For the most part, my four months in Africa have been pretty healthy. Apart from the first couple of days of sickness when I first arrived and a couple of days of giardia also in the first month, I’ve not had any trouble.
And unfortunately, sickness had to present itself during my sister’s time here. Ugh.
I got sick on Wednesday, but it was a different type of sickness than I’ve ever had. The only symptoms I really had were severe nausea and a general “weak feeling.” But the nausea was to the point of I couldn’t eat. Which is obviously bad.
The first step was ruling out malaria. Which we did. Three times.
Over the course of two days, I visited two clinics and the hospital (which probably sounds extremely over-the-top, but with the crazy diseases that run around here, it's just best to be extremely cautious). It is quite intense to let someone take blood from your arm at a hospital in Gulu, Uganda…definitely brings trusting in God for health and protection to a whole new level!
(For those of you who will worry about the trip to the hospital, I made sure they changed gloves before touching me and I watched them open any needles they used. Plus, the places I went have western-trained doctors and good reputations. Between the two, I was about as safe as possible!)
The first doctor I saw at the hospital was basically a joke. She didn’t really ask any obvious questions and seemed to focus only on “you’re too thin, you must be anorexic,” to which I wanted to say, “I’m here because I’m not eating. The two can’t go together.”
The second doctor was awesome though. I felt fully confident that he knew what he was talking about and he took time to explain the blood test results to me. I am so thankful for him!!
The only thing they ever really determined was that I had a slightly elevated WBC and thus started me on antibiotics (which thankfully were manufactured in the UK).
Sunday I was finally able to eat three small meals and I seem to be getting a little stronger, although I’m still not completely feeling normal.
The hardest thing has probably been that I feel so bad about being sick while Laura is here. She’s been awesome about it though and even went to the village without me on Saturday! She’s also cooked, cleaned, and been a great encourager for me. Plus, with our neighborhood ministry being so fun, she got plenty of time to play with those kiddos too.
Plus, being sick really allowed others to take care of me, which is not something I usually appreciate in any way! Jennifer, at Café Larem, was SO worried about me that she made me take a nap on the couch outside the café. Definitely a little awkward, but it did help! Also, the Foresters let us stay with them a couple nights and were so gracious to feed us, put up with my laying in bed, and offer encouragement and reassurance when I was getting really discouraged. My friend Lowna was also amazing and went with us to the clinic and the hospital. She’s probably the toughest woman I’ve ever met in my life and was a great advocate to have by my side! Finally, the ECM staff have been really kind also. Simon drove us around, Pato went with us to the hospital, and everyone else has just been really encouraging!
Oh, and as of tonight, the neighborhood kids now know the hokey pokey AND the limbo. And the adults still like to stand outside and laugh at us. But, TIA and I’m totally OK with that!! :-)
Also, on a short trip to the market this afternoon, we got to pray over an elderly woman and set up an appointment to share the Gospel with her on Sunday (when we can have a willing translator)!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Not in America
It has been a while since my last post, I hope that everyone is doing well and have really enjoyed hearing from all of you! This will be my first post since arriving in Gulu, and I will be trying to condense many thoughts and stories.
First of all, the power has been out quite a bit lately. We also ran out of water for a while, and this has all combined to create some interesting experiences. Because of the lack of water, I took my first bucket shower. This is when you get a jerry can full of water, dump it into a bucket and then pour cups of water over you to bathe. It was quite cold, but I was really excited about it as it made me feel more Ugandan. : ) Ashley has also been sick while this has been happening. We are not sure what the sickness is, but we’re pretty confident that it’s not malaria, which we think is a good thing. A few people have been overly kind and helpful through this, namely the Forestor family, Jessica at Café Larem and our night guard, Cosmas. I could really go on about them for quite a while but will just say that I’ve been blown away by their kindness, concern and willingness to serve. We also had Simon, Pato and Lona drive around with us for literally hours going to clinics to see if we could pinpoint what is going on with Ash. We’ve narrowed it down to something bacterial, have medicine and are all praying for a quick recovery. They were great with helping us during that process! Also, Ashley is feeling a lot better today, so we are very thankful!
The neighborhood ministry is still so much fun. We are trying to teach a little deaf girl some simple words in American Sign Language, and I think she may be starting to understand at least two words (dog and later, we’re not totally sure why these two). The village is so great. This was only my third day to go out, and I learn new things every time. Today the kids apparently decided I should know their language and would speak to me in long Acholi sentences. My reaction would be to talk back in gibberish and they would just laugh. I also had around 20 kids gather in a circle with gaping mouths to watch a little girl play with my hair. My hair feels very different to them, and they are rather fascinated by it, which is funny to watch. They also played elbow tag for the first time, and they were so intense! They would, at times, actually tackle one another to be safe from the person chasing them, and the kids just laughed through a whole lot of the game, as did I.
