Wednesday, November 25th, 2015
As we prepare to celebrate our Thanksgiving holiday here in USA, we wanted to share the many things we are graciously thankful for in Uganda also.
Our partners at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Gregory School of Pharmacy have committed to another trip to Uganda, after the wonderful experience everyone had in May of 2015. If you haven’t read pharmacy student Melissa Hubbard’s Reflective Essay (http://wordindeedministries.org/uganda/medical-missions-2015-reflective-essay/ ) please take the time. She shares personal, heartfelt, life-changing ways the trip to Uganda had on her life.
This month we will be ‘breaking ground’ on our production well in Ntenzi. The 5-acres WID has acquired for the Community Resource Center is now actively a project we are trusting God to take from vision to reality. Infrastructure barriers (really bad dirt roads and washed out paths) made the company’s first attempt to drill impossible. So please be in prayer as this well drilling project is continued. It will be a much-needed resource for our many neighbors.
We are also praising the partnership with eMI East Africa (http://emiea.org ). What started out as a conversation with a stranger in Bolder, Colorado in 2014, turned into email introductions, followed up with face-to-face meetings in Kampala with eMI’s Uganda Director, John Sauder. Their team of interns and experts has made their first site visit to the Resource Center property and now their work commences. Please be in prayer for this team as they create design and site plan drawings to turn this gift from God into a blessing for the people in the Mukono District.
On Friday, November 20th, as a ministry we were able to facilitate the showing of the Jesus Movie at the Mpunge Covenant Primary School. We are humbly grateful for the sponsorship to show this movie to the students from the school and invited the surrounding community to the event. Chairs were rented, drinks and popcorn were provided for the children. Here is a brief summary of what we heard from our team in Mpunge after the movie –
“Started on a low note, when we got to the venue, hired chairs hadn’t been delivered. Announcements on the community radio have been running since Wednesday evening BUT no sign of an event. Anyways, I called the guy and the chairs were delivered in a few minutes. Fast forward- movie starts showing and the crowd is mostly children. About 10 minutes later, I don’t know where people – adults came from. You could literally see them running to the venue. Chairs got filled up, brought in benches from the school, and others were left standing. The eats were an icing in the cake. Roughly, we had about 250 people. When Jesus call was made (invitation to accept Christ as your Savior), besides majority kids, about 10 adults raised their hands. Thank you very much.†Rachel Kabejja
“I looked at the chairs being delivered and asked myself who were the people going to occupy them? (Than later)… Can’t believe some people missed seats.” Pastor Kefa Sempangi
This is another example of one person making a difference and what one introduction can make. A supporter of WID living in Florida made the introduction of a young woman, who works for the Jesus Movie. Her role is assisting in translating the production into local languages, so more people can see and understand the movie. Through Amanda we got connected to their Ugandan ministry partners, Life Ministry, Uganda, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ Intl. We met with Pastor Francis Kyotabona in May and through their partnership, WID has now been able to show the Jesus movie in both Ntenjeru and Mpunge schools. Praising God for making introductions and opening doors. Lives are being transformed.
Today we are hopeful that God’s blessings will continue on the many other projects WID is working one. One of our top priorities is the Ntenjeru Covenant Primary School. After our medical mission trip in May, and with the joint generosity from the Palm Beach Atlantic University team, funds were given to finish putting a roof on part of the schools’ classrooms. The needs there are still many. Given the number of students (300+), there are certain health risks now because they lack sufficient water and latrines. Additionally, several of the classrooms are still dirt floors, which can be problematic when the children sit on the dirt. Parasites and bugs in the ground make their way into the unsuspecting child as he sits on the ground. Lack of desks, benches, and educational material, all weigh on the successful chances these students have to obtain a proper learning experience. Please be in prayer for this school as they are seeking God’s provision for these precious kids.
