WABBIT SEASON!

Uganda has 2 seasons “Wet” and “Dry”. I am trying to figure out when one starts and one ends. I get many responses but the general consensus is that we are now in “rainy season” being November.  I am told that it rains the month of November through the end of December though less in December. I am also told it can still rain in January and that the weather patterns have been changing here along with the changes in the rest of the world.  There are 2 rainy seasons with the second one being in March or April.

I am from Portland and rainy season lasts from mid October often until the 4^th of July. It can rain daily for months in Portland. Here in Uganda, it will rain usually 1-2 x day. The rain tends to be heavy and intense, but there is usually some reprieve with sun or partly cloudy skies.

The rainy seasons are the seasons for planting. Along with the rains come the grasshoppers. People look forward to the grasshoppers unlike in the States where the locusts are considered a pestilence. They smile and are jubilant when they ask if I have started to see the grasshoppers. WHY? You ask? Good question. This is because they EAT them!

YES! Grasshoppers are considered a delicacy and a treat! All the vendors on the roads are selling fried grasshoppers. Sister Angela was telling me that the sisters in Germany where she stayed used to scream when they saw the Grasshoppers and were aghast that she found them so delightful to eat. We laughed about this and I swore I would NEVER put an insect into my mouth.

RULE NUMBER 1: “Never Say Never!”

I had the opportunity to meet an old CMMB (Catholic Medical Mission Board) alumnus on Wed of this week. It was a fun experience getting out and seeing the craziness of life. It took nearly 45 min to go no more than 5 miles by boda boda on the other side of town. We wove through traffic within inches of cars and trucks. I kept my eyes closed much of this time and prayed we’d make it there in one piece.

Cameron and Molly had been there for over 1 year. Molly is a nurse working in an outpatient clinic and Cameron Is a landscape architect teaching in a local college.  They were drawn here through their love of travel and their call to help people of all nations.  Molly is pregnant and expecting in January. Given the poor level of medical care in Uganda, they have to make the tough decision of whether or not to return to the States.

It was easy to find them at our meeting point, the “Italian Supermarket”, as there are few Muzungus here. There is also nothing Italian about the market save for the name. Following greetings, Cameron handed me a bag offering, YES, grasshoppers. UGH! OK…I decided to be brave especially since he was popping them in his mouth one after the other like candy. He reassured me they were very good. He handed me one pulling off a leg that remained there accidently. It was actually pretty good tasting and feeling like a sweet French fry though juicier. I couldn’t get over the fact there had been an insect in my mouth so I politely declined any more.

I was happy to get out and see the life of a different part of the city. This was an area that was hopping with nightlife and café’s, with music and vendors. The vendors had all types of foods including roasted whole chickens (the size of Cornish game hens), fried meats on skewers and chapattis. All smelled very good as we weaved through the stands to the Ethiopian restaurant. The evenings all around the city have the feel of a carnival celebration. Fridays and Saturdays are usually livelier than even the weeknights.

People work late usually returning home by 6-7 PM.  They use the vendors for supper and for some down time before starting the difficulties of life all over again the next day.  Father Raymond often speaks about the habit of the locals spending every penny they earn. This hand to mouth existence was the same as I noted in Afghanistan as well and most likely comes with the insecurity of food or material goods being there tomorrow.

My visit with this lovely couple was over much too soon. I had a curfew to meet so as not to worry the Brothers or disturb them after sacred silence hours. I bid my farewells and my hopes to meet up with them before too long.  Off I went home to the Monastery and truthfully, it really is starting to feel like home. 

OUR NEW M.O.

The PT room is coming along fine in that the ramps are completed and stained a rusty red to match the floors.  The sink is going in and the tile work is being completed. I walked in this morning to a bit of a flood in the bathroom, which looked like it was coming from the toilet. Not sure what that was all about but decided NOT to worry about this.

Douglass and his entourage

We now have a full time Medical Officer at Busega Bethlehem Home. His name is Douglass and he is just out of school. A tall dark and (yes and handsome) kind young man with a wonderful smile and a very soft spoken voice. He is quite intelligent though very humble.  He is insightful, proactive and loves the children.  The children also LOVE him. His office is filled with at least 6 assistants all day long. They follow him around on his rounds.

He and I have been working as a team in helping the boys. I have brought him children with whom I was concerned and he has done the same regarding children who were having pain and mobility issues. I had been very worried about a boy named Hebed who had been having increased seizures. I had asked the part time MO to look at him but nothing had changed. Hebed has CP and epilepsy and I had been seeing him in PT. He had been making good progress until last week and had just learned to feed himself though could not stand outside a standing frame.

