Saturday, January 30, 2010

Family Found

Hi everyone,

The Giselle and Arsene are found! Brother and sister to Bertine who lives in Wyoming.
They are in Kampala staying with a very nice person who has helped them for about a year now. He found them living in a tent city by InterAid offices about a year ago.
They are healthy although a bit reserved and one can see the trauma in the young man's eyes. They do not know how to speak english but speak french and swahili fluent (also congolese of course). Spent one day looking for them, then met at Uganda Red Cross. We applied to have messages sent to their family in Congo to see if anyone there is still alive. We were able to print out the picture of their brother (Bertine) and his wife and give them a few items, like soap, tea, sugar, bread, etc. Arsene was very emotional when he saw his brother and kept touching the photo...he and Giselle slept with the pictures I am told and could not stop looking at it...they were so happy to hear news of their brother after 14 years! Then it was off to see about their registation status in the country of Uganda and paperwork. Well..lets just say I should not be surprised right?! It is a long process of standing in lines in multiple places and ending up at Office of Prime Minister who grants the final assylum for refugees to stay in Uganda. Giselle's paperwork was filed last year and so she is registered. The number I was given for Arsene from the Senator's office in America is not him...this they wanted to see him and accused him of lying etc. Oh it was awful. I nearly cried too..but somehow we convinced them to look further and they agreed it was not the same person (after hours of sitting with no water in the heat!!) His appointment for registration is for March which will miss the meeting for assylum acceptance so I am trying to get the info from the states to push the appt forward. It will not be good for the brother and sister to be separated in an application process again..should be as a family. So keep up the prayers.

Next, I stayed in Entebbe at CC-Entebbe Summer and Zane McCourtney's guesthouse to save some money and take their latest baby with sickle cell and Steven (sponsored by AIDSpirit and Angie and Tom Osborne) to sickle cell center as he was found to be very anemic again and was transfused last week. More later, as he we investigate the underlying cause. Keep him in your prayers!

I am on to Kayunga to see the Tender Mercies, kids...Roger and the others sponsored by AIDSpirit, spend time with Prichard (Kenny's brother) and see the school where the kids are attending. Rumor has it they are only getting porridge, posha and very few beans. No fruits and vegetables...which is not good for the sickle cell children like Steven at all.! Will try to start a vegetable garden there also..thanks for sending back more seeds.

The container is another story but in Kampala..pray the drug authority check Monday goes without problems! The customs taxes are paid and of course even more than the first amount quoted over 3 weeks ago! So I will be back in Kampala for that. I look forward to seeing the Feb Laurel team Wednesday night and am making the arrangements!! Whoo hoo!

Most of all, I feel God's presence carrying me and have been blessed immensely and able to get things done! Thank you so much for the support and prayers!

Love, Nadine

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Searching for Bertine's Family - Congolese Refugees

HI again,

Leigh and I just spent the last 4 days travelling to Masaka and then to Mbarara which is in the southwest of Uganda. We had an overnight at a refreshing Lake Nagubagu) where I was also able to see Jenny Moore's parents...Robin and Jim Fruehan of Jireh Ministries for a little while. It was so good to see them! It was not planned to go that direction. As usual...not in my plans, however...One day prior to leaving Billings, I received a call from a Senator's office in Wyoming asking if I might be able to help one of their constituents locate his family who were found to be in Uganda as refugees from the Congo.
A little correspondence ensued and I relayed I would need as much as information as possible and I would try to look into it. Well, in the airport in MN, on our way over to Uganda, I happened to recieve a phone call from Bertine...a congolose refugee himself who was granted assylum in the US over 10 years ago. The story he told was amazing and touched my heart so much. Bertine was living in southern Congo near the Rwanda border and attending secondary school. The Hutu tribe from Rwanda was also living in Southern Congo( you may recall the genocide in Rwanda...or saw the movie Hotel Rwanda..well the Hutu's fled to Congo and were gaining an army to fight back).
As is the case in many of these countries...in order to build an army of forces...children are abducted and forced to become child soldiers. Bertine was abducted 14 years ago from his secondary school and forced to become a child soldier for the Hutu army. Eventually he heard of a way to escape, through a wood boat that was leaving to go down the river...where he did not know. In the night he escaped and hid in the bottom of the boat which winded around and eventually ended up in Zambia. He was told in the night to jump out at the beach and hide in the bushes. Somehow he made it to Mozambique and a refugee camp. An Aide worker interviewed him and through the processes he was granted assylum and relocation to America 10 years ago. He re-located in Maryland and went through the schooling etc for refugees to learn the language. He started cross country running and eventually recieved a scholarship to the University of Wyoming for cross country. He has since graduated as a math teacher and teaches math at a high school in Gilette Wyoming. He is married and expecting his first child. As you can imagine..the trauma and pain he went through. And now always praying and wondering where his family is, if they were alive even? Recently he had word from another congolese who was re-located to Denver Colo and let him know his brother and sister were in Uganda in a refugee camp. So he located Lutheren Services which led to a search through the UNHCR and found them registered in Kampala in 2008.
He was advised to contact the senator's office for help...who then contacted me once they found out have and do go over to Uganda.
After recieving the phone call...He told me they were in Nakavali refugee camp and were congolese (the senator office thought Sudanese...I immediately called Leigh (in Seattle on her way to Uganda)..and asked her to call Colleen, a ST. V ICU nurse who volunteered in a congolese refugee camp in Uganda last year. Amazingly, Colleen worked in the same refugee camp! The path was written..and I felt led to follow it. Colleens contacts with Medical Teams International led to contacts with the UNHCR and a visit to Nakavale refugee camp near the border of Tanzania..southwest Uganda. Search as we all may..the family was nowhere to be found. They were not registered in the camp of 50,000 and there was no record of them since 2008 in Kampala. So, I tried to contact Inter Aid which led to Red Cross Uganda...meanwhile an e-mail came through from Bertine..with a name and number of a person who may know where his family is. This turned out to be crucial..as I was sitting in Mbarara thinking of what to do next...this man was in Kampala and was helping Bertine's brother Arsene and sister Giselle as the time they came the conditions in the camp were terrible (much better now as we saw first hand). This morning I am back in Entebbe after a very long bus ride yesterday..yes, it was the public bus..but I felt in my element...love to travel with the locals! (Except when they keep stepping on me, elbowing me and sleeping on me!..kidding sort of).
I an off to Kampala to finally meet the family...I hope and pray! I'm not sure where the meeting will be yet..so I have learned not to get my hopes up too high...yet I will not give up. I feel so attached to this family already..
I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the prayers..I sure need them as does this family!
Leigh was a trooper to travel this with me and is now staying with a friend in Kampala and will fly out tomorrow.

