a lot of people are killed by hippos each year. While I was talking to Craig earlier he said there was a hippo nearby. I told him he’d better get out of there. Last year Roy wanted to take a picture of a hippo that was near the hotel and the hippo headed straight for Roy. Roy, of course, got out of there. Also while I was talking with Craig he said a bat hit him. He said he thought bats were supposed to be able to see better at night.

The boats took everyone over near the Falls. A few people, Craig, Roy, Rishad,  Wes, Jessica and Emily, climbed up the Falls. They basically all said the same thing, “it was great”.  They climbed down, took the boat back to the shore, they got in the Range Rovers to head back to the hotel. The vehicle has an opening in the top, like a large sun roof,  so they can stand up and see the animals. (There is a point to all this information) The point is that they all sat up on the roof with their legs hanging down in the vehicle and rode back to the hotel. And the vehicle was going fast. Thankfully they were all safe. I was shaking my head while Craig was telling me about it.

Back at the hotel, after dinner, those same six people, played a game of monopoly. I don’t know who won. It seems funny that you’d be in Africa and playing monopoly.

Give thanks to the Lord for watching over everyone while they were out on their excursion. Tomorrow they depart Murchison Falls at 9:00am (tonight at 12:00pm our time). I’ll post a short update letting everyone know when the team is in Entebbe then I’ll post again when they are getting ready to begin the journey home. 

Until tomorrow…………

5:20pm

Hello Everyone,

The ride was long and bumpy today. The van they were traveling in has a luggage rack right above the passengers head. They hit one bump and Rick went right out of seat and hit his head on the luggage rack. He got a small cut but is doing fine now. He had plenty of doctors in the van to take of him.  Thank you Lord for watching over the team as they traveled and especially thank you for watching over Rick.

They will be staying at Paara Lodge, in the National Park. Animals of all sorts could be seen by everyone as they entered the Park. Water buffalo, giraffes, elephants and more. I’m excited for them as they anticipate the big day.

For 3 out of 5 days there has been some rain. They haven’t had any rain in that area for a while so wouldn’t you know it would rain now.

I forgot to tell you about Sisiyi Falls. This is an attraction every team goes to see. You can walk up the side of the Falls and stand at the top. If you go to www.mercytrips.org you can see a picture in the 2007 Gallery. I think the trail is a little muddy but everyone wants to climb to the top. It is absolutely beautiful from all the pictures I have seen.

I imagine you are probably as excited as I am for the team to get home. The will fly to Entebbe from the National Park on Friday morning and fly out of Entebbe Friday night at 10:55pm.

Tomorrow’s update will be all about “The Wild Kingdom”.

Until tomorrow…………….

6:00pm

Hello Everyone,

Today was the last day for surgery and clinic. All went well. There were 6 surgery cases today and that brings the total surgeries to 37 for one week.

The clinic team saw 206 patients today and deworming and vaccinations were done on 561 patients. The total number of patients (not including patients that received the deworming and vaccinations)  is 2454. Total number of patients receiving deworming and vaccinations is 5539. I don’t know how many of those patients received both kinds of care but still those are some awesome numbers.

The team has done some awesome work this week and are getting ready for a couple days rest before the journey home begins. They will leave in the morning for Murchison Falls National Park. It’s a 7 hour drive. Pray for safe travel.

A few of the team members wanted to say……

Rick - enjoyed the trip and wants to return………. Judy - said as soon as they finished up in surgery, Godfrey took her name off her shoes and put them in the back. (see chapter  6 for details). Christine - her time there has been incredible and it’s more than she could have dreamed………. Kyron - After surgery it was appropriate to see one more patient. It was Dr. Patrick’s sister. She had previously broken her collar bone and was having trouble. Kyron was able to give her some medicine and talk with Dr. Patrick about follow-up care……….. Roy - said thanks and how much he appreciated the medical team and pharmacy team for making things run smoothly……… Janice - said thank you for allowing her to come back for her second trip. It helped her mentally and spiritually and wants to be put on the top of the list for the trip next year. She misses her family….. Debbie - spoke touchingly to Dr. Patrick and Helen. (don’t know what was said)…. Bonnie - said thanks for letting her tag along. She enjoyed taking vital signs…. Cindy O - said thanks to Wes for recording the trip and is looking forward to seeing the video. Along with taking video he also pitched in and helped in any area that was needed…. Wes - thanks to Kyron for letting him scrub in during surgery. It was the highlight of his trip.

