Home...

So it has definitely been a while since I posted last, as I am now back home in Canada! The last time I posted we were getting ready for the team from Peace Portal to arrive in Mpigi. Once they arrived things got very busy, time and opportunity to get on the computer decreased dramatically, and by the time I was able to get on the computer it had been badly infected with viruses so I was unable to post! The team was in Uganda for two weeks, and then we all headed to Kenya for a couple of days for a safari debrief, and travelled home from there.

I'm going to try to do some more posts about the events of the past two weeks, but that will have to wait until the jet lag clears a bit and the rest of my pictures are recovered from my memory card (I am now wishing that I used film for my pictures...less opportunity for technical difficulties!) Oh well...not much I can do about it now! I do have a couple of pictures for you, though...the one above is me, Carling, and Lavonne at the Uganda equator, and below is a picture of Jamie reading with the kids as they waited their turn to see the doctor!

It's been a while!

Hello from Uganda! It's been a while since I have had a chance to post anything...it's been a busy week for sure! I spent Tuesday and Wednesday of last week in Kampala showing a group of UBC students around, and I also had a chance to meet with the head of the school of nursing at Makerere University. Then, on Friday, I went to Kampala with Jeff, Shannon and kids to relax, see the source of the Nile River (and a crocodile), and to watch Brent bungee jump!! The picture above is me and Brent on the boat that took us to see the source of the Nile. (the source of the Nile is where Lake Victoria meets the Nile River, which is actually much less impressive than it sounds! But you can't go to Jinja without going to see it!) In Jinja, we also visited Amani Baby Cottage, which is an orphanage for babies and toddlers. I almost took this little guy home with me...so cute!!

Now I am back in Mpigi, getting the medical clinic ready to go. Yesterday I went into Kampala and bought over a million shillings worth of medications and medical supplies, and today I have been trying to get it all organized...it has been a lot of work, but I'm making progress!

I am definitely getting used to the bugs and other creatures here, but these bugs are taking some time to get used to!! (especially since they look more like a crab than a bug!!) They frequently hang out by the medical centre, which is where I sleep, and this morning one joined me in the shower! Good times...the geckos no longer bother me...one is running around the ceiling above my head as I type, and I am still sitting here, so I am definitely making progress:)

So that's a little bit about what I have been up to this past week! I really appreciate your prayers and your emails/comments on facebook...even if I don't get a chance to respond, I love hearing from you! The team from Peace Portal arrives on Saturday, so you can be praying for them as they prepare and travel over here. Take care, and I will be in touch!

Hello from Kampala!

Hello from Kampala! I'm here showing a group of students from UBC around, and tomorrow morning I am going to meet with the head of the school of nursing at Makerere University here in Kampala. This post will be short, because I only have about 12 more minutes on this computer!

Yesterday was an eventful day...I went with Michael to visit the district director of health services in Mpigi, and by the end of the day the deputy director and the health inspector had come to the 10 acres to see the clinic building. This is a key step in having our clinic registered with the district, and getting Ministry of Health support for our activities. I also met with Andrew, one of the doctors who we will be working with for the clinic days in a couple of weeks, and we got a lot of planning done. Now I just need to order the supplies and drugs that we will need.

Yesterday evening, we had a hilarious time going through some medical supplies that some Finnish doctor donated to Michael a while ago. In the supplies was this old army bed/stretcher, which was all in pieces. So there I am with six Ugandans trying to figure out how this old piece of equipment goes together...it was really funny (okay, I guess you had to have been there:) The bed is very functional, but it looks like it comes straight out of MASH...quite funny:)

So that's a little bit about what I have been up to since my last post! Sorry, no pictures this time...I left my transfer cable back in Mpigi! Take care!

Hey hey!

Hello from Mpigi! Just wanted to give a quick update on how things are going over here! I'm still enjoying life in Uganda, and am getting better at remembering people's names! (it is hard, because everyone knows who I am, and I have met most of them before, so I am at the point where it is almost rude to ask again!!) Clinic work has slowed somewhat...I am working on getting an order ready for the drugs and supplies we are going to need, and I need to arrange a couple of more meetings with the doctors who we will be working with. I am also wainting to hear back from the District health services director...in order to purchase medicines, we need to be registered with the district, so I am having to wait on that right now. You could pray that this would happen soon!! Yesterday we (me, Shannon, Jeff, and kids) went into Kampala to do some shopping, and then today was church. This week I will be heading back into Kampala for a few days to meet some students from UBC, show them around Kampala, and then I will head to Jinja to see the Nile river from Thursday to Saturday (not sure if I will river raft yet...what do you think?). Jinja will be a good time to sightsee and relax before a week of hard work before the team from Peace Portal arrives!

