I have to unload all of this information out of my brain - all that God is showing me and teaching me is almost impossible to comprehend. Seems as if He has speeded up my training sessions, preparing me for something - but what that is, I am not quite sure of yet. So here goes with my experiences (haven't even covered half of them) over the past 2 weeks:
Monday, April 11, 2011
· Met with contractor to go over supplies/cost to finish classroom – had him check the rocks and sand that had been delivered to us previously, and he said we got a bad deal, the rocks were ‘dirty’ (a lot of dirt mixed in with the rocks so now we have to sift the dirt out) and the sand was not special sand. Ha! I am getting ripped off a lot (being a woman)– but learning.
· Leonard (our newly hired purchasing agent who has already proven himself worthy) is going to 4 different places to check on prices of construction materials
· There is no place around to buy a sewing machine for the tailoring class to begin making uniforms for the children. Maybe check in Kenya?? Nothing is easy around here.
· Met with high school students who still lacked mosquito nets and all received one– told them if they sell them, we will expel them from school and turn them in to the police – I am sad that it is necessary to make this announcement.
· Went with Celestine to check on one of our High School students, Pauline, she lives with her brother, also in our school. Mother died; father abandoned them, they live alone in a small dirt hut, dirt floors, wet, smells bad, damp air – she is weak, hasn’t eaten, diarrhea, chest pain and cough – we walk her slowly back to school and check her, give antibiotics, fluids, something for pain and something to eat. Then she will have to return home.
· The security guard at our mission house told me his 1-year old baby is sick with bloody diarrhea, fever, vomiting – they have no money for the doctor; plus he cannot leave work to take the baby or to take the money to the mother so she can take the baby to the doctor –
· Moses told me that he had applied to receive Christmas shoeboxes from Samaritan’s Purse, but the ‘representative’ asked him to pay 50,000 shillings (about $22) for every 50 boxes that he delivered, plus a delivery fee of about $17; plus 2 teachers had to attend a Distribution Training and pay 10,000 shillings each (about $4) – the man is probably not from Samaritan’s purse (we’re checking on this, if he is not, then I am going to report him to somebody)
· Pastor from one of the churches where we held medical clinic recently came to see me – there are 2 children we saw during that clinic who had serious illnesses, one is now in the hospital; I’ll go check on her tomorrow. I think she probably has a chronic parasitic illness which has damaged her liver irreversibly.
· Edith wants to know what I am planning to do about the 7 children who recently lost their guardians – where can they live and who will care for them? No concrete plan yet.
· Arafat is still seriously ill – the doctors don’t want to discharge him, but he is not receiving any nursing care – only what Pam is providing. So we did not bring him back today from Kampala, which means we must send another van back to pick him and Pam up and bring them back to Busia, probably tomorrow – this will be $200. There is still no guarantee that he won’t need another surgery to repair more intestinal tears – not sure if this is from the original accident or from the doctor doing a bad job in surgery.
· One of our nursery school children, 4 years old, was in our school clinic today with a very high temperature, vomiting, and with a positive malaria test. We could not find his guardian (his grandmother – she goes to Kenya to try and find work) – so we have to wait til she returns before we treat him, because of giving quinine, we have to make sure he has not been taking any other malaria medications – so he just stays in clinic, sick – maybe we will find her soon.
· One of our bush pastors came to find me – while he was in church Sunday, his house was broken into, and many things were stolen: his phone, clothes, radio, what little money he had, and even a bag of corn. I won’t be able to give him money to replace all of this – the church should help some, I am going to talk to Pastor Moses
· Planning session with Pastor Moses – this is exciting! We want to take the High school students from the Scripture Union club for ministry – to the bush, maybe to Lake Victoria, maybe to Kenya. Depends on money, since we have to pay transport, which is expensive, and then food if we stay overnight. But this is what we need to be doing – training up these youth to reach their country for Christ.
· Blessing for the day: I had given the Scripture Union club a challenge for prayer recently – I wanted them to pray about a missionary and/or pastor calling. I told them I could not call them to be missionaries or pastors, but they could pray and see what God called them to be and to do. We are looking for 12 young men and women who feel the passion to go out into the world – specifically the countries of Africa- and reach the lost. Today I heard from 2 young ladies, Elizabeth and Rose - who have been praying, one said she fasted – and they both say they have been called to serve as missionaries. Praise God because He is calling workers into the harvest fields. One young man has already shared his calling with us, and now we continue praying for others.
This was just today – over the past 2 weeks, the days have been just as full dealing with so many many things that my head is crammed full. The only way I make it through without feeling completely overwhelmed is through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here are some more encounters:
· Need textbooks for many of the grades, but not enough money and not enough space to store the books if we have them. Children can’t take them home, as they have not much home… (no storage, it is damp, mud floors, etc.)
· Grades 6 and 7 are boarding at school so they can study more and prepare for high school entrance exams; they have classes each night from 7-10 – teachers take turns staying for these extra classes. Church is helping to buy food for them at night; some still need mattresses and mosquito nets, yesterday they were out of food, someone from church brought bananas.