The chef’s at the hotel had a special surprise at dinner for the team. They had a really nice buffet and put candles on the tables and had music playing in the back ground. They made a cake and put a candle on it to say farewell. Cindy J had a birthday on Friday so they sang Happy Birthday and let her blow out the candle.

On another note, pardon the pun, in Chapter 11 I spoke of the drummers at one of the villages. Some drums were purchased (I don’t know who purchased them) but there was one drum that all the guys wanted. So they had a coin toss. Ronald won. Wes, being a musician, picked the drum that sounded the best. The head of the drums are made with monitor lizard skin.

……………………………………………………………………………………

As their mission has been accomplished may we give thanks…..

Thank you Lord for watching over our loved ones, thank you for giving them the opportunity to do your work, thank you for watching over the families of the team members, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of your mission.

Until tomorrow………….

5:00pm

Hello Everyone,

As I have reread the blog I thought “where have the praises to God been”? I have asked you all for prayers for the team but have not talked about all things accomplished have been by God’s grace. Way before we begin to plan each trip God has already planned everything. I’ve probably mentioned before there is always a part of me that worries about how everything(especially funds) is going to come together to make these trips happen. And Craig in his calm voice says “it will happen”. God has prepared the way.

We are blessed in so many ways and I know I don’t always thank God for the simple things. At the end of this post there will be some “simple” things the team members have been missing while in Uganda.

The surgey team had 6 cased today. They had been wondering how they were going to get everything done because they needed another anesthesia machine. Praise God, not only were they able to rent one from the hospital in Kampala but Helen’s cousin was able to bring it to them. Thanks to having the second anesthesia machine they were able to finish all the surgeries and get back to the hotel early.

The clinic team had to deal with some bats and rats today. I don’t even want to keep my feet on the floor when I write about this. The church was near a swamp. The pastor of the church did not set up partitions so the pews had to be moved around. When they moved the pews a big rat scrambled out and ran up the wall and went through a crevase. I know I would have screamed and ran back to the van and had a “drive through” clinic. The patients seen in clinic today were very sick, some with syphilis. I know for the people in that area it was a blessing to have the team come to take of them. The team saw 372 patients and total including deworming and vaccinations was 824. Yesterday when I gave the number for the week I wasn’t sure if some of the patients that saw the doctors were also counted in the deworming and vaccinations total. I found out today they were. But still a large number of patients were seen in one week.

While the team was there they were shown some beans that are used to make diesel, more like ethanol. Ronald took one of the beans and ate it and said these aren’t to bad. The guy then said he shouldn’t be eating those beans. Ronald wasn’t feeling very well afterwards but by time they got back to the hotel he seemed fine. Thank you Lord.

Later at the hotel Craig asked everyone to give one thing they missed most. He said besides their family because that is a given so here are the simple things.

Rick-ice……. Judy-iced tea……. Bonnie-hot water……… Polly-being able to go to 7-11 any time she wants to…… Cindy J -paper towel………. Emily-tap water you can drink……  Christine-available restrooms when you travel……… Debbie-paved roads….. Craig-ice cream/milkshakes…… Wes-his bed…… Rishad-a razor…. Roy-high water pressure…… Rob-his dog….. Shai-dry hot sun, the humidity is killing him…… Ronald-cooking……. Janice-texting & emailing…….. Cindy O-coke slurpee…… Kyron misses being called a black man. The Ugandans call white people “Mzunga” and even though Kyron is a “black man” he is still called mzunga.

May we give thanks to our Lord and Savior for watching over our team, for keeping them well and giving them good rest.

Tomorrow will be the last day for surgery and the last day for clinic. The clinic team will be at Sisisyi Church, which is right next to Sisisyi Falls. The team spent time at Sisisyi Falls on Saturday. I’ll give more information in the next update.

Until tomorrow………….. 