Later in the day I had my first experience visiting a family. It was totally different! I sat on the floor of a mud hut, which is smeared with cow dung for a yet-to-be-discovered reason and was served chicken and cassava. Culturally, it is very rude to not finish your entire plate of food; this can be intense as the portions that they serve are most of the time probably around three times an American portion. Also, they eat literally everything off the chicken bone and then oftentimes break it and suck out the bone marrow.. through this process I prayed a lot, thought of my grandpa who always impresses me with how much he eats off of a chicken bone and wondered if they are still filming episodes of fear factor (I did not suck out the bone marrow, maybe next time). I really love that family though, and I was so happy that they invited us over. It is exciting to continually try new things as well, I am so glad to be here!
I have oftentimes experienced here that the evidence of the hope Jesus provides to people can be so obvious in people from all different backgrounds! This is amazing to see, and I am blown away by how cool it is that I can witness these things. Just hanging out with people, in many ways quite different from me, is intense and so much fun. I am excited to see what the future holds and know that God will provide everything we need, He is awesome!
First of all, the power has been out quite a bit lately. We also ran out of water for a while, and this has all combined to create some interesting experiences. Because of the lack of water, I took my first bucket shower. This is when you get a jerry can full of water, dump it into a bucket and then pour cups of water over you to bathe. It was quite cold, but I was really excited about it as it made me feel more Ugandan. : ) Ashley has also been sick while this has been happening. We are not sure what the sickness is, but we’re pretty confident that it’s not malaria, which we think is a good thing. A few people have been overly kind and helpful through this, namely the Forestor family, Jessica at Café Larem and our night guard, Cosmas. I could really go on about them for quite a while but will just say that I’ve been blown away by their kindness, concern and willingness to serve. We also had Simon, Pato and Lona drive around with us for literally hours going to clinics to see if we could pinpoint what is going on with Ash. We’ve narrowed it down to something bacterial, have medicine and are all praying for a quick recovery. They were great with helping us during that process! Also, Ashley is feeling a lot better today, so we are very thankful!
The neighborhood ministry is still so much fun. We are trying to teach a little deaf girl some simple words in American Sign Language, and I think she may be starting to understand at least two words (dog and later, we’re not totally sure why these two). The village is so great. This was only my third day to go out, and I learn new things every time. Today the kids apparently decided I should know their language and would speak to me in long Acholi sentences. My reaction would be to talk back in gibberish and they would just laugh. I also had around 20 kids gather in a circle with gaping mouths to watch a little girl play with my hair. My hair feels very different to them, and they are rather fascinated by it, which is funny to watch. They also played elbow tag for the first time, and they were so intense! They would, at times, actually tackle one another to be safe from the person chasing them, and the kids just laughed through a whole lot of the game, as did I.
Later in the day I had my first experience visiting a family. It was totally different! I sat on the floor of a mud hut, which is smeared with cow dung for a yet-to-be-discovered reason and was served chicken and cassava. Culturally, it is very rude to not finish your entire plate of food; this can be intense as the portions that they serve are most of the time probably around three times an American portion. Also, they eat literally everything off the chicken bone and then oftentimes break it and suck out the bone marrow.. through this process I prayed a lot, thought of my grandpa who always impresses me with how much he eats off of a chicken bone and wondered if they are still filming episodes of fear factor (I did not suck out the bone marrow, maybe next time). I really love that family though, and I was so happy that they invited us over. It is exciting to continually try new things as well, I am so glad to be here!
I have oftentimes experienced here that the evidence of the hope Jesus provides to people can be so obvious in people from all different backgrounds! This is amazing to see, and I am blown away by how cool it is that I can witness these things. Just hanging out with people, in many ways quite different from me, is intense and so much fun. I am excited to see what the future holds and know that God will provide everything we need, He is awesome!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Neighborhood Ministry
Ever since the dog bite incident, things in the neighborhood have been awesome. They weren’t bad before, but things have just taken off. I have gotten to know my neighbors more over the past two weeks than I have over the past four months. Even my relationship with Cosmas, the night guard, has gotten a lot stronger. I am SO excited about the opportunities to minister near my home as well as in the village.
Monday night, Laura and I played outside with all the neighborhood kids. We brought out the soccer ball and cones, but they were far more interested in holding out hands, trying to get us to chase and tickle them, and learning all the crazy dances and songs that we so very much enjoyed teaching them.
When we did the hokey pokey, at least five adults were watching us from their homes. I’m quite certain they think we’re crazy. The kids, however, ate it up.
We introduced the chicken dance as well. That was also a big hit. Until we came to the part where you link arms with someone and turn in a circle. Then all the boys ran away hysterically laughing.
My closest neighbor, Grace, is a really sweet elderly woman and speaks excellent English. We have had great conversations almost every day and on Friday she is taking Laura and me to the market to show us where to buy some scarves. Can’t wait!
Cosmas also invited us over to meet all of his children (already know his wife). That too is another door opened.
I am sooo excited to see God move in this community!
Monday night, Laura and I played outside with all the neighborhood kids. We brought out the soccer ball and cones, but they were far more interested in holding out hands, trying to get us to chase and tickle them, and learning all the crazy dances and songs that we so very much enjoyed teaching them.