Love, Nadine

Monday, January 25, 2010

Village Healthcare Worker Training and Kampala Village

Hello Family and Friends,
Greetings from Uganda. I cannot believe this is my first correspondence since arriving nearly three weeks ago. There is so much to write about, but I will try to keep my story-telling to a minimum. It has been a fantastic trip and I will fill in all the details when I get back to America.

There are two particular experiences I would like to share. The first is our success of the Village Healthcare Worker training course that we provided over a ten-day period. Happily, everybody succeeded and we had our first graduating class of 2010.

Suzan, the nurse at the Farm, had identified seven women who have shown a strong interest in the medical field and whom she thought would be dedicated to attend the classes. She was right on in her choices. The ladies included Alice, Evelyn, Jennifer, Christine, Paula (from Kalongo), Pauline and Katie. They arrived every day ready to learn, notebooks and pens in hand, and minds open. Their enthusiasm made it fun for Brenda, Nadine and me to teach.

Our syllabus included teaching the Four Vital Signs, First Aid including choking, nosebleeds, and bleeding control, Malaria, Hygiene and Sanitation, Nutrition, Maternal/Childbirth, Body Mechanics and Personal Safety, Wound Care and Burns (Carol- we missed you!!!), Skin Rashes, Diarrhea and treatment with ORS and Pharmacology review. It was an ambitious agenda. Let’s just say we got through some of it, but surely not all of it. However, what we covered, they really understood for the final test on the last day.

The highlight for me was watching the women learn how to use the stethoscope. They quickly picked up the anatomic locations for the different heart sound, lung sounds and abdominal sounds. Finding the pulse at either the radial, brachial and carotid was successful by everyone. The blood pressure proved to be a bit more difficult, but by the end of the session, they each had their stethoscopes hanging around their necks like they had been professionals for years. They were so happy. And finally how can I forget Richard, our translator. These women all speak Acholi, with minimal English. Without Richard’s dedication and enthusiasm to learn the material, I don’t think the class would have been such a success. Thank you Richard!!!

The second highlight of the visit to the Farm was the return to the village of Kampala. While it shares the same name as Uganda’s capital city, there is no similarity. The village sits about a 45 minute walk from the Farm, and is home to some of the women who have participated in the Family Empowerment program. The village is very poor. The nearest water source is a hole in the ground that provides their drinking water. The children barely have clothes on their back and shoes on their feet.

Last year I visited this village and we installed four drip irrigation systems and planted gardens to help the women provide nutrition to their families in the dry season. Upon returning this year, it is very apparent that despite all the adverse conditions and struggles these women face, their dedication to providing for their families is amazing. Their gardens are doing very well. Some of the mamas had designed ingenious techniques to maximize their drip system to double the production of food. Some of the items they are growing include squash, sweet potatoes, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, eggplant, cassava, and zucchini. (Thank You Vision Beyond Borders for the seeds!)

As we wandered from household to household the crowd grew. Every child and women and even some of the young men joined us as we visited the families. By the time we were to head back to the Farm, there were forty or more walking side by side. Alas we visited the final garden. It was the home of one of the elderly women, Jaja I called her. We gathered all the children who would be attending the Katamarwa School and took their photo. They will be receiving the Love-Pack’s this fall. It was so apparent how badly these children needed the supplies in those packs. A clean set of school clothes, some sturdy shoes, a blanket to ensure they stay warm in the wet season, and school supplies to help them with their studies and a mosquito net to prevent malaria and more... What a great treat for these children.