Sunday 5:00pm

To back track just a little…..Saturday’s clinic went well, 215 patients were seen and 597 received vaccination and deworming. The total patients seen by the doctors last week was 1876. The total for vaccinations and deworming last week was 4554. (Not sure if any of the 1876 patients are included in that number)

The patients seen in Saturdays clinic were very sick. Some patients had perforated eardrums due to ear infections, protein malnutrition and iron deficiency. After the clinic was over, one of the elders of the church took the team on a tour of the hut compound and showed them were people sleep and cook. It was an eye opener. There was a group of kids playing drums. They make the drums themselves. I think they put on a special show for the team. Even though the people they saw are very poor they are still happy. It was uplifting for the team.

The surgery team did 3 big cases on Saturday. One case was an ovarian cyst. The cyst weighed 10 pounds. The woman looked pregnant and after surgery she looked like she had delivered a child. The cyst had been growing for years.

Kyron commended the team for working with Dr. Patrick’s staff and getting everything done.

Here area few words from each team member……..

Helen(Dr. Patrick’s wife) was glad everything was going smoothly and thanked God for everyone’s effort.

Debbie…..saw a child that had surgery last year. The child and his mom remembered Debbie and the team. The boy has been doing well.

Christine…everyone is happy and full of love. When Christine got of the bus a little 3 year old girl was standing there waiting to shake Christine’s hand. Then when the team went to tour the huts a little girl came up and took Christine’s hand and walked around with her.

Jessica….was comparing spending time at the hospital before the rest of the team arrived last Tuesday to going to the outreach clinics. There are different programs around the hospital such at the malnutrition clinic I told you about previously. She said it was a cool experience for someone who is interested in public health and reinforces her desire to make a difference.

Roy….it was good getting to know people that he works with at the hospital (in the US) and working with them on a different level. He’s picking up some of the local dialogue and using it when he takes care of the patients. It’s fun to see their reaction when he talks with them.

Emily…has a daily affirmation that she is on the right track. She is intertested in International medicine.

Cindy J…when the patients start waking up after surgery they say thank you right away.

Polly….ate a bug. Someone offered her the bug and she didn’t want to turn him down so she ate it. I think it was a termite, they are a delicacy in Uganda. She said it was good to see joy on everyone’s face and they are glad when eveyone uses the local language.

Rishad…when they toured the hut compound it was interesting to see how they live. Before the elder became a christian he had four wives and 21 children. After he became a christian 3 wives left him and the 21 children.

Wes….the whole experience has been great and alot more than he expected. Working in the OR has been great. He’s been doing alot of filming and said it’s like being on an episode of M.A.S.H.

Rick….a patient was under local anesthetic for a hernia operation. The area being operated on is draped so the patient can’t see the surgery being done. The patient wanted to know when they were going to start the surgery. He didn’t realize it was already being done since he couldn’t see it.

Judy….overall experience has been good. She said she was outside the hospital taking pictures and women kept coming up to her and wanted her to take pictures of them with their babies. The dad’s were feeling left out so Judy told them to get over there so she could take a picture of all of them.

Cindy O…..at the end of clinic when the kids were playing the drums noone wanted to dance. A lady with a baby on her back got out in front of everyone and started dancing around. After that everyone joined in. (I don’t know if the team members danced or not)

Janice….saw a little boy playing with a toy that was somewhat like a car. He had a stick and was pushing the car around. Janice wanted to take a picture of him but he thought she wanted the toy. Then when she went into town her camera “fell out” of her bag. A lady standing near by “found” the camera and wanted a reward for finding it. A security guard ran the women out of the store. He said she is known as a pick pocket and told Janice not to give her any money.

Kyron….has enjoyed making rounds and  interacting with the patients. The family of one patient gave him some food. (I don’t know what it was.) Kyron said it was pretty good and said “yum yum” and the family laughed and were happy to share their food.

Dr. Patrick…a lady named Barbara has a trade school and teaches people to sew. She was at the church site on the first day of clinic and asked the team to come over for lunch. Since then people from around the area have been coming by to thank her for having the team there. Patrick sometimes feels the work he does is inadequate but somehow the people are all doing well. He says we are not in this alone. The patients get better after treating them with medicine even though he’s not sure what is wrong with them.

