Uganda 2010

Greetings bloggers )

our morning started in the very early hours with a thunder and lighting  storm! Everybody was looking a little worse for wear at our early morning meeting due to last nights disruption.

Thankfully the rain eased off as were headed to Mulago hospital. We personalised their cards by writing thoughts and words of  scripture on them, as an encouragement. We also presented  laminated photos of themselves and their families together with small bags of sweeties, soap, fruit juice etc.

Laura and Bekah had the opportunity to pray with and lead three family members of a patient to Jesus. Amen!  Sara & Julie also prayed with one young man as he lay there dying.

Following the hospital we visited two sick patients in their homes in different parts of Uganda. One patient was suffering from Osteoporosis, since the age of three (now aged 31yrs) and had been bed-ridden for around a year because of a hip fratcure. She was in continual pain and had multiple medical complications. Again we were astounded at her hope as she read from the psalms, and we sang ‘There is a redeemer’. The team left feeling encouraged and inspired, as someone so close to the end of their life was feeling such a tangible love for Jesus.

The second patient we visited was a young woman aged 30yrs who was HIV positive (for 14yrs), and was diagnosed with cancer 4yrs ago. Her husband died of HIV when their daughter was 6months old.  She also looks after her disabled nephew. He was a paraplegic with deformed legs and feet, and was incontinent as he lay paralysed in a wooden box.  When we arrived he was sodden in saliva and urine. They told us of their love for him & this was evident by his smile and bright precious eyes.   She lives with her mother who helps to care for and support both her and the children. They live in a small shack (around 4 x 4 metre squared), with nothing more than some roll mats to sleep on and a unit to store utensils. Their means of survival was by selling water from a well to buy food.  We prayed with them and sang ‘He is Lord…’

We experienced a thought provoking, heart wrenching, sad, inspirational &  humbling day (as you can see we’re finding it dificult to put our feelings  into words, as many emotions were felt)

We then shared together and relaxed  at our famous Hideaway.

Love Uganda 2010

Hey dudes,

today it was a public holiday in Mulago hospital; this meant that there were no nurses on duty, therefore we took the opportunity to explore Uganda.

A group of us went to visit The Women of Kireka who were displaced during the war in Northern Uganda. Women found themsleves in an IDP (Internationally Displaced Person) camp near the rock quarry in Kireka, where they work as rock crushers. During the visit the women showed us the quarry, their workshop and their craft. They sell jewellry locally and internationally with the assistance of project Diaspora. They are learning skills needed for a future as business, artisans and jewellry designers. Whilst we were there the women broke out into native dance….and we happily joined in!! We all laughed so much together, it was a memorable day.

The women showed us how to make paper jewellry, Diana made one bead and was delighted! (Very difficult…and time consuming!) The women then guided us into the quarry where they demonstrated how they crush rock for a living. We attempted to crush one rock & were exhausted. For one full bucket they make 100 shillings (3p), and they strive to fill 10 of these buckets in one day in order to provide for their children. Each day they are risking their lives in the mine as they collect rock. Many children were wandering around with no shoes on which was difficult for us to witness.

On our way back we stopped off to try out ‘street food’, which is basically a shack where the locals cook and sell food in the slums. We (Di, Claire, Rachel, Cherith & Kim) decided to be adventurous and ate samosas & chapatti – which was delicious!

We also witnessed the extreme poverty of the workers and their living conditions.

If you would like to meet these amazing women then please visit the following website: http://womenofkireka.com/about/the-women/

In the afternoon we went into Lugogo to buy supplies for the patients we will be visiting tomorrow.

As usual in the evening, we relaxed and pondered the day at our hideaway.

Look forward to updating y’all tomoz.

Much love, Uganda 2010.

Yo fans! ;O)

well another day at Mulago hospital. We re-visited many patients from the previous day. The patient we mentioned in yesterday’s blog (suffering from Kaposi’s Sarcoma) opened up a lot more today and was willing to share more of his story. He stated that he felt less of a man in his condition and also felt a deep sense of loneliness as his bed was facing away from the rest of the ward, to prevent others from having to look at him. He yearned for practical help, such as care and the means to finish building a home for his family which began before he fell ill.

Many other patients we visited were experiencing pain, however it astounded us that they were filled with such inner joy. Their faith in God sustained them. Many were desperate for prayer to protect their families and relieve them of their pain.

The team could sense the power of God in Mulago hospital as we prayed with patients.

One thing that struck the team was the compassion of the staff, they act as healing balm as they nurse their patients. The nurses in the palliative care unit use a holistic approach when caring for their patients, meeting their spiritual, physical & emotional needs.

After our visit to the hospital we went to Mhoira’s and enjoyed an an African lunch where the palliative care team joined us. We enjoyed traditional African dancing, singing and games. We also tried to teach the African women how to ceilidh dance! (Very amusing, chaotic and full of laughter!!!) We shared in a powerful time of worship together and encouraged each other through testimonies.

On our way home we sang our hearts out en route to our Hideaway to relax and ponder over our unforgettable day.

Peace out.

Love Uganda 2010.

hellooooooo again!

We awoke to another glorious morning and headed off towards Mulago hospital. We were split into small groups and were allocated a nurse for each group, to translate if required. We were assigned to different departments within the hospital that have patients requiring palliative care. This was a challenging experience, having the opportunity to speak with patient’s and hear their stories.

