Visitors

Today we had some unannounced visitors at our house.  Morris and his family came to visit us today, his mother is visiting from the village and he wanted us to meet her.  She traveled from the village of Apac, which is in Northern Uganda. The trip by bus takes roughly 9 hours. It is considered an honor when you have guest stop by unannounced.  Culture is funny that way, in Uganda it is considered an honor, while in America we usually think of it as a nuisance, “Can you believe they just came by unannounced?” I can hear myself saying that back in the States, but here it was an honor.  We stopped school with the kids and enjoyed the time to visit.

It was also an opportunity for us to see baby Jason again!  We all got a chance to hold him, but only after Hadlee allowed us to after she was done. He is doing very well, he seems strong and alert.  Zippy and Morris have been welcomed into parenthood, when I asked if they were getting much sleep they laughed wearily and said no.  They seem like they are all adjusting very well and Morris is a very attentive father, which unfortunately seems very uncommon here in Uganda (or is it everywhere these day?). You can tell he loves Zippy very much and that he is a very proud father!  Zippy and her mother-in-law were traveling back to the village in the morning to visit Morris’ family.  She is a strong woman going on a bus ride for 9 hours with a newborn. They will be away 6 weeks while Morris stays behind to work.  It is hard for me as a father and a husband to imagine being away from Kari and the kids for 6 weeks.

Culture has taught me many things here.  For instance I just sat on the porch holding Jason and “visiting” with Morris’ mother.  Mostly we just sat quietly as she did not know much English and I did not know any Acholi. So we sat, while Morris and Zippy prepared some of her things for the journey. No cell phones, no internet, just sitting and holding a precious baby boy and enjoying just sitting. It was refreshing and enjoyable to  just sit for 20-30 minutes doing nothing.   That is one thing we have come to learn here in Uganda, is that the speed of life is much different than the States.  It is ok to just sit and visit for a while, in fact it is considered rude not to. 

Things here are always busy, but it seems as though life moves at a slower pace, which I have come to appreciate.

Prayers for baby Jason

Morris, one of our night guards, and his wife Zippy were blessed with a baby boy on the 13th of January.  Kari was present at his birth to assist and to be there for support for Zippy and Morris as this was their first child.  After leaving the clinic where he was born baby Jason and his family came to our house so we could help care for them and Kari could provide assistance with the baby and the first time parents.  The first evening they were with us Kari witnessed Jason having some small seizures.  This continued through the night and the next morning we took him to Jinja Children’s Hospital for testing.

Seizures can be a very scary thing, especially in a 1 day old child, and considering the fact we were not going to a hospital with state of the art technology like we are blessed with in the states.  We were headed to an over-crowded, understaffed government hospital.  Immediately I knew God was with us.  As we began walking up to the triage area, which was covered in a mass of maybe 60-70 people, I saw Elizabeth a western nurse who I met through a chance meeting in the past.  She immediately whisked us through triage and in line to see the doctor.  Once we made it through triage there was another sea of people in the waiting area who were in line to see one of the two doctors. Again we were blessed and were rushed to the front of the line due to the nature of his illness. After a short wait we were sent into see the first doctor.  She began asking questions and gathering information, she then said the phrase I am becoming frustratingly familiar with here in Uganda “It must be malaria.”  Here in Uganda everyone tells you they have malaria. It could be a cough, a runny nose, a fever, a rash or in this case seizures.  Never mind the fact that Jason was only 2 days old at this point and that malaria would not have had time to manifest in his little body.  Never mind the fact that only in very rare cases can a mom transfer malaria to her unborn child, and never mind the fact that Zippy was showing no signs or symptoms herself of malaria. The doctor then asked is this a boy or a girl?  Morris replied a boy, the doctor then said something that shocked me.  ”That is why he is shaking like that, it is a boy, he will be fine.”

