Tuesday

It is Wednesday at 7:30 am. We had no electricity yesterday so I was unable to post Tuesdays events. I will take the opportunity to do that now.

Recho, Allen and I began with a stop in the village where I am staying to pick up a handicapped child and his grandmother.  We took them to a hospital that deals directly with the disabled so he could get his first examination since birth (he is now 3 years old).  We were told he has cerebral palsy and will need 2 pieces of equipment in his home for daily physical therapy.  His grandmama could never afford something like this, so I will cover the cost. It will be approx $100 US only, and will possibly change the rest of his life.  It will be a long process. But his muscles with eventually work much better than they do now and he may someday be able to walk on his own with arm crutches.

After, we drove to Kyampisi Childcare Ministries who promotes and supports child empowerment.  We specifically went to visit Hope, a child that was first placed with ECM and then transferred to this ministry.  Hope is 9 years old  and was kidnapped by witch doctors at 18 months. They kept her lying at an alter with her arms and legs tied behind her for 2 years. They sacrificed some body parts and collected her blood and gave her only enough food and water to keep her alive. She was found lying in a field, still tied.  They have named her Hope because it is obvious that she is still alive because God decided to keep her here.  She is an absolute ray of sunshine to witness.  She loves people and spends most of her time smiling. Hope is only one example of thousands. There are 2 other small boys at this facility with stories too explicit to share here.  The problem of child kidnapping and slavery is rampant here and while there are good people trying to rid the country of this evil, it is a slow and frustrating process.  I watched the children in my village playing last night, and as I held them in my arms and rocked them, I feared for their futures.  Not these ones dear Lord, please surround them with a hedge of protection of your angels today and always.

After visiting Hope, we stopped at Mulago Hospital (Uganda's largest national hospital).  We went to visit a mother and her 9 month old child. The child was born handicapped.  He can not cry or stretch out his limbs. He has the appearance of a 1 month old baby. The hospital hasn't been able to offer this mother any solutions but she continues to sit there day and night with her child.  In Uganda, some mothers are blamed by their families for producing a handicapped child, and this was the case for her.    At least at the hospital she was able to get a small meal each day.  I felt so helpless as it was clear to me that this baby was in such bad shape and his beautiful young mama could only sit and watch him deteriorate.

When we arrived back at our village, I showered and rested. Around 5:00, I went outside of our locked gate and sat in a chair to read my Bible.  Almost immediately, a very young child came towards me carrying an infant baby like a rag doll and handed her to me.  And then the child ran off!  I held the baby for awhile waiting for someone (the mother?) to come for her, but no one came.  The baby was coughing and her nose was running green.  Finally the little child came back with a hat and blanket, and I said, "Take the baby to her mama. She is sick."  She she took her and I watched her hand her to a woman in the distance.  The woman, clearly not satisfied with my response, walked to me with her baby and said in very broken English, "She is sick.  I need medicine."  I know that there is a clinic very nearby, so I gave her money for an antibiotic and cough medicine.  I can only pray she will spend the money on the medicine.  People here are always coming to you to share their particular stories of struggle.  You really have to use so much discernment in deciding who and how you can help.  I tend to focus on the children and I try to use my resources to provide for them.

After the mama left, my 4 little friends showed up to play for the evening.  They have been the highlight of my stay.  To one little girl, Kate, I have grown very attached.  She crawls into my lap and stares into my eyes and rubs my skin.  She loves me so much and I love her even more.  She is about 3 years old and I have not yet been able to locate a mama that belongs to her.  She just runs around in the evening, maybe in the care of a neighbor?  The first evening that I had to send her home, she burst into the saddest tears I have ever seen.  I look forward to seeing her when I return from my work today.

I will be doing family visits for the Kamwokya project.  One visit will include a hospital to visit one of their sponsored children who was hit by a car on Wed 1/29/14. I believe that he remains in a coma with a brain injury. He was walking where he was supposed to, when a speeding taxi swerved and hit him. They said his mama witnessed it and passed out. I can not begin to imagine her grief.

"Rejoice in our confident hope.  Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying."   -Romans 12:12