I explained to Douglass my concerns that Hebed was no longer able to feed himself and unable to sit upright without support. 3 days later, Douglass told me to go ahead and continue PT with Hebed that he was now ready. I was surprised but went ahead. Hebed was actually able to stand with minimal support and walk the length of the dorm advancing his own feet with only a little assist. He was again able to feed himself and was even able to stand alone holding a rail with close guarding. This was miraculous and better than he had done a month ago!

Brother and the Boys

I went back to report to Douglass and ask what it was he did. Douglass had just changed the timing of Hebed’s seizure medication. I was amazed and ever so grateful and realized what a gift Douglass was to this home. I told Douglass this and thanked him for being so caring about the children. Douglass just looked at me and softly replied, “ I am the one who is lucky. I would stay here 24 hours if I could. The children have already taken my heart”

This is just one of the many miracles Douglass has facilitated. The children have benefitted greatly from his presence and he continues to be a lesson in great compassion and humility. 

THE CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES!

Not "boy proof" 

I get excited coming to work to see what progress was made on the rehab room! We now have ramps...As you can see, we had to start the ramp from inside the PT room as there was no space for an "L" shaped ramp out the door (or a longer ramp due to the drop off from the veranda). The result is that we are lacking a "boy proof" entry into the gym....YES...they can get in a 5" high space....they already have. I will need to design a trap door from the inside bottom of the door that closes and locks when we leave the gym (through the bathroom) at the end of the day. I am OPEN for options (preferably not a full sized door on the outside: this would block the safety railings on the ramp anyway)

Our Mason & Over-all Amazing Handi Man!

We continue to do "PT" in the dorms, the dining area and the walkways (when it is not raining) It is now full on rainy season! It is more challenging to do PT in the dorms due to the distractions of the other boys, but hey, they need love and attention too! All of them are getting better daily. My idea of pairing certain boys up of similar levels of function (to challenge each other) seems to be paying off.

The Boys and I (Shafique on the Left)

My favorite team of two is Peter and Shafique. (Peter has cerebral palsy with all 4 limbs affected and Shafique has hydrocephalus NOW with a shunt) 3 weeks ago, neither of these boys were walking. Now, Shafique is talking more than pouting and walking more than scooting. Peter is climbing everything he can and cruising. Today I found Peter climbing up onto the second level of the bunk bed to sit with his friends who climbed up there. YIKES! I about freaked! I grabbed Peter off the bed railings before he hit the top rung. I told him NOT to try that again because he was going to give me a heart attack!...HMMM...I think I remember having been an early "climber" myself way back when. It's like the pot calling the kettle black.

The emerging doorway: Sink to the Left
will act as a "railing" for the ramp

The way home was interesting...we have sporadic intense thunderstorms followed by full on sun. Today was another one of those rainy rainy days....unfortunately, it was also a day when the pick up truck decided to "die" and the brakes had gone out on one of the big trucks. This left one truck (as the van remains in Rwanda awaiting repair). Such is the workings of a fully donation reliant organization. The truck could not navigate the huge swampy muddy roads because of the rain. We had to walk to the main road to take a Taxi home.

HOW do they stay so CLEAN???

This was rather entertaining and I HAD to snap a picture. Imagine a swampy red muddy road with a line of Brothers all dressed in white walking. I STILL have no idea how any of them remained clean and not spattered. I think maybe God has them hovering above the ground lest the hems of their robes become soiled. At any rate, it made for a good picture.

JUST ANOTHER DAY in UGANDA

The "Barfing" PT Door

Today was rather fun...Shafique, the little guy I see who has hydrocephalus, was in rare form today. All of the kids were, really. They were acting goofy and silly most of the day. Saturdays are more relaxed here. The kids have worked very hard in therapy all week and are less inclined to work hard today. I tend to focus on the kids that are in school all week instead.

I was in the dorms looking for another boy to work with and started drumming on beds and plastic buckets with the boys. Several were dancing around and laughing. I turned to see Shafique had gotten up to his feet and was standing holding onto the bedrail with one hand. I gave him lots of praise as I usually do when I see him try to move on his own. He then let go of the bedrail and with a wide partial squatting stance and hands in high guard, proceeded to rock his hips in a slow circle to the beat of the music. He had this serious partial smile on his face as he had to focus on maintaining his balance when he did this. I about fell off the bed laughing. I grabbed him and gave him an airplane ride for being so pro-active! It was hysterical! He had the Brothers in stitches too.

