Malnourished Babies

Today we had the opportunity to travel into a village to check on some babies in need. We went with an amazing ministry called Serving His Children run by Renee Bach. Renee specializes in malnutrition cases.  We had the opportunity to check the babies over medically looking for signs of malnutrition and dehydration.  

There were 4 babies we were checking on; there was a set of twins.  One of the twins was very severe and was just recovering from the measles.  Renee made the decision to bring the mom and the twins back to her clinic so she could watch over them and nurse the sick one back to health.  Serving His Children also taught a nutrition class that covered the signs and symptoms of malnutrition and the importance of a balanced diet.  They taught the mother’s how to provide a proper balanced meal for their children and gave them examples of things readily available in the village or directly from the garden. They taught the very basics such as what are proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, vegetables and fruits.  We were also able to provide 2 other mother’s with malnourished children a “Malnutrition Pack” which consists of ground up G-nuts, ground up fish, porridge and powdered milk. The mothers were giving instruction on how to prepare the malnutrition pack to help boost their baby’s nutrition. 

 

One of the biggest problems faced is that when children in the village get sick, people think that it is due to a curse. Many of them take the children to a Traditional Healer or Witch Doctor. When you try to teach them about malnutrition and teach them about a balanced diet, they get frustrated because you are not “healing” the child right then and there.  It takes time, education, trust and relationship to make a difference.  We are headed back to the village in two weeks to do a follow up on the babies and to see if there is any improvement.  We will pray that the education was well received and the babies will receive and benefit from the malnutrition packs provided.

 

During the lesson one of the mothers brought her 3 year old over to me to look at a couple of spots on his arm and on his chest.  He also had a runny nose.  I was able to look him over and check for an ear infection, his ears were clear of infection but just needed a good cleaning.  At first he was very afraid of me working on him, but after letting him play with some of the medical equipment I was using, he warmed up enough to let me take care of him.  He even got brave enough to sit with us for just a second but then went back to the comfort of his mom’s lap.  I am not 100% sure but I think Megan and I were able to get a hint of a smile from him. Just before we left a Jajja (grandmother) brought me over her baby.  She wanted me to look at him to make sure he was ok.  His mother died during child birth and she was left to care for the baby. She came to the training to make sure that she was giving the baby the right foods.  Baby Faizo was very healthy and it took some convincing for Megan and I to give him back to Jajja!  I think both of us would have been content just taking him home with us.

 

I am anxious to learn more about malnutrition and nursing these young ones back to health.  I feel a real calling to work with the children who are malnourished and it could be an amazing ministry opportunity for Kari and I to work side by side providing medical care and ministering to the mothers.

You can check out more images from our day in the village at:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/set=a.376047412451114.99148.179693938753130&type=1&l=aadf869859

Babies in Need

Meet baby Jessica and her mother, baby Jessica is about 4 months old. We got a call from a friend here asking if I could take a look at this child. We met them at the local children's hospital where she had been diagnosed with a medical condition called Imperforate Anus (those of you who want to read more can go to:
 http://surgery.med.umich.edu/pediatric/clinical/physician_content/am/imperforate_anus.shtml

In addition to her congenital anomaly baby Jessica has stage 3 malaria and a very low hemoglobin count.  Her hemoglobin level was only about 1/3 of what is should have been for her age due to malnutrition. Hemoglobin is the protein found in red blood cells that is responsible for carrying oxygen. She was given a quinine injection to fight the malaria and was in need of a blood transfusion for the low hemoglobin level.  After calls to multiple hospitals looking for blood, we found one across the Nile River. We all loaded up and took of for the Nyenga hospital for the much needed blood transfusion. Once we arrived we were informed they only had type B blood left.  So we prayed and had her blood group tested.  Unfortunately she was type A and the only unit of blood left was not compatible.  As it turns out a young boy received the much needed last unit of blood for a sickle cell crisis. After more failed phone calls to locate blood, we loaded baby Jessica and her mother up to rest back at the guest house.  They were going to be transported the next morning to a better hospital in a different town. The plan is to rid baby Jessica of the malaria, get her stronger and send her to surgery for her congenital anomaly.