When we did the hokey pokey, at least five adults were watching us from their homes. I’m quite certain they think we’re crazy. The kids, however, ate it up.
We introduced the chicken dance as well. That was also a big hit. Until we came to the part where you link arms with someone and turn in a circle. Then all the boys ran away hysterically laughing.
My closest neighbor, Grace, is a really sweet elderly woman and speaks excellent English. We have had great conversations almost every day and on Friday she is taking Laura and me to the market to show us where to buy some scarves. Can’t wait!
Cosmas also invited us over to meet all of his children (already know his wife). That too is another door opened.
I am sooo excited to see God move in this community!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Some Pictures
Acan Irene and Piloya Mercy. Love these girls!
I think this picture of Laura is one of the sweetest pictures ever. I just love it! These are some kids we befriended outside of Cafe Larem. Calvin (I think) and Mercy. Isn't this just adorable??
Monday, May 24, 2010
Some E-mails Home
These are e-mails Laura and I sent to our parents the day we got to Gulu. They both thought you all would enjoy reading them as well, so I am posting it here. Sometimes I don't know what's interesting or useful information, but they informed us that these would be good for the blog. So here they are. (Andrew is the intern we picked up at the airport.) Thanks for the suggestion, Mom and Dad!
***
I think Laura had an "oh wow!" moment when she saw my house. And the the lizards. And the spiders. And heard the bats in the attic that also call this place home. Nevertheless, she's adjusting really well and enjoying everything so far. Today will be her first day in the village and my first day back in a long time. I can't wait!!
The bus ride truly was great. I did my best to educate both Laura and Andrew on all I know about Uganda, its history, culture, etc. and they got to see a lot of the country, which was really nice. It is funny to watch them see things that I don't even notice anymore - like chickens and cows roaming the side of the road, women carrying babies on their backs and fruit or water on their heads, or a bunch of people piled into one vehicle!
Laura is feeling great! It was definitely a really nice thing that we stayed in Kampala a couple extra days. It let her adjust and we had a good time too. I was really glad to see Christine and I know Laura really enjoyed meeting her as well. Plus, I love Sheila that works at MAF so it was really nice to spend time with her as well.
Andrew got in a little after 8 on Thursday night. He had time to eat dinner, sleep a few hours, and then get up early to experience Kampala traffic and a 6 hour bus ride. He did great though! Didn't even seem tired! I think we freaked him out a bit - we greeted him with a sign that said Go Vols! and Gig 'em Aggies! all over it. He goes to Baylor. He's a nice guy though and we enjoyed talking to him.
***
Ash and I had a pretty eventful day and are taking our showers now (she just got out; the shower is soo cold, I have to slowly move myself into it, last night I still lost my breath). I met many of the sponsor kids today when we went to the village. They are very welcoming and clapped for me with this clap to a beat and sang a song for me. It was very sweet and thoughtful.
Then I ate in a hut, that was very different but it was pretty cool inside (temperature wise). The "Mamma" also had spoons for us to eat with which was cool for my first time! Slowly adjusting! Many of the people laugh at me a lot because mostly I just smile and say "ok" when interacting with them. Ash says they still do that for her; I would just laugh with them very confused. The children play hand clapping games though so that is nice. They are different than the ones I know but not too much. I feel like that can connect us some!
We also got the car stuck in the mud/small stream on the way there. I opened my door to put the car in four-wheel drive and the tire was over halfway in water. So today I touched my first natural African water with my hands and feet, but not too much. Many people were helpful though, and we got it out after a while of trying and a broken rope. Tonight we ate with Becky and the 4 Forester girls. They are adorable, they now have two headgehogs as their pets that they caught in their yard. I have to say, the things are stinkin' cute! Conner,you could get one..
***
I think Laura had an "oh wow!" moment when she saw my house. And the the lizards. And the spiders. And heard the bats in the attic that also call this place home. Nevertheless, she's adjusting really well and enjoying everything so far. Today will be her first day in the village and my first day back in a long time. I can't wait!!
The bus ride truly was great. I did my best to educate both Laura and Andrew on all I know about Uganda, its history, culture, etc. and they got to see a lot of the country, which was really nice. It is funny to watch them see things that I don't even notice anymore - like chickens and cows roaming the side of the road, women carrying babies on their backs and fruit or water on their heads, or a bunch of people piled into one vehicle!
Laura is feeling great! It was definitely a really nice thing that we stayed in Kampala a couple extra days. It let her adjust and we had a good time too. I was really glad to see Christine and I know Laura really enjoyed meeting her as well. Plus, I love Sheila that works at MAF so it was really nice to spend time with her as well.
Andrew got in a little after 8 on Thursday night. He had time to eat dinner, sleep a few hours, and then get up early to experience Kampala traffic and a 6 hour bus ride. He did great though! Didn't even seem tired! I think we freaked him out a bit - we greeted him with a sign that said Go Vols! and Gig 'em Aggies! all over it. He goes to Baylor. He's a nice guy though and we enjoyed talking to him.
