Blog Update – May 11, 2007

Container
I am supposed to be going tomorrow morning to pick up our container from America. I will compose this with the presupposition that I will actually get it and only change this writing if something goes wrong. It has only been in Kampala since Monday, so it has moved along very quickly. I had very good help from a Ugandan man (different than the one who “helped” me last time) and he was able to navigate the system very well. I am not paying nearly as much money to get it through customs and getting it much more quickly. We are all very anxious to see the contents since we were not involved in packing this one. I am very thankful for how smoothly, though not without a lot of bureaucracy, that this has gone.

Also, this week Pamela received three cards/letters and Christian got a package from Andrew Smith in Niceville. It was so good to hear from the Rhodes, Sheltons, and Bartees back in Florida. We miss our friends there so very much and it always encouraging knowing that we are not forgotten. Christian was especially excited to receive real American candy that included sweet tarts and twizzlers. We had been battling homesickness a bit this week and the mail helped alleviate some of it.

Cobra
Our next-door neighbor, Selena, killed a 6-ft cobra last week right outside of our compound. She saw a cow kicking at something and then realized it was a snake. She took a machete and killed it. I have included two pictures on the Flickr post to the right. I believe that it is a forest cobra based on my book, Snakes of East Africa. They get very large, but apparently are not very aggressive unless molested, though very deadly if they do bite. It was the biggest snake that we have seen here.

Chameleon Pix
Speaking of reptiles, I have included a picture of a chameleon. We find chameleons often here, which still continues to fascinate the boys. Christian found one this week and we took a picture so that you see the type that is most common here. It is perched on Christian’s finger to give you a perspective on the size. They change colors quiet easily and quickly and are fun to play with.

Facing the Giants
We showed the movie “Facing the Giants” to the students two weekends ago and had a fabulous response. I will devote an entire blog to tell you everything about it. If you have not seen the movie, then you should. It has some really strong messages on faith and obedience. We desire to start showing movies on a regular basis if we can find enough good Christian movies to show. I only know of a few.

Joel
Several of you received an email two weeks ago about our worker’s brother, Joel, who was very sick. We don’t know how his illness started, but it appears that his lymph nodes got infected from another infection, probably his eye. Joel had been sick for a week when his family took him to the hospital. His eyes, neck, head, and hands were swollen and getting worse. He stayed in a local hospital for five days and when no progress was made, the doctors told him that they could not help him and that he should go to the witch doctors. When I found out about this, I offered to take him to a good international hospital, but he had already been taken to his village, which is over 8 hours away. Four days later, after his condition worsened, they brought him back to Kampala and we checked him into the international hospital. When he arrived, he was in terrible condition. Both eyes were swollen shut, and his right eye was the size of a tennis ball or slightly larger. His lymph nodes in his neck were so swollen that he could not bend his neck. His head was heavily swollen, and his arms and hands were swollen. He had not eaten for over a week. He could barely move. I was fearful that he was near death, though his vital signs were not horribly bad. They started him on intravenous antibiotics and he began to improve within 48 hours. It makes me wonder what the other hospital did! After 12 days in the hospital on antibiotics, he made remarkable improvement. One eye is normal, and the other is still swollen but nothing like it was two weeks ago. He is eating, walking, talking and feeling well. All other symptoms are gone and he was discharged. The one eye still requires treatment, but is much better than it was. God has spared his life, and we are praying that he will also spare his eyesight in his right eye. Thank you for your prayers. It was a very serious situation, but God has healed Joel and made him well.

While dealing with this situation and being exposed to others, we are seeing how much medical missions is needed. People die here everyday from things that should not result in death. Many of them have no place to go for care. It is a great way to show the love of Jesus, save lives, and create an open door for sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus.