The New Doorway (Gremlin sized)

The therapy department progress continues....the pick axe (they bought with the cement money I gave them) did not work to break up the cement stairs so the guys were hand chiseling and taking turns. It was tedious and hard work. I never thought my past house building experience would come in handy but it did. I asked them if they had a skill saw. They did. I gave the Mason cash to buy a cement blade and told them how to make a grid cut in the cement to make the cement easier to chisel out. This worked like a dream!

The New Doorway (10 yr old boy get
in trouble sized)

1 hour later, the Mason returned with another "problem". There were 3 rebar in the old stairs that they could not cut. He wanted to know if he could extend the ramp out another foot or two instead. NOPE...this will NOT work. I could just see the wheelchairs getting to the bottom of the ramp and then launching off the 2.5' drop off from the veranda. I was "Rebar Betty" when building our house in Portland and knew that the rebar could be cut. I gave the Mason more cash to go buy a metal cutting blade. Again...this worked like a charm.

I was managing my PT session very well with my new helper, Brian. He was a new resident of about 14 yrs old to the Home. The Brothers had taken him off the streets where he had been living for over a year, abandoned by his family. He struggled with a severe skin condition that looked like leprocy but wasn't. The Brothers took him to the hospital for treatment and he has been with us now for about 2 weeks. Brian is very smart and speaks fluent English and Luganda. He has been watching what I am doing and has jumped in to help. I now have recruited him as my official helper. I don't know what I would do without his help especially in translating the kids Luganda for me. I need to find a way to treat him. He does this on his own volition and asks to help. How many 14 year olds do you know of that want to help disabled children????

My "helper" Brian on the Left

THE MOST SPECIAL thing I have had the blessing to witness is the tenderness between the boys themselves. Granted, this is not always the case but generally, they look after each other. I work with Peter (Shafique's PT partner) and usually am followed around by Matoke (Masoke) who is a 5 yr old Albino boy. I was watching the 2 of them interact following lunch. I was sitting nearby feeding another boy. Peter had been struggling to move with his quadraplegic type of CP but had just started crawling then (2 weeks ago). Peter had crawled to the sink waiting to be washed off by the Brothers and Masoke was standing there with his cup of water.

I watched Masoke squat down and pour the water over Peter's hands carefully and then sweetly wipe off Peter's mouth. I could barely hear Masoke from where I was sitting but I swear I saw a light around the 2 of them and I could see Masoke saying " I will help you Peter, I will wash you up" Peter was sitting there smiling back at Masoke with a look of complete gratitude. I have never witnessed such caring and love and coming from 2 very young boys. They taught me that moment to be sure that ALL of my interactions with anyone is with sincere tenderness and affection. THAT is what LOVE is!

The lower courtyard at Busega with the dorms on the Right

ALL SOULS DAY

Today I slept! It was raining all night which was a welcome sound to the normal noisy city life (and dog barking) that echoes into the Monastery Halls at night. I woke "on time" and joined everyone at Mass to pray for the Souls in Purgatory.

Upper Courtyard at Bethlehem Home

I had never given All Souls Day much thought in the past. The community here prays fervently for those family and friends who have departed this world so that they may be purified and then be able to enter heaven to spend eternity with God. I listed a out the many friends and family members whom I have lost over the years including those that passed before I was born. I thought also of Steve Mazurek who recently passed this year.

I have heard of the "Day of the Dead" but had associated this with Halloween and skeletons in crazy costumes adorning shop windows. It was educational to hear more about this celebration in detail from Father Raymond as well as a wonderful experience to spend time thinking of shared memories with these loved ones. All were encouraged to go to the cemeteries and pray for Souls today. We were also encouraged to pray for those Souls who have no one to pray for them. Following Mass, I went on with my day not knowing I myself would also be visiting a cemetery.

The tiles are GONE!

Life of the living marches on. TODAY....the room renovations continue! The wall is being knocked out and the reality of change is no longer just a nice thought! There was a bit of angst when the first tiles came down and the initial burr holes made. Fr Raymond came by to supervise the work....he made some suggestions that made the project a bit more involved though agreeably better for the kids. This is a man that works with FULL trust and confidence. Then on the flip side there's me....saying "Should we do this????" or "Would it be better to do that?" The walls come down as I argue back in forth in my head the decision is made for me instead.