***
Ash and I had a pretty eventful day and are taking our showers now (she just got out; the shower is soo cold, I have to slowly move myself into it, last night I still lost my breath). I met many of the sponsor kids today when we went to the village. They are very welcoming and clapped for me with this clap to a beat and sang a song for me. It was very sweet and thoughtful.
Then I ate in a hut, that was very different but it was pretty cool inside (temperature wise). The "Mamma" also had spoons for us to eat with which was cool for my first time! Slowly adjusting! Many of the people laugh at me a lot because mostly I just smile and say "ok" when interacting with them. Ash says they still do that for her; I would just laugh with them very confused. The children play hand clapping games though so that is nice. They are different than the ones I know but not too much. I feel like that can connect us some!
We also got the car stuck in the mud/small stream on the way there. I opened my door to put the car in four-wheel drive and the tire was over halfway in water. So today I touched my first natural African water with my hands and feet, but not too much. Many people were helpful though, and we got it out after a while of trying and a broken rope. Tonight we ate with Becky and the 4 Forester girls. They are adorable, they now have two headgehogs as their pets that they caught in their yard. I have to say, the things are stinkin' cute! Conner,you could get one..
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, Mom! We love and miss you so much.
Have an awesome day!
In honor of your birthday we made signs and played with kids.
And had fun making faces for the camera.
If the Internet was faster, we would post more craziness, but this will have to do.
Have an awesome day!
In honor of your birthday we made signs and played with kids.
And had fun making faces for the camera.
If the Internet was faster, we would post more craziness, but this will have to do.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Munu's First Blog Post!
Hello everyone! This is Laura, blogging in Africa for my first time. It has been an exciting and wonderful first few days. I have a few observations/stories:
So first off, my airplane landed next to a dirt road. And goats. And Ugandan families walking along with their goats, children and baskets/bananas piled on top of their head. This was definitely not America. It was amazing though. To my right was Lake Victoria, which is absolutely beautiful. Also, since it had been an overnight flight, I had previously been able to look out the window and see millions of stars. This was a great start to my journey, I was so excited to see how the God of College Station stars is the God of the stars I can see in Uganda as well, and He is just as holy and righteous over here as He is everywhere in America and worldwide.
The next thing to notice is driving. The roads are totally insane and awesomely fun. Today a car came like 6 inches from hitting me, enough for Ashley to actually pull me to the side with very wide eyes. Here, cars have the right-of-way, not pedestrians, and the vehicles certainly don’t mind reminding you of that. And boda-bodas, kind of like mini-motorcycles, are intense. It’s like a high-speed adrenaline junkie game, filled with driving on the wrong side of the road towards oncoming buses, swerving literally inches around potholes that, if hit, would probably throw you a good 25 feet onto a hard dirt/concrete road and almost hitting those small children who don’t get out of the way fast enough. It was soo cool, and I’m excited for my first time to ride side-saddle. The women here do it pretty flawlessly, it should be fun to try!
On a more serious note, many of the people here are wonderful. The poverty level in Kampala, one of the more wealthy areas of Uganda, is almost unbelievable and it’s hard to not become disheartened. God has been so gracious to teach me a few things from this. The first was from 2 Timothy, in which Paul speaks of how “the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely to His Heavenly Kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” I love how in the midst of suffering and pain, Paul knows that the important and everlasting thing is that Christians will one day be united with Christ, and that is such an awesome promise! The second thing I learned was from the people. I had the opportunity to sit down with three Ugandan women, all of which certainly have been in much different situations than myself, who encouraged me by telling me of how they know that Jesus deserves to be glorified and praised, even when their day was very difficult, enough to “make me want to cry”. They have hope through Christ, in situations much more difficult than mine own, and I loved seeing how He carries them through each day with such love.
I would love to hear from all of you and am praying for many of you as you embark on various adventures over the summer. Please email or facebook me and let me know how you are doing and how I can by praying for you more. I love you all!
So first off, my airplane landed next to a dirt road. And goats. And Ugandan families walking along with their goats, children and baskets/bananas piled on top of their head. This was definitely not America. It was amazing though. To my right was Lake Victoria, which is absolutely beautiful. Also, since it had been an overnight flight, I had previously been able to look out the window and see millions of stars. This was a great start to my journey, I was so excited to see how the God of College Station stars is the God of the stars I can see in Uganda as well, and He is just as holy and righteous over here as He is everywhere in America and worldwide.
The next thing to notice is driving. The roads are totally insane and awesomely fun. Today a car came like 6 inches from hitting me, enough for Ashley to actually pull me to the side with very wide eyes. Here, cars have the right-of-way, not pedestrians, and the vehicles certainly don’t mind reminding you of that. And boda-bodas, kind of like mini-motorcycles, are intense. It’s like a high-speed adrenaline junkie game, filled with driving on the wrong side of the road towards oncoming buses, swerving literally inches around potholes that, if hit, would probably throw you a good 25 feet onto a hard dirt/concrete road and almost hitting those small children who don’t get out of the way fast enough. It was soo cool, and I’m excited for my first time to ride side-saddle. The women here do it pretty flawlessly, it should be fun to try!