Shai…walked to the Mbale Hospital to take a tour with Craig and Dr. Patrick. He said it was eye popping to see how poor and inadequate the facilities were. He sees what an impact Dr. Patick is making in his village and can appreciate it more after seeing the hospital at Mbale.

Bonnie….amazing how much is done with so little and in such a short amount of time.

Ronald….is grateful to everyone for how smooth everything is running. He was happy that he was able to diagnose a patient with a pathologic murmur. The patient will go to a hospital in Kampala to seek treatment.

Rob…is amazed at the remote villages he could go to, he said you wouldn’t be able to see any of this if you just came for a visit. He met a woman who needed to go to Mbale for testing. She said she had never left her village. (I’m not sure of her age but am guessing it was an elderly lady) .

The clinic team will be at Tirinyi Church tomorrow.

Continue to pray for good rest and good health for the team. Pray also for the patients seen in the clinic and those needing surgery.

Hope you’ve had a good day!!! 

Until tomorrow……………………..

5:25pm

Hello Everyone,

Only a couple of things to pass on for right now. The team worked 1/2 day then went into Mbale to shop. I know they were all glad for a rest.

Tomorrow they will attend church services and have the rest of the day off. Craig is scheduled to speak at church. Some of you may not know the team has to have interpreters. During church services when Craig speaks he says a few things then it’s interpreted then he says a few more things and so on…

If you recall I mentioned a ministry team, led by Russell Anderson, that fixes up orphanages. Dr. Patrick and Russell talked about having a medical team see patients at one of the orphanages that’s being fixed up. This would be on a future trip, not this one. That would be a prayer item.

I may get a call tonight with more of an update. If I do I’ll post it, so check in the morning.

Pray for a restful day for the team.

Until later…………………. 

4:45

Hello Everyone,

It sounds like everyone is having a good time riding the “taxi’s”. The Lugandan name is Boda Boda. On the way back to the hotel the vans stopped in town and several people got out and rode the Boda Boda’s back to the hotel.

It was another busy day for everyone. The surgery team did 8 cases. One patient had to have a transfusion but is doing well. Kudos to Debbie for taking such good care of the patient after the surgery. Debbie is very conscientious about making sure the patients get what they need.

Jessica worked with Kyron today in the OR. She scrubbed in and on at least one case was able to suture the skin.

Kyron said kudos to the surgery team to for hanging in there to get all the cases done.

The clinic team saw 450 patients, add in the deworming and vaccinations and the total for today was 1234. They patients were very sick. I didn’t get any information on what kind a problems they were having.

Rishad and Christine got a lot of attention today. Rishad has a beard and mustache and Christine has red hair. All the kids wanted to touch their face and hair. I don’t know if they got to or not. Then, while everyone was in line waiting for vital signs to be taken there was one little girl poking her head out and looking at Christine. The next thing you know Christine felt someone touch her from behind and it was the little girl. How sweet.

Christine took vital signs for the clinic patients so she was able to see all the patients today. She said she is having a great time.

Cindy O. will work with the surgery team on Tuesday. She will get a crash course in circulating. This will give Debbie a chance to work with the clinic team for a day.

When the clinic team got done they stopped by the hospital and Roy scrubbed in with the surgical team. He’s now an offical retractor holder.

Tomorrow both teams will work a 1/2 day then they will be off on Sunday. They need some rest after working so hard this week. The clinic team worked at Magada Church today and will work at Buseta Church tomorrow. I guess I got the days mixed up, I thought the clinic team was going to be at Mesese Church today. Anyway, they’ve had a busy week.

Monday will be another busy day. They will work a full day then Tuesday will be a 1/2 day and it will also be their last day for working. Wednesday they head out for the safari and Friday they start their journey home. Seems like the first week went by quickly.

A few messages from the team…..Hello to everyone….. Christine says hello to her family and her colleagues at Johnson & Johnson….Judy says hello to the family. When Cindy J said to say hello to her family her son, Wes, who was sitting with them, said “hello”……..Polly says hi to Anna Kurt and to Richard…..Rick says hello to Dorothy, Rob and Mom…….Debbie says hello to her pillow (she was tired today) and hi to Emily since she didn’t get to talk to you this morning.