The boys get excited about anything new and different. Here, they all want to help push the wheel barrow, shovel tiles out the door and play in the rubble. We have a mass of helpers ready to work! I am trying to keep them out for their own safety, but this is a lesson in futility. The workers themselves are devoid of proper shoes, masks and eye protection. This is something that I need to remedy as they are doing God's work and should be protected.

Looking back up the hill as I wind my way down

I leave the "Office" feeling good about the changes. I receive a wonderful treat of riding home with the Sisters tonight. They are late picking us up because the main van remains in Rwanda being repaired and the pick up truck is taking one of the boys for treatment in nearby Entebbe. The only remaining truck had to pick up the Brothers and Sisters from the Good Shepherd Home and then come to get us. I can tell with the bumping of the road, however,  that we are going a different way home. Sure enough, we make a stop at the Cathedral and everyone hops out. I realize this is our opportunity to pray for the dead at the cemetery. I am glad it is not midnight as I chuckle to myself.

We all spread out in the upper cemetery and began to pray for the Priests and the Brothers buried here. I am alarmed to see several who born the same year I was and yet passed recently. I then spot a line of white robes with blue sashes moving to a lower garden area. I curiously follow them down a muddy path through backyards and between banana trees. Women watching over pigs and chickens pay no mind as we pass  as if it is a normal thing to have a line of Brothers marching through your yard. I am really getting curious now.

Brothers moving about the
lower cemetery

We end up in a very old graveyard with overgrown plants that obscure cement crosses that are weathered and barely visible through the vegetation. There is a small building that is falling in on itself. It looks to be a chapel but I do not have the courage to enter until I see some of the Brothers leaving. I pull out my camera in secret hoping to snap a few pictures of this beautiful old building but not sure if this is allowed. It does seem odd to be taking pictures in a graveyard when I think about it.

I walk into the building alone stopping to feel the history and wonder what sermons and Masses may have been said here. It feels old yet still retains some of the Peace as most chapels do. It feels misplaced and lost which gives me a sad feeling. There are small boxes along the walls on either side. I wonder if these are pillar stands for something ornate that once stood here. My thoughts are interrupted by one of the Brothers who silently came in...they do this often...move slow and quietly and suddenly they are there...rather startling at times.

The chapel of the first Missionaries to bring
Catholicism to Uganda

Brother tells me this is the chapel built by the first Catholic Missionaries to Uganda. No one seems to know how old the building is. A local man is called over but he shrugs in response to the question. Brother tells me the boxes are the graves of the Missionaries that came here. They are all buried in the chapel. I walk over and brush the dirt and mud from the crumbling walls off the tops of the graves to reveal the names. It seems the only fitting thing to do on All Souls Day. The names are indeed European. The burial dates are the early 1900s which confirms the chapel is quite old.

Looking inside the chapel

It is sad that such a treasure seems to be falling into obscurity....the Missionaries that were buried here probably came here with no intention of being recognized as anything other than servants of God. They continue even in death to maintain their place as servants among the people, buried as they are in the common graveyard.

The graves under the window

It is quiet all around me...I look out of the open wall to see robes of white moving amongst the gravestones slowly and reverently...it's as if the Brothers create a silent march of spirits of the living amongst the spirits of the dead. The dead here are all recognized today...they are not forgotten. I wonder if they can feel this.

Asking a local how old the Chapel is

The Missionaries that are in quiet repose here are in the place that I am sure they had loved. I wonder if what brought them here is what brought me here. Brother and I say prayers for them together in the open chapel...our voices echoing against the empty mud brick and plaster walls and heavy dark beams. We then walk silently out knowing that these Missionaries of the past are not forgotten and have been thoughtfully prayed for by the Missionaries of the Present.

ALL SAINTS DAY

Today is a celebratory FEAST DAY for the Catholic Community!!!
Mine did not start out in a celebratory way. I am human after all and have my "Not so good days".

I spent most of the night in a state of frustration with the guard dogs who were planted outside my window. One dog, in particular, howled and barked ALL NIGHT LONG! I would start to drift off to sleep only to be woken with loud barking which would subside in 20 min. Again, I would drift off until the barking started 15-20 min later. This went on ALL night.

I found myself getting more and more frustrated with the passing hours...I was thinking of how much rest I needed...how I had to be physically able to keep up with the kids...my mind was racing over the stressors of decisions I had to make re the renovations for the PT room....of the upcoming need to finish the English lesson plans... how I wanted to go out and muzzle (or strangle) that big German Shepherd myself...etc etc.