On a more serious note, many of the people here are wonderful. The poverty level in Kampala, one of the more wealthy areas of Uganda, is almost unbelievable and it’s hard to not become disheartened. God has been so gracious to teach me a few things from this. The first was from 2 Timothy, in which Paul speaks of how “the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely to His Heavenly Kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” I love how in the midst of suffering and pain, Paul knows that the important and everlasting thing is that Christians will one day be united with Christ, and that is such an awesome promise! The second thing I learned was from the people. I had the opportunity to sit down with three Ugandan women, all of which certainly have been in much different situations than myself, who encouraged me by telling me of how they know that Jesus deserves to be glorified and praised, even when their day was very difficult, enough to “make me want to cry”. They have hope through Christ, in situations much more difficult than mine own, and I loved seeing how He carries them through each day with such love.
I would love to hear from all of you and am praying for many of you as you embark on various adventures over the summer. Please email or facebook me and let me know how you are doing and how I can by praying for you more. I love you all!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Still in Kampala
We are currently still in Kampala and are waiting until Friday to return to Gulu.
Laura was feeling pretty sick yesterday, so we decided it would be best to wait an extra day before taking the long, hot, and bumpy bus ride to Gulu. She is mostly better today, although she had waves of nausea throughout the day. All to be expected after long amounts of air travel with very little sleep!
Plus, I was supposed to be picking up an intern for another organization in Gulu. His flight got delayed due to the volcanic ash and he will not be in until Thursday night.
Since we don't go to the village on Friday anyway, it made no difference if we returned to Gulu on Thursday or Friday, thus the decision to wait until Friday.
Our time in Kampala has been great! We are staying at the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) guest house and it is very nice and comfortable - a perfect place to begin adjusting to Uganda. We took a walk this afternoon and had a fabulous view of Lake Victoria. Way cool!
Tomorrow we are going to a Bible study with Sheila, who works at MAF. Then we will head out to Entebbe early enough to walk by Lake Victoria and have dinner before we go to pick up Andrew at the airport.
Oh, and somehow we will figure out a way to get the FOUR suitcases, two backpacks, two purses, plus whatever luggage Andrew has, to the bus on Friday morning. Should be interesting...
And in Laura's defense, almost none of the stuff she brought is for her. It is almost all donated clothes, which is AWESOME!! I can't wait to hand out everything! Once again, people were very generous and we got lots of donations for the kiddos.
View of Lake Victoria - only a 10 minute walk from the MAF house!
P.S. I made Laura an "author" on my blog so she can post some about her experiences here. I figured most of the readers know both of us, plus it might be nice to read experiences from a new set of eyes!
Laura was feeling pretty sick yesterday, so we decided it would be best to wait an extra day before taking the long, hot, and bumpy bus ride to Gulu. She is mostly better today, although she had waves of nausea throughout the day. All to be expected after long amounts of air travel with very little sleep!
Plus, I was supposed to be picking up an intern for another organization in Gulu. His flight got delayed due to the volcanic ash and he will not be in until Thursday night.
Since we don't go to the village on Friday anyway, it made no difference if we returned to Gulu on Thursday or Friday, thus the decision to wait until Friday.
Our time in Kampala has been great! We are staying at the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) guest house and it is very nice and comfortable - a perfect place to begin adjusting to Uganda. We took a walk this afternoon and had a fabulous view of Lake Victoria. Way cool!
Tomorrow we are going to a Bible study with Sheila, who works at MAF. Then we will head out to Entebbe early enough to walk by Lake Victoria and have dinner before we go to pick up Andrew at the airport.
Oh, and somehow we will figure out a way to get the FOUR suitcases, two backpacks, two purses, plus whatever luggage Andrew has, to the bus on Friday morning. Should be interesting...
And in Laura's defense, almost none of the stuff she brought is for her. It is almost all donated clothes, which is AWESOME!! I can't wait to hand out everything! Once again, people were very generous and we got lots of donations for the kiddos.
View of Lake Victoria - only a 10 minute walk from the MAF house!
P.S. I made Laura an "author" on my blog so she can post some about her experiences here. I figured most of the readers know both of us, plus it might be nice to read experiences from a new set of eyes!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Arrived!
Laura arrived this morning after over 30 hours of travelling. She's exhausted and feeling sick, but it's so nice to have her here!
She wanted to try a boda-boda today, so we went into Kampala to eat lunch and pick up a few essential supplies (soft toilet paper) and not-so-essential supplies (Ugandan greeting cards).
Other than that, it's been a restful day and I'm hoping that by tomorrow she'll be feeling normal again.
I'll try to post pictures soon!
She wanted to try a boda-boda today, so we went into Kampala to eat lunch and pick up a few essential supplies (soft toilet paper) and not-so-essential supplies (Ugandan greeting cards).
Other than that, it's been a restful day and I'm hoping that by tomorrow she'll be feeling normal again.
I'll try to post pictures soon!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Is it possible to O.D. on hydrocortisone cream?
If so, I'm in trouble.
