Life has been in full swing the last few weeks here. Two weeks ago we went to Kampala for five days in order to get our work visas and drivers licenses, bathroom renovation supplies, some home items and restock food. We were able to spend a day at the pool and relax and decompress together and that was wonderful. Since then we have been busy, back in the flow of life here in Bundibugyo.
Ike finished the concrete stoves for Christ School last week and they look awesome (below)! He is learning and be challenged by the slower pace of accomplishing tasks here. He works efficiently (which I am so grateful for) but here completing tasks takes more time, getting materials (the right ones) is hard, working without too many interuptions is hard, working in the heat for many hours is hard, you get the idea.
This past week Ike started work on our bathroom. Our house is the last in the mission without tile (not that tile is an absolute necessity but it does cover up crumbling concrete quite nicely) and we plan to tile the bathroom and shower floor and walls. Part of his role here is to make improvements to our house so it will provide well for others in the future as well as for us right now. Also in the next few weeks he will get to fix the metal gates at Christ School that are rusted and not working properly.
I am continuing to go to the hospital twice a week and the nutrition clinic each Tuesday morning. Recently we recruited our language teacher, to be my interpreter at the hospital so that both Alisha and I can be seeing patients at the same time, each with our own interpreter. Our teacher is wonderful and jumps right in to help with weights or measurements or holding a baby or whatever is needed!
This week I also got the privilege of shadowing Dr. Marc Carrigan, our teammate who rounds on the pediatric and maternity units during the week. Today alone Marc and his interpreter Thomas: visited a 1 year old with a colostomy at his home, assessed premature twins (weighing 1.7 kg and 0.8 kg) born a few hours before we arrived, taught breastmilk expression to the mom of twins, taught me how to place a temporary nasogastric tube for feeding on the 0.8 kg baby, saw 2 more premature babies, lanced an abcess on the cheek of a 7 year old, and saw 5+ other children of lesser acute needs! That was all in a matter of <5 hours.
Marc works hard to care for patients and yet often there is minimal follow through from nursing staff and just an overall lack of qualified staff in the hospital here. Often simple problems are left untreated or lack of follow through of orders prolongs the child’s hospitalization. Even when appropriate care is provided, corruption prevails and families fail to do the right thing. This week, there was a 9 year old girl in the Peds unit with severe burns on her face from having a seizure and falling into a fire. Marc recommended the family take her to a specialist 8 hours away that could do a skin graft and that he would help provide the funds to get them there. Unfortunately, his interpreter overheard the parents saying they were going to take the money and leave... with no intention of taking the child to the specialist. After more discussion and encouragement, the family left and we’re praying they do the right thing for their daughter.
During our language lesson we often get the privilege of asking our teacher about cultural and social norms here. This week we got on the topic of money and how the gospel is slowly changing this place - historically here husband and wife operate financially independent of each other, keeping their money separate and never communicating how much they are each making or spending. This is even more the case when a man has many wives because he may give more money to one than the other or be keeping for her himself, so on. BUT, our teacher encouraged us that the gospel is slowly changing this habit here. Slowly husband and wife are communicating about how much money they are making, maybe even sharing their income with each other. He said that people are learning that they should become one in marriage, with one wife, and they should care for each other including in finances. This was really encouraging for us to hear.
Pray for staff to be present at the hospital- pray for nurses who are attentive and able to do more than just giving meds- pray for doctors to show up and for more clinical officers- pray for justice for children who badly need it- pray for husbands and wives to operate as one, in monogomy and with honesty- pray for the gospel to continue to change hearts here- and for patience and love for us as we work alongside the people here.
Ike finished the concrete stoves for Christ School last week and they look awesome (below)! He is learning and be challenged by the slower pace of accomplishing tasks here. He works efficiently (which I am so grateful for) but here completing tasks takes more time, getting materials (the right ones) is hard, working without too many interuptions is hard, working in the heat for many hours is hard, you get the idea.
This past week Ike started work on our bathroom. Our house is the last in the mission without tile (not that tile is an absolute necessity but it does cover up crumbling concrete quite nicely) and we plan to tile the bathroom and shower floor and walls. Part of his role here is to make improvements to our house so it will provide well for others in the future as well as for us right now. Also in the next few weeks he will get to fix the metal gates at Christ School that are rusted and not working properly.
Ike’s next project: the gate at Christ School
Ike welded the framing for the stoves
Part 2: bricks
Part 3: concrete
I am continuing to go to the hospital twice a week and the nutrition clinic each Tuesday morning. Recently we recruited our language teacher, to be my interpreter at the hospital so that both Alisha and I can be seeing patients at the same time, each with our own interpreter. Our teacher is wonderful and jumps right in to help with weights or measurements or holding a baby or whatever is needed!
This week I also got the privilege of shadowing Dr. Marc Carrigan, our teammate who rounds on the pediatric and maternity units during the week. Today alone Marc and his interpreter Thomas: visited a 1 year old with a colostomy at his home, assessed premature twins (weighing 1.7 kg and 0.8 kg) born a few hours before we arrived, taught breastmilk expression to the mom of twins, taught me how to place a temporary nasogastric tube for feeding on the 0.8 kg baby, saw 2 more premature babies, lanced an abcess on the cheek of a 7 year old, and saw 5+ other children of lesser acute needs! That was all in a matter of <5 hours.
Dr. Marc using an ultrasound machine on the patient’s cheek abscess.
The outpatient nutrition clinic.
One of our outpatients being cared for by her grandmother.
This little guy is just cute.
During our language lesson we often get the privilege of asking our teacher about cultural and social norms here. This week we got on the topic of money and how the gospel is slowly changing this place - historically here husband and wife operate financially independent of each other, keeping their money separate and never communicating how much they are each making or spending. This is even more the case when a man has many wives because he may give more money to one than the other or be keeping for her himself, so on. BUT, our teacher encouraged us that the gospel is slowly changing this habit here. Slowly husband and wife are communicating about how much money they are making, maybe even sharing their income with each other. He said that people are learning that they should become one in marriage, with one wife, and they should care for each other including in finances. This was really encouraging for us to hear.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12
Pray for staff to be present at the hospital- pray for nurses who are attentive and able to do more than just giving meds- pray for doctors to show up and for more clinical officers- pray for justice for children who badly need it- pray for husbands and wives to operate as one, in monogomy and with honesty- pray for the gospel to continue to change hearts here- and for patience and love for us as we work alongside the people here.
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