So with this sound medical advice in mind we headed off to the lab for testing.  As expected, no malaria.  This is where God showed himself again in two ways.  There was a very long line for the lab, however when Zippy was telling everyone in line what was wrong with baby Jason, they all told her to go ahead of all of them so that Jason could be tested.  Amazing. Second, as we were waiting to see the second more highly recommended doctor, he came out and kicked us all out of the hallway in which we were waiting, back into the sea of people in the waiting room.  This particular doctor was known for not “liking” white people, so immediately I became the focus of his attention. As we were all walking out of the hallway he started in on me saying “You too, this means you, out out out.”  He was so focused on me, he did not see Morris go back to the line of chairs and sit down.  This made Morris first in line.  After his tirade the doctor saw Zippy and Morris first!  He was very knowledgable and admitted Jason for observation and wanted to start him on medication and an IV.

How to you distract a worried, concerned Ugandan father? Introduce him to Angry Birds. Morris=mind blown

The doctor was concerned about two things; infection and low blood sugar.  I asked if we could check his blood sugar, but something as simple as a glucometer was not available in the hospital. When I mentioned I had one at home they all got very excited and asked me to go get it.  However, the doctor had already ordered dextrose which would have affected the reading. In order for treatment to start the nurse had to establish an IV in his little 2 day old body.  Before any of this could occur, we had to go buy an IV catheter. Once we returned with the IV catheter in hand, the nurse began the process.  It took her 5 attempts to start the IV in his tiny veins, but by the Grace of God she was able to get it started on the 5th attempt.  She broke just about every rule of establishing an IV that I have learned and taught for 10 years, but nonetheless she had the skill to get it successfully.  After each attempt she would pull the needle out (this is where all the healthcare providers will cringe) and rethread it through the catheter.  When I asked if I could give her a new one, she scolded me and asked why I thought she needed a new one.

After his treatment of IV antibiotics and dextrose started he only experienced one seizure.  The report today was that no seizures have occurred and that his energy level and activity have increased.  Many prayers have been said for baby Jason and many more will be needed to strenghten him through this process. I have been amazed at the faith Zippy has displayed through all of this.  She has never once waivered or faultered in her faith.  She has been a rock and an amazing woman of God.  Through it all she has been encouraging Morris to remain strong in his faith. At one point it all became too much for Morris and he began to cry.  It is very rare for Ugandan men to show emotion and to cry.  She told Morris to be strong and to put his faith in the Lord.  At one point Morris, under the advice from people in his village, wanted to change the name of the baby.  The thought was the name was cursed or it was the name causing problems, and that changing it would make the baby better.  Again, Zippy encouraged him to be strong in his faith.  Kari was able to speak truth to him in that putting your faith in other things, such as a name, turns away from the one true God.

As each day goes by baby Jason seems to be improving and gaining strength. Zippy remains strong in her faith and Morris seems to be growing in his faith.

This is Jason's room.  A tiny room with a row of cribs on each wall.

This is a room for the older babies/children.  There are about 25-30 rooms in this room. 

What a year it has been!

It is hard to believe that the Segner Family has been in Uganda for over a year.  January 4th, 2012 we touched down in Uganda and there has not been a dull moment along the way.

Our journey started with an amazing training program in Luwero at New Hope Uganda.  We were surrounded by an amazing group of teachers and fellow students.  We spent time learning about the culture, how to survive in the ministry field, how to draw closer to God and how to live in Uganda. It was an amazing time for our family to  come together and learn what our "new" life was going to be like.  We spent five months in God's word learning how to be better people, better spouses, better parents and better followers of God's word.  We made some amazing friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime.  We also took away valuable life lessons that have better equipped us to serve in the mission field.  I have said it often and I will continue to say it; If we had not gone to training at New Hope our hearts would have been in the right place but our minds would have been lost.  I know without a doubt we would not be in the place we are now if it were not for our time spent in training.