Last week, I walked through the deep bush to visit a family (Opiyo Denis from a few posts ago). In the process, I got bitten by what I think were flees. And when I say bitten, I mean that I have at least 150 bites on my legs. I know because I had kids that counted them. Basically, my legs looked like I have a severe case of chicken pox or some other weird African disease.
They didn't itch the first couple of days, but the day before yesterday they started itching like crazy! Now they are almost gone and I am very happy.
***
In other news, I'm in Kampala for a couple days because my sister gets in tomorrow morning! She almost got stuck in Dallas thanks to the volcano, and things look good so far for her to leave London on time as well.
Since I'm already here, I'm also picking up a friend's visitor. We will all three ride the bus back to Gulu on Wednesday morning. Neither have been to Africa before. Should be fun!
Last week, I walked through the deep bush to visit a family (Opiyo Denis from a few posts ago). In the process, I got bitten by what I think were flees. And when I say bitten, I mean that I have at least 150 bites on my legs. I know because I had kids that counted them. Basically, my legs looked like I have a severe case of chicken pox or some other weird African disease.
They didn't itch the first couple of days, but the day before yesterday they started itching like crazy! Now they are almost gone and I am very happy.
***
In other news, I'm in Kampala for a couple days because my sister gets in tomorrow morning! She almost got stuck in Dallas thanks to the volcano, and things look good so far for her to leave London on time as well.
Since I'm already here, I'm also picking up a friend's visitor. We will all three ride the bus back to Gulu on Wednesday morning. Neither have been to Africa before. Should be fun!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Dog Bite Update
Things could not have turned out any better!
Simon, Cosmas, and I went to talk to the family this morning and I agreed to take Janet (who I thought was Bridgette, but that's a different sister) to the clinic to get her hand checked out. Thankfully, the dog HAS gotten a rabies shot. We have a certificate that proves the vaccination. I looked for it last night and just could not find it. However, I needed it for the clinic. So I prayed that I would find it quickly this morning and it was in the first place I looked!
So Janet, her sister Joy, and I were off to the clinic early this morning. Clinic 1 cleaned and bandaged her finger (she really only requires a large bandaid), gave her antibiotics, and referred her to the hospital for a rabies shot "just in case" (all for a little over $3.00). So next we took a trip to the hospital. After waiting a little over two hours, the doctor informed me that it would be ridiculous to give a rabies shot when the dog is vaccinated. While it was a little frustrating that we waited so long, I was just happy that she didn't need any further treatment.
When I took the girls home I expected the grandmother to be upset with me. Instead she invited me in and told me how thankful she was that I took care of her granddaughter and was willing to miss work to take her to the clinic. What could have been a really bad situation turned out to be a relationship-building experience and I've made some new friends!
Thanks for all of your prayers!
Simon, Cosmas, and I went to talk to the family this morning and I agreed to take Janet (who I thought was Bridgette, but that's a different sister) to the clinic to get her hand checked out. Thankfully, the dog HAS gotten a rabies shot. We have a certificate that proves the vaccination. I looked for it last night and just could not find it. However, I needed it for the clinic. So I prayed that I would find it quickly this morning and it was in the first place I looked!
So Janet, her sister Joy, and I were off to the clinic early this morning. Clinic 1 cleaned and bandaged her finger (she really only requires a large bandaid), gave her antibiotics, and referred her to the hospital for a rabies shot "just in case" (all for a little over $3.00). So next we took a trip to the hospital. After waiting a little over two hours, the doctor informed me that it would be ridiculous to give a rabies shot when the dog is vaccinated. While it was a little frustrating that we waited so long, I was just happy that she didn't need any further treatment.
When I took the girls home I expected the grandmother to be upset with me. Instead she invited me in and told me how thankful she was that I took care of her granddaughter and was willing to miss work to take her to the clinic. What could have been a really bad situation turned out to be a relationship-building experience and I've made some new friends!
Thanks for all of your prayers!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Prayer Request
Tonight, my dog got out of the compound and bit a neighborhood kid. It wasn't a super bad bite. It was on her hand and his teeth only broke skin on one finger. But still. He bit a kid.
I knew the dog had gotten out. I was outside the compound with my nightguard, Cosmas, looking at the road to my house, which is now blocked (another story). I even saw Odie jumping around Bridgette and heard her screaming. But this is common because most Ugandans are terrified of dogs. I would have never dreamed he would bite her.
So, we called Odie and went home. Not five minutes later, Cosmas knocks on the door and Bridgette and her sister Joy were standing on the porch. Odie was barking and growling, Bridgette was crying, Joy was yelling that Odie had bitten her sister, and Cosmas was telling me to take the girls inside. I'm pretty sure I stood there open-mouthed staring at the scene for at least a few seconds before bringing the girls in.
Luckily, I had a few medical supplies at the house. I didn't have gloves though, so I handed Joy the supplies and instructed her on how to clean and cover the wound. Then I fed them cookies and chocolate while I sat there trying to figure out what to do. It was pouring down rain and dark, so I obviously wasn't going to the clinic by myself in spite of the girl's persistent asking.