Finally, as we were getting ready to leave, Jaja presented us with a live chicken as an expression of her gratitude. It was an amazing act, as a chicken for these people is a very valuable item. As I held the chicken with the pink tie around its feet, we swiftly decided to name her ‘little bow pink’. She has found her new home in the chicken coop on the Farm, and will be part of a nutrition and chicken project for one of the boys. She will lay eggs that can be used to provide good nutrition for many people, or the eggs can be sold to help pay for their school. As we left, we all felt the love and care these folks have and vowed to continue to return to Kampala Village to visit and try to help them in the future.

Leigh

Friday, January 22, 2010

Thank You Team!

Hi everyone,

Wow, over 2 weeks have passed, the first large groups from both H20 and AIDSpirit have arrived back in America..safely, I here...with a slight illness..though nothing too bad. I am always amazed, after the stress of getting all of the team supplies/tubs packed..family and life that goes on while away situated...travel here...through customs...initial business and travel here..then the work and fun begins. Each person adds their own gifts, service, heart, passion, quirks and uniqueness to the group dynamic. It is very different each year and always such a blessing to see each grow in their element, experience the culture, love the people, develop their projects/passions. THANK YOU ALL very much for a great time and great work!! None of the success and effectiveness of the projects implemented with our partners would occur without each of you! It is a huge sacrifice, your service invaluable. I am very grateful and the people of Uganda are grateful! And as you have seen, you have made a big difference!!

A recap: The gardens are growing abundently through the seeds and drip irrigation implemented last year and is continuing this year. New foods like squash, peas, watermelon, zucchinni, spinich, beets, radishes, okra, pumpkin...and more have made a big difference in the health of the children and women especially. The clean water through the bio-sand and wells have previously shown the health improvements, and we continue to learn more about the biosand filters, maintanence and water storage. Assessing the water quality helps see where the needs are. With the development of these two projects in particular is the development of the two young men who are now the experts...Geoffrey, formerly abducted by the LRA war...and Bosco. They run these projects and implement them so very well and are now branching out to train other areas as we have seen with our first family in Kalongo. All of the crops in Kalongo died during the drowght and their is no food avaiable...so we hope to help them with some drip irrigation also. It was beutiful to see them all work together to help others from different areas of Uganda. Dennis...another young man..who helps Tom and Dave and Bryce with the water projects is learning a lot also..and we took him for more training in the last couple days in Kampala. The solar tank system for the well that had sediement is truly a gift from God and we look forward the seeing how the cash crop passion fruit orchard will flourish this next year. A new project with the Village Healthcae Worker training week went extremely well...5 women from Rakayata village and one from Kalongo attened. They were empowered and learned a lot.Leigh and Brenda are the best teachers! This will help Suzan, the nurse on the farm a lot when the clinic is built and functioning. Oregon team added a dental component for flouride treatment which is so needed also. Reading glasses were again distributed...many were reading their bibles. Some success stories from clinic last year emerged..the thumb we operated on healed and was functioning great! Christine died however some months later from end stage AIDS. Leigh added more great training on HIV STD and alcoholism, affects and complications.
The farm is growing with the tractor and they had a great crop corn and a new bin was built from last year. Tom even taught them how to grade the road full of pot holes and impassable this year! The income generating projects are moving toward making colorful purses. Some paper bead jewelry was continued. Market last year helped with many of the kids first term school fees. Bosco is selling green peppers also! Overall there is a dream for a vocational and tailoring school...

Thanks all for the prayers..God is blessing the hard working self less people of Uganda all chilcren of God. They are becoming nore self sufficient and have more self worth and dignity and are now sharing with others in unity, caring and passion and love.!

Leigh and I went to view some more bio-sand training with the guys at Tex's and met some great folks, went on the Lake Victoria Island Mission yesterday and are off toward Masaka, Mbarra and eventually Rakavali refugee camp to find Bertine's family. Stay tuned! Keep up the prayers!

Nadine

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Brenda's Posts

Uganda..... Its like u r living in a whole other world..step back several decades anD slow down and u r there
With a bunch of happy children with very little wants or needs just u being there playing with them makes them happy.

The women r making purses. Rode the Boda Boda (motorcycle) to the market. about 10 kil away and bought fabric (Leigh and I ) can't wait to bring some back if u travel u will love them. popcorn, fresh mango and fresh pineapple for breakfast, a very unual combination. the popcorn was cooked over the fire so a little well done but very good beans for lunch.
Trenches dug for clinic and dedication today which meant the farm village celebrated with dancing and we ALL filled the trenches with rock. next comes the cement over the rock. 13 thousand bricks already made here on the farm(made from clay) only 1...3 thousand to go. Rice for supper with veg. that r now growing on the farm. another great day :)

went on night tukle call (house call) last night walked 1/2 mile in dark with headlight thru bushes and grass along a tiny path to a tiny dirt floor hut to see a woman with infection. she basically had her breast filleted at the hosp for "infection" the entire top portion of her breast was cut off with a dirty soaked g...auze on wound which had been left on at hosp for 4 days. they basically butchered her. so so sad

sunday drive thru murcheson falls game park animals out in full force, lots of elephants,wart hogs..giraffes, water buffalo,baboons, hippos and about 20 different species of gazelles and a lion.great day.hot and humid.