· 9:45 a.m. Wednesday March 30- Went with Edith to visit home of Rogers, 8th grade student; he has 3 brothers and sisters, and their grandfather, who was their guardian, died about 2 weeks ago, leaving them alone. An aunt came to stay with them, but has 4 children of her own, and is planning to go back to her home in a few more days – what to do with these 4 kids who now have no guardian? They have a pretty nice home, block with 4 rooms that belonged to the grandfather but now belongs to Rogers as the oldest child. Talked to the aunt about moving to Busia with her 4 chldren and taking care of her nieces and nephews – she is also a widow, and I think she might agree – planning to return and visit again. We would need to help with food each month. How much more can we commit to?
· March 31, Thursday afternoon 4:50 p.m. A tremendous feeling of the physical presence of the Holy Spirit – I talked to the high school students – there’s about 100 of them, and they have formed “Scripture Union” which is kind of a Bible/Christian club, they do ministry, learn skits/dramas, worship, etc. I explained to them the vision God has given me about 12 students being called and trained and sent out as missionaries. Told them it was not a job but a calling; they would not get rich; could not go to America; and may face danger. I don’t know who God will call and who will respond, but I know God has a plan for these kids
· April 1, Friday morning: Received call even before leaving for work at the school – it was headmaster, said that a child belonging to one of our primary teachers had died. He’s not sure of the cause, or details; I arrive at school and they tell me that the father (our teacher) needs help with burial, they can call him and tell him to come to school for the money – but he lives “far.” I tell them I will go and see him myself – but it’s more complicated than I thought. They arrange for me to go on a motorcycle – a car won’t make it down the little bush trails; but then need a 2nd motorcycle because there’s only one student who knows where the teacher lives, so 4 of us set off on 2 motorcycles, going I don’t know where. It is about 25 minutes on the motorcycle, down tiny cow trails, very muddy, and slippery, after almost tipping over twice, I get off the motorbike and walk the remaining way. This is the one moment in time, and one incident I will remember forever. The baby is named Ben, and he died 24 hours ago. He was 4 weeks old. They have him lying on a mat on the dirt floor in a hut, he is wrapped in clean baby blanket, with a tiny cap on his head. He looks very peaceful and is beautiful, but on touching his forehead, he is very cold and still. No life. His grandmother sits nearby, quiet and greets me in her language. The mother kneels by the child, and is only able to say “Ben, Ben, Ben,” as she rocks in grief. There is nothing I can say. I hug her and she squeezes me tightly, as if she doesn’t want to let go, but then I leave to allow her to grieve in private.
On talking to the father, George, he said the baby became ill 3 days ago, and they took him to the hospital – they were told the baby was very sick, and “too sick” for them to help, but they gave him some pills. (I can’t imagine why they would give a 4-week old baby pills, but that is what I was told.) Ben did not improve, so they took him back to the hospital the following day, but he was sent home again. The next day (Thursday) he was worse, the mother started back to the hospital, but Ben died in her arms.
There was nothing I could say – should I protest the poor care the baby received, that would do no good, only make the parents feel bad that maybe they could have done more. Should I have reminded them that they could have asked my advice and help for the child, maybe they did not know I was in Busia. Should they have taken him to another hospital? Here in Uganda, it usually doesn’t matter, most of the care is the same no matter where you go – except sometimes people with money get faster care, better care, more medicines, and sometimes (as sad and unfair as it seems – a white face opens doors faster) - the possibility to put the child in the hospital. But none of those things matter now, because they have lost another child. In walking around their little compound where their hut is located, I see a small marked grave – Patrick – who died the same year he was born.
Where is God in all of this? He is here, and when I ask Him why – I don’t have a good answer. I know God though, that His ways are perfect and good, and that I trust Him no matter what happens. The parents are Christians, and I can assure them that they will see Ben again in heaven. I told them he was in heaven with Jesus, and with Richard.
· Today is Saturday, April 2, and a very exciting day because we have the first class of a new 2-year pastor training, that we have on DVDs from a local Bible college in Georgia; they provided free DVDs and materials to us, and what a blessing, so I am hearing the sound of the teaching, as about 30 pastors soak up this knowledge. We have to limit the pastors but hope to start more classes, and have native pastors trained to teach – need more facilitators and teachers… God, are you sending them?
· Monday, April 4 – I am mad, mad, mad. Yet I realize what I have just encountered is every day life for people in Uganda. I wanted to buy 1000 mosquito nets, and in searching for the best price, I found a good price, and agreed on the kind I wanted to buy, then when I checked on the nets as they were being delivered, I found some which were labeled “Not For Sale” meaning that some of the nets had been donated by other countries to be distributed free of charge. I was told these came from the “black market” – I just as quickly told the man to return them to the black market. It is frustrating and depressing and sad and it makes me want to do something, but I’m not sure what that is. I am learning more every day though about life in Uganda, and asking God to show me what it is I am supposed to be doing. I am encountering so many new things, that I know are not “new” things here in Uganda. But I feel I am being called to take a stand. Help me Lord to know exactly how to do that.
· I keep hearing the words “facilitation fee” – which is really just a nice word for bribery. Paying a fee to make things go smoother, quicker, get your paperwork to the top of the pile, get an official to handle your business first and without delay (and delays can mean several months just to get a signature). Lord, give me wisdom to know what to do. Sometimes there are legal fees, and I want to pay what is legally and rightfully due, but please don’t let me become a part of the system that seems so pervasive here, and almost expected.
As I have continued to pray to God, He continues to call me to this place – I will be here.
Dr. Brenda
