Sunday, June 8, 2014

Updating from our last several days.


Things are going quickly here in Uganda.  We are now just over a month away from our scheduled trip home.  I have a few things that I want to catch you up on.

 

On our last day in Konko, last Tuesday, we were just getting our clinic going when an older man came into the clinic.  As he was starting to check in, he passed out.  His family caught him as he started to have a little shaking.  Bystanders were quick to offer their mats and pieces of clothing to make a spot for him to lay down on the dirt floor of the little church. 
 
We noted that his blood pressure and pulse were low.  After we got him stabilized, we moved him to a house, next door, to continue his treatment.  April went with him to give him some IV fluids, while Jayne and Jake went to support in any way needed. 
 
Jake was even able to improvise an IV pole out of para-cord hanging from the rafters. 
 
While April came back to help in the clinic, Jake and Jayne were able to talk with William and get to know him.  William staggered and fell into our clinic, but walked away.

 


On the following day, we went to Lubbe.  This is a village outside of one of the Watoto children’s villages.  We were invited by our friend, from Ardmore, Lianna Schultz.  She has worked a lot at the Watoto farm in Lubbe and has gotten to know the people there.  We occupied a small clinic building and saw 200+ patients.



 

The next two days (Thursday and Friday) were spent in Buddo.  This is the home of Jonathan Kabanda, an evangelist friend of ours from years past.  Jonathan has traveled with us at times and actually introduced us to Jamil.  We hosted our clinic in Buddo Community Bible Church. 
 
This clinic, more than most of the others this year, presented us with really sick patients.  We identified a 14 year old boy that likely has hemophilia.  He was sent for blood testing and is now getting arranged with a hematology appointment.  He is a muslim, so we are praying for his heart and his blood clotting.  Showing God’s love to him is our first step.  We also met two small children with malnutrition and subsequent illness.  We wanted to take them to Mulago immediately, but due to the inability to arrange a receiving doctor, we had to delay until early this week.  Dr. Raphael will be helping to make that connection for us.  We met a lady with a large thyroid goiter and helped to get her pointed in the right direction for care.  The second day we were in Buddo, we saw multiple kids with developmental delay or mental retardation due to febrile illnesses in the past.  Most of them could not walk or talk and required constant care.  We did our best to maintain their current health and to explain their likely chronic disability.  Unfortunately, there is not much that we can do to change their long term reality. 

 

At lunch of the first day in Buddo, we got to meet the cook.  It was LOVINSA! 
 
Lovinsa was a worship leader in Buddo Community Bible Church when we met her last May.  She had a chronic, growing mass on her neck.  This was causing her great pain and affecting her ability to sing.  Due Unto Others donors helped Lovinsa to get a surgery that has completely healed her!  She was very thankful and is back to leading worship at the church.  People that helped support Lovinsa in prayer and by giving towards her care, I accepted a hug for your on Earth, but I am sure she will be looking you up in heaven!

 

We have spent the weekend working in Uganda and back to the US on trying to get things in order for Jamil to return with us for medical treatment.  We have a meeting on Monday morning with an attorney in Uganda that has experience with legal guardianship in urgent medical cases.

 

Please continue to lift our team in prayer as we prepare for Due Season!  Galatians 6:9

 

Jay

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