popcorn and bananas for brkfast. they slaughtered a goat for us this morning. So goat for lunch and goat and rice and beans for supper.walked over 5 miles today in fried egg on asphault pressure cooker hot weather. josephine (breast girl) is doing better today. smiled and said pain is less. wound still very bad. should have grafts. another great day.

another great day in Africa. Hot and humid. Great to be outdoors all day. start the day at 6:30am by going for a walk return for breakfast then begin the day.Everything is outside except sleeping.It's GREAT..

on our way to Kolongo about 25 kilometers from Sudan border. on bus with IDP family biosand filter bundles of corn. beans rice and sugar live chickens in back of bus and 3 boys from farm and Suzan from farm. about a 5 hour bus ride. will check out hosp and Take family home to IDP camp (internationally displaced person... camp)listened to music around fire last night,INCREDABLE..Drums and harp made with bamboo and strin
also taking drip irrigation and seeds will prepare and plant a garden and set up drip irrigation.

still traveling on bus to get back to farm. just crossed the Nile River it is raging. Had a snack of ground nuts and sesame pieces that the nursing students sent with us. we r now on paved (but bumpy) rd. It is dark and 2 hrs to go. looking forward to getting back to the farm.

We r on our way to Kampala then to entebee. I fly ro amsterdam tonight Leigh and Nadine will stay. Left farm this am will miss all The people here. Such a different slower lifestyle. I Love it here.

Too good to be true - technology fails us!

HI all,

So sorry for the delay in posting! I thought we had great internet connection....but too good to be true! The modem broke after a fall...(not lights on the farm). Then we couldn't get the SIM cqrd in with the new one..so there you go...! We sure kept busy though! I am attaching an excerpt from Tom Osborne the Hydrologist on the team and hope to attach some others to catch you all up.

Hello all,
Our Ugandan trip group just made it to Amsterdam very early this morning, the 21st. It was a bit over an 8-hr flight from Entebbe.
There has been a rush to get showers by all the group, as many haven't had a chance, or passed on the cold shower- no soap option in Entebbe. It usually takes multiple scrubbings to shed all the African red dust from the knooks and crannys. Everyone is doing well and glad our return is now well underway. It was hard saying goodbye to our sponsor child Steven yesterday. He got to spend a special day hanging around with me in Kampala as we transacted business all over town for ongoing and future water development projects. He was at my side the whole time, and it was hard to part. He is in very good hands there at Tender Mercies.
There is much exciting work going on at Tender Mercies in Kayunga, the main focus of the AidSpirit team. They started teh porcess of clearing 1/2-acre of property for a new dorm for the kids. Hope 2 One Life's efforts on the refugee farm near Masindi have paid large dividends in the health of the 56 families and 125 or so children there. The drip irrigation has allowed introduction of fresh vegetables into their diets during the dry season when otherwise it would be only ground maize and kasava root. The childrens skin is now "glistening" and healthy. I am elated that the solar water pumping system we patched together at the last minute really worked in the field. We already purchased a 24 volt solar panel to replace the smaller one I brought and that will allow production of 3,500 liters of "free"water from the well on a sunny day. The two teams combined to make the long trip on all dirt roads to Kolongo in northern Uganda, where we visited the Dr. Ambrosolio Hospital and school. THis is were most of the medical equipment shipped in teh big container is going. It was much larger than I envisioned, and serves a huge area of N. UG, and southern Sudan. The nuns there were a complete joy, gracious, and interested in us. It is no small miracle that they and the hospital survived the 20 year LRA war that raged around them. God really protected they little enclave.
We will be assessing how we might help there- it is a very dry part of the country and their crops failed this year. So we are thinking of introducing drip irrigation.

Some of us may take the train into Amsterdam since we have 9 hrs. I unfortunately forgot my laptop and cell phone at teh farm in the haste of leaving yesterday. It will be brought by the remaining team later I hope.
Well, love to all and looking forward to seeing you all,

Tom Osborne

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Water from the Sun

Today, God gave us water from the Sun! This is Tom. After much and very hasty planning and shopping before leaving the US and several days of toil under the African sun here on the Farm, we got the solar water pumping system installed. Our African friends flipped the switch with us holding our breath and lo- water flowed up from the earth. The pumped worked all day, at a rate slightly above 4 liters per minute, the maximum expected with this 12 volt system. We may purchase a second solar panel and we can double the rate with this pump. We figure this could be sufficient to drip irrigate 2-3 acres of passion fruit orchard. This unique experience has been greatly amplified by the joy and expectation this work brings to the wonderful people living on this Farm. There is more to do of course. Two of us drove the rough dirt road to Masindi today and purchased a 1500 liter tank to store the water. Now we have to hook it all up.
God bless you all. Tom
Hi Everyone!!!