After our time in Luwero we moved the whole crew to Jinja, Uganda where God has revealed His plan for Healing Faith.  God has placed the right people in our lives and we have been able for form some great partnerships and relationships in Jinja. We have been blessed by two amazing teams coming over from the States to visit us and to see what God is doing in Uganda.  The teams were able to bring over much needed supplies, but most of all they were able to recharge our family and provide us with love and support.  We had two amazing women who came to help with the ministry, one while we were in training at New Hope who helped watch the kids while we were in training.   Auntie Rachael did an amazing  job with our children, taught the older boys school and made a huge impact on our lives. Auntie Megan helped to get the ministry going once we reached Jinja.  She was able to travel to the villages, assist  with work in the field and established some amazing relationships with the people of Uganda. We have been blessed by a 4 month visit from Kari's mom (Meme) and a visit from Aunt Hehe, Uncle Buck and Isaac.

We have had our share of bumps,  bruises and defeats along the way. However, instead of letting those things keep us down we have used them as life lessons and moved forward.  Some of the lessons have been harder than others.  We have been lied to, deceived, stolen from, persecuted and told that we "should go back where we belong." We had a fiasco at the border, dealt with corruption & dishonesty,  and had to overcome some majors adversities. Through it all God still had a plan and stood by our side.

Kobasnja after recovering from her burns

We have been witness to some true miracles that can only come from God Himself.  We witnessed a little girl literally raised up out of the ashes and restored to complete health.  Kobasinja was one of the first healing miracles we witnessed.  From a tiny, cramped clinic in Mafubari I witnessed a little girl who was burned over 80% of her body with severe second and third degree burns restored to complete health.  All of my medical training and knowledge said this little girl would succumb to her injuries. Infection and  hypothermia should have taken her body. However, God had a different plan. I have seen a little boy whose foot was injured so badly he was only able to crawl.  I witnessed God provide healing for his foot and watched him go from crawling in the dirt, to walking and finally running to greet us when we arrived. Through it all, Ishmael had a smile on his face and was always excited to see us.  I witnessed the Holy Spirit telling us to stop one day along a dirt road because a child needed our help.  We happened upon a young boy named Muwazi who had a horrific burn to his hand. We were able to get him treated and to the hospital for care.  He eventually lost the hand to amputation, but was in good spirits, learning to be independent even with the loss of his hand, and most importantly he was alive!  His family is Muslim, but Kari was able to share a children's bible with him.  I have learned to recognize, diagnose and treat malaria and have been able to treat countless numbers of malaria cases.

Muwazi on the day we found him in the village

Ishmael smiled through all of his treatment for his horrific injury

We have had some amazing triumphs and victories and we have also suffered some defeats.  Through it all God has been faithful.  He didn't promise us it would be easy, He did however promise to stand by us. "For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does." Psalm 33:4  Has is been easy? No.  I have a supportive family back in the States that I have not seen in over a year, and that I miss terribly. However, I know that we are in God's will for our lives and that is the best place to be. I am thankful for the year God has provided in Uganda.  I am thankful for a supportive family, an amazing team working back home that makes Healing Faith possible, the prayers that lift us up and the donors that make our work here a reality. Thank you for allowing us to share the love of Christ with the people of Uganda. 

So it is with the reassurance the we continue forward in doing the work He has called our family to do in this amazing country. I look forward to what God has in store for our family and the amazing place we now call home.  "Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115:1

Birthday Bonanza

This week has been a barrage of birthdays.  First, we celebrated our night guard’s birthday.  You can read about that on Kari’s blog.http://realhousewifeofuganda.blogspot.com/2012/12/ugandan-birthday-celebration.html