Instead, I called Simon (ECM staff) and asked him what I should do. He assured me that it would be fine to wait until morning to do anything and promised to come over first thing to help me talk to the girls' grandmother. Cosmas talked to her as well and told me it would be fine if I just took her to the clinic in the morning.
However, there is a widely held belief here that it is entirely acceptable to take advantage of Westerners whenever possible. I am praying that this will not happen. And really, I believe that it won't. But still there's a little worry in the back of my mind. So please pray for that!
Simon and I will go talk to the grandmother in the morning and then I will take Bridgette to the clinic. Please also pray that things go well at the clinic - I've taken kids from the village by myself before, but obviously the circumstances are entirely different. Simon could normally go with me, but we have visitors in town who need to be taken to the village early.
Other than that incident, this week has been good.
I've been staying with friends most of this week because I don't like staying in the house by myself. It's been really nice and I'm so thankful for their hospitality!
Laura comes Tuesday morning and I can't wait! It's hard to believe that she'll be here. In Uganda. In just a few days. Crazy!
Thanks for your prayers!!
I knew the dog had gotten out. I was outside the compound with my nightguard, Cosmas, looking at the road to my house, which is now blocked (another story). I even saw Odie jumping around Bridgette and heard her screaming. But this is common because most Ugandans are terrified of dogs. I would have never dreamed he would bite her.
So, we called Odie and went home. Not five minutes later, Cosmas knocks on the door and Bridgette and her sister Joy were standing on the porch. Odie was barking and growling, Bridgette was crying, Joy was yelling that Odie had bitten her sister, and Cosmas was telling me to take the girls inside. I'm pretty sure I stood there open-mouthed staring at the scene for at least a few seconds before bringing the girls in.
Luckily, I had a few medical supplies at the house. I didn't have gloves though, so I handed Joy the supplies and instructed her on how to clean and cover the wound. Then I fed them cookies and chocolate while I sat there trying to figure out what to do. It was pouring down rain and dark, so I obviously wasn't going to the clinic by myself in spite of the girl's persistent asking.
Instead, I called Simon (ECM staff) and asked him what I should do. He assured me that it would be fine to wait until morning to do anything and promised to come over first thing to help me talk to the girls' grandmother. Cosmas talked to her as well and told me it would be fine if I just took her to the clinic in the morning.
However, there is a widely held belief here that it is entirely acceptable to take advantage of Westerners whenever possible. I am praying that this will not happen. And really, I believe that it won't. But still there's a little worry in the back of my mind. So please pray for that!
Simon and I will go talk to the grandmother in the morning and then I will take Bridgette to the clinic. Please also pray that things go well at the clinic - I've taken kids from the village by myself before, but obviously the circumstances are entirely different. Simon could normally go with me, but we have visitors in town who need to be taken to the village early.
Other than that incident, this week has been good.
I've been staying with friends most of this week because I don't like staying in the house by myself. It's been really nice and I'm so thankful for their hospitality!
Laura comes Tuesday morning and I can't wait! It's hard to believe that she'll be here. In Uganda. In just a few days. Crazy!
Thanks for your prayers!!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Opiyo Denis
When I saw my Dad in Botswana, he brought tons of stuff for kids. Most of it was general donations of clothes, shoes, books, stickers, etc., but some of it was for specific kids.
Opiyo Denis' sponsors sent him a couple outfits, a ball, stickers with Jesus on them (don't know where they came from, but it was pretty entertaining), and lots of other goodies. We went and delivered his package yesterday and it was so much fun.
Opiyo is extremely shy and I've only seen him smile a couple of times in the months I've known him. Until yesterday. He was beyond excited. He just couldn't stop smiling!
He lives with his mom, who has five children. They are definitely among the most poor in the village, but the mom has such joy. She was extremely welcoming and kind. It was a lot of fun to visit their family.
Here's Opiyo modeling some of his new clothes and ball:
I haven't delivered the other gifts yet, but I can't wait to see the reactions! Also, my Mom and Grandma spent hours gathering all kinds of stuff for the kids here - they even have more to send with Laura when she comes on Tuesday.
Opiyo Denis' sponsors sent him a couple outfits, a ball, stickers with Jesus on them (don't know where they came from, but it was pretty entertaining), and lots of other goodies. We went and delivered his package yesterday and it was so much fun.
Opiyo is extremely shy and I've only seen him smile a couple of times in the months I've known him. Until yesterday. He was beyond excited. He just couldn't stop smiling!
He lives with his mom, who has five children. They are definitely among the most poor in the village, but the mom has such joy. She was extremely welcoming and kind. It was a lot of fun to visit their family.
Here's Opiyo modeling some of his new clothes and ball:
I haven't delivered the other gifts yet, but I can't wait to see the reactions! Also, my Mom and Grandma spent hours gathering all kinds of stuff for the kids here - they even have more to send with Laura when she comes on Tuesday.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Gaborone
I got back Saturday after almost a week in Gaborone (pronounced ha-bore-own-ee), Botswana with my Dad.
He was there for business, so I flew down and stayed with him in the fancy hotel while he worked then we got to spend the last two days together.