I tried using earplugs and pillows/blankets on my head to no avail....the mere sound of a bark set me off by that point. I did get a hit at one point to just go to the chapel and pray and meditate. It may have helped me to be able to relax enough to fall asleep despite the barking.  I was too grumpy to follow this sound advice I was given. It may have been a gift, a moment of peace and a moment where I would "feel" that all my worries will work out and to let go of any stressors....BUT NO...the human part of me chose to stay in the frustration and wallow fully in the pain and anguish and mental anger! I chose to be grumpy and mad and think about everything that was frustrating me instead of opting for peace.

I paid for that decision...don't we all??

I finally fell asleep at 4:45 AM when the dog finally stopped barking. (I was checking the clock regularly to reinforce how little sleep I could say I had). I woke with the sound of barking at about 6:30 AM....YES...I slept through my alarm and missed a big celebratory Mass. OK...I did it to myself. The Sisters came back from Mass on a "high"...we had a HUGE Feast prepared for breakfast and though I wanted to say "poor me", no one cared to ask me why I wasn't there (People here are respectful and do not pry...therefore there was no segue to my "poor me" story...a GOOD lesson). I suddenly began to feel rather stupid at my chosen reaction to the whole thing.

I mentioned the dog thing to Brother Johnson who came up to me when I was doing dishes. He had a look that asked merely " Are you OK? Are you ill?".  I couldn't help but snap about how the dogs kept me up and I had no sleep. I asked if the Brothers could tie the dogs up closer to the front gate as Brother  John had showed them. Brother Johnson just quietly looked at me with compassion and said he would speak with the Brothers then turned to walk away. I then was filled with shame for being so abrupt.

It seemed like the whole day was like that...little lessons in humility...I decided to be adult and use this as an opportunity to practice graciousness and humility. I decided to go back to trusting and allowing. It was by the end of the day that things completely shifted. The children's amazing progress again filled me with the enthusiasm and passion for WHOM I was there to help. I recommitted my time here to doing and giving everything I have to help the children.

I came home with a feeling of profound PEACE....knowing that despite my human reactions, I was given the Grace of forgiveness (no one even seemed to know the internal battle I was going through) It was all in my head anyway. I learned a valuable lesson that could have been completely painless and yet inspiring. I know all is working out for a reason....everything is OK and will be and has always been. I waste too much energy worrying about silly things and fearing physical discomfort (like lack of sleep) as if this will KILL me.

NOW...when the dogs wake me at night, I hear this as a call to say a prayer for whomever woke me up asking me to pray for them. I say the Hail Mary...I smile and then I fall back asleep.

AND AWAY WE GO!!!

The walkway to PT
(PT room is on the right)

OK....I was told things move very "Polan, Polan" Slowly-Slowly here. Well...that is ONLY if wrought by human hands. Apparently, God has heard the cry of the children and has put the rehab renovation into fast forward, not to mention a whole handful of other projects at the same time! 

Yesterday, the mason came by to talk with me about what I needed. The crew showed up an hour later to begin the work and I hadn't received the estimate yet!  Father Raymond approved the supply costs though this was all the estimate was for (not the whole project as I had hoped). I realize now they do things in sections. I have no full estimate of what this is going to cost in the long run. Apparently we haggle the labor cost AFTER the fact. HMMM... now I know why many houses are started but rarely finished here...it's all starting to make sense! HAHAHA. I was a bit panicked about this today BUT realized I have to have some Faith. I will be sure to maintain some common sense and I can be a tight negotiator when I have to be. Father Raymond will also help with this. 

PT room looking towards the door

I was planning on taking nice pre, during and post pictures especially before the project started. I had to scramble today to take the PRE pictures. They are rather dark as we had no power for lights and it was a cloudy day but you can get the general idea. The larger room is about 19 X 22 and the smaller room is 9 x 10. Nice size for what we need to accomplish. 

I also met with a metal worker this afternoon for making a mat table (quote expected tomorrow...hopefully he has not started making it yet!). I had planned on making this out of wood but was quickly discouraged by Father Raymond, who is in the know about these things. Wood does not last long in this environment. This is a GOOD piece of information to find out! We will have a smaller one made for the smaller treatment room/office.

PT room (sans clutter) 

The small room will house a table and file cabinet for the PT’s. There will also be a smaller mat table for sensory integration/cranial sacral therapy work and Speech Therapy/communication.

