Link to my Update video

Update from Feb 2012 - May 2013
 Please note that the date shown at the start of the video is WRONG......it should be May 2013! Enjoy watching :)

Miracles and Struggles.

 

 

 I`m so glad that there is more to Easter than eating chocolate eggs (although I do quite fancy eating one right now!) If there wasn`t, I think I would have given up long ago.....

 

Here is a lovely photo of Allen`s family which I took last year in August when I visited their home.
Allen has been staying with us full time this year as we were concerned about her lack of weight gain and her general state of health. Even after she came to live with us, she continued to have daily ‘explosions’, a very swollen stomach, regular fevers and other symptoms. We took her to see a Doctor in Kampala and she was diagnosed with TB which she was then given medicine for.

Since then, she has gained 4kg and is blossoming! She can now drink independently and is learning to feed herself with a spoon. When I look at her chubby thighs I praise God for the amazing miracle he has done and is continuing to do in her life J

 

However, things are not so positive for her baby brother Vianna (above) who was born last March. He spent his first month and a half in the intensive care unit at the local hospital. Ever since then he has struggled with a bad cough and a couple of weeks ago when his Mum came along with him to the Community Outreach, she told us that he had been having ‘seizures’ since December. He is also a little delayed and has only just started to sit independently. Initially I tried to get the family to take responsibility for their child but this was clearly not going to happen so eventually I got involved and we ‘enabled’ Mama Allen to go first to Kiwoko hospital and then for a CT scan and consultations in Kampala. After 2 appointments with a paediatrician and much money spent, we still don`t know what is wrong but it seems like little Vianna is possibly having some kind of Asthma attack which then results in fits. Please pray for God`s protection around this precious boy (who  lives far from running water and electricity,) and that we would be able to get the correct diagnosis and treatment soon. According to his Mum, she can tell a day before he is going to have a fit so she has promised to bring him straight to us the next time it is going to happen! We will also visit them soon with an assortment of high calorie foods and multi vitamins to try and boost Vianna`s immune system and bulk him out a bit......let us all pray that at least some of it goes in his tummy and doesn`t all get divided between all the other brothers and sisters.

On a lighter and much needed note, I have enjoyed a lovely week away from Kampala staying at the Brown`s house. It has been a mixture of seeing friends, checking out some other Special Needs Ministries, chatting with the many IY students who stay here, chilling out with Kathryn Brown (we even treated ourselves to a massage!), reading, studying my Luganda (I`ve managed about an hour!), watching movies, skyping, facebooking and catching up with this blog!

 

Happy Easter everyone! This evening I am all alone in a big house as the Brown`s have gone camping and all the IY students have gone back to Kasana for the long weekend. Perhaps I will take time to remember what Jesus did for me and for everyone of us. Because of Him, there is HOPE for Vianna, for Allen, for me, for all of us!

Where There Is No Doctor, should we use fire?!?!?!



Uncle Norman feeding Carol in her tummy tube.


Life recently has been the usual crazy mixture of caring for the children who stay with us on site (Hassan, Carol, Allen, Kakulu...and the big man Kakande,) visiting or taking children to various hospitals, holding our community outreach meetings, attending many meetings (not my favourite job!), shopping for supplies in Kampala, attending burials, covering staff who are attending burials, teaching class, having David family over for movies, having language lessons etc.etc.



Brian was admitted in Kiwoko hospital for 3 weeks after surgery on a reoccurring pressure sore but is now back at Kasana staying in our clinic as it continues to heal.



Annet & Jonnie visiting Ivan who was admitted for over a month with his legs in traction after he broke his thigh bone. 



A Squash and a squeeze at our Community Outreach

Meet some of the ‘new recruits’ who have begun attending our community outreach sessions:

Selawooza Faruk

 

Nakiridde Shanita

 

Semata Simon

 

Something new which I have come across recently as we have been interviewing and assessing new children is that several tribes who live locally genuinely believe and continue to practise the use of ‘burning’ in order to cure certain medical problems or conditions.