                     

Earlier in the week we got a call for a severely malnourished child in the Mafubari Village.  Shauntina is about  3 to 3 1/2 years old.  Her Jajja (grandmother) is left to take care of her and her sibling, who is in worse shape,  so that her mother can work to support them.  They traveled 3 hours from deep in the village to make it to the Mafubari clinic to meet with us.  Shauntina is suffering from bouts of diarrhea due to the poor nutrition.  Shauntina is around Hadlee's age, but smaller than Pierce.

In order to help with the malnutrition we were able to assemble a "Malnutrition Pack"  The pack consists of ground up G-nuts (peanuts), ground up Mekena (small fish), powdered milk, porridge and children's multivitamins. The G-nuts and fish are packed full of protein and vitamins that when mixed with the porridge will help to bring back her strength.

We were able to assemble this malnutrition pack for about $20.  If you are interested in donating a malnutrition pack you can send an online donation or a check with "Malnutition Pack" in the memo line.

http://www.healingfaithuganda.org/donate/

Musana Mishap

We started the day bright and early headed to the Musana Camps on Lake Victoria.  Getting 10 people out of the house and into the van by a set time proved to be a bit of a challenge, but we made it out the gates by8:05am.  Everyone was excited for the day and the adventure ahead………little did we know.

 The trip did not go exactly as planned.  We saw some absolutely beautiful country and enjoyed our adventure.

Then we hit the “bad roads” as our directions indicated.  However, I use the term road loosely. We are use to bad roads since we have been living inUgandafor 6 months; however this took it to a whole new level.  We hit ruts and pot holes so bad that at one point everyone got out of the van to lighten the load so that we did not bottom out again. Once we cleared the bad area everyone loaded back up, only to have to unload again. Isaac had to lead the way and pick out the best path for us to navigate the road.  He would have to squat down and look under the van to make sure the differential would clear the ruts, bumps, holes and rocks.  While Isaac and I tried to navigate the roads, Kari, the four kids, Auntie Megan, Auntie Fara and MeMe all walked up the road to meet up with us again when the road was “better”. Karson had a run in with a praying mantis that attacked from the bush, but to get the full story you will have to check out Karson’s Korner (http://www.healingfaithuganda.org/karsons-korner) At one point the road got so bad we decided to cut our loses and turn around.  We never made it to the Musana Camps, however we did try to salvage the day by having a picnic overlooking a beautiful valley.  We got to share our picnic with one of the local little boys who joined us.

Everett is actually standing knee deep in one of the ruts in the road

On the way home, back down the dusty bumpy road the kiddos crashed out.  We somewhat redeemed the day when we came around the corner and saw a monkey run across the road.  We woke the kids and stopped to take pictures and the more we looked the more monkeys we saw. There must have been 10-15 monkeys in the grove of trees.  We were all so excited.  Karson kept saying over and over “It’s my first time to ever see a monkey!” We took pictures and watched them for about 10-15 minutes.  Isaac thought we were all crazy and thought it was funny that a car full of Muzungus was so excited about monkeys.

 After 8 hours of driving, we finally made it back home.  We never reached our destination but we had quiet an adventure along the way.

The Training Wheels are Off

We have officially completed our 5 months of training at New Hope Uganda and the training wheels are off!  We had an incredible experience and learned so much, we are thankful that God provided us the time at New Hope to learn.  Had we not gone through training our hearts would have been in the right place, but our minds would have been lost. The training we received will be very valuable as we begin working in the field.  We covered a variety of topics; cultural training, world view, child care and family training, Old Testament, New Testament, Orphan heart, manhood/womanhood, orphan care and raising a family in the mission field.

We have officially made it to Jinja and have begun the process of settling into our new home for the next six months. We have had a busy week of unpacking, getting supplies for the house and having furniture built.