More good news about God’s divine providence. One of our ministry partners, a young Uganda woman who I met 4-years ago, has recently completed her training on health counseling and now holds a certificates in HIV/Aids counseling. Jovelet Kabasinguzi has a passion for these young school children and giving them guidance and counsels to keep them free of this terribly deadly disease. She has worked alongside us when we do our medical mission trips and through additional financial blessings, we have been able to hire her for the next 3-months to do counseling and educational seminars for the schools. She is able to teach and talk to these children on a level they can understand and learn how to keep safe from that which has taken the lives of most of their parents. One person made a financial gift wanting to help the school children. One person followed the passion God gave her to help others. One person’s care can have a multitude of effect.
As if this isn’t enough to be crazy, excited about God’s provision, here’s another example of open doors and one person making a difference. A friend of Pete Lytle (WID Board member), who happens to be a well-known orthodontist from Denver, Colorado, shared his desire to travel to Uganda. Dr. Anil Idiculla traveled this past October to Jinja, Uganda to work with a ministry doing dental work. Through Dr. Idiculla, WID was introduced to Hope Smiles Uganda (http://www.hopesmiles.org/programs/uganda/ ) and Dr. Ryan Shimska. We are praising God even more now as Dr. Ryan has agreed to participate with our medical team this upcoming May, 2016 so we can now offer dental treatment to the orphans and families we serve in the Mukono District.
So, never be dismayed that you can’t make a difference, you’re just one person…just believe…God makes a difference and so can you. One person at a time.
Briefly, regarding our Student Scholarship Program, please check out our FaceBook page and the photo album of students still needing sponsors. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.549609375149923.1073741828.178194625624735&type=1&l=700b3230e2
A young mom in Mpunge recently contacted us asking for help with her 3 young boys. She is at the end-stages of cancer and her wish was to find scholarships for her children. A dying wish was that her boys were going to get to school, she could be more at peace. At this writing, two of the boys have scholarships for boarding school. The annual cost of $275 is doable for almost every American. Less than $1.00 a day! Yup, that’s all it cost to help change the life of a child in Uganda.
So, how about giving the gift of a scholarship this Christmas instead of some random, unwanted ‘something’ that will be thrown in the back of a closet or in the garage. Or for you parents who have children and want to teach them about true giving this Christmas, tell them they will be supporting a child going to school next year. What a gift this truly is. In the name of Jesus!
We are thankful. May God’s grace, peace, mercy and hope be with you this Thanksgiving.
Tags: Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Short Term Missions, Student Scholarship Program, Uganda
Posted in Project Updates, Short Term Missions, Uganda | Comments Off on Thanksgiving and Praise – 2015
Saturday, June 27th, 2015
There is no better testimony than the ones we treasure and share. Some are painful and some are ways for God to use and mold and refine us into the Christians we become for HIS GLORY. Â As a ministry leader, it’s a joy to see transformations during mission trips.
This video is just a glimmer of what fun we have in Uganda attending church at First Presbyterian Church of Ntenjeru, in the remote village close to Mukono City.
Below is a reflective essay written by one of the PBAU-GSOP university students after returning from the Uganda medical mission trip. Â I hope you enjoy.
Stained
Every story has a beginning and an end and my story is no different except that it starts the same way it finishes, with God leading the way. I once read that the work of God is completed in three stages, impossible, difficult, and done. This could not be truer even if I wanted it to be. When I started this journey, two things became clear, one I was going to have to trust God more than I wanted too and secondly, God was going to redefine who I was and what I wanted. There are few times in my life where I knew exactly what God wanted me to do. This was one of those rare moments. When I heard about the mission trip to Uganda from the 2014 team I knew it was where God wanted me to go. Why me, why this trip? I’m not sure what God’s reasoning was or what He saw in me but I knew I had to go. “For many are called, but few are chosenâ€, Matthew 22:14. I don’t know that there is anything special about me in particular for God to have chosen the path that he chose for me but I do know he was calling and that I had to obey. In Kisses for Katie, Katie discusses how God chose ordinary people, common people, simple people, and people with nothing special about them except that they said yes and this is precisely how I felt. The only thing that differentiated me was that I said “Yesâ€.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and it states, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircaseâ€. The first step is easy because you are working off of ground you have set foot on before and that is still visible. It’s those next steps in the stair case that are unsettling all those that you cannot see because the ground you are working off is new footing and so it goes without saying that faith is requirement. I had complete faith and took that first step without hesitation I said, “Yes Lord, I will goâ€. It was everything after that where I had to remind myself God had me by my right hand every step of the way and would not let me falter. My first obstacle, money, how in the world was I going to pay for this trip? I not only did not have the money for the trip but I had also managed to choose a mission trip that was the most expensive. And if life could not be hard enough, I chose to go to Africa in the midst of facing my own personal battles. I had just recently separated from my husband and here I was struggling to focus and stay afloat not only financially but academically as well. I had zero funds to buy me a seat on that plane to Africa. I remember the first prayer I prayed that started it all. I said, “Lord I have no clue how I am going to pay for this trip but I know you want me to go, so I know you will provide, I don’t know how but I am trusting that you will, just lead the wayâ€. I don’t know how I knew but I knew that God would provide. This is not to say I wasn’t worried because I was but this is where my controlling personality had to let go and let God replace it with peace and trust. Two scholarships later and with the support of my family, I had the money for my plane ticket to Uganda. God paid for my trip 100%; he achieved what I had thought to be impossible but this was only the beginning.