In January, a Grandmother brought her twins to us. Both had been born prematurely and one was continuing to be slightly delayed. As well as begging us to take the twins as she couldn`t cope with them anymore, she also informed us that the way she got her grandchild to finally sit was by repeatedly burning her back!

 In March a Father brought his son to us and told the story of how his son had suffered from fevers and head swelling as a baby. Their solution was to take him to a local lady who then burned his head to stop the swelling!

Another Mum has also recently told us how they use this practise of burning at home; her son recently had a boil on his leg which was ‘cured’ by burning. And she was also treated with a hot poker when her breast got infected and full of pus!

As you can imagine, I am a little concerned when I hear such stories and try to persuade the parents not to burn their children again but to take them to the local hospital when they suffer from such ailments. However, I am also aware that for many of them who live deep out in the bush and who often don`t have the money to hop on a boda (motorbike taxi) to get to the hospital, they have to try what is available to them in the bush!

Mbabazi Peace

 

 Sadly, this month we also lost one of our newest community children. When she came to our community outreach suffering from a severe skin condition that made it appear like she had been burnt all over her body, we immediately sent her back to the local hospital to get medical help. She was HIV positive but sadly her Mother had not taken her to the clinic so she was not on any medication. She had also been referred to specialist Doctors in Kampala but sadly her Mother had not had the money to take her. She was only 3 years old and had already experienced so much suffering! Having such a disability wherever you live is difficult but here in Uganda when you live out in the bush and your Mother has no money?!?!? Why God? Why? And perhaps that is why God decided it was time to take her to be with him? On her way home from the hospital, she died. When Christine and I attended the burial the following day, my head was swirling with questions; why did the hospital not even admit her? Why did God bring her to us (her chance to get help) and then allow her to die the very same day? I can`t answer these questions but I know that my Father in heaven can, and that for now I must be content in knowing that Peace, Dissan, Lydia, Nalubega and all the other children I have known and lost, are with him in a much better place where there is no pain or suffering..........

I will do another update shortly whilst I have some internet signal and tell you about another little chap in need of your prayers who has significant medical problems but lives in the back and beyond WHERE THERE IS NO DOCTOR!

Into the new house and the first quarter or 2013.

 

 

 

 

The first quarter of the year has already passed and I can`t believe I haven`t done a blog update yet. Much has been going on including moving into the new house which many of you helped to pay for; THANK YOU SO MUCH! It is a real blessing not just for me and Christine who live in it at the moment, but also to all our frequent visitors........The Special Needs Class come for cookery sessions every fortnight, David family come for Movies/Games nights and then of course there are all the lovely little peeps who wander in regularly to play playdough, watch a cartoon or just to drink 'chai' and have a cuddle with Auntie Tate.

Sorry it has taken me so long to upload some photos but the internet has been somewhat useless recently at Kasana and my camera has got problems too. So apologies for the poor quality pics but here they are anyway.

 

The Living Room

The Mistress of the House.....BUBBLY THE BLACK LAB

A busy & messy living area!

 

 



 According to my compound worker Musinze, our bathroom is 'Heaven' and he has been telling all the villagers that I have glass all over the walls (I guess he must mean the tiling in the shower area!

My bedroom is lovely and breezy with 3 windows and lovely purple curtains that Liz made while she was here.

Christine`s Room

The Kitchen with it`s concrete worktops. It is awaiting some cupboard doors and shelves but is so lovely and spacious!

My most frequent visitor, often referred to as Auntie Tate`s body guard is Jonnie. Here he is with dear Dorcas who comes to play every Saturday.

The Store Room which is currently home to a small rat which I hope and pray the boys will catch soon!

Our Spare Room ready for visitors (and for our new Special Needs Helper to stay in from September.)

Bubbly being given a bath by Judah, Jonnie, Dorcas and Kiwewa.
 

I promise to do another blog post shortly with some more pics and news of what I`ve been up to........but it won`t be long until I am back in the UK (I arrive May 20th.)
May the weather warm up before then!

Christmas is coming

School here came to a close at the end of November but Special Needs Staff have been BUSY BUSY BUSY with Christmas preparations, our community party, trips to rehabilitation centres and hospitals as well as visiting some of our children in their homes.

