I have so many things that I want to post right now, but time is a HOT commodity! I will do my best to post the main things, but they won't be in order of occurrence. For now, this story was just too funny, so I have to share it first.
As you may know from our recent prayer request, one of our students, Pamela, has been suffering from Typhoid. I took her to the hospital last Thursday (this is Monday). She had to stay in the hospital from Thursday to Sunday morning.
We brought her back to school just after mid-day on Sunday but she has to go back for out-patient treatment every day at 6pm. Riding in the car is a bit rough when your sick. Imagine the worst dirt road you've ever seen, or the worst concrete road with huge potholes. The dirt roads here aren't just rough from dirt and rocks. They have potholes, more like craters.
So, as we drive, Pamela cries out in pain as her stomach tightens up. Of course, Typhoid brings diarrhea, so that is a concern. Last night, as we drove home from the hospital, Pamela's stomach cramps were getting worse as I drove. It's a toss up between driving fast to just get to the destination as quickly as possible or driving slowly to lesser the effects of the car. Sometimes slower is rougher, so there is a fine line between too fast or too slow. :)
Anyway, I had taken another student, Birungi Tracy, along with me to help me if Pamela needed something. Pamela is a bit young, so she doesn't always know the English words and I don't know enough Luganda. The student I took along speaks pretty good English and she speaks up so that I can hear her. As I'm driving, she tells me that Pamela needs a toilet.
I pull over to the side of the road where there wasn't a hut, and got out to help her. I had brought along a basin (to use like a bed pan or for vomiting should the need arise), but Pamela just refused to use it there on the side of the road. No matter what I suggested, she couldn't bring herself to do it. I can't say that I blame her, but sometimes necessity whens.
Anyway, Tracy and I got back in the car and I decided to just drive faster to get back to school. Not much later Tracy was telling me that Pamela needs a toilet and Pamela was crying even more. Suddenly, an idea came to me. I knew the home of one of our day students was in the next village and I know the mom. I would stop at their place to ask for help. Mama Aida does speak a little English, and fortunately, Tracy could help me communicate whatever Mama Aida didn't understand.
So, I pull up on the road in that village and was so grateful to see Mama Aida sitting out in front of their home preparing the afternoon meal. I parked and Tracy and I got out. I left Tyler to watch Pamela in the car. I made the proper greetings and then began to ask for a favor. She wasn't understanding me, so I asked Tracy to step in.
As soon as I saw the big grin on Mama Aida's face and she looked at the car, I knew she understood. From where we were, you could just see Pamela's feet as she laid down in the bench seat of the van. We went to the car, I picked Pamela up, and followed Mama Aida. I had never been to this part of the village because there is usually no need to take visitors behind the home to the latrine. Pamela used the latrine and Mama Aida went for toilet paper (I have to remember to just put some in the car). At that time, our student, Aida, came up. She had been fetching wood to make the fire for the family meal. She was surprised to see me on a late Sunday evening. She brought some soap and a jerrican of water for Pamela to wash her hands.
I gave Mama Aida a big thanks, which I was grateful to be able to do in her own language. She gave a huge smile and laughed. She's a mom, so she understands the craziness that we can go through to care for our kids. I think that is a universal understanding. We loaded in the car and made it back to the school without any further incident.
Needless to say, God provided for us and it was a little hectic but even full of joy as I shared that moment of craziness with Mama Aida. It was a great reminder of the importance of relationships. It also brought back memories of books I've read about the old days in America. When someone would pass through town and a stranger would welcome them in with a hot bowl of something to eat and drink. You couldn't just stop at the local convenience store and continue through a place without talking to anyone. Progress brings a lot of good things, but we also lose some good things.
On a related note, Floyd made a new friend at the hospital when we went to pick up Pamela on Sunday.
As you may know from our recent prayer request, one of our students, Pamela, has been suffering from Typhoid. I took her to the hospital last Thursday (this is Monday). She had to stay in the hospital from Thursday to Sunday morning.We brought her back to school just after mid-day on Sunday but she has to go back for out-patient treatment every day at 6pm. Riding in the car is a bit rough when your sick. Imagine the worst dirt road you've ever seen, or the worst concrete road with huge potholes. The dirt roads here aren't just rough from dirt and rocks. They have potholes, more like craters.
So, as we drive, Pamela cries out in pain as her stomach tightens up. Of course, Typhoid brings diarrhea, so that is a concern. Last night, as we drove home from the hospital, Pamela's stomach cramps were getting worse as I drove. It's a toss up between driving fast to just get to the destination as quickly as possible or driving slowly to lesser the effects of the car. Sometimes slower is rougher, so there is a fine line between too fast or too slow. :)
Anyway, I had taken another student, Birungi Tracy, along with me to help me if Pamela needed something. Pamela is a bit young, so she doesn't always know the English words and I don't know enough Luganda. The student I took along speaks pretty good English and she speaks up so that I can hear her. As I'm driving, she tells me that Pamela needs a toilet.
I pull over to the side of the road where there wasn't a hut, and got out to help her. I had brought along a basin (to use like a bed pan or for vomiting should the need arise), but Pamela just refused to use it there on the side of the road. No matter what I suggested, she couldn't bring herself to do it. I can't say that I blame her, but sometimes necessity whens.
Anyway, Tracy and I got back in the car and I decided to just drive faster to get back to school. Not much later Tracy was telling me that Pamela needs a toilet and Pamela was crying even more. Suddenly, an idea came to me. I knew the home of one of our day students was in the next village and I know the mom. I would stop at their place to ask for help. Mama Aida does speak a little English, and fortunately, Tracy could help me communicate whatever Mama Aida didn't understand.
So, I pull up on the road in that village and was so grateful to see Mama Aida sitting out in front of their home preparing the afternoon meal. I parked and Tracy and I got out. I left Tyler to watch Pamela in the car. I made the proper greetings and then began to ask for a favor. She wasn't understanding me, so I asked Tracy to step in.
As soon as I saw the big grin on Mama Aida's face and she looked at the car, I knew she understood. From where we were, you could just see Pamela's feet as she laid down in the bench seat of the van. We went to the car, I picked Pamela up, and followed Mama Aida. I had never been to this part of the village because there is usually no need to take visitors behind the home to the latrine. Pamela used the latrine and Mama Aida went for toilet paper (I have to remember to just put some in the car). At that time, our student, Aida, came up. She had been fetching wood to make the fire for the family meal. She was surprised to see me on a late Sunday evening. She brought some soap and a jerrican of water for Pamela to wash her hands.
I gave Mama Aida a big thanks, which I was grateful to be able to do in her own language. She gave a huge smile and laughed. She's a mom, so she understands the craziness that we can go through to care for our kids. I think that is a universal understanding. We loaded in the car and made it back to the school without any further incident.
Needless to say, God provided for us and it was a little hectic but even full of joy as I shared that moment of craziness with Mama Aida. It was a great reminder of the importance of relationships. It also brought back memories of books I've read about the old days in America. When someone would pass through town and a stranger would welcome them in with a hot bowl of something to eat and drink. You couldn't just stop at the local convenience store and continue through a place without talking to anyone. Progress brings a lot of good things, but we also lose some good things.
On a related note, Floyd made a new friend at the hospital when we went to pick up Pamela on Sunday.
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