Doctor, doctor
It’s really been an amazing time here, it’s my favorite place so far especially the ministry. But of course with all ministry sites comes heart break. Recently, my heart has been breaking due to all the sickness going around, the children and women here, our team/squad, the other missionaries here, and for the people at the clinic we’ve been helping.
I have a really hard time seeing sick kids, my heart aches for them, and I know God’s heart aches for them too.
I’m not sure the best way to write how I’m feeling or what the Lord has put on my heart, so I’m just going to tell a few stories.
Our first day at the clinic, Kim, Matthew, and I walked three miles to the nearest clinic to which the organization here helps run. We get there and Kim becomes a pharmacist (reading and dispensing medication), Matthew becomes a nurse (weighing and taking notes on the pain they are feeling) and I become the record keeper, translating the nonexistent doctors handwriting into a book to keep record of who they saw and what the diagnosis was.
Malaria, respitory track infections, and fungal infections were the most common diagnosis’. Throughout the day from 10-2 we saw 95 patients, all diagnosed, seen, and dispensed medicine to. 95! That’s crazy! We were surprisingly happy with how much help we were to them there. So we went back a week later, Fridays are the busiest days.
As we are walking, God presents Matthew with an opportunity to witness to a gentleman walking to the clinic with his sister and her baby (he did fantastic!) the man stated he was unable to find peace since the war had affected him and his community. There was no sense of peace in him and he just wanted to be free. Matthew simply told him where he finds peace-the peace that passes all understanding and the peace we cannot even fathom. The man did not walk away stating he was saved but he did bring his little boy to see us at the clinic-I’ll come back to that.
When we arrived there, the clinic was out of medication so they were turning everyone away, pointing them t the nearest clinic which was two more miles away. The woman was actually on her way to Gulu walking there which was about six more miles. Her baby was 1 and looked like she was 3-4 months old, her eyes were sickly and she looked as if she could pass on at any moment. The woman was not able to tell me what was wrong, but she just said that she was very sick. She was walking to get to the nearest hospital to get her baby treatment. We prayed for her and she began to walk some more after a brief rest.
Her brother comes up after walking to get his son and brings him to us asking if we can cure his sons feet. His feet were rotting off the heals, Cracked heals that have gotten dirty and infected on a little boy named Edmond. We asked the people there if they had any cream, and they came out with Neomycin cream for his feet. The man handed me the tube and said to give it to the man. The man did not know what to do with it.
So using Matthews water, I washed his feet the best I could, rubbed the cream on it, and wrapped my shirt around his feet to keep the moisture in-there were no other supplies. Matthew and I told him to wash his feet several times per day with good soap and then place the cream on them and wrap his feet again. We prayed for his feet and off he wwent, again a test of faith when Matt and I play doctor for a poor innocent boy with rotting painful feet. Pretty sure I would remember if I went to medical school. I do believe that God will use the cream to heal his feet and use this situation to speak to that man. God was definitely speaking to us.
Thank God that this clinic is there number 1 or else people would have to travel ridiculously far to get help. I can’t imagine walking that far with malaria when some people can’t even get out of bed. And 2 praise God they have medicine readily available and treat so many people that they run out of medicine. Who knows how many people and children they save a year.
Next a woman with a twisted foot (born that way) was dropped off by a boda and then was told we had no medicine, so she would also have to walk to the nearest clinic two miles away.
On campus here, there is a bug going around- like any school or day care when one gets it, it spreads. However, the children live together here and so it’s hard to keep them all from getting sick. So we have about 15 kids with fevers running around, kids with explosive diarreah pooping an inch away from us. All we can do is love them and put cool cloths on their heads and rock them to sleep.
Sickness is very prevelant on the world race however, we have been especially susceptible this month-most of us have been off for a few days or more here and there and we’ve had two separate trips to Kampala the capitol for medical treatment. One squad member is still there and will remain there until the end of the month (LOVE YOU LOGAN) Our contact Dee, has stated they struggle with spiritual warfare, not surprising becasue they are truly making an impact on the lives of these women, it’s amazing. So we are continuing to pray against attacks and any darkenss, remember always that God is working here and He is much more powerful.
I love you all very much! And in case anyone started singing the song, I do have a bad case of loving you all! <3
Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, and to proclaim freedom for the captives.”
“Me” in this scripture means YOU! God Bless!