Allen with her new keyboard. 

Matovu with his new leg calipers.

The Community party was a great success and the children and their carers/parents enjoyed a time of praise/worship and giving testimonies of how God had been at work in their lives. Uncle George (one of our staff here and an elder in our church) came to speak to and encourage the parents in caring for their children.

We then all enjoyed a great feast of matooke (savoury bananas), beef, ground nut sauce, rice etc. and sodas.

Enjoying the party food!

Allen downing the sodas.

Ready to serve the food!

Our precious Carol (and Auntie Kate) arrived just in time for this great meal having been discharged from Kiwoko hospital following Carol`s surgery to place a gastrostomy (feeding tube.) We are so thankful for all your prayers and for God`s faithfulness. Carol was fit for surgery and Dr Peter, Dr Steve from the UK and his fiancé (an anaesthetist) were able to place the tube using an endoscope so they didn`t even have to cut her (apart from making a tiny hole!) She obviously found it a bit sore at first but was ready to come home the next day and make an appearance at the party! 

Sharon welcoming Carol back from hospital.

The feast was followed by the presentation of gift bags for every child which were handed out by Kakande who took on the Father Christmas role. Unfortunately we didn`t have a Santa suit to dress on him but that wouldn`t really have been understood here anyhow. The gifts bags and their fillings were donated mainly by the small team that came from Harvest church last month to whom we are all very grateful!

In the days that followed the party Christine, Kakande and I went delivering gifts to the children who were not able to come......we were rewarded with some very happy smiles!

Hopefully I will get into town once more before Christmas to update this again but if not then I wish you all a very very happy Christmas and a wonderful 2013 :)
Will leave you with a pic of some of Hope Family and Special Needs enjoying time in the pool.....hope you like Jonnie`s green pants!

Visitors and amazing progress on the house

Hi everyone,
It has been a while since I last wrote but I am in Entebbe for the day after dropping friends at the airport so I am once again making the most of the amazingly fast internet and trying not to be too jealous of the peeps who live in places where they don`t have to struggle for hours with rubbish signals!
Last month (November) I had the Barrett`s (John and Liz) who I stay with in England to visit. Half way through the month 3 other guys from Harvest church joined them: Art, Ben and John number 2.

They all worked amazingly hard along with members of the New Hope Construction team. Dear Liz was slaving away at the sewing machine for hours making curtains for my new bedroom and sofa covers. The lads were constructing my kitchen which included concrete worktops. They also managed to tile the bathroom which, according to my compound worker James now looks like "heaven".

They also had time to spend with the children and staff, experiencing new foods and cultural experiences!
They enjoyed an evening with David family who fed them posho and beans (supplemented with a chocolate cake made by a very grateful Auntie Kate!)

Life also continued with my class and dear children at home including Mary, Jonnie and not so lickle Thomas Dendy (pictured below). They have been having a whale of a time in the paddling pool which Becca brought out when she returned to Kiwoko for a two week visit.....we can`t wait until she comes back next September for a year :)

School finished last Tuesday and we had a lovely party with the parents who gave testimonies of how their children had progressed since joining the class; this was a great encouragement to all of us staff!

We will be partying again this week on Wednesday with all our community children and families. Thanks to the team from Harvest church we have some lovely christmas gift bags to hand out to each of the children....there are going to be some smiley faces to photograph!

Please keep Carol (right) in your prayers this week as she is hopefully going to have surgery this week as there is a surgeon and an anaesthetist here from the UK. She needs a gastrostomy (feeding tube) fitted.

And please also pray for precious Mary (left) who I have been fostering part time......it looks like she may now not come to me full time as her Uncle may now be able to have her back sooner than expected. Please pray that she knows that she is loved and protected wherever she goes and that those involved in making decisions about her future will have wisdom and discernment.

I will leave you with a few pics of how the house is now looking and a classic shot of our dear Kakande.

Hopefully I`ll get a chance (and signal) to write again before Christmas but in the mean time I hope you all enjoy the fun and preparations.......