A Tough Journey

Life changes from day to day here in Uganda.

 One day the boys are busy cleaning my car and having a great time, and the next day one of the twins falls out of a tree at school and suffers with a concussion.

 One day boxes of Children's Ministry material is delivered to my spare room, for upcoming trainings...

 And the next day they are turned in to a fort to keep the children busy.

 Four boys and 3 girls crammed their way into the boxes for a whole afternoon.  Two of the girls, Becky and Sarah, were visiting me because their mom was in the hospital.  One day the mother left town to attend a workshop 8 hours away, and the next day we receive word that she was hemorrhaging, struggling with malaria, and losing a baby at 11 weeks of pregnancy.  I was so sad for my friend, that I volunteered to look after the girls while the father traveled to be with the mother in the hospital.

 Ocen is here, trying to gain strength after his concussion.  At first the doctors diagnosed him with malaria, to diagnose the vomiting, but after talking with his twin brother, we found out he fell from a tree at school, and the symptoms were much worse.  For four days the mother and I had to help Ocen eat and walk around the compound.  His eyes were distant and his speech was very slow, but I praise God that he is much better now.

 Okay, so these are in random order... but the makings of a fort.

 Last Wednesday I took the ferry with my car, so that I could quickly get to the western side of Uganda, to pick my friends who had been in the hospital.

 It was smooth sailing, even through fields of floating lily pads.

 The car got all the way to Kampala on half a tank of gas!!  A great trip.

It was good to be with my friends, to see another doctor in Kampala, and then to drive them home.  Please continue to pray for my friend - that she will receive complete healing.  She is also struggling with fibroids and her hemoglobin is too low to operate. 

Last night we spent time in prayer and one of their daughter prayed this prayer:

"Dear God, help the baby in Mommy's tummy not to be dead; make it alive again so that we can have brothers.  O Lord, we need brothers to protect us.  And help Daddy to find money for food and clothes.  And help Mommy to feel better."