Hopefully I will be able to post a few more pictures with my next post! Take care!

Keeping busy!

Hello from Uganda! I'm loving life here so far...and things are going better than I expected as I plan for the medical clinic! There is a very strong desire from the church to get this clinic going, and they already have a lot of the groundwork done. And today I can actually upload pictures, as the internet seems to be cooperating!



On Tuesday I had the opportunity to meet with the women of Mpigi to talk about health...there were about 40 of them, and we had a very lively discussion! I was impressed with the level of knowledge that the women had about the prevention of various diseases...it seems that they have the knowledge (ie. they know to use a mosquito net to prevent malaria), but they are lacking some of the resources necessary to actually do this (most of the women don't have mosquito nets, and can't really afford them). It was a really beneficial time, though, and I feel like I have a much better picture of how life is for the women!

On Wednesday I went to the Mpigi Health District offices with Michael...we met with the public health inspector, and dropped a letter off with the director of health services. We are trying to keep the district informed about what we are doing, so that potentially in the future they can use our facility.

Here is a picture of my room (which is going to be the medical clinic)!


This is a picture of my room with the newly constructed wall, dividing the doctor's area from the pharmacy/nurses area.

This is Wasswa, playing. Wasswa and Kato are a little bit bigger now, and they talk a little more than they did last year! (wasswa means older one, kato means younger one...all the twin boys in Uganda go by wasswa and kato!)

Kennedy and Cissy are getting water from the tap near the water tank.

The kids are sorting beans in preparation for dinner.


Today I took a taxi into Kampala with Pastor Alice and Alice Masambe. I was definitely the only mzungu (white person) on the taxi...fortunately, the taxis I took today only had 17-18 people in them, and no animals! (you can see up to 24 people crammed into one taxi). Once we got to Kampala, we took a boda boda (motorcycle) through the city, which was a little crazy...Kampala traffic is very unpredictable, and the bodas just zip in and out. By the time I got off, my eyes were stinging from all the diesel exhaust and dust in the air!! We then visited a few of the pharmacies to get their price lists for medications. After this, we made our way back to the taxi park, which is where pretty much every taxi in the city leaves from...again, I'm pretty sure I was the only mzungu in there. Alice and Alice stayed with me, and none of us got run over by any taxis, and we all made it home in one piece with all of our belongings!!

So that's a little bit about what I have been up to! Uganda is a beautiful country, and the people here are very welcoming! I have been impressed with their integrity as well...two of the men that we hired to do the construction on the medical clinic have come back to us to either return extra money that we gave them for supplies or lower the price...incredible!! The next couple of days will likely involve a trip or two back to Kampala, and getting an order ready for all of the medical supplies.

Hope things are well with all of you, and I will be in touch! Take care!

Here are Wasswa and Kato, drinking from the water tap! (You can see the medical clinic in the background...)

Getting stuff done...

Things are well underway here on the 10 acres! My time here kicked off with church on Sunday morning, which apparently had way more people than normal and much more energy because I was there... And of course, during the service, I had to get up and bring greetings from Peace Portal Alliance to the church in Mpigi. Michael then told the community that I now have a new name - Masawa Rebekah, which means nurse Rebekah in Lugandan. I was hoping to keep a lower profile than that in these first few weeks, but that's not the way it goes here!

Today, we have hired a few people to finish the construction inside the medical clinic...we are adding a wall, some shelves, a light, and a table/bench. I am staying in the medical clinic, so now my bedroom has turned into construction zone with people in and out regularly! Things don't happen slowly here...once we say that we need something built, someone shows up on the property within about 15 minutes and is ready to start work within the hour. Today, the light has already been installed and the wall will be complete before dark.

I also took a boda into town and met with the doctor who will likely be working in the clinic, and we had a very positive meeting - he seems very thorough, and very personable. Tomorrow I am going to meet with some of the women of Mpigi and have a discussion with them about health in their community...this information will help as we plan the clinic.

So that's a little update on how things are going!! I am getting used to sleeping with geckos and mice and spiders running around my room, and I am also starting to get used to the noise of Uganda...the birds, bugs, and other wildlife make much more noise at night than you would think! I am hopeful that tonight I will just see geckos and spiders, as one of the guys working on the property killed a snake that contained the mouse that lives in the medical clinic (or so I choose to believe!!)

Sorry, no pictures...and unfortunately, no facebook...the internet connection doesn't really allow for that! Hopefully I can upload some pictures when I go into Kampala on Wednesday or Thursday. Take care, and I would love to hear from you by email!

In Uganda!