This is Bryce and I's first time here in Africa! We are so excited to be here and experience this wonderful place!! We have been on the farm for almost a week now and can't explain how much we are enjoying our time here. Everyone is so wonderful and the food is amazing. Rice and beans, beans and rice, okra, eggplant, jalapenos, and popcorn and almost all grown here on farm. A couple days ago we got to tour the national park of Murcheson Falls. We saw giraffes, wart hogs, elephants, bamboos, hippos, and other wild anmials. It was along ride in the van but well worth it! I have have been making paper beads out of magazine clippings that last couple days and Bryce is busy getting the drip irrigation set-up off the well. Today they were very successful and have been able to use solar power to operate the drip irrigation!We are starting to feel so at home here and we already know it will be very hard to leave. We hope you are all well in the states!
Love-
Bryce and Sara

Hallelujah...we have connection!

Hi everyone,

How the time flies in Uganda! I think I have finally figured out how to sort of get this new blog set up....the older posts from last year are attached to the previous blog..could not seem to get them to separate..FYI.
All is very well! After arriving Entebbe airport with all luggage intact and sailing through customs..it was wonderful to smell and feel the sweet warm air of Uganda...like home to me by now! We had a restful night...then organized our travels in the morning. The AIDSpirit team went in one bus,to Kayunga. Brenda, Leigh and Bryce and Sara in another bus to the Family Empowerment Farm with all of our many many tubs! Via Kampala to change money, do a few errands, etc. Tom, I, Richard an Prichard were off in the to meet with MultiLines Int..our clearing agent for the container, Tex Tychon of Connect Africa..and our bio-sand water filter connection in Kampala...and Draco Drilling to arrange the deep water well assessment on the farm (has lots of sediment and found not to be constructed right originally). All went well with these meetings. MultiLines was happy to meet me to see we/I am serious! I gather I had a huge learning curve in this shipping business...The container arrived Mombasa Jan 10th and will be heading to Kampala in another week or so. They have warned may be a some extra costs...not too surprising..I hope it is just the amount they say in the end! Tom scheduled Draco to come up to the farm and they did assess the well...needed a lot more gravel pack to get the sediment out which affects the flow..but it seems will work. Tom can fill in more..

I stayed over a day also to pick up the Oregon nursing team and also buy medicines for the village clinic and the AIDSpirit/Tender Mercies Sickle Cell outreach with the Sickle Cell Association of Uganda. Oh boy...want a long day...5 hours waiting to get it all packed..but this is Uganda...slow way way down! Everyone kids me...Action Nadine in non-action Uganda... I really rested yesterday however and it felt good. So, I will slow down...

We are all on the Family Empowerment Farm in Masindi...Team Montana and Team Oregon.
After a morning tour for the newcomers and (oldcomers)some introductions, a ground breaking ceremony was held for the beginning of the clinic build "Buy a Brick" project. It was very moving and powerful..and Glory was given to God, as this seems miraculous to all...imagine..the first time I visited...they refugees from the LRA war simply prayed for tin pots to boil the muddy pond water...and blankets to keep their children warm..and 4 years later... Bricks, bricks and more bricks have been made locally here on the farm. Carol, baby, this is your dream... The clinic was officially christened "Emmanuel" (God with us). Thank You Bob and Linda..this is for you! Thank you to everyone...we are so grateful and none of this could be accomplished without the support, generosity and prayers from all of you at home.

The other projects are also going on very well! Here is some of what we are doing...1) Village Health Worker Training School 2) Bio-Sand Water filter construction and training 3) Drip Irrigation and garden planting 4) Jewelry Making 5) Children's Ministry 6) Clinic Build 7) Deep Well Re-vamp..solar pump system for passion fruit orchard irrigation 8)Patient Healthcare and village clinic.
And do we have some stories! I will let the others tell them though. We are so busy hopefully we can keep the news flowing. Especially now with the satellite internet connection on the farm! Yes...connection!

Everyone is well and happy and healthy..

Nadine

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Here We go Again...2010

Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Here We go Again...2010
Hi all,

This is Nadine here...testing this blog to see if I have it converted right...(techno challenged!)

The teams left the airport am of Jan 5th on our way to Entebbe Uganda. All went well and we are very very happy! All went well at the airport. More later..if this works!
Posted by Uganda Mission 2010 at 12:27 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Lake Victoria Island Medical Outreaches
Hi again,

I am on the last leg of this year's mission trip....last but not least is my visit to Lake Victoria Island Outreaches - facilitated by Calvary Chapel Entebbe and their nurse Dianne. Hope 2 One Life sends quarterly support to this mission, so it is good to visit and see for myself what is going on.... a lot and amazing.

Lake Victoria is a very large lake and borders several African countries...Uganda being one of them. It is here that we are accessing the lake via the church property at CC-Entebbe...who also supplies the boat to reach these islands.

The islands are inhabited by very poor people, predominantly fishermen and their families, transients and those running from the law. There is no infrastructure on most of them to speak of...as in no running water or clean water (the lake is also totally contaminated!), no electricity, no sanitation, very little hygiene or garbage control and no health care. The children have been known to be very very sick, there is a lot of HIV as you can imagine in small island areas...and no money to even get a boat ride to the mainlands for medical care. Usually they are near death or have died when they have arrived the hospital. Then the patient is dropped off and left without any help or food or money....only to maybe be checked on or picked up in 2 weeks again when another boat arrives the mainland...and that is a big maybe. There are no schools either. So you can just imagine....

