The morning at school went very smoothly. It feels like we finally have gotten used to our new routine. It was a very exciting day because Zeke's began sounding out words and read his first small booklet with a few 3-letter words! Kindergarten is off to a good start. The other classes went very well also. Our weekly school schedule includes ending early on Fridays in order to make it possible for families to go to town if needed.
Our school day finished at 1pm and David did not even get a lunch break before going straight to working on a problem with the water system. We had some leaks that of course require parts that can only be purchased in Kampala. David asked Jonathan to get a plumber and me to take care of the money because it was time for him to speak at the conference. We both had hoped to hear him teach, but things needed to be done.
After arranging things for the plumber, I went to the conference. It was a good opportunity to have some small group discussions and teaching sessions on important topics for young adults. I was asked to teach the final session on "Expressing the love of God to others." I wanted to make sure that the students understood that Jesus' sacrificial love in redeeming us is what frees us to love others. Most of my teaching came from I John. Here is an excerpt of what I taught about:
After the teaching, one of the young men asked David for some work during his school break. We obviously cannot provide jobs for everyone who asks, but David often tries to find some work for the young men connected with GSF who are wanting to work during a school break. After the conversation was over, David, Jonathan and I went to the van to drive up to our house. We had driven the van rather than walked because of some of the water issues. As we opened the van doors a rat came running from the back of the van and jumped into the front, disappearing somewhere near where my feet usually go. I decided to let Jonathan ride in front with David and the rat.
We returned to the house and tried to find our new hidden passenger for some time, without success. Eventually we just decided to set a trap and move on. Soon after setting the trap, a Ugandan friend stopped by who was traveling back from Kampala on his way to Jinja. We hadn't seen him much, so it was good to catch up a bit. Around dinnertime, our friends left and I thought, "It will be fun to have a quiet night at home, just our family." We had planned to eat some fish sandwiches and then watch a family movie and make popcorn. We enjoyed our family dinner together and began our movie before the phone rang. Jonathan was calling because a woman in our church was having some complications with her delivery. I had visited her on Tuesday and she was having strong labor pains. This was now Friday night. Obviously something was wrong. She had gone to a nurse in a neighboring village but she did not know why the baby was not coming. The mother was in a great deal of pain. As a single man, Jonathan was not wanting to go on his own. David and I talked and decided that I should go with Jonathan to help in this situation. I had a relationship with the family already, and as a woman I could help in ways that he could not. We went and found the woman and her family. She was obviously in great pain, and I helped some family members carry her to the van. She asked me to sit with her and pray. Jonathan drove the "ambulance," aka church van, aka Fish family van, aka rat house, to the hospital quickly on the dirt roads. I prayed as much as I could in Luganda and then in English as we drove. When we arrived at the hospital, I ran in, found a wheelchair and brought her to the maternity ward. I explained her situation as best as I understood and then found a family member to come and explain what they knew. At this hospital there is a doctor and nurses on staff even at night. They examined her and explained what they thought the problem might be and a solution. I won't go into details, but the were going to try to delivery naturally and avoid an emergency C-section. They had monitored the baby's heart rate and it seemed fine. The would periodically check that and give a bit of time to see if the mother could deliver without the C-section. After some time, a family member brought something and asked me to take it into the delivery room with to the mother. I walked in and immediately thought about how different my experience of having babies in America was from this current situation. In the delivery room there were three beds with a sheet separating the mothers in labor. Since my friend had been taken to the 3rd bed, I had to walk past the other women who were delivering. After giving my friend the item I was sent with, I asked her if she wanted me to stay, to wait outside, or to go. She wanted me to stay in the delivery room with her to pray with her and hold her hand. I asked again a few more times in other ways, but she kept asking me to stay and to come closer. I heard the delivery of two other babies as I prayed with her, sang worship songs for her and tried to encourage her as much as I was able in Luganda. She does not speak English. Finally around 1am, the baby was delivered. I was so thankful to God when this child cried and showed that she had survived. It was a beautiful baby girl! During the delivery there was one nurse/midwife in the delivery room. She delivered the baby, wrapped it up in whatever the mom brought with her for the baby, used the razor blades that the mother brought to cut the umbilical cord, then set the baby on a table and took care of the mother. After about 10 minutes she came back to the baby, weighed it, cleaned it a bit, and wrapped it up in blankets to take with the mother to the recovery room. This is one room with maybe 8 beds for the mothers to share with their newborns. The families were also there in the room. The family of my friend was so relieved to see the mother and baby both alive and healthy after such a long difficult labor. Isn't she beautiful?
I was exhausted from standing for hours while coaching and encouraging my friend through her labor, but I was also relieved, thankful, and joyful for God's care for this woman and her child after days of labor. Several times earlier in the evening when I was tired, I was thinking about how I could go home and get some rest. Then God brought to mind all of the verses that I had taught earlier in the day. This was an opportunity that God had provided to put into practice the things that I taught. Be careful what you teach... Once everyone had seen the mother and baby, we drove some of the family home. At about 2am, I reached home and took a very good shower. Sometime after 3am I finally fell asleep.