I arrived in Uganda early today, with no diffculty...Jeff and Shannon and Michael Masembe were all there to meet me at the airport, and then we spent some time shopping in Kampala before heading back to Mpigi.

Lots has changed on the 10 acres, which is awesome to see...a few more buildings, and lots of gardens planted. And, of course, more kids, as the second children's home is built. The third children's home is well underway, and we should be welcoming about 20 more kids within the next few weeks.

Picture uploading is going to be a bit of a challenge due to slow internet, but I will try and post some as soon as I can!

Starting to say goodbyes!

I started saying goodbyes to people tonight...tonight was the last young adults event at church before I leave, so there were quite a few people there this evening that I now won't see until July. I am saying goodbye only for a time, since I do plan on coming home at some point! However, I know that the experiences I will have when I am away will change me...so the person that says goodbye now is not going to be quite the same person that says hello in July. This is a good thing, I think...this trip is going to stretch me in new ways, and although it won't be comfortable I am confident that I will grow because of it. I have this sense that I am going to be changed profoundly by this experience, which is both exciting and scary at the same time.

Tonight I am realizing the importance of community. I am travelling to Uganda alone, and will be met by Jeff and Shannon when I arrive. I will be staying on the ten acre property with them, working alongside them but still working somewhat independently on the medical side of things. It is hitting me tonight...without the prayer support of my community, I am alone...the task I have been called to do is impossible and overwhelming and daunting, and will not succeed without prayer and without the support of community.

I feel convicted by all of the times I have said, "I'll pray for you" and then haven't...by the times I have listened but haven't really heard, by the times I have offered support but never followed through. Community...caring for one another...listening and hearing...sharing each other's burdens...definitely not easy. I am also so appreciative of the people who have taken the time to listen to me, to pray for me, and to support me...there have been many of you who have offered these things to me in this period of preparation, and for that I am so thankful!

Two weeks and counting...

Things for Uganda are starting to come together!! I am two weeks and a day away from taking off...I keep telling myself that, but it hasn't really hit me yet that I am actually going. People keep asking me if I am ready to go, and I feel more like I am...my physical preparation is pretty much complete (just need to put everything into my backpack), planning for the clinic is about as complete as it can be at this point, and Jeff and Shannon have agreed to pick me up at the airport when I arrive in Uganda, so it's all good!

I have a cool opportunity to do a couple other jobs/tasks while I am in Uganda, which I am excited about! I am involved with the Centre for International Child Health at BC Children's Hospital, and our group has a partnership with Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Right now, the partnership is focusing on improving the education of Ugandan medical students (future doctors), and I have the opportunity to meet with the head of the nursing school at Makerere to talk about how we can also support nursing education...basically, the goal is to help improve nursing education so that will in turn lead to better health care and therefore better health for Ugandans! (if that makes sense...)

The other thing I get to do while I am in Uganda is be the contact person and local "expert" on life in Uganda for a group of undergraduate students from UBC! (little do they know I am far from an expert, but oh well!! At least I have been there before!) The students are coming over to do some type of dental education...I actually don't know much about what exactly they are doing (I think they will be singing lots of songs about brushing teeth, etc). I have been asked to meet them at the airport, help them find a taxi, show them around Kampala, teach them how to barter/negotiate prices on food and stuff, and do a bunch more things which I have yet to be told about!! This "little favour" for UBC is turning out to be a bit more involved than I thought it would be, as it will take up a couple of days of my time, but it should still be pretty interesting! Fortunately, the only cost to me will be time...UBC is footing the bill for the rest of the stuff. I met the students who are coming to Uganda earlier this evening, and they seem cool and pretty confident, so I think we'll have fun. This was totally not an opportunity that I was looking for, so it will be cool to see how God uses this experience during my trip!

Now it is time for sleep! Tomorrow I think I need to make some space to be quiet and rest, and begin to prepare spiritually for this trip...this has been my biggest challenge as I prepare to go. Somehow, the physical preparation always seems easier for me to do! I know I will be changed and challenged by this experience, so I want to be ready to hear and to be obedient...

One month to go...

One month from now, on May 24, my plane will leave Vancouver and I will begin to make my way to Uganda!! Preparation for the trip is going well...although it has been a little slow in the past few weeks as I have been working a lot at the hospital.

Life has been so busy that I haven't had much time yet to process what I am going to be doing and experiencing when I am away. Right now, I think I have an idea of what the trip is going to look like, but I am also expecting to be surprised and challenged! This trip will be very self-directed in the first few weeks, which will be quite a change for me. Every job that I have held has not really allowed me much leeway in deciding what I will or won't do during the day...lifeguarding and nursing in a hospital setting don't really allow for that (and for good reason!) My sense is that this project in Uganda will be refreshing, as it will allow me the freedom I so often crave in my current work, and challenging, as I will have to choose how to structure and prioritize each day's work. I'm starting to process all this as I am writing, and I am realizing how much I am going to need His guidance each day while I am in Uganda!

