Nutrition Graduates

We see so many hungry children.  Starving children.  Malnourished children.  It is so encouraging to see some Nutrition Program graduates!  They came to us malnourished, but months later, they are healthy and receiving food support only on a monthly basis!

Hut to Hut

I had the awesome privilege of going Hut to Hut visiting with the Crestwood team.  It was great to visit the homes of six families and share the Gospel with them.  Two women received Christ and we were able to encourage many believers.

The Joy of New Residents!

We have two new residents!

Marvin

Sarah

I love getting new residents.  I love seeing the happiness on the faces of the parents or guardians when we tell them that we would like for their child to live at the VOE.  It is a look of relief.  One less mouth to feed.  One less child to provide medical care for.  One less child to pay school fees for.  And, as an add bonus, they grow up with mzungus! 

I also love seeing the children as they adapt to their new home.  They learn that they are safe. They will always be fed.  They will always be able to go to school.  They will be loved. 

I must say, of all I do, this is one of my favorites!

The Purpose of a Life

Baby Sumaya came into our life for such a short time but she has made a huge impact on her community!

Sumaya was only an infant when she died.  She suffered from epilepsy, blindness and a hole in her heart.  We tried everything possible to save her, but God had other plans.

I believe one of those plans was for the Gospel to be shared at her burial!  Her family is Muslim.  

During the month that we tried to help Sumaya, God worked in the heart of her father.  In the end, he asked us to pray for her, to God not Allah.  And, upon her death, he asked us to conduct a Christian burial service!  This is huge in the Muslim community!

However, the other Muslim family members would not allow the child to buried in a Christian service.  The father did allow us to preach the Gospel at the burial!  An entire community of Muslim men and women heard the Good News of Jesus Christ!  All because of a sweet, precious baby!

Love times Three!

We have had three triplets living with us for the past 2 weeks.  I call them the Sweet Peas because of their names – Paris, Evelyn and Anna – P-E-A.

They are 8 months this month, July.  When they first came to us, a premie size diaper and onesie fit them perfectly!  They are malnourished.  The mother is unable to produce enough milk to provide for all three babies.

Anna is the runt.  She weighed less than 4 kilos when she came!  That is less than 7 pounds, at 7 months old!

We have been feeding Anna with a bottle and formula, while we taught the mother how to better provide for the other two.

I must say, I have grown attached to these little rug rats!

The plan is to send them home on Saturday and have them return each day for follow up.  We are planning to give the mother a job at the VOE so that we can help to provide the food that the family needs and also keep checking on the babies.

I admit that I am worried about the future of these babies.  But, I must trust God to provide and  care for them.

Trusting God is Difficult!

Growing up in the USA, I remember my parents always telling me to eat my vegetables!  I also cannot remember a single time that I went hungry because there was no food!  Ever. There was always more than enough.  Usually, Mom would cook enough to have leftovers for the next day's lunch.  I was never in want for food.

Unfortunately, that is not the case here in Uganda.  We are seeing more and more cases of malnourishment here.  Everyone here is at risk and affected to some degree but children below the age of 5 are especially at risk.  

Literally, every day, mothers come to the medical clinic seeking help for their starving children.

The first child that comes to mind is Sylivia.  She was the first malnourished chlld I had been directly involved with.  I remember holding her and being afraid that she would die in my arms.  As you know, she did not die, God healed her and now she is a healthy little girl that loves to play and laugh. (See posts from November 2015)

Ivan was the second child that I have been involved with.  I must say, he stole my heart.  He was so small, so weak and had such a HUGE head (because of hydrocephalus ).  He had surgery on his head and we fed him around the clock every three hours.  He recently graduated from the program!  His little legs and arms are actually fat now!  I love it!

Word has spread and now we have women coming from all over.  We have had two new babies come recently; Samaya and Anna.

Samaya is 9 months old, but a premie onesie is too big for her!  She is terribly malnourished and suffers from epilepsy.  I must admit that when I hold her in my arms, my hand completely covering her back, my heart breaks for her. I tend to wonder is there is any hope for her.  

But, one day, as these thoughts of doubt were running through my mind, I saw Sylivia , sitting in a chair on the porch, looking at me through the open door and smiling.  God spoke to me right then, "Remember her?  You thought she would die too.  But I have healed her.  Remember, I am in control.  Nothing YOU are doing will heal her.  I am the Great Healer."