Many adults and chidren were in the advanced stages of cancer/HIV, with visible tumours. For instance one patient was suffering from a sarcoma in his legs and feet This was a shocking sight, due to open soars, fungi, extreme swelling and the smell profuse. His legs cannot be amputated as the disease would spread to the rest of his body. This patient was in a lot of pain and only had his eldest daugher coming in to wash his legs and feet.

We visited many other patients who were in a lot of pain and required oral morphine, some of which was difficult to get hold of. In general although they were in pain many had hope and a strong faith in God. Many were desperate for prayer and valued being listened to. We were able to pray and offer spiritual encouragement through reading scripture (check out Psalm 63).

After a very exhaustive yet inspirational morning at Mulago hospital we went to the market to buy some yum food. Matthew also got a very groovy new hair-doo – which was great fun to watch. (Again, look out Aberdeen!)

As usual we enjoyed a lovely meal together & chilled at our Hideaway.

Love Uganda 2010 x

Just a quick update much more later. We had a great day of rest yesterday spending the morning and early afternoon with the church and then relaxing together in the afternoon. It’s off to the hospital now to visit folks being treated by Mhoira and her team.

Good day all our buddies out there,

began our second day in Kampala with team devotions and worship (led by Bekah) which set us up nicely for the day ahead. We focused on what freedom means and it’s limitations.

We walked into the local market place which was buzzing with life from the Ugandan people selling an array of fresh produce including fruits, beans, veggies and live chickens!

After a wander around the market we revived ourselves with an African buffet. This was a new experience for the team, and one which was very much enjoyed by all.  One of the traditional Ugandan dishes was  called ‘Matoke’, this is basically mashed then boiled banana (we’ll leave it up to you guys at home to experiment & decide for yourselves what you think!)

With full bellies we travelled on taxi to Mulago Baptist church where we were welcomed by lots of excited young children from the ‘Lugogo Child Development Centre’. We got the opportunity to have fun with the amazing kids. Tom’s twirling talent proved a hit, as loads of children lined up for a spin!

After being blown away with the children we entered Mulago church for an unforgettable time of worship with the Ugandan people! The room was filled with dancing, singing and an inexpressible joy.  We were excited as the worship leader stated “everyone who is here is African, so has to dance African!” …and we danced! We experienced the powerful presence of God as we joined our Ugandan brothers and sisters in praise.

After this awesome time we attended a seminar  run by Mhoira and her staff, on palliative care needs within Uganda. The presentation primarily focused on the emotional, physical, spiritual & social needs of patients.  This  prepared us well for the time we’ll spend in Mulago hospital. We split into groups and dicussed the issues we may encounter within the hospital and the skills that will be required.

Julie was keen to put these newly found skills into practice as a guard (with a massive gun) approached her and said that he would protect Julie, Derek & Rachel as they used the local toilet. Julie used her communication skills to boldly ask the guard if he was going to use the gun?…

As we arrived from Mulago to the cottages the girls were delighted to buy lots of colorful Ugandan paper jewelry. This helped raise money to support persecuted Ugandan women.  Matthew also helped the cause as he couldn’t resist the urge to buy a traditional African tunic. Watch out Aberdeen!

After dinner we drew the evening to  a close and chilled out at our local Hideaway.

Love Uganda 2010.

(p.s nobody was harmed during the episode at the toilets, Julie just made a new buddy).

guys, well…our 1st day in Uganda started with some ice-cold showers (for some of us! hee, hee!)… only to find out later that the hot tap had been switched to cold!!!

After breakfast Derek went in search of the resident red chilli pig…what a welcome the poor pig received!…hugs from a Scot!…as Derek whispered in his ear “can’t wait for bacon sandwiches tomorrow!” We then had a study time together looking at the Omnipotence of God & how He delights in us – awesome!

We then set off on our first trip to grab a taxi into Kampala. (Oh boy, Aberdeen council roads seem perfect in comparison!) This included slogans on bikes, cars and buses…as one of our guides stated “you will never find an atheist Ugandan”…We were blown away with the openess of the Ugandan people to share their faith in God. In so much pain, they found their hope  & strength in Him.

We had our first official visit to Mulago hospital – where we will be spending the next week of our trip. On our arrival we witnessed a rather shocking yet insightful experience of emergency medical care…a young boy being rushed to the roadside on a motorbike (taxi), whilst having a seizure due to Malaria. No-one rushed to help.

Shortly afterwards we were greeted by Moira & her team who gave us an introduction into palliative care in Uganda. We visited a number of wards & had the opportunity to speak with patients and their relatives. One aspect of the visit that struck us was the number of family members who camped on sleeping mats, cooked food and administered medication (such as oral morphine – a common practice in Uganda).

As darkness fell we jumped on a taxi home…this wasn’t the easiest of experiences however with the help of our guides we managed to get home and sang worship songs all the way back to Red Chilli Hideaway )

We ended our first day with reflection and prayer by candlelight, then relaxed at the Red Chilli late night cafe.

(p.s. we told the guides about the Loch Ness Monster – they couldn’t wait to check Nessie out on google – tee, hee!)

Love the team x

Flights all went to plan and we arrived on Uganda about 2.30 Uganda time (12.30 UK time).

We were picked up by Ben and Ivan who took us to the Red Chilli Hideaway where we’re staying. On the way, we picked up Mhoira Leng and she had kindly made us some amazing brownies which soon disappeared.

We’re just finishing off dinner at the Red Chilli and then to bed. We’re all pretty exhausted after the flight.

We safely arrived at Dubai on schedule. Flight for Kampala leaves in about six hours. Will update when we arrive in Kampala.