The next morning our children were up early, therefore so was I. Around 8am we received a message that the mother and baby were ready to be discharged. I finished my breakfast of homemade pancakes made by Esther and prepared to go pick them up. We arrived sometime after 9am for various reasons and found that while the mother and baby were ready, the cashier was not yet there in order for them to pay their bill. After about an hour, the weekend manager agreed to take the payment and write the receipt. Then we were supposed to go to the pharmacy at the hospital to get the medications the mother needed. But of course the pharmacist was not there. She was "on her way, coming" for about 2 hours before she finally arrived. At noon we finally brought everyone home and praised God together. He graciously carried me through a very long day and gave me his strength and love for those he brought into my path. Now I am praying that God also gives me that strength, patience and gracious love as I interact with my family after not getting nearly enough sleep.
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him. Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth. - I John 3:16-18I am learning that when David or I teach about something, we are often given the opportunity to put those things into practice very soon...
After the teaching, one of the young men asked David for some work during his school break. We obviously cannot provide jobs for everyone who asks, but David often tries to find some work for the young men connected with GSF who are wanting to work during a school break. After the conversation was over, David, Jonathan and I went to the van to drive up to our house. We had driven the van rather than walked because of some of the water issues. As we opened the van doors a rat came running from the back of the van and jumped into the front, disappearing somewhere near where my feet usually go. I decided to let Jonathan ride in front with David and the rat.
We returned to the house and tried to find our new hidden passenger for some time, without success. Eventually we just decided to set a trap and move on. Soon after setting the trap, a Ugandan friend stopped by who was traveling back from Kampala on his way to Jinja. We hadn't seen him much, so it was good to catch up a bit. Around dinnertime, our friends left and I thought, "It will be fun to have a quiet night at home, just our family." We had planned to eat some fish sandwiches and then watch a family movie and make popcorn. We enjoyed our family dinner together and began our movie before the phone rang. Jonathan was calling because a woman in our church was having some complications with her delivery. I had visited her on Tuesday and she was having strong labor pains. This was now Friday night. Obviously something was wrong. She had gone to a nurse in a neighboring village but she did not know why the baby was not coming. The mother was in a great deal of pain. As a single man, Jonathan was not wanting to go on his own. David and I talked and decided that I should go with Jonathan to help in this situation. I had a relationship with the family already, and as a woman I could help in ways that he could not. We went and found the woman and her family. She was obviously in great pain, and I helped some family members carry her to the van. She asked me to sit with her and pray. Jonathan drove the "ambulance," aka church van, aka Fish family van, aka rat house, to the hospital quickly on the dirt roads. I prayed as much as I could in Luganda and then in English as we drove. When we arrived at the hospital, I ran in, found a wheelchair and brought her to the maternity ward. I explained her situation as best as I understood and then found a family member to come and explain what they knew. At this hospital there is a doctor and nurses on staff even at night. They examined her and explained what they thought the problem might be and a solution. I won't go into details, but the were going to try to delivery naturally and avoid an emergency C-section. They had monitored the baby's heart rate and it seemed fine. The would periodically check that and give a bit of time to see if the mother could deliver without the C-section. After some time, a family member brought something and asked me to take it into the delivery room with to the mother. I walked in and immediately thought about how different my experience of having babies in America was from this current situation. In the delivery room there were three beds with a sheet separating the mothers in labor. Since my friend had been taken to the 3rd bed, I had to walk past the other women who were delivering. After giving my friend the item I was sent with, I asked her if she wanted me to stay, to wait outside, or to go. She wanted me to stay in the delivery room with her to pray with her and hold her hand. I asked again a few more times in other ways, but she kept asking me to stay and to come closer. I heard the delivery of two other babies as I prayed with her, sang worship songs for her and tried to encourage her as much as I was able in Luganda. She does not speak English. Finally around 1am, the baby was delivered. I was so thankful to God when this child cried and showed that she had survived. It was a beautiful baby girl! During the delivery there was one nurse/midwife in the delivery room. She delivered the baby, wrapped it up in whatever the mom brought with her for the baby, used the razor blades that the mother brought to cut the umbilical cord, then set the baby on a table and took care of the mother. After about 10 minutes she came back to the baby, weighed it, cleaned it a bit, and wrapped it up in blankets to take with the mother to the recovery room. This is one room with maybe 8 beds for the mothers to share with their newborns. The families were also there in the room. The family of my friend was so relieved to see the mother and baby both alive and healthy after such a long difficult labor. Isn't she beautiful?
I was exhausted from standing for hours while coaching and encouraging my friend through her labor, but I was also relieved, thankful, and joyful for God's care for this woman and her child after days of labor. Several times earlier in the evening when I was tired, I was thinking about how I could go home and get some rest. Then God brought to mind all of the verses that I had taught earlier in the day. This was an opportunity that God had provided to put into practice the things that I taught. Be careful what you teach... Once everyone had seen the mother and baby, we drove some of the family home. At about 2am, I reached home and took a very good shower. Sometime after 3am I finally fell asleep.
The next morning our children were up early, therefore so was I. Around 8am we received a message that the mother and baby were ready to be discharged. I finished my breakfast of homemade pancakes made by Esther and prepared to go pick them up. We arrived sometime after 9am for various reasons and found that while the mother and baby were ready, the cashier was not yet there in order for them to pay their bill. After about an hour, the weekend manager agreed to take the payment and write the receipt. Then we were supposed to go to the pharmacy at the hospital to get the medications the mother needed. But of course the pharmacist was not there. She was "on her way, coming" for about 2 hours before she finally arrived. At noon we finally brought everyone home and praised God together. He graciously carried me through a very long day and gave me his strength and love for those he brought into my path. Now I am praying that God also gives me that strength, patience and gracious love as I interact with my family after not getting nearly enough sleep.
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