Wow!  What a lesson!  You would think I would have learned it right then, holding that tiny baby and looking at that healthy girl.  But I didn't.

Again, a mother came, this time, the mother of triplets! the third born, Anna, is not getting enough breast milk.  She is 5 months old and tiny.

I took her, her sisters, and her mother home one day and my heart broke!  A tiny one room place.  The mother showed me where to lay the child I was holding.  It was just on the cement floor with a sheet underneath her!  I laid her down and she started screaming.  I picked her up again, unwilling to leave her in such a place.

I looked around, noticed day old boiled potatoes and nothing else to eat.  There was one mattress and one old mosquito net.  My heart broke.  How could I leave these babies here?  I would like to say that the Lord spoke to me again and told me that He was in control.  But He didn't speak right then.  I had to leave the babies, unwillingly.

Later, as I was sharing with Brenda about the conditions of the home, the Lord spoke through Brenda.  She said, "Well, I guess we need to open a baby house and let those triplets be the first residents!"  My jaw dropped but I jumped on the idea!

Actually, that is not at all the way it went.  She ACTUALLY said, "You have to realize that we can only do the best we can and trust the Lord to do the rest."  

Ugh.  That was not what I wanted to hear. But I knew it was correct.  I would like to say that I have learned the lesson God is teaching me.  I would like to say that my heart does not hurt, even now, as I write, while I think of these children.  I cannot say that.  I have a huge lump in my throat right now and a tear in my eye.  Trusting God is difficult sometimes.

But, I am trying and I am "working out my faith."  I am also loving on those babies every chance I get and mixing those bottles!

My heart has been stolen!

A few days before I returned to Uganda, Brenda sent me an email of a malnourished child.  She informed me that he was living with us temporarily and asked if I remembered our 2:00 AM feedings.   

That picture broke my heart!  That image also stayed on my mind as I traveled back.

Ivan is not only malnourished, but he also has hydrocephalus - a condition which causes your brain to fill with water.

The first day I arrived, I could not believe my eyes.  Ivan's head was huge, he could not roll over because his body was too small and weak to move his head!

After Brenda returned to the US, a week after my arrival, I took over two of her feeding times - 4:00 and 7:00 AM.  I had the priveledge of waking him  and his mother each morning to remind her to breast feed and then I would prepare a bottle for him as a supplement.

I would also enjoy holding him and talking nonsense to him so that his mother could have a break. He loves to be bounced softly while I speak random, nonsensical words.  He would stop crying and purse his lips at me, his huge eyes rolling around in that head.  I must admit, I could not last long, my arm quickly tiring from the weight of the his head. I would guess it weighed 6 pounds!

On Wednesday, May 4, I took Ivan to a special hospital in Mbale because his head was continuing to grow, becoming more and more dangerous.  The doctor immediately decided to admit him after pulling away the blanket and seeing his head.  I questioned her about the risk of hydrocephalus versus his severe malnutrition.  She said if we waited to operate, his head size would interfere with his feeding, so we were in a trap, so to speak.  She assured me they had done surgery on smaller babies than this!

I prayed over Christine and Ivan and left.  Nervous.  Asking for prayers for both of them.

I returned on Friday to find a completely different baby! Christine met me outside, so happy to see me. She took me into ICU and showed me Ivan!  His head was half the size!  I would of have recognized him if she had not showed me!  He was laying there so peaceful, licking his fingers!  I was so happy and relieved. I praised God right there.

I let them again and returned on Sunday because he has been discharged!  Just 3 days after surgery he was discharged.  Christine was so happy to see us again.  Ivan was peacefully sleeping on his bed. When we arrived at the VOE again, she told Beatrace to tell me thank you.  I told her it was God who she should thank.  She said that she is so thankful that Ivan is okay and alive.  She said, "while I was there, three babies died!  This scared me but I am thankful for Helping Hands for coming here and helping people."  I told her again that she should be thankful to the Lord, He is the one who deserves the praise.

Now they are  with us again at the VOE.  Ivan is still malnourished.  I imagine his head will continue to shrink.  The feedings every three hours have begun again.  I was so happy to get up this morning to feed him at 4:00.  Happy that he is alive.  Happy that God is healing him!