Botswana does NOT feel like the Africa I've come to know and love. There is a lot of wealth, consistent power, you can drink the water, and there are no shouts of "mzungu" - it was so strange to be anonymous! I was definitely in for quite a bit of culture shock, but I had a great time. Of course, it was awesome to get to see my Dad!
I saw TWO movies in theaters - Ironman 2 and Date Night. Ironman 2 was out before it was released in the States and it was totally awesome. Date Night had a couple of funny parts, but I wasn't a fan. I ate popcorn during the first movie; they didn't add butter or salt, but it still tasted SO good.
Everyone on the trip had brought family with them, so when Dad was working, I hung out with two of the wives and one of the sons (who randomly went to Tennessee his first two years of college). It was great to meet them and we got to do a lot of shopping and "American things."
I was freezing most of the time there. I am so used to the heat now that anything below 75 feels cold and the air conditioning is really cold! We went on a "nocturnal safari" one night. It was totally lame, as all of the animals were imported from other areas of Africa and we really didn't see much. Plus, I was once again freezing. The cool part was that we got to see billions of stars. This trip was my first time in the Southern Hemisphere and it was really neat seeing the different constellations.
And I ate steak every day. It was pretty awesome!
Here are some pictures from the week:
By the hotel pool.
At a fancy dinner the last night. We had steak, mashed potatoes, and grilled veggies. SO delicious!
Before our safari. They had a restaurant there that was really cool.
He was there for business, so I flew down and stayed with him in the fancy hotel while he worked then we got to spend the last two days together.
Botswana does NOT feel like the Africa I've come to know and love. There is a lot of wealth, consistent power, you can drink the water, and there are no shouts of "mzungu" - it was so strange to be anonymous! I was definitely in for quite a bit of culture shock, but I had a great time. Of course, it was awesome to get to see my Dad!
I saw TWO movies in theaters - Ironman 2 and Date Night. Ironman 2 was out before it was released in the States and it was totally awesome. Date Night had a couple of funny parts, but I wasn't a fan. I ate popcorn during the first movie; they didn't add butter or salt, but it still tasted SO good.
Everyone on the trip had brought family with them, so when Dad was working, I hung out with two of the wives and one of the sons (who randomly went to Tennessee his first two years of college). It was great to meet them and we got to do a lot of shopping and "American things."
I was freezing most of the time there. I am so used to the heat now that anything below 75 feels cold and the air conditioning is really cold! We went on a "nocturnal safari" one night. It was totally lame, as all of the animals were imported from other areas of Africa and we really didn't see much. Plus, I was once again freezing. The cool part was that we got to see billions of stars. This trip was my first time in the Southern Hemisphere and it was really neat seeing the different constellations.
And I ate steak every day. It was pretty awesome!
Here are some pictures from the week:
By the hotel pool.
At a fancy dinner the last night. We had steak, mashed potatoes, and grilled veggies. SO delicious!
Before our safari. They had a restaurant there that was really cool.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms from Gulu, Uganda! Especially to my mom, I miss you and love you very much. You are awesome.
I didn't have a picture of just my mom, so here's our whole family a couple days before I left.
I didn't have a picture of just my mom, so here's our whole family a couple days before I left.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Traveling
If you didn't guess already, I'm currently with my Dad in Botswana. I scheduled posts in advance since I've been terrible at blogging.
As I'm writing this (which is at least four days before you'll be reading this), I'm at an awesome hotel just outside of Kampala and very near the airport. They have an awesome missionary discount, so I'm staying in the nicest hotel I've seen in Uganda for a really cheap price! And they provide free shuttle service for my 5 AM flight. Score!
As I'm writing this (which is at least four days before you'll be reading this), I'm at an awesome hotel just outside of Kampala and very near the airport. They have an awesome missionary discount, so I'm staying in the nicest hotel I've seen in Uganda for a really cheap price! And they provide free shuttle service for my 5 AM flight. Score!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Piloya Mercy
I might have already posted this picture, but Piloya Mercy just has such a great smile!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Baby!
I don't know this baby's name, but he sure is cute. And he was lovin his rice and beans!
P.S. My luck of never having been peed on by a naked baby has ended. It's happened twice in the past two weeks. I survived, but barely... :-) (just kidding about the barely surviving part!)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
More Kids
These are some of the unschooled kids that come eat lunch with us every day. The day I took this picture was an exam day at the school, so I took a couple hours and played with these babies. We had fun...
I can't remember why they're all holding their hands up, but I like this picture anyway!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Ashley Metidi
Despite the fact that most people in Ugandan cannot pronounce my name, there is now at least one Ugandan that shares my first name. Little Ajolo wasn't given a second name when she was born and so last week her parents decided that Ashley would fit her well. She's two years old, but already responds to her new name. The people in the village usually say "Ashley Metidi," meaning "Little Ashley" so we don't get confused. Fun!
Here she is with one of her big sisters, Aloyo, and her grandmother, Evelyn.
Here she is with one of her big sisters, Aloyo, and her grandmother, Evelyn.
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