Nurse Dianne and member of Calvary Chapel Entebbe church has had it on her heart to begin outreaches in the islands for a long time and started this in 2007. She organized the ministry of health to provide vaccines, malaria meds, vitamin A, and de-worm medication. She also organized Mildmay International to provide 2 nurses and HIV meds, prophylaxis, general medical treatment, testing, counselling and education. It has been going on well and many have been impacted. I will be writing a full report.

The day began beautifully with big bright sunny blue skies....as 12 of us embarked on a wooden boat made by hand in a canoe like fashion. Yes, it was leaky but if floated! The engine mostly worked and an hour later we arrived on island where half of the team consisting of nurses, a medical officer and volunteer got off to do that island outreach of vaccinations and medical treatment. The rest of us in group 2 continued on to the adjacent island...smaller and even poorer if you can imagine. This image coming up to the islands are with boats all wooden in the shape of canoes, many makeshift nets, children and people in and out of boats and water....and fish along the shores. The houses are made of wooden slates and plastic with garbage on top of the roofs...I think to hold the plastic down. In fact there was garbage every where!

We set up in a small area with a small bench. ...tubs of supplies and even a hanging weight with a seat to weigh the babies with! We walked through the area with trails of children holding my hands of following behind to let them know we were there...and little by little the mothers or fathers with children arrived carrying their immunization cards. The team kept medical books on all of them and registration books so as to keep track of records. Amazingly, none of these kids were immunized prior to these teams coming out to vaccinate and treat them! Yet you could see by there cards, they came faithfully each time the team came (monthly) for the boosters of polio, tetanus, MMR etc as needed. I worked on evaluation of the sick ones....and most were children with GI complaints which was not unusual given the lack of clean water, sanitaiton and hygiene. I wanted so badly to start teaching right then and there....however, did not want to step on toes....
It is difficult at best in this setting I am told for anyone to comply as the population is transient especially in off fishing season.

The track record shows dramatic improvement in the health just with the vaccinations and ealier treatment of illness. The outreaches make a huge difference and the administer of the hospital tells me there is much less admissions in Entebbe and much less sick patients being dropped off practically dead. He is very supportive of continuing the support from Minsity of Health with providing vaccines etc. However, Mildmay has lost their funding so they will not be participating at all anymore...which affects these efforts greatly. The funds we send will go toward a much needed new boat and also can last for 4 more months, however...I am challenged with looking for more funding...as in grants!! I know it is possible ...I can't imagine this outreach not continuing...it is the only one that has sustained and made a difference for even these couple of years! So, pray for open doors in this area as I research it.

I will teach tomorrow the widows on hygiene, sanitaiton, cleanliness...hand washing, nutrition etc. I miss my team of nurses and volunteers....that is for sure! Thanks to all for the help! The teams were fantastic this year and really made a difference. Monday will bring me back to the sickle cell center....collecting some medical records on Roger and then on the home stretch.

Thanks for the prayers. I am well!

Nadine
Posted by Uganda Mission 2010 at 3:19 AM 0 comments
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Two in a row!
Hi again,

So far this is working for a few minutes at least.

Kitgum was very tiring with a lot to do in a short period of time, however most everything was accomplished. I visited the infant care center where we found Nancy and Bosco in 2006. Terrance was back and getting things back on track. The Mc Courtney's were able to get Tabu living with them, praise God. Interesting I found info about Rabunge Kenny, the HIV child all held that we thought would soon die...he is alive and well and living with his father....and ready to go to nursery school...so I put him in school, knowing Cheryl especially would want me to. He was so cute and active and healthy looking. Also visite the disabled school, stocked everyone up on their meds. Saw Nancy and sisters and mother ...Bosco and sister had already returned to america for school.
The highlight was going out to their village Awal camp again and visiting their grandfather and family in the camp. They came running with big smiles and jumping for joy....hard to believe I am priveliged enough to even be remembered as a part of their lives after all they have been through with the LRA war. Grandfather Paustino has started moving his family to their own land....clearing it...putting up new huts etc. It was so exciting to see the hope in them return. We were able to bless them with the news of the two oxen, milk cow, plow and seeds coming ....I'm told Paustino nearly fainted....at least he was speechless. The was the perfect timing for their life to begin anew again on their own land. We also delivered seeds, clothes, shoes etc. We all prayed together and it was wonderful....the land and atmosphere was so beautiful. Thanks to all of you who donated from your hearts to make this happen....my visit was simply and extension of you all! It was so joyful and made a difference.

I was pretty tired after all of this travel, however, got on the 5 am bus to Masindi where I stopped on the farm again, took a much needed afternoon rest. Also, went and saw the gardens and they were growing! The cow peas had come up well and some of the others, especially the tomatoes! Thanks to VBB for the seeds...they have all made such a difference!

Next moved on to Kampala, so I could take 5 children to the sickle cell center in Mulago hospital to see the professor. He was kind enough to take us right away, then spent the day getting the lab tests, xrays and meds....all went well however. Tom and Jean will be happy to know Rachel does not have sickle cell! Then back to Kayunga to help Terry get the kids in school and sort out some of their medical needs with the school nurse. Aunt Vicky's well is working well and Bugogge village is completed, just waiting the finishing cement work. Everyone was so grateful!