Getting ready to go back to Uganda...

I booked my flight back to Uganda a couple of weeks ago...and time is already flying by...less than three months till I leave!! I am leaving Vancouver on May 24 in the evening, and will (probably) return on July 3 after a short debrief period in Kenya. (I say probably return because there is always that possibility that I just might not be able to leave!!)

My task during this trip will be to work on the development of a medical clinic. This is a huge project, and I am finding that in this period of preparation I am often overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem and the task at hand...where do I start? One of the most difficult aspects for me in this initial period is dealing with the expectations of others in regards to this project. I don't want to disappoint them, especially those who have contributed finacially, but I also want to be realistic about what is actually doable in the six weeks I am there, and also sensitive to the needs of the community in Mpigi...what do they want and need? How can a medical clinic best serve their community? Maybe it isn't in the way that I (and others) think...so I want to be open to that possiblity as I go to Uganda to work on this.

I had a good meeting this week, though, with another nurse who was in Uganda with me last summer, and I feel like now we are starting to develop a more realistic plan for this project. It is great to see this coming together! And although the task can seem overwhelming at times, I am excited as well...I think God can and will do some amazing things through this clinic, in spite of the broken vessels He has chosen to use to do this work!! Please pray for this!!

The Medical Clinic

Our team, which had three nurses on it (including me), worked with a Ugandan doctor one day holding a medical clinic in Kyally. (Kyally, pronounced 'Charlie', is a village in Mpigi that is about a 20 minute drive away from the church). People came from all over...we saw about 200 patients that day. This is a picture of the waiting area.














Medicine is very different in Uganda compared to Canada...it was a steep learning curve for sure! We saw many, many people with malaria, but within the first hour we had run out of the correct medication to treat it. As our medication supply became depleted, the best we could do was to give them 3 days worth of Tylenol to treat the fever.



These kids watched us through the window all day!






Here I am preparing medications for a patient. We worked non-stop that day...I think I took about a 10 minute break to eat a power bar, and a short break to do an interview for the Ugandan national television, but otherwise we saw patient after patient all day! Soon, a medical clinic will be built on the 10 acre property that belongs to Peace Portal Community Church. This clinic will provide much needed regular access to health care for the people living in the villages near the church.

Around Mpigi...

Jen and Morgan are riding on a boda-boda, which is one of the primary modes of transportation in Mpigi. Basically, you just flag one of these guys down, negotiate a price before you get on the bike, and then go!

This is Mpigi town, where the shops and market are. The crowd of people are gathered around a witch doctor, who was shouting into a loudspeaker trying to sell herbal medicines to the crowd.


When we didn't take a boda-boda or a taxi, we walked! This is the road that leads to the church property.



We had a Uganda vs. Canada soccer game, which was really well attended! It is pretty unusual to have such a large group of mzungus (white people) in a rural area like Mpigi, so this was a big event! And yes, that really is a chicken walking across the soccer field!

This little guy came straight from church to watch the game, Bible in hand and in his Sunday best!


A typical house in Mpigi.

The Preschool

One of my favourite pictures!















The kids played with a soccer ball made of rags tied up around a rock (at least, that is what it looked like). We were able to give them a real soccer ball, but the one we gave them is probably not nearly as durable as the one they are using in this picture!



Skip rope was one of the favourite activities!





















Snack time at the preschool - the kids are drinking some sort of maize-based, hot, porridge-like drink...looked almost like glue to Canadian eyes!

The 10 Acres of Peace Portal Community Church

A view of the church building from the road leading to the 10 acre property.









Sunrise.

When it rains, it pours!!

The school kids welcomed us with a song and dance outside the church. There were probably about 100 people from the church and community there to welcome us - African style!!

Kukiriza House

One of the orphans - we were unable to determine his name despite our best efforts!! Every sub-team called him something different!

Yvonne and one of the twins...

Each sub-team got to spend time with the kids at the children's home...the kids at the home are a variety of ages, ranging from age 3 (the twins) up to about age 11. We all had a great time together, as you can see!

Bath time (a daily occurrence) outside the children's home. The building that you see is the kitchen, where Rose, the house mother, does all the cooking.

My sub-team with all 10 of the orphans. My sub-team was also known as Team Living It Up (Team LIU for short), as even in rural Uganda we were able to find ways to get our hands on Coke, chips, and various other "luxury" items that made the rest of our team very jealous...we were on "probation" for pretty much all of the trip:)