I started working in the Mafabira community with Emanuel Luffafa and we discussed plans for healthcare and hygiene for his village.  I am very excited to be starting medical care there and assessing the strengths of the people within the community and determining where we can be of the most assistance.  Emma and I also went to the Karamoga Village to discuss the possibility of working on healthcare and hygiene in that area. We waited to talk to the Chairman who is the head of the village. We had to speak to him first because nothing in the village happens without his blessing and we would not be granted access without his permission.  He told us he would meet with us in 10 minutes, which turned in to 2 hours of waiting.  While we waited I had the opportunity to speak with the people of the area, play with some of the kids, make a poor excuse for a hand rolled bead with the women of the village and talk to the head of the Village Health Team.  She was very excited about the possibility of us assisting with medical care and hygiene within the community.  The Chairman was very receptive of us assisting the village. We hope to begin that work in the upcoming week.

My attempt at a hand made paper bead. 

Working with a sick child in the village. 

We look forward to what God has in store for us here in Jinja and where he is leading our family.

Vision of Manhood

During our training at New Hope Uganda we have been discussing manhood and what it means to truly be a man.  We have been challenged to write a vision of manhood and have been revising it throughout the course.  Here is my vision: 

A man is someone who walks in and fights for the truth, loves the Lord first and foremost and upholds his Christian beliefs and values even in the face of adversity. A man exerts his God given authority, while coming under and submitting to the ultimate authority of the Lord. A man seeks accountability from other believers and walks side by side with other men and holds them accountable in their journey with Jesus Christ.

In my manhood I want to be a husband who leads my wife closer to the Lord boldly with confidence, compassion, open communication and understanding. I want to be aware of her needs both spoken and unspoken and meet her physical, spiritual and emotional needs by leading her by the hand towards her walk with Christ.  Doing all this while dying to my selfish flesh and loving her the way Christ loves the church.

In my manhood I want to be a loving father who enlightens my children and nurtures them in a way that leads to a relationship with God as their Heavenly Father. I want to teach them to submit to proper authority, to lead them in a manner that teaches discipline, obedience, respect, self-control, patience, kindness and compassion. I want them to reflect Christian values both in my presence and when away from my watchful eye. I want to lead my boys on a path of Christian manhood and lead them in their journey to becoming a man of God. I desire to be a father that honors and protects my daughter and guides her to a path that leads to Christian womanhood through a journey with her mother towards Jesus Christ. I desire to lead my children and have a relationship that facilitates open communication with any situation in their lives. I desire to reflect the love of Jesus Christ in all aspects of my parenting so that God may be glorified.       

As a man I want to reflect the light of Christ by being slow to anger, non-judgmental of others, compassionate and understanding towards my fellow man and not succumb to the evil influences of this world. To be a man in the eyes of the Lord I desire to die to myself by not giving into my earthly desires of greed, self pleasure and earthly possessions. I will strive to be a safe harbor for those around me, so that women, children and my fellow man feel safe, confident, comfortable, honored and respected in my presence. I aspire to be a man that reflects Christ’s love in my thoughts, my words and my actions. As a man I desire to live a life of repentance because ultimately as a man of flesh I will fail. I want to take my success and failures to the cross, so that I may live a life that honors and pleases the Lord in every way and brings glory to His kingdom. 

~Jason Segner

Chickens, Snakes and Chameleon Funerals

The kids hanging out with the chicken 

We had the opportunity to go into the market yesterday to pick up some items for the upcoming week.  Kari sent me with a list of things to pick up from the market; one of the items was a chicken.  No big deal right, just go to the frozen section or the meat market and grab a chicken.  This market is an open air market, much like a farmer’s market back home.  My only option…. a live chicken.  The grand total of live chickens this boy from College Station, Texas has brought home is zero.  However, always up for a new challenge I went into the market to get myself a chicken.  I got some help from one of the locals who told me a fair price and helped me to pick out a good one.  So off I went with my live chicken, feet tied together and a firm grip behind the wings.  I do not know who was more nervous or was in a more awkward position, me or the chicken.  Now imagine that two Muzungos (white people) in the market already draw a lot of attention, but a Muzungo carrying a live chicken with a terrified look on his face draws a lot more attention.  We loaded up in the truck, the chicken and I riding shotgun and made the journey back home.  First time I bought a live chicken and the first time I rode with one in my lap.  When we got home the kids were very excited to have a chicken and we named it “Dinner.” 