Then on to Jinja to see Kenny and Prichard's family and distribute the gifts from Kenny. All love the thoughtfull items Kenny sends with me since he is unable to go himself. Then on to Kampala with Terry to do some errands, get lab results....work on some of the process for Roger...pray the process goes smooth for his medical care in the US. Also, Dave, a surprise for you.

I am headed to Entebbe to CC and to go on the Lake Victoria Island Medical Outreach. Well, time is up....more later.

Thanks again for the prayers...they are sustaining me!

Love, Nadines
Posted by Uganda Mission 2010 at 3:54 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Thanks for Understanding! Finally another post
Hi everyone!

I must say this has been my most difficult challenge...sending e-mails and posts! Sorry it has taken so long to write! And thanks for understanding!

Well, a lot has happened since we left off. The Oregon team went on to Fort Portal, the AIDspirit Montana team arrived and we met them in Kayunga at Tender Mercies where the kids are sponsored by Billings families. We did a lot of health, hygiene, sanitation, disease prevention and nutrition teaching, played with the kids, taught hand washing, danced, sang, made bio-sand water filters. We had one last amazing village day in Baswana...a high percentage of sickle cells children....I did a lot of teaching, the families asked a lot of questions and we held clinic for the sickle cell children. They were all so humble and grateful....and had suffered deaths of children born with sickle cell disease. It really got to me, especially as Kenny was recently so sick and near death himself. They truly wanted to learn how to give their children and better life and obviously loved these kids unconditionally. God's grace is so amazing...it brings tears to my eyes just writing about it and no explaination could give it justice...just knowing angels are among us.... t

The borehole (deep water well) in Bugogge village, donated by Atkinson Foundation was started the day Brenda and Carol left for america. Dave stayed with Terry...(something about being too sick to travel!) and oversaw the borehole drilling and the rest of us travelled to the family empowerment farm in Masindi district. Tom and Mike promptly worked on the tractor, while Jean and Leigh worked on gardens and the drainage design of the water run off of the one borehole. Nancy worked on bio-sand water filters. Of course I supervised....or at least took lots of direction from Suzan! Dave and Terry and Charles came up later to add more help with the fish pond test pits, tractor etc. Brenda will be happy to know the ladies exhausted her supply of magazine papers and beads and a lot of necklaces were made! We had another market! My tub is full of stuff to sell! I found John....the child with hydrocephalus...we treated with the team in 2006. He was laying on the ground...no bed to rest his heavy head and with wounds on his head also, but was surprisingly well, and happy even though crippled, unable to sit or hold his head up.
His smile was so huge and he spoke in english.." Hi, How are you? I am fine" After going back and bringing him a mattress and sheets I asked him what color he wanted, He said, "yellow". However, I only had green or blue so he quickly chose blue. Amazing, how grateful he was to have something soft to lay on compared to the hard dirt ground...never once complaining. I pray for rest and comfort for him. He had a crippled 3 year old sister also. So hard for the Mom, yet she loves them and takes great care of them! She even took care of Christine, (our ICU patient )night and day while she was critical. Pray for them!

The other Billings ites left for america and Terry, myself, Suzan and Jackson and Charles ventured north to Kalongo, Sr. Mary Rose's home district and family village. This was Terry's first time experiencing travel through the LRA war torn areas....and a bumpy ride it was! We had a good car however and it was actually the best ride I have ever had through the remote country and camps! Once arriving Kalongo, we found an oasis at the foot of a mountain. It was so beautiful and so hard to imagine the devastation fallen these wonderful people and church mission hospital from the war. The sisters were amazing and Sr. Francisia (mother) took great care of us! The italians are that founded the mission hospital are pulling out their support as the "emergency is over". So they are in great need or the hospital will fold. The archbishop even visited while we were there...so we hope and pray for help for them. Small needs include help with sewing machines for the vocational students; milk for the children born from mothers with HIV/AIDS (many as men have raped and infected many women...so sad and terrible...another type of atrocity aimed at these acholi people), food for TB patients, fuel to run the oxygen for children with pnuemonia. Larger needs include new xray machines, echo and ultrasound. Doctors to teach the midwifery school, doctors to consult and work as there is no money left for wages. We stayed in a very guest house, the infrastructure of the hospital and premises were amazingly good since a Dr. Ambrosolini form Italy founded it 50 years ago. It is very very good for all of Uganda, however, even if they raise the fee to be seen from 200 shillings (20 cents) to 500 shillings (50 cents) the people cannot afford it. Pray for funding and a solution!

We also visited the village where Sr. Mary Rose is from..Wipolo...her brother still resides with his family in the camp. We saw their land where a church is built over a valley. It is so beautiful! They were so happy to hear of the oxen and plow and seeds coming to begin their ablility to farm their land once again and sustain themselves, giving self independence and self esteem and sustainability. We saw the lines waiting for World Food Programme handouts...which has been threatened to go away soon anyway, now that the emergency is over. The mother sister believes the LRA are still waiting and watching for an opportunity to come back. She relays, " Everyone, everyone has been traumatized....everyone has a story to tell".
We were served a feast in the middle of the day these people could not even afford....amazing respect, generosity and sacrifice.