The greatest obstacle I would face was still to come, and that obstacle was me. We can be our own worst enemy and at times I was. I wanted to be vessel for God but in order for that to happen, I had to let Him transform every aspect of my life. I had to stop dwelling on the past and embrace the present and future. I think anytime you have spiritual growth you are bound to change drastically. When I obeyed God’s calling I was struggling personally to fight for my marriage and my own sanity. I was deeply depressed and felt as though I was failing in every aspect of my life. As I finished out my fall semester, feeling defeated at this point I recommitted myself to building a stronger relationship with God. I wanted this experience to be transforming and to do that I knew I had to trust God. As I approached the end of the fall semester I remember breaking down into uncontrollable tears and asking God, “How do I keep going? I am doing my best but I need your help. I am unsure of everything in my life right now and desperately need your guidanceâ€. Later on that same day I received news that I had been selected for the Great Commission Scholarship. This was the encouragement I needed, God was paving the way for me to go.
As I returned for the spring semester, I returned with a new found strength that God had given me which I would need. I set aside time each day to spend quality time with God in his word and in prayer. I noticed as I did, God began to transform my mind and spirit. Our mission trip to Uganda had much higher expectations than any other trip. I say this because the effort and work we were required to put in was much more stringent in comparison to my other colleagues who were also clerkship students for other mission trips. Expectations were very high and I do not like to disappoint but it was more than that alone that fueled me. I wanted to be able to be a blessing to others when I reached Uganda and so that meant I needed to give this trip my all. At the time I was immensely overwhelmed with everything I had to do but relying on God helped me and looking back I am so grateful that our preceptors had high expectations because it made me into a better leader. I tend to be very soft spoken so I was faced with having to voice my thoughts and take charge and lead. Leading is not my favorite because I do not like being at the center of attention. Leaders are the center of attention because they are looked up to in order to get tasks accomplished and so as this trip unfolded from preparation to the mission field I was forced to come out of my shell and lead. A diamond doesn’t become shiny and sparkly overnight it requires lots of pressure and this trip gave me the pressure I needed to shine. In Kisses for Katie, Katie talks about the story of the velveteen rabbit and in order for it to become real it had to be worn and torn down by life before it would become new. After preparing for this trip and actually going and coming this is how I feel. I had to go through tough times all around in order to come out new and shiny in the end.
Before I knew it the time had come and I was getting on an airplane to travel thousands of miles to a foreign country. Not only was it my first time out of the country, it was my first mission trip away from the United States. So many firsts all at once but I did my best to embrace it. My time in Uganda came and went so quickly. I have never felt like I did when I was there. The people of Uganda are near and dear to Jesus’s heart and you can feel God’s presence with them. It didn’t matter what area I worked in or where in Uganda I was serving I felt God’s presence and each day someone new found their way into my heart. I met so many people whom I absolutely adored and loved. The people were so kind and every smile I received was so genuine and refreshing. Everyplace in Uganda where our team devoted time and energy was well received, gratefully and happily. It was such a contrast to what we see in America. The people of Uganda may have very little but the gratitude they express for everything is so refreshing and in a way I believe they have even more than we do because of that. Their attitudes made me realize how much I take for granted and how I need to smile more and have a more appreciative attitude. Their lack of necessities makes them close to God and I saw how crystal, clear that was when we visited Arise Talents. The presence of God was so strong in our praise and worship together. In Kisses for Katie, Katie mentions that in America, she misses Jesus. In America we are blessed to have everything we need but when it comes to Jesus we are lacking because we don’t rely on Jesus for everything as the people in Uganda do. One of my favorite verses in the bible is Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.†This verse explains why God is so close to the people in Uganda.
