Our Day in Kampala

We returned from Kawete last night. It was a long ride as travellers were returning to the capital, Kampala, and traffic was very heavy.  To help pass time we actually sang songs.  It was almost like summer camp.  The three and one half days visiting Kawete and the time I spent with the children and their parents was a most amazing and wonderful time.    I saw over 100 patients from age 4 months to 65 years of age.  Hopefully they all feel better today!  Thanks to the contributions from CCLS in St. Louis and Concordia Lutheran Church we helped a lot more people this year.  We also delivered care to women for the frst time with the extra efforts of Kathy Alber-OB/GYN Nurse Practicioner!!!  We will leave many supplies behind to continue the support.  We are also contributing to a more permanent borehole well structure by helping to replace iron pipes with PVC pipes.  This will help to maintain a clean water supply for the community which is essential for good health! As Ugandans say, "Water is life".  The children of Kawete are beautiful and a joy to be with.  Even in their tremendous need they smile broadly, laugh joyfully, play freely and appreciate deeply all we do for them.  Although they have a poverty of material wealth, I feel they are closer to Paradise than I am.  Keep them in your prayers for as Jesus said "for such as these does the Kingdom of Heaven belong."

Today we travelled to a orphanage west of the capital that is supported by With God's Little Ones.  It was interesting to see more of the city and a new area of Uganda.  The children were in school.  The leader of the project, Derrick, had a 3 year old daughter Daniela who bonded with me quickly.  She was so adorable.  We visited a compound Derrick is also building to help train and teach volunteers to do service work in the area.  His work is hard but he is tireless and will do great things for the people of Uganda.  While waiting for the bus after the visit we bought a bunch of sweet bananas.  They are tiny and were so good!  I ate 3 of them.  We also went to a market area and saw and purchased some things.  My purchases are surprises so I won't report what they are!  Wealso visted a modern grocery area and bought some tea and coffee.  We then went out to dinner and now here I am.

I finished alphebetizing the chart notes from my work and will total the illnesses for the Ugandan Health Ministry report and then my work will be done for this time.  God willing I will return.

Kawete and all God's children

Today has been another amazing day!  We started at the Kawete Market.  It was a sight to see!  There is clothing, home supplies (plates, cups, knives, pots, pans and utensils), radios, flashlights and all sorts of food, meats and live animals.  Everything is out in the open.  The cattle are cut up and hung to be sold.  Chickens are for sale.  We bought some tea and had a snack of a tasty flour tortilla.  It was fun.  Here are the pictures I took:

Here's the Beef!

Sugar Cane for the true sweet tooth!



Chiapati-a tastefal treat!

Shirts, Shorts and all styles!

A dress maker in the Kawete

After our visit to the market, we went back to school and the medical clinic.  Today was the busiest day ever at the clinic!  We saw around 38 to 40 patients of all ages.  The youngest was 5 months and the oldest was 65 years.  We saw more bronchitis, allergies and asthma patients.  We saw many patients with scalp fungus.  We saw some more malaria patients and we used all the Malaria drug we brought with us.  I was very happy with how successful we were in seeing so many patients this year.  Last year we saw about 60.  This year we saw at least 120 if not more!  Hopefully our service to the people of Kawete will continue to bless them after we leave.  I hope I will be able to continue to support them as well!  Thank you to all who contibuted to the health needs of the children and families of Kawete.  They were all very thankful for you and shared blessings to you with me!

Back to Kawete again!

First I want to thank my wife, Katie, for making my trip to Kawete possible.  Without her encouragement, care of our home and our children, I would never have attempted this visit.  So, again, thanks to her!!

Examing one of the children

Today started with lots of rain!  It rained most of the day.  When we arrived we were again welcomed by the children.  They were barefoot and in the mud!  I began my clinic quickly and worked til 6:15pm or so.  Nurse Kathy and I saw 25 children and 4 adults with a variety of ailments.  Nurse Kathy also addressed 40 women of the community and health needs specific to them.  I think she has become a great addition to medical part of the mission.  The children had some common ailments like Strep Throat and growing pains.  They also were suffering from malaria, parasitic diarrhea, worm infestation as well as sinus infections, ear infections and bronchitis.  I hope we will have improved the health of the children by the time we are finished tomorrow afternoon!  I will leave behind lots of medicines as well as vitamins to keep them in good shape!

October 12

Today we travelled to Jinja, our new home on the Nile River. We are staying at the Sunrise Hotel. Outside my balcony I can see the Nile River. It is night and there are fishermen in boats with lanterns. After arriving at the hotel we unpacked and I made a quick visit to Kawete. I went with Pastor Bameka, Pastor Rudy and Nurse Practicioner Kate. We were warmly greeted by the children as it was the end of the school day. It was so exciting to see them again. I saw some of the children I did last November. After shaking many hands and saying hello we were entertained by the girls Choir and Dance team. It was so wonderful. The children are great singers and dancers. It was a joy to experience. I feel so fortunate to be able to be here. We returned to Jinja and watched the sunset as we drove back. It was setting over green hills and was beautiful. We had dinner, shared stories and ideas, and are looking forward to a full day at Kawete tomorrow.

October 13

Today was a most wonderful day here in Kawete.  We left for Kawete at 9AM.  The drive was uneventful until we made our last turn onto the road to Kawete.  Before we had driven 100 feet there came toward us a couple hundred children, waving branches with leaves and cheering us to their home and school.  They were singing and jumping.  They surrounded us in our truck and van.  It was awesome and broughy great joy to my heart and an even bigger smile!  After greeting many children and some of the new teachers, I began setting up the Medical Clinic.  I was helped by Kathy Albers, an OB/GYN Nurse Practicioner and Niolet Nanono.  I did nothing of great value today without their assistance.  We were also helped by a Nursing Student from the Kawete area named Stella.  She helped to get the chief complaint and vitals for each child as well as their past medicaL history.  We then saw 27 children and 1 mother by the end of the day.  We saw a lot of allergies again.  Bronchitis and asthma concerns, too.  One boy who I saw last year who had a seizure while I was there (November2010) came to see me at the end of the day and I was able to give him a medicine to prevent further seizures.  I hope it is successful!  I was able to see many more patients this first day thanks to my great help! Thanks be to Kathy Albers, Violet Nanono and Stella!  I am adding some photos today of the clinic activity as well as one of a group of children and a pcture of the Nile River from balcony!   

School Children of Kawete

Kathy Albers examing our first patient

Th

Sunrise at the Nile River

On my way back to Uganda

I am waiting in Amsterdam for my next flight.  Next stop Kampala, Uganda!  I am so looking forward to seeing the children of Kawete again!  Thanks to everyone's generosity and the support of my family I hope to restore the health of many of the children!  I will be sure to update as often as I can and include some photographs of the work we will be doing.  Pray for us and the people of Kawete!

We have arrived in Kampala, Uganda

After 28 hours in airplanes and airports we have finally arrived.  We were greeted by our hosts Violet and Pastor Charles.  It was great to see them again.  The city was quiet as we drove in from the airport at Entebbe.  Tomorrow will be different I am sure.  We will be moving on to Jinja which will be our base from which we will make our daily trip to Kawete!  Jinja is right on the Nile River!  Well it is late. Good night.