The equipment that we will need to either fabricate or purchase will be things like: floor mats; parallel bars; bolsters and wedges; therapy balls; standing poles and a standing wall ladder. We also need a few standing frames (yet a popular method that PT’s use here and will most likely continue to be so for awhile) I hope to do an outing with the 2 PTs next week to visit 2 rehab facilities to see their room set up and to ask about how to procure equipment. I might have the metal worker make me a pulley weight system that attaches to the wall. I brought pulleys and carabiners with me to do this. This worked nicely in Afghanistan though they didn’t like to exercise there. The PT here, however, is very excited about this, which is fabulous!

The small back room now mostly
empty! 

So…picture this…while all this negotiation and wall knocking out is going on, I have a new volunteer that has started the last 2 days and wanted to help out in PT. This gentleman is a local Ugandan who is trained in Social Work and Counseling. He wants to do something productive while looking for a job. A VOLUNTEER?? I was told there are no local volunteers when I first arrived. I had wanted to get a team of them together to help with the kids. As of Saturday…I have 2 local volunteers! How crazy is that?!

I was trying to show him what to do, running back and forth to check on the masons, work on bids and discuss the plans with Father Raymond AND I was trying to work with the PT who comes 2 days a week to have her show me what/how things are done PT-wise here at Busega. This along with the regular train of children holding onto my pants, trying to reach in my pockets (to give me trash…which they think is funny…or to remove my keys, phone, hanky, pen…you name it)

I had another miracle of sorts happen today. I had wanted some of the able bodied boys to help cart the kids back and forth to PT…the walk is rather long and time consuming. This has not worked well as they are easily distracted and also in school most of the time. I now, as of today, have a boy wanting to help me out! His name is Brian. He is new to Busega as of 2 weeks ago. He was living alone on the streets, is very smart but was abandoned by his family with a skin condition requiring a hospitalization. The Brothers have taken him in and obtained treatment (which is now helping). He hasn’t yet melded with the other boys yet and had been hanging out by himself most of the time. I make a point to talk with him when I come. I understand how hard it is to be “new” and not quite fit in.

Where the new door/ramp will go
(before construction)

The urinals which will be lowered for
the little ones with grab bars on both sides

He has been wonderful. He is a quick learner (how to move a WC with 2 kids piled in it up and down 3 steep ramps…not OSHA standards by any stretch but functional). He has watched the boys when I have to run back and forth to be sure they don’t get into trouble AND to be sure the able bodied boys don’t sneak in and grab the only soccer ball I have! It’s rather humorous in a way…they watch when I leave and then sneak in. I have to lock the door every time I leave now, which is a PAIN. I don’t blame the boys…they are bored and have NOTHING. It’s sort of a game…I will mock “mad face” at them and they run off giggling.

One of the 2 upper courtyards at Bethlehem Home
Dorms in the background

The soccer balls need constant repair as these kids play HARD! The first time I didn't lock the PT room door, mine went AWAL in 15 minutes. I had to track down the ball first then manage to pry it from the kids, but not without split seams! Brother Festis reduced the pressure for me so at least I can still use it for PT. It just doesn’t roll very straight. No one seems to mind. The boys in PT beg to paly with the ball. It’s my one most precious piece of equipment as they will stand and walk just to kick it!

The Dorm Matrons shelling
"Cow-Peas"
they got a kick out of the fact I had never seen
those before

So I have taken to NOT missing any prayer times. I have quickly realized this whole project is NOT and has NOT been in my hands at all! I now pray that I remain open to what I am supposed to do that day, listen for the cues and be the warm body that I am asked to be! I can’t even begin to tell you how I get a hits all day to do someting only to find an issue that needs to be addressed. Today I got a hit to turn to my Left while walking to the PT room with a child. I suddenly spotted a red spot on a boy’s hand. Turns out is was scraped down to the fascia and bleeding. He was not crying or making any signs of pain. This might have been missed otherwise. I was able to get Brian my helper to take him to the clinic to see the new Medical Officer, who at that moment was walking towards us.

Again today, I got a hit to grab a couple bath towels that had been stored in the PT room before I headed down to grab my first group of boys. It was quite chilly today. The boys were finishing their baths. They usually drip dry but today they were all FREEZING! I was able to dry them off so they wouldn’t get a chill. It’s as if I am getting hits on what to do, where to turn or look or what to listen for without knowing where this is coming from.

That is why I decided I need to “pray” more than “plan”. The plans are already taken care of from above and are being implemented faster than I can even keep up. I need to pray for stamina and openness only (and sleep). It is rather nice in a way... There is a deep level of PEACE just being a servant in all ways.