Everett having a discussion with Dinner

We decided the chicken should not spend the night tethered to the porch since there are stray dogs that roam around at night.  So I walked, yes walked like on a leash, the chicken to our shed.  I opened the door and did the obligatory sweep with the flashlight for any creepy crawly things.  Thinking the coast was clear, I started walking the chicken into the shed, just as I was passing through the door that’s when it stuck it's head out.  A snake!  There was a snake crawling on the backside of the door and it stuck it head out between the door and the door frame about 6 inches from my shoulder.  I froze with fear; I just do not like snakes.  Breathlessly I backed away and got some words out, enough to alert Kari that something was wrong.  She and the kids came to the window and kept yelling for me to get inside.    I kept the light on the snake, stayed a good 6-8 feet away and called our local snake wrangler.  With one green mamba already to his credit I called Uncle Matt from across the street.  He came armed with a flashlight and a big stick.  After about 30 minutes of searching since the snake crawled to the back of the shed, we finally had success. Uncle Matt found the snake curled up in the back corner.  He thought the snake was non-venomous since it was non-aggressive, but my thoughts on an unidentified snake here in Africa are that a good snake is a dead snake.  They have snakes here that will kill you very quickly.  The locals call the Black Mamba and the Green Mamba two-step snakes, because if you get bitten by one you will get about two steps before you are finished. So with that in mind, Uncle Matt now has two confirmed snake kills in Uganda.

When all the excitement of the great snake hunt ended, we realized that our littlest chameleon Zachius was not doing too good.  Kari got him out of his tree and tried to nurse him back to health with some water.  She even tried to force feed him a small fly, but it was to no avail.  Zachius went to that big tree in the sky.  Everyone was very upset so we had a small funeral service for Zachius.  We wrapped him in a leaf, put him in a small box and buried him under the big tree in our front yard. We came back inside and did some eulogies on video and let the kids talk about their 3 weeks with Zachius and what he meant to them.  It was very sad for the little guy, but the kids interviews were very cute and they even made us all laugh in the end.

We had quit the night here, but that is a typical Saturday Segner Family night here in Uganda. 

We are all Teachers.....

We are all teachers…….even though you may be a lawyer or an accountant, chef or businessman; in everything you do you are a teacher. You may not be writing on a blackboard or grading papers, but you teach everyday. In everything we do, we are teaching someone else. Those of us who are parents have an enormous role as a teacher. We are teaching and molding our children in all that we do. They watch our actions, they listen to our words and they mimic us.  Good or bad.  We are shaping their lives and their walk with the Lord

I do not have children so I am off the hook.  If you are thinking that then you are dead wrong!  People watch the way you act at work and they imitate or take cues from you.  They do the same thing in your personal life; they imitate you and your actions.

How many of us call ourselves Christians?  Once you proclaim yourself a Christian many people will watch you more closely. They will look to you for advice, they will watch your actions and your words. Some will want to be more like you, others will wait for you to make a mistake and hope for you to stumble.

“¹Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my bothers and sisters, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what they say, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” James 3:1-2

When we enroll our children in school we often ask the question “What curriculum are you teaching?” We want the best curriculum for our children because we want them to succeed. My question to all of us is this: What curriculum are we teaching at home? What curriculum are we teaching at home with our words, our thoughts and our actions?  We have the perfect curriculum left neatly packaged for us in the Bible. It is up to us to teach from this curriculum. We also have the perfect teacher to emulate. We can not be the perfect teacher, but the good news it we do not have to be by the Grace of God. There is only one perfect teacher.  The One who was, who is and is to come.

God continues to teach us through all that we do.  He teaches us through the triumphs and the struggles.  Are we willing to learn from His teachings?

“Mistakes of doctors are locked away in the grave with the dead, mistakes of the lawyers are locked away in the prisons but the mistakes of teachers are roaming amongst us all.”