Thanks for your prayers for Kyron he was feeling better today. Pray everyone will stay healthy. Pray for good rest for the team. Monday especially will be a busy day.

Hope you all are doing well.

Until tomorrow……………………….

5:40 pm 

Hello Everyone,

The surgery team ended up having a long day. Things were going good and when they got to the last case it took 2 hours instead of 1 but things turned out fine. They did hernias, goiter, ovarian cyst and a hysterectomy.

I guess word is getting around about Kanginima Hostial and the American doctors. A doctor in Mbale told his patient she needed surgery and could go to Nelago (not sure of the spelling), it’s kinda far, but if she wanted to she could go to Kanginima Hospital because there were some American doctors there. She came to Kanginima and was able to get the surgery done. I know that must have a blessing not to have to travel so far.

If you recall when I introduced the team, Jessica and Emily are 4th year medical students. Craig said they have both done a really good job. He jokes that they are stuck to each other like glue and wondered if they could work apart. They each were on a seperate team today and both did fine. Emily joined the surgery team. She sometimes faints in the OR so Craig had her watch a few surgeries before she scrubbed in. Everything went fine and she did good. Roy said Jessica did fine with the clinic team.

Judy has enjoyed scrubbing in with the surgery team. She said she must be doing good because noone has yelled at her, she’s just kidding. (But incase you don’t know, surgeons have a reputation of getting very upset with the scrub techs) When Judy said that Shai (a surgeon) raised his and said “I’m trying to be good”. They all got a good laugh.

Polly was helping one of the surgery patients today that got sick (you know what I mean by sick) the patient kept telling Polly thank you for taking care of her. Polly told her she was sorry she got sick and the patient said that’s ok and just keeping thanking and thanking Polly.

The clinic team saw 463 patients today add in the deworming and vaccinations that were done and the total is 1380. WOW!

Bonnie said praying with people is very reassurring even though they don’t speak the same language.

Ron is amazed how a church can be turned into a clinic. Partitions are put up (I don’t know what they are made of) and the doctor or nurse each sit behind a partition and the patient comes in and sit down and tells the doctor what kind of problems they are having. Ron had a patient today that was 3 years old. The child had malaria and a fever of 103. Ron was glad he could be there to help that child.

Rob saw alot of patients with malaria and malnutrition. As a side note…he was trying to buy a jack fruit from a lady and she was getting angry and told him 50 thousand shillings. He was trying to talk her down to 1000 shillings and she got mad and chased Rob off. He said avocado’s cost 10 cents each.

Yesterday I had written something in my notes and couldn’t figure out what it was so I asked Craig today. I wanted to make sure I got it right. It was from Shai. He said he has respect for the kind of work they do under those conditions.He is being humbled and learning. And he keeps joking that he is the youngest of the group. (I think he’s the oldest).

Roy, Rishad and Ronald took a “taxi” in to town and back to the hotel today. While they were in town there were some guys that were saying some things to them, like calling them names. These guys wanted to know where our guys were from. They told them USA. Then those guys said Obama and then R, R & R said Obama. Strange things happen sometimes while the team is in Uganda.

Roy says hello to his family in South Texas.

Janice says hello to Charles, Victoria and Troy.

There has been some trouble with the cell phones the team purchased to use while in Uganda. Dr. Patrick took them back and got new batteries so hopefully they are working now. Just in case you’ve been trying to reach someone and it hasn’t gone through then you know why.

Craig has a brother, Clint who is a pharmacist, that lives in Lake Charles, LA. Today Craig met a guy that is from, all places, Lake Charles, LA. His name is Russell Anderson and his group is called Temple Ministries. They go around to different places and fix up orphanges. He said he didn’t know Clint but knew of the pharmacy Clint runs and he’ll look Clint up when he gets back to Lake Charles. We never know when we meet someone what plan God has for that meeting. Like I said in an earlier chapter, so many things have come about from some of the people that go to Uganda.

The clinic team will see patients tomorrow at Musese Church. Helen said there are alot of people in that area and a lot of very sick people. Pray for the team as it will be a very busy day.