The following day we were discussing with Tom, our day guard, about how much fun we had with Morris at his celebration.  This brought up the casual question from Kari, “Tom, when is your birthday?”  Tom replied “I think it is today, at least that is what my phone it telling me.”  He handed Kari his phone and the calendar popped up saying “Day of birth, 1993.”  Tom told us the thought he was turning 19 years today.  As the look of shock and amazement left our face we snapped back to our senses and told him happy birthday.  We asked if he had any plans for the evening and he told us he was supposed to organize something, but he failed to do so.  We were shocked, our kids and even I start reminding people weeks before our birthday.  Birthdays are a big deal to us and we always have some sort of special celebration. It was hard to imagine it being Tom’s birthday and he had not said a word.  We finished lunch and  started planning for the evening celebration for Tom, and Kari started baking a cake.  We already had some Advent plans in place for the kids, so we decided to invite Tom to join us. We had a picnic under the Christmas Cross and watched Polar Express.  You know Tom is special to our lives because the kids were excited to share their “Papa Sausage”, summer sausage sent over from the States, with Tom. We had sausage, cheese, crackers, salami, olives, pickles and fruit salad. Tom seemed to really enjoy himself!  The kids colored him birthday cards and Kari and I were able to present him with a certificate for computer classes.

Tom approached me a few weeks ago and told me “the world was heading the way of computers and he thought he better learn what they were about.”  We were able to find a place in town that offers basic computer classes.  We gave Tom a couple notebooks, pens and a folder to keep all his things in for his upcoming computer class. We all enjoyed a fun filled evening of food, fun and fellowship.  The smile on his face said it all, but he kept telling us over and over again thank you for the evening.   I have been amazed at the perspective that God is making me aware of in living here in Uganda.  The people here are amazing and they are truly blessing our lives.

Moving Adventure

Moving Adventure

We came to Uganda to do God’s work, which we felt was to help those with medical needs.  Funny how our plans don’t always line up with His plans, or should that be the other way around?  Yes, we have been helping those with medical needs, but God has placed so much more before us.  Healing Faith is not just a medical ministry, it is a people based ministry and God is making us clearly aware of that fact.  This is His ministry after all and we are doing our best to follow His plan.

Morris, one of the Askaris (guards) who does an amazing job watching over our compound and family at night, is usually very upbeat and always in a good mood with a smile.  However, when I greeting him on Monday he seemed stressed out and down.  He explained to me that his landlord had become angry with everyone and kicked them all out.  They had until tomorrow to get all of their things out of the building or the landlord  would throw  all their things  out onto the road.  In Uganda most people do not have a renter’s agreement that protects them from this sort of thing, so they are at the mercy of the landlord.  Stressful for anyone, but to make matters worse, Morris and his wife are expecting a baby at the end of this month.  So with a wife 9 months pregnant and not knowing where they were going to sleep the next day, Morris dutifully came to work at our compound.  He had been looking for a place during the day and had no luck, his only option was a room that was increased in rent, smaller and much further from his job at our compound.

This set the wheels in motion for us.  We told Morris he and his wife could sleep in the boys quarters, a set of small rooms away from the main house, until they could find a place. The next morning we started making calls and could not find a place that was near by or one that was in Morris and his wife’s price range. He was currently paying 30,000 Uganda Shillings a month ($11.50 US dollars give or take depending on the exchange rate) and was stretching his budget because the new place was 45,000 ($16.98 US) The problem with the new place is that is was 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) from our house, all of which Morris traveled on a bicycle, not to mention a bicycle with broken pedals.  Where the pedals should be was only a peg, because the pedals where “spoiled.”  Everyday Morris  travels by bicycle, broken pedals and all to get to work which would take him about an hour to an hour and half one way due to crazy traffic and giant hills.

Who wants to complain about their morning commute now?

After dinner we got a call from Morris, he and  his wife needed a place to stay and need help moving some of their things.  We met Morris on the roadside and he directed us to his place.  He happened to live on the same road as an Army Barracks so we had to go through 3 security check points.  The first one was no problem; the guard recognized Morris and we went straight through.  The second was a little hassle, but we made it through with little trouble.  At the final checkpoint the guard was in no hurry to help or to open the gate and seemed to think he was entitled to a bribe from the Muzungus, but finally opened it and let us pass.  Morris had us turn around on a pitch black dark road that had a drop off on one side.  We finally turned around and started loading his things. It was a completely dark night, no lights, no moon on this dark dirt road, so I left my headlights on and the hazards flashing so that nobody would hit the vehicle. I also wanted the vehicle lit up so I would feel safer with Kari and the kids locked in the car. We got the last of their things loaded up; we literally looked like the Beverly Hillbillies.  I could not even see the kids in the back for all of the things.  We had a van full of their things, my family of 6 and Morris and his 9 month pregnant wife.