From there, Terry and Charles went back to Kayunga to put the kids back in school. I went on to Kitgum to check on the Hope2OneLife health projects, visit Nancy and Bosco's family in the Awal IDP camp etc. More on this later! If the internet works. Not even sure this post will take...I hope so as it has been long in writing.

Love to all and thanks for the prayers, it is keeping me safe! Only had a few breakdowns with car batteries and tires in the middle of the bush! Luckily I had a lot of bubbles and vitamins (sweeties) so as to entertain the camp children...or better yet myself while in the heat awaiting the repairs!!

God Bless you,

Nadine (Abey...my new name)
Posted by Uganda Mission 2010 at 3:33 AM 0 comments
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sabbath Sunday
Back from the farm and onto Kayunga with the children sponsored by Billings families via AIDspirit, partners in Uganda with Kenny's brothers organization Tender Mercies outreach ministries....we were greeted by 10 children singing sad songs of loss and no parents who care...and there was not a dry eye! Bio-sand training, village teaching ensued and we hope for the deep water well to be drilled Monday, more village training on healing with clean water, bio-sand filters, village clinic, sickle cell clinics etc...all is sooo good and today was a day of rest and fun in Jinja!

Here goes from the team...

Hello once again. This is Brenda.Cant describe the experience in Africa. Will start work again in early am doing village teaching and clinics tomorrow afternoon. Will post more later.


Hello, this is Tom and Jean from AIDSpirit Montana and to say we are having a wonderful time is a mild understatement! We arrived in Kayunga onm Wed and we were greeted by several smiling faces of the wonderful children many of you sponsor. I took little time for Jean and I to choose our child, Rachel and make her ours. Se was rescued from a very hostile environment and she is now safe at Terder Mercies. Today Jean and I went shopping for her and tomorrow we will take her to the clinic for a check-up. Please keep praying for us as we do the work that we came here to do on your behalf.
Tom and Jean Jacques

Dave here...can't believe I leave in 3 days! The experience has been incredible...from Richard and Susan and the kids on the farm, the Oregon nurse team, the Billings team, and especially the People in Africa that I have met and am working with ! I love this place and need to figure out how to get back here....
Had a down day in Jinja .. paddled on the Nile River for a half day ...ran class 5 rapids - one flip but what a great trip!
Walked around Jinja this afternoon and shopped (as much as I could shop!). Heading back to Kayunga early tomorrow to oversee the borehole....hopefully everything goes as planned...
That is all for now...Peace
Dave
Posted by Uganda Mission 2010 at 10:21 AM 0 comments
Friday, January 16, 2009
Back from the Farm
Hi! We have had a fabulous week on the family empowerment farm in rakayata village near Masindi. All went amazingly well and we have been very blessed! Thanks for the prayers! They sure have carried us and those we have met along the way. Next stop is seeing crippled Roger and then on our way to Kayunga to meet up with Kenny's brother Prichard and the second montana team from AIDSpirit. The internet is terrible so will write again when possible..

Here are a few posts from the team....

\hello every one...what a great experience....the people the country Richard and Susan are terriffic \hosts....they have taken care of all of us...\nadine is a great organizer...\love to all Carol ie jaja..

Greetings from the Oregon group!--

Words cannot grasp the incredible experience we have had in Masindi at Canaan Farm. Beyond all the troubles and strife the families have faced, they are amazingly warm, happy and beautiful people. We are all honored to have met such strong and inspiring folk.

We are also thankful for having this experience to build our nursing foundation on. The Montana group has been wonderful teachers and letting us participate in health care. It is so fortunate that we all clicked so well and were able to work well together. Although we are parting ways (Oregon is off to Fort Portal to work with orphaned children), this is certainly not the last time we will be together...

Hello all this is Brenda. Time is flying by here. You know how they say time fly's when u r having fun. We have been doing LOTS of very rewarding work. But also have been having an experience of a lifetime. We have prepared and planted gardens and completed them with drip irrigations, have built biosand filters and treated many sick people. We have left the farm today and are now starting second phase of mission. Have so many stories to share but will stay brief for now.

Leigh here.... emailing from Africa seems to be a big challenge, so I will say a quick hello to everybody. Uganda is an amazing country filled with beautiful countryside and beautiful people. I can't wait to share all our pictures when we can!! I hope all is happy and healthy at home, and I have to say I am not missing the cold weather. Hugs to all.

More from the rest later....will post this before the power goes down!

Love to all, \nadine
Posted by Uganda Mission 2010 at 6:00 AM 0 comments
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Hallelujah! We made it to Uganda!
We met up with the 5 graduate nursing students from Oregon, joining us on the first leg of the trip to the Family Empowerment Farm....Graham, Beth, Maura, Rebecca, Rachel.
All of us, the tubs etc made it in one piece amd customs was a breeze. We stayed in Entebbe overnight and are now in Kampala doing the money change, some shopping etc.
This internet is soooo slow so will keep it short.

Next step is on to Masindi in our own hired bus and all the stuff!

All are feeling very well and happy to be here!

Nadine