Dr. Pam
Well, I should probably call her nurse Pamela instead of Doctor, but she has been taking care of the village women. Two of our neighbors suffered severe cuts and Pamela has been helping nursing them back to good health. Selena badly cut her thumb, and an older lady sliced off the end of her toe while hoeing in the garden. The older lady is called JaJa Rose. JaJa means grandmother. Most wounds are not given proper medical attention and can become quite serious if infection sets in. JaJa Rose was still hoeing in the garden the same day (barefooted), and Selena was digging in the garden while her thumb was still oozing blood. So, Pamela has been cleaning the wounds with peroxide, treating with antibiotic ointment, and daily changing the dressing. They are getting much better and healing well. JaJa is not a believer and also does not speak English. Pamela has been trying to witness to her through her loving actions and also through Selena interpreting. Please pray that she will accept the gift of salvation offered in Jesus Christ. She knows about Jesus but is resistant because of her family background. We don’t know her age but she is quite old for this culture, and probably does not have many years remaining.

Sickness
Pamela and I have both been sick for a couple of weeks. I caught a bad cold that turned into some type of respiratory infection. Pamela had the same cold, but hers did not progress as badly as mine. I started with the cold 17 days ago, but I still am not totally well, though the infection is gone after taking augmentin. Pamela is still suffering some cold symptoms as well. She also is having stomach ulcers. Her ulcers act up from time to time when she is very stressed. She tried to tell me yesterday that she was not stressed and did not understand why she would have them right now. Yeah, right. You just sold pretty much everything you owned, left everyone and everything that you know and moved to a new culture in Africa where you are teaching and training and working daily. Not much stress there. Please pray that God will heal her ulcers and continue to protect our entire family from disease, especially malaria, which we are grateful to have escaped from thus far.

Lost Wallet
On my way home from discipleship group last Friday evening, I stopped at the store to buy some milk. I bought the milk, and I remember getting my change and putting it into my wallet and then proceeding to the car. I went immediately from the store to home and came into the house. The next morning I was looking for my wallet and could not find it. I searched the house for 2-3 hours. I had no idea how it could be lost. I went back to the store to ask them if I possibly left it there, but I was fairly certain that I had not. I really felt that there were only two possibilities; either I dropped it while getting in the car or had my pocket picked between the store and the car. Well, I still do not know what happened, but most likely I dropped it. I was very pleased today to get a call from my bank stating that someone had mailed in my ATM card, drivers license, and social security card along with several receipts. They had taken the money (about $40) and kept the wallet, but sent all of my other items to my bank, which I am assuming was based on the ATM card. I can only guess that a fairly honest person found the wallet, and kept it and the money but returned the items that I really needed. I am thankful that God was watching over me and protecting me. It was my American drivers license and along with the other items could have been used for attempted identity theft.

What I want to be when I grow up
I heard a young Ugandan man sharing a testimony the other day at church that was heart warming. He was helping to teach a group of young African children around the ages of 3 years to 5 years old. They were asking the children what they wanted to be when they grew up. One little girl, around 3 years, raised her hand and responded that she wanted to be a muzungu when she grows up. (Muzungu is the Ugandan name for a white person). When the young Ugandan man asked her why she wanted to be a muzungu, she answered that she wants to help people. It is fortunate that whites have a reputation for being here to help and not oppress or exploit. I hope that they still feel that way after Benny Hinn comes to town next week.

WWJD
As their mother was preparing pancakes for breakfast, two brothers began to argue about who should get the first batch. Upon hearing the argument, their mother reminded them about Jesus and said that if He was involved that He would insist that his brother take the first batch. Upon hearing this, the older brother turned to the younger brother and said, “Mom’s right. You be Jesus this time.”

Please Write
We miss you all very, very much. We haven’t gotten any updates for a long while on Niceville Little League baseball. We want to know about the playoffs and who made All Stars. We would also like to know what is going on with NHS baseball. So, if you have time, please give us an update. It probably seems like a short time on your end, but it seems much longer on this end when we haven’t heard from you. And if any of my SAIC friends are reading this, I will try to shame you into writing. Seriously, we love to hear what is going on in your lives and want to stay connected through email.


Blessings for the Tribe,
Kevin