As we were leaving, a man in a military uniform came up and started yelling at Morris.  I sat their staring out the window, one because I did not understand the Luganda he was speaking and two, I knew he probably wanted a bribe of some sort.  After about 5 minutes of back and forth between the man and Morris he allowed us to go.  Morris told me he was angry because we left the lights on. He explained the guards like to "remain in the dark" to which my  reply was “in more ways than one.”  He was also seeking a bribe from us just because we were white.  We drove about 50 yards to the checkpoint and the exact scenario played out again.  More yelling at Morris, more requesting bribes, more me staring out the window.  See God has a plan in that I have not yet learned much Luganda, this is His plan on teaching me patience. Had I understood the Luganda the  man was yelling, I would have been likely to have a few words back for him.  It was late, the kids were tired and being wild, everyone was very cramped and we had been on a dark road loading the van for about 30 minutes. So everyone was a bit edgy to say the least.  So I continued staring out the window, not understanding and keeping my mouth shut. This is something I have been working on since being in Uganda, just keep your mouth shut Jason.

We were finally allowed to leave as long as we promised to turn our lights off next time; I’ll keep that in mind. After spending the night at our place, we were able to help Morris find a room only two houses down.  Now, he is close to work, close to home and will not have an hour long bike ride to work everyday.  This will allow him more time with his wife and will allow him to be close by if the baby comes in the middle of the night.

Who knew our ministry would involve moving people in the middle of the night? God’s plan is working in our lives, it is going directions we did not anticipate, but He is in control. Sometime it just takes us being willing to listen to hear His plan.

“Be still and know I am God” Psalm 46:10

Simple Things...

I miss the simple things.

Simple things like auto-draft to pay bills or online bill payment. Log on, click, done.  

Today I needed to pay the water bill, simple enough task right?  Not so much…  

Let me give you a little back story. The water meter at our house was stolen; therefore we had no water at the house. The water company deemed it our responsibility to replace the meter, even though they placed the meter, for their convenience, outside the fence which is not under our protection. After much debate we were forced to pay the $50 fee to have the meter replaced, we did however get them to concede to move the water meter inside our compound fence where it could be under the careful and diligent watch of our night guard Bosco (rolls eyes with much sarcasm).  

The process to pay the bill for the replacement meter took a combined four hours and went something like this;  File a police report for the stolen meter. This was quite the experience in itself. They asked if we wanted our night guard arrested for having the meter stolen on his watch.  Even though the meter was outside the fence the policeman said it was his responsibility and he should have been more diligent in his job. Once I convinced them not to arrest our night guard I got the police report filed and officially stamped by the "Big Man." I took   the police report to the water company to request a replacement meter.  The water company gave me a bill for the replacement meter which had to be paid at the bank. Oddly enough you cannot pay your water bill at the water company.  You have to pay you bill at the bank. So I went to the ATM and waited in line to withdrawal money.  You cannot withdrawal money from inside without a large fee, so I withdrew it from the ATM outside the bank which has no fee associated with it.  Coming out of the ATM I was ushered to the side and forced to walk around an armored truck delivering money to the bank with three guys with AK 47s, one with riot shot-gun and one with an old school Tommy Gun. Pierce found this entertaining and pointed to the guards “Uncle you have gun!”  After withdrawing money from right outside the bank, I went into the bank to pay the water bill, only after being checked with the metal detector.  This is never a fast process, first of all there is always a line, this line moves at a snails pace. When you get to the window, you go through the standard greeting process “How are you? How are things here? Yes, the family is fine, thank you.” Then if you have one of the kids with you, they must talk to the kids, get their name and go through a greeting process with them. Once you have paid the bill at the bank, you take the receipt to the water company, and then the water company can process your request. This is a far cry from setting up auto-draft or paying your bill online.  

