Feeling Overwhelmed

It’s been a while since the thought of baking something yummy just didn’t do the trick. I am overwhelmed! It is amazing to look back at the changes in who I am over the last few years of living in Africa. I can take lots of things that would have crushed me before. But this morning for some reason, I might have a few ideas, I just need to sit on the couch and “blog it out”.

It probably started when I woke up. Not the 5am wake up where I told myself I must go back to sleep but it was the shock when I looked at the clock and it was 9am! Isaac said, “The plumber is coming this morning!” We have been living with bad plumbing for two months now and with the lack of water in the pipes it is all exasperated. The plumber has arrived and Isaac is working with him and our landlord, via phone, to sort out the situation. It looks like it could take more than a few days to fix!

Isaac quickly walked up the hill and bought some milk for our tea (yes I’ve turned into a milk tea drinker, blame it on my husband’s British Uganda upbringing). I think that this is where things just went bad! On our walk yesterday we saw someone with local milk in a plastic bag. We thought we’d try it out. Mind you we have gotten local milk from the main town near our house multiple times from different locations and enjoy it. Isaac brought in the bag, it was a half-liter. He said that we should see if we like it before we buy a whole liter at once. I, as usual, cut the bag and poured it into the pot to boil. An ant! There was an ant left behind in the bag once the milk was in the pot. I can do an ant…the milk will boil and there won’t be a problem. Well… I watched as the milk boiled, you have to watch milk boil or it will overflow the pan like none other. As the milk boiled different small insects began coming to the surface. I can deal with small bugs, I told myself. Then it was there…a huge house fly! I quickly grabbed my spoon again, the one I’d used to remove all the other pieces and hairs that had been finding along the way. But there was another one, another house fly. Isaac quickly stepped in. He took the tea strainer, we have a large one, and he strained all the milk. I didn’t look at the amount of items. The milk was put back on the stove and boiled again. Tea will be served soon.

Meanwhile, a man from the village has volunteered to bring us water! Yeah! But he is very shady. It is only 9:30am and he is already drunk! No not a hangover…he is drunk. He happily goes off with the two jerry cans for his first load. I prepare the buckets for him to unload. Once he is back it is a race for me as he empties the jerry cans into buckets I quickly empty the buckets into the toilet tanks, shower basin, dish washing basins, and my mixing bowls here and there trying my best to keep his staring and smell to a limited time. He and I am happy to have him go for the third trip down the hill away from the house to the spring.

Of course while this hustle and bustle is going on a man from the village is here requesting payment for a job he did 3 days ago. Isaac is being pulled in three directions now.

My normal course of action during such times is to bake something tasty. I got out the recipe book and turned to one of my favorite coffee cake recipes. I looked around for a mixing bowl…right they are filled with water, useful water that can’t be placed somewhere else. I just gave up, left the kitchen and went to the couch. Perhaps a nap would be good…

Jesus Film in Kiwanyi

In a village that has just received electricity some business savvy men have put up a local cinema. The movies shown are violent and filled with perversion. For someone who has never seen a film before just watching a movie is a huge draw. Isaac’s desire is to use that draw for a different outcome.

While in the states we purchased uplifting films and our desire is to show them in village, free of charge, out in the open.

There is a challenge though. These films need to be translated. Here in this showing Isaac sat and translated what was said the whole movie through.

Challenge 2 would be sound. Without adequate speakers the words of the film aren’t heard.

Challenge 3 we really need a projector and screen! We were able to show the Jesus Film (for children) to a group of only 10 people because of the lack of screen size.

If you’d like to donate to the cause of buying speakers, a projector or screen please visit http://overcomersint.com/page9/help.html and mention what you would like to help with :)

Village Doctor

Being the only doctor in a village setting the patients come without notice. I can't blame them because the need is so much!
Even in my busy schedule I remember what I swore in the Hippocratic Oath stating that the health of my patient would be a priority.

Waiswa had severe prolonged fever, cough, and shortness of breath. His mother brought him to me after they had gone to the health center for treatment but still with deteriorating health. He had been given medicine for malaria but upon a check up I realized he had pneumonia. I prescribed medicine and a few days later he was a happy little boy.

Wound care is so important in a community that is prone to infection.
Teaching the children how to care for their own wounds is an important start to changing a community.

It's amazing to see Yusuf getting better each time we visit him. In April I found him with severe heart failure, a heart murmur that could be heard from a distance, and high blood pressure, shortness of breath, and pitting edema of the lower limbs (swollen legs). I diagnosed him and bought him medicine.

Upon a recent check up I found that his heart murmur and edema were gone. We bought more medicine to continue to stabilize his blood pressure.

The women of the town were talking about a baby who was born blind. A few hours later the mother and baby were brought to me for consultation. Again without an appointment. The woman traveled for an hour on the back of a motorcycle taxi, baby in arms, once she heard that their was a doctor in the area. She wanted to know if there was anything that could be done.  After a quick review I noticed the boy was born with no eye balls, an extra finger, a congenital hernia, and many other issues.

The need is so great! I wish I could help every patient.

Lasting Impact

Look what a primary school teacher just sent us.

Isaac and I were so thrilled to share what God is doing in our lives in East Africa while we were in the states. I guess the children at one school still remember us!

They Bought a Goat

Overcomers International (www.overcomersint.com) is now the proud owner of a GOAT!!!

This is Joel and he will be caring for the goat. As payment he will keep the first kid born to the goat but the mama goat will remain Overcomers International's for Joel to continue caring for or for us to find it a new home. 

The goal of keeping the mother goat is to ensure that she's not eaten before she bears kids and to create good farming skills within the caretaker. 

Very Exciting!!!

You can join by going to http://overcomersint.com/page9/help.html and tell them you want a goat...or a chicken, or a cow...whatever (just not a hippo)

Scary White Lady

Living in Burundi where the children think that white people will eat them gave me a greater distance from children. It was a reality that I have come to grips with. Here in Uganda it isn’t as extreme but there still is the child that screams and runs away in total terror because they have seen me. There are also the children that look at their hand after they shake mine to see if the “white” has come off on them.

 But for some reason Wisawa isn’t afraid of me. Perhaps because we put him in the motocar. His favorite word! I’m glad my nephew chooses to come to me for comfort…it’s nice.