Prayer request for today…Kyron was not feeling well so pray he doesn’t get sick. Continue to pray for good health for everyone and for good rest.

Until tomorrow……………..

January 28th, 4:10 pm

Hello Everyone,

Before I get started today I wanted to say a couple of things. When Craig is getting information from the team members they don’t all have something they want to add to the blog. If you don’t see a comment from one of them that’s why. Everyone has a chance to talk. A year or so ago I had a family member get worried that she hadn’t seen comments from a team member. So don’t worry, everything and everyone is good.

Also, I write as fast as I can when Craig is giving me the information so it’s like taking shorthand. I have to put it into sentences so it makes sense. Hopefully I’m getting it as accurate as I can. Did you ever play the game “telephone” when you were young? By time it got to the last person it wasn’t always the same. I do the best I can.

On to the important stuff………..

The church site where the clinic team traveled to today was in the mountains. One of the vans was having a hard time getting up the mountain so some of the people had to get out and walk so the van could make it. So needless to say they got started a little late.

But guess what, that didn’t matter because they saw 743 patients today. Add in the number of kids that got vaccinations and deworming the total comes to 1023. To make those numbers more awesome they got it all done in about 5 hours. Phew!!! A lot of the patients they saw today were not real sick but there were some they couldn’t help due to the illness the kids have and there are no pediatric hospitals the families could get the children to. I don’t really know much about any hospitals other than Kanginima. But I think the families have no way of getting to other hospitals and no money to get there. The team also treated alot of people that have malaria.

On the clinic team today were, Roy, Rob, Rishad, Ronald, Jessica, Emily and 3 of Dr. Patrick’s clinic officers. Janice, Cindy O. and Christine worked in the pharmacy bus along with a couple of Dr. Patrick’s staff. They had just about enough medicine to get them through the day. Janice said the pharmacy ran smoothly.

When they all got back to the hotel Rob and Rishad walked in to town. It’s about mile away. On the way back they decided to get a “taxi” and they lived to tell about it. It’s a bicycle taxi. It cost about 25 cents and Rishad said everyone on the team needs to have the experience of riding on a “taxi”. I don’t know if he was being silly or what. I’ve ridden on a bicycle taxi before but it was on a “paved” road.

The surgery team completed 7 cases today. A goiter, spleen, hysterectomy and 4 hernias. Kyron was impressed with the improvement of the staff in getting things started quicker. The spleenectomy was done on a 14 yr old girl. They had some trouble during the surgery but everything turned out fine and the girl is doing well.

Shai said today was an experience. He thought the surgeries were going to be a piece of cake but was surprised with how difficult the 1st case was.

Bonnie worked with a lady named Rachel today. She runs the nutritional clinic. This is patterned after the WIC progam here in the US. There is alot of malnutrition, Beri Beri a vitamin B deficiency. The malnutrition is treated by milling together 7 different kinds of grains to make one flour. They give this to the mom’s and they make a porridge and feed it to the children. This gives them the calories, vitamins they need. It’s helping alot, the kids are gaining weight. Just like everything else there aren’t enough funds to cover the cost. It takes $20 a month for each child to receive the proper nutritional care. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a child or several children let us know and we’ll put you in contact with Dr. Patrick.

That’s the news for today. Pray for good rest for the team. Some of them are having trouble sleeping. Pray for the patients that will be seen in clinic tomorrow and those that will be in surgery. Pray also for good health for the team.

One more thing…The clinic team will be at the Musese church and the surgery team of course will be at Kanginima Hospital.

Until tomorrow……………….

January 27, 4:15 pm

Hello Everyone,

The team had a long but good day. The OR’s were cleaned out, organized all the medical supplies and packaged individual size medicines.

Each team that travels to Uganda gets to hear Dr. Patrick’s story of growing up in Uganda, going to medical school then returning to take care of his people. Of course there’s alot more to it but I wouldn’t be able to write it all.  I understand it is very touching.

Each team member had a least one thing to put on the blog so here goes….