I also miss the days of swiping my debit card at the store. This is a cash only society; remember that green stuff made out of paper with Presidents and important people  on them? Everywhere we go we have to carry cash (Ugandan Shillings) with us.  In the States, we never had cash. This is good and bad. Good because it keeps you more accountable with spending, you can’t just swipe your card. The bad,  you can’t just swipe your card. You always have to carry Shillings with you. A couple of times we have run short on Shillings when we are at the Supermarket. Kari has developed such a good relationship with the guys at the Supermarket that they tell her to just bring the remaining balance the next time she is in town.  

How is miss some of the simple things. Yet, some aspects of life here are easier than back home. It is a balancing act.  Sometimes I feel as though I might completely lose my balance and come crashing down, while other days I feel as though I can walk the tightrope with ease. Balance…

Where is God?

Where was God today?

As I am writing my heart is breaking for a 9 year old boy named Muwazi.  He was injured so badly that he had to have his hand and wrist amputated this morning. Pray for him and his family as they begin the healing process.  Here is his story…

If you have been following the story of Ishmael you know that his family suddenly moved away during the treatment of his injured foot.  Exciting news….we found him!  His mother contacted our friend Drew and gave him the location of their new village.  We loaded up the van on Thursday morning and headed out about an hour and a half to the village where his family relocated. Drew had to leave late afternoon to catch a flight back to the States, but he wanted to check on Ishmael one last time before he left Uganda.   When we arrived in the village it was a familiar site of Ishmael with his heart warming smile waving and dancing as we drove up.  We all eagerly jumped out to greet him.  I half way soaked up his smile and loving embrace and half way looked at his injured foot.  To my excitement the wound was healing up, however the one area I was concerned about looked worse as I was expecting without treatment for over a week.  The last time I saw Ishmael I had consulted with a doctor back in the States about his injury and I was planning on removing some fibrous tissue that was forming.  That was a week ago before his family suddenly up and moved.  Today I was able to remove some more infection that had developed in Ishmael’s foot and got his wound clean and dry again.  The exciting thing was I was able to teach his mother how to clean and dress his wound and left a week and half worth of supplies with her.  Before we left we were able to pray for him and his family before leaving.

As we were making our way along the dirt path back to the main road for the trip home, a man began flagging us down.  This is not unusual as people are always seeking rides or wanting to talk to the Muzungus as they pass by.  I usually smile, wave and keep driving.  However, something was different this time. I think it was the urgency in the man’s waving me down and the strong conviction from the Holy Spirit.  We turned around and met them along the dirt road.  As I got out to investigate, the site of what was waiting was hard for me to see.  They brought a 9 year old boy to the van with a hand that was so severely burned it almost did not resemble a hand with fingers. We sat the young boy in the back on the van and I began assessing his wound. Through the help of our Ugandan friend and translator Andrew, we were able to determine the young boy had fallen into a charcoal fire about a week ago.  Andrew recognized a bracelet on the boy’s wrist as a bracelet from a witch doctor trying to stop convulsions.  Andrew immediately advised the mother to remove the bracelet since it was from a witch doctor and since it obviously did not work. From what we pieced together the boy has epilepsy and began convulsing and burned himself severely in a charcoal fire used for cooking.

I have seen some bad burns, especially the burns we dealt with in treating Kobasinja, yet this was quite different. The hand was fixated in a claw type position and burned to an absolute crisp.  The fingers were rock hard with no flexibility in them, the hand felt like a rock, the whole hand and wrist seemed mummified.   The wrist and forearm were burned and covered in ash, which is a traditional treatment in the village. During my exam of the child he sat tearfully in obvious pain and fear.  All I could offer was Children’s Tylenol to ease some of the obvious pain and prayers.

The whole time I was dealing with his catastrophic injury I was thinking to myself  ”where is God in this situation?”  How could our loving and merciful God let this happen to a 9 year old boy?  On the day that child was burned his life and his future were forever changed.

