first stop, bwaise

today we held our first medical clinic in the slum of bwaise (pronounced bwy-zee). we were told it would be one of the slower clinics but by slow they meant hundreds of people instead of like thousands I guess. today, I was able to take vitals for the patients needing to be seen by the doctors. a girl helping out from another organization that was a nursing student was shocked to learn that I wasn't even in a nursing program yet. she thought that I was already a nurse because of how well I was doing. made me really happy. it was so amazing to see how intricate each of our team members' roles were in this experience. we had nurses and medical students like myself takin vitals. we needed people to work in the pharmacy portion of the clinic and for that we had nurses, a paramedic, a few regulars that either live here or have been on previous trips here, and some brand new nonmedical people. we had three ugandan doctors and others helping to translate at the stations that needed it. we had a group passing out deworming tablets, sweeties, biscuits, and toys as well as people working crowd control and moving the lines in a somewhat organized fashion. always important. we had two awesome girls with no previous experience feel called to work with those needing glasses. they starting asking their patients if they could pray for them which turned into them praying over everyone who needed it. they poured out their hearts and were exhausted and overwhelmed by the end of the day. we are so blessed to have the team that we do and it's amazing how everyone from all over the world, from different backgrounds, and with different skills and professions can come together and do amazing things through our God that orchestrated this entire trip. we are so blessed to interact with the people we do and go the places we've been. it's all so natural being here in an unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar team meeting hundreds of new people and kids every day. so blessed.

praise God. be blessed as you listen.

so day two started out pretty early for all of us. I woke up at 5:30am, no alarm needed and mostly everyone else was up before their alarms went off too whether it be because they went to bed at 8:30 the night before or because they had trouble sleeping the first night. we had breakfast, worship and a devotional which was on Corinthians 13 (one of my favs) before heading out for the day. first stop was to go back to the new creation center school where 75 kids call us auntie and uncle and sing us songs of gratitude for the things they are blessed with. everytime one of these precious kids spoke they said, "praise God.", introduced the song, and then said "be blessed as you listen." they are all great singers and dancers... super animated and passionate as they sang. from the fun and crazy sons where we got up and danced and jumped around with them, to the serious songs with eyes closed and hands open. we had a lot of fun with them and they all loved hanging out with us. we danced a lot and try taught us their african-style moves. the kids had lunch and we got to try what's called portia. not sure of the spelling but its supposed to be a cream of wheat kind of thing but thick like rice. I thought it was good so I ate beans and portia for lunch with the kids. after that, we went into one of the slums to pass out deworming tablets as well as candy (called sweets or sweeties) and cookies (called biscuits). the deworming tablets are passed out every six months by a team from loving one by one ministries and it's important because if these people he worms then the little nutrition they may be getting will be consumed by the worms. there were so many kids and once we got done passing out our stuff, we played with them, walked with them, danced with them, and just got rearly dirty with them. it was a long day but always worth it. at one point I was sitting with a group of kids when one older girl had a seizure. luckily, I got to her pretty quickly and sent other to get help since we have some awesome medical staff on this trip. a lady who's a very experienced nurse on our team came over and we helped the girl, margaret, recover. we walked her to where she lives and talked with her care taker. she has a history of epilepsy and after moving, wasn't able to afford thru medication that used to be given to her for free. the nurse, who's name is also margaret, talked with sherry, or director and we were able to get the girl a year supply of her medicine. so awesome. I am so in love with this place and these people. trips like this are life changing even after bein on several missions trips. there are a lot of similarities between haiti and uganda by i've also found a lot of differences. it's neat bein in a new place and feeling really at home and at ease with everything around. the weather i,s nice. little hot during the day nut the humidity is more than tolerable. and one of my biggest praises at the moment... the mosquitoes have not seem to noticed me. not one bite. I'm taking garlic pills but haven't really been using bug spray. woohoo! we stopped by the new creation family home which only has about 16 kids and was where we hung out for a good chunk of the day yesterday. just from that one interaction, the kids already love their auntie and uncles. we got little notes that the kids will write and then just pass out to several of us and we got notes from specific kids to specific people on the team. I hung out with sharon for most of the time spent there so she gave me a note today that she worth for me. so cute. these kids are the sweetest. I'm so happy to be here and our team is very dynamic but everyone is gettin along so well. I apparently sleep the lest of everyone so once again, I'm the last one up. time to get some sleep for another big day tomorrow. medical clinic number one.

sunday-tuesday

after two red eye flights and no sleep, we made it bright and early to uganda on tuesday. there were no crowds, not a lot of noise, and a beautiful scenic view. totally unexpected. we loaded the buses, changed out some money, ate some pizza, and then went to check out where we'd be staying. there's over 20 of us that met up here to serve together and from all over the world. we got to all officially go around the room and introduce ourselves after dinner since we came from different places and different flights. before that though we got to visit the school where 75 african refugees get to hear about Jesus and get an education. after that, we visited our specific orphanage and met the darling kids there. amazing! they are all so full of joy and energy and gratitude. they sang us songs, huged us, and walked us around. I had one girl even do my hair for me. we had a great day but it's been a long journey already so it's time to sleep and get ready for the rest of the week! back off mosquitoes...

buh-bye america

the day is finally here! i'm taking off on a new adventure that God has planned for me, which is great because quite frankly, i'm not sure what to expect. i know whatever we do, it will be wonderful and heart breaking all in one. i get to play nurse once again and care for the orphans, the widows, the sick, the poor, the grief-stricken, and the lost. we're all praying to be used in a big way so we're ready to see God move through us and the people of Uganda. we have a lot of flying to get through first so pray for sanity, health, and sleep because i'm going to need it all! hopefully i am able to update this blog daily so you can share in my experiences with me. thanks for praying and showing your love and support.

>onemonth

every summer i an given the opportunity to partake on an amazing adventure in the missions field and it is such a blessing. i am counting down the days until uganda and am particularly excited for this trip because it is so different from my past trips. first off, i'm going to uganda instead of haiti, a major distance difference. we will be 10 hours ahead over there in africa and i don't even want to think about how long i will be cooped up on a plane to get there. i have a layover in london where i will be meeting my team for the very first time. normally, i'm going to meetings and in constant communication with my team in preparation for our communal embarkment. i have one good friend that i'm going with so that will help because honestly, this could be a little overwhelming but i'm ready to see the team that God has assembled! another huge difference that i'm excited about is the focus of the trip. domestically and internationally i have a huge heart for the needy, the hungry, the misfortunate, and the forgotten. my heart breaks for those out on the streets, the ones who feel unloved, unwanted, and lost in desperation. we will be reaching out the people in the slums of their country, showing them that God cares and loves them. a passion was ignited in me back in january 2010 to join the medical force and here i am, ready to serve. i have learned so much over the past two years and i am ready to help and grow in anyway i can for the benefit of others. being able to participate in medical clinics is something that is heavy on my heart. my purpose for schooling and drive for my career as a nurse is all for aid of others. this job isn't for me, it's to serve others and to serve a God who called me out to do His work.

"the Lord heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds." -psalm 147:3

we are His hands and feet, ready and able to do His work through the power of Jesus Christ that lives in me. be free. be healed. in His name, amen.