After being there and working with the doctors in Uganda, it made me realize that I would like to return to Uganda and be involved in longer missionary work as a healthcare provider. When I first decided to go, I had this crazy notion that I might want to go to medical school following graduation so that I might be able to do more work as a missionary when it comes to caring for the health of others. Reading Kisses for Katie inspired me to want to do more and I love medicine so my thought process was that as a physician I would be able to help more. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel after going to Uganda but this is another reason why I wanted to go. Working a long side with Dr. Moses and Dr. Robert only made me long to be a medical doctor more. It’s not just that they are incredibly smart but it’s the difference they are making in the lives of others that intrigued me more. Dr. Robert would light up when he was working with the kids but the kids also light up in return. Being the person that determines the ailment and prescribing treatment to an ill patient is truly rewarding. Seeing sick children is not easy but you feel better when you realize you can be the difference in that child’s wellbeing. I was excited and fascinated with determining the diagnosis and treatment. Both doctors allowed us to diagnose, ask questions, and determine treatment. It was amazing to know that I was able to finally apply my knowledge and best of all I was helping people who needed it most. I’m not sure where I will end up but I can say that after working with the doctors, I know that medical school is a strong possibility. I think that being a pharmacist will make me a better medical doctor if I choose to go that route. All of our education has been valuable and that manifested itself in the work we did in Uganda.
In summary, God has made it clear to me that whatever I do it will have to involve continuing his work in foreign countries such as Uganda. I can see myself returning to help again and I would love nothing more than to be able to return again. I love the people there and the work God is doing in all of the children. This experience in its entirety has transformed me and a large part of that transformation came directly from God but also from each person who chose to serve beside me in Uganda. I went from a very low point in my life to a point where I am ready for whatever life has next because I know God will be with my every step of the way. Every aspect of this trip allowed for change in my life and that is evident by how God blessed me along the way from passing difficult classes with good grades, restoring my marriage, and my sanity, and all because I chose to say, “yesâ€. I can’t believe all that he has done and I feel going to Uganda has given me more than I could give in return. I fell in love with the people and the country. I just want to close with the following passage from Kisses for Katie that parallels my experience:
Suffering. Rejoicing. Squalor. Beauty. Love. Pain. These are the things that surround me, and all of them are from Him. This life is beautiful and terrible and simple and difficult, and He is using it for His glory. My knees are dust orange, stained by the soil into which they press for hours as I beg God for the mercy and strength to continue. My tears flow in puddles that do not soak into the red, parched earth of Uganda. The puddles and the color of my knees remind me that I was not to leave this life unstained or unscarred. Even Jesus kept His scars after the resurrection. My stains are beautiful to Him and as I become dirtier, more beat up, I am becoming perfect, transformed into the image of the One who made me. And I am thankful.
Melissa Hubbard
Palm Beach Atlantic University – Gregory School of Pharmacy
Tags: Missions, Short Term Missions, Uganda
Posted in Newsletters, Short Term Missions, Uganda | Comments Off on Medical Missions 2015 – Reflective Essay
Saturday, November 8th, 2014
Please enjoy this brief video put together from our Palm Beach Atlantic University, Gregory School of Pharmacy team. Â It truly represents the trip and the impact on the students and the people of Uganda we had the joy of serving.
Here is a journal I started to write when we were in Uganda this May. Â I wanted to share in case anyone was interested in hearing about some of the things our team and me personally was going through during our trip. It will give my individual perspective anyway!