I knew this child needed to get to Kampala to be receive treatment  beyond what we could do from the back of our van.  I my opinion the hand was dead, there seemed to be no blood flow left and nothing that could be done in the field.  I was praying for a miracle, I have seen God perform miracles with His physical healing powers many times since we have been here.  However, with a heavy heart I knew medically Muwazi’s hand was dead. In the back of my mind I knew the hand would have to be amputated. My heart turned from heavy to bitter and I began wondering why this happened?  Why would my God of love and compassion allow this horrific accident to happen to anyone let alone a child?

As we began to make a plan to get this child the care he needed in Kampala, I was able to answer my own question of “where was God?”  He was right there with us.  I saw God move in a big way!  I saw three people, Megan, Drew and Andrew jump into action to care for this child we had just met. Megan, our current intern, immediately got money out to pay for transport from the village to Jinja.  Our original plan was to take her and the child with us  to Jinja  with us and get them transport to Kampala.  However, she had other children at home she needed to make arrangements for.  Once those arrangements were made she was to travel to Jinja and meet up with us.  Megan paid for her transport to Jinja without a second of hesitation. Andrew, our Ugandan friend, began translating and making all the necessary arrangements to get the mother and child to Jinja. Drew began making plans to stop by the bank to help fund this child getting the necessary care. Everyone’s heart and emotions kicked in and wanted to do whatever was necessary to get this young boy taken care of.

We went back to Jinja with heavy hearts thinking of this poor child and how we would get him taken care of.  The bitterness turned to love as I saw those around Muwazi working to get him the care he needed.

Andrew waited back in Jinja for hours for Muwazi and his mother to arrive from the village so that he could get them onto a taxi to Kampala. He was concerned they would get lost in Jinja since they are from the village and resolved to stay there until they were safely in a taxi. He waited on the side of the road where the taxis drop people off to make sure he was there to greet them. Was Andrew exhausted?…….yes.  Was he willing to go home and rest before this child was taken care of?…no.  I saw a  Ugandan fight for his fellow country man today who he met only hours before.  Andrew was willing to leave school early today to help us in the village and willingly gave up his whole evening to make sure this child was getting to the care he needed.

I watched Drew, a man who was bound for the airport that evening to fly back to the States, willing to do whatever it took to get this child taken care of.  Most of us would have been concerned with packing and getting ready to go back home;  not Drew he was willing to do what it took to make sure Wuwazi got the care he needed.

I saw the compassion in Megan’s heart as she wanted to do everything possible to make sure that not only the child was taken care of but the mother had everything she needed for the stay in the hospital.

In the end we were able to get Muwazi and his mother to Kampala for treatment by providing  for transport and  medicine while in the hospital.  The care for the treatment at the hospital is paid by the government, but medicine has to be purchased.  My heart is breaking today as we just got a call from Kampala that Muwazi’s hand will indeed have to be amputated. A 9 year old boy’s life is forever changed by the events of today. Please pray for him and his family that they will have the strength to overcome this ordeal. I am having a hard time dealing with the events of today. I keep thinking of Karson who is only one year younger and what if he were in this situation. I also think that if he lived in the West he would still have his hand today. I keep thinking no child should have to endure the pain and suffering Muwazi  is dealing with. I know this is a good news, bad news situation.  Had we not come upon him in the village the hand would have become infected and gangrene would have set in, which would likely have killed him. Yet, it is hard to rejoice in the fact a 9 year old boy just lost his hand.

Where was God?  He was right there with us today tapping me on the shoulder and saying “this one needs you, pull over.”  He was right there beside me working through 3 incredible people who would not stop until Muwazi was cared for. God moved today, He made it possible for a young boy to get to the hospital for treatment before infection killed him.

Where is God?…… He is right beside Muwazi as he endures this ordeal.

I saw many good and faithful servants today serving the Lord in their willingness to help a young boy in desperate need.

Matthew 25:21 “Well done good and faithful servant!”