Rob-saw a few patients in clinic, one was a 7 yr old boy with an osteo infection that was caused by a broken bone when he was 4 yrs old. He’ll probably have alot of problems because it wasn’t taken care of properly when it first happened….. Linda he said to tell you he got a sunburn on his head.

Ronald-loves working with everyone…..Niempa he said to tell you he’s alright and in a good group.

Wes-was the photographer for the day. He was able to pitch in and help package medicines and found it interesting to see different groups work together. He’s impressed with the clinic and hospital and how well they’re developed and run.

Shai-saw alot of surgery patients. He said it will be easier to operate on the people in Uganda because they are so skinny.

Roy-had a good day and is happy things are going well…..Rebecca he misses and loves you.

Janice-was in charge of packing the medicine and was thankful for everyone’s hard work. Enough medicine was packaged to cover two clinic’s worth. She said it is good to see friends from her last trip…..Hello to her kids.

Kyron-even though he has heard Dr. Patrick’s story twice it impacted him in a different way. Due to staying up late the night before, he was very tired today.

Rishad-saw patients at the clinic with Rob. Somehow the patients Rob saw ended up with Rishad also, he didn’t have anything to add. He is glad to get started.

We have two Cindy’s so each time I write about them I will also use the first letter of their last name so we can keep them straight.

Cindy O-said it’s amazing how excited the kids get when taking pictures of them……She says hello to Alonzo, Madison, Caleb & Zack, she loves you.

Rick-says “My” we had a lot of supplies to put away today. He’s looking forward to getting started in the OR. When they were driving down the road they were waving at the kids and the kids were chasing the van waving back….Dorothy he loves you.

Debbie-last year when they got ready to unpack supplies the shelves were empty but nobody got a picture. She wanted to run in and get a picture of the shelves before they unpacked, but when she got in there the shelves already had a bunch of supplies from last year. They had to move stuff around to make room for the new supplies. She said it made her think of moving things around in our lives to make room for more stuff. She sees the kids there and how joyful and happy they are even though they don’t have much. She said her kids have no idea.(All parents say the same thing I’m sure) She can’t wait to see her family.

Christine-thought it was incredible to see how the families of the hospital patients come and cook and take care of them. She thought it was very touching and hopes in the next few days that not only will the lives of the people they are helping change but also in our own lives as well.

Polly-came thinking God had directed her to come & now that she is there she can see God everywhere, especially in the children and young mothers that she met today.

Cindy J-met a 12 yr old girl named Priscilla today. She was carrying around her 6 month old brother. She is the oldest of four kids and is taking care of all of them. The little girl said her mom is in the hospital and has something wrong with her head. Seeing the little girl taking on such responsibility was very touching……She says Jambo (hello) to Todd, Ashley and her mom. She says picture the kids running behind the bus yelling “Jambo, Jambo”. (Not sure of the spelling on that word)

Emily and Jessica-are glad to get to know the rest of the team. Since they arrived two weeks before everyone else they have been staying out by the hospital but are now staying at the hotel with the rest of the gang. They were glad to go back to the hospital and see the improvement in the patients. Emily had been taking care of a baby with malnutrition and Jessica had been taking care of a baby with high fever due to malaria.

Judi-it was amazing, like coming home, everyone was hugging them and saying thank you for coming back. On her last trip Godrey(he works with Dr. Patrick) wanted to keep her OR shoes. She told him she might come back and she would need them. She left the shoes with him and decided to bring another pair just in case. When she got to the hospital Godfrey went in the back and brought out her shoes and he had put her name on them……….She says hello to her family.

Bonnie-and Debbie had been talking and Debbie commented that she left her heart in Uganda and Bonnie said she knows how she feels. It reminded her of David Livingston who died in Africa and wanted his heart to be buried in Africa before his body was sent back to England to be buried.

Craig-said he feels like the patriarch of a family, like when a big family gets together. He’s proud of everyone.

Tomorrow the surgery team will leave the hotel at 8:00 am and begin the scheduled surgeries at Kanginima Hospital. The clinic team will leave the hotel at 9:00 am and travel to Bududa School where they will see lots of patients.

Well, that brings us to the end for today. Hope you all are doing well. I am receiving your comments, thanks. Until tomorrow………Betsy