Lisa Sorensen, Volunteer-Word In Deed Ministries
________________________________________________
Mukono, Uganda -Â May 12th 2014
We are all getting settled in after our first full day in Uganda. The long journey does not seem to have affected or discouraged anyone. Tonight after dinner the team shared, after being introduced to the locals who are assisting our mission trip, and they all duplicated their excitement and joy of being in Uganda, to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
Today we had the RX clinic drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, suitcases full of supplies all spread out on the hotel entrance, parking lot, open-air bar area of the hotel – basically trying to get organized for the 4 clinic days. It was humorous to see all this in the making, specially the location we were doing it in.
Professor Nornoo shared tonight how she remembered from last year, seeing Steve & I greeting & hugging, reminiscing, and recognizing old friends from our prior trip to Uganda and what a wonderful thing it was for her to observe in 2013. Now she was getting to do that this year, seeing people she had met before and being the one to say, “it’s so nice to see you again, how are you doing?†This is relationship- building God’s way.
We have laid out all our plans for the day, clinic schedule, health talks, evangelism lessons for the children…but the reality is, God has a plan and it will be even better than what ours are, I am sure of that.
May 13, 2014 - Today’s Highlights
Last year we treated and counseled a wife/mother who tested positive for HIV. She was very reluctant to tell her husband when we informed her of the test results. As is often the situation here in Uganda, if a woman finds out she is HIV +, she will keep it to herself because of the fear that comes with telling her spouse, his reaction often leads to physical abuse and abandonment. We convinced her that she had to do the right thing and tell her husband, and that we and one of the church elders she respected would be there with her, so her husband could be counseled in a Godly manner also. It was hard for us from a missionary standpoint, not knowing the outcome, would he stay with his wife and continue to be a loving husband?
Today she returned to the clinic to let us know, now a year later, that she was doing well on the medicine she had been taking, her family was still in tact, and she deeply desired us to come to her home so she would ‘welcome’ us. We were told her place was not too far from the clinic, so we decided to drop in to see her on our way back to the town.
The bus ride through a small village took about 10 minutes, than we turned down a questionable road (I asked the bus driver repeatedly, “Are you sure we should be driving down here?â€)… Now 20 minutes had seemed to pass and we go to a point we had to stop, park the bus and walk the rest of the way.
So picture a landscape of rolling hills, acres of bananas, plantains and coffee fields, mixed in with the occasional draping trees and clay pathways that had only just recently dried enough for the way to be easy enough to walk. It took another 15 minutes to walk to our new friends house, past other scattered neighbors with goats tied to posts, clay mud huts with children playfully talking to the “Mzungu†parading through their turf.
We arrived at the humble hut and could easily see that this couple was in the process of expanding their clay mud hut and building a brick structure that would soon be their new home. She offered us to come into her home, which only really allowed for 4 people to stand inside. We mingled out in the tropical sunset for a few minutes and when we started saying our good-bye’s, one of our team members, Professor Souriel (who was instrumental in the counseling of this couple) was offered the traditional Ugandan gift of thanks, their fattest, prized chicken! It was beautiful. Like the woman in the Bible who offers the last few pennies she has as an offering of thanks and tithe, this sweet child of God wanted to do the same. Showing proper thanks for the loving kindness she received in a desperate situation. To me, this is what mission work is all about.
I think the hardest thing today was a little girl, just under 2 years old, who showed up with her Auntie just as we were winding down the day. We had committed to attend to 75 families for the day and about 12 people remained to see the doctors. The nurse asked me to come meet someone. Auntie had just traveled a very long distance with her niece. Mom & Dad had both died of AIDS and Mom had apparently passed the disease on to her children.  She hoped the doctor could help the little girl with her illness, as she was lethargic. After Dr. Moses talked with her, she was receiving treatment from another clinic, but it was not the best medicine she could be taking because of her young age. The Doctor recommended an alternative Auntie could inquire about when she goes back to her facilitating clinic to see if they would make the Rx change. It’s hard to send away a child and not being able to help. I pulled her aside into a small room with a translator and told her not to tell anyone, gave her some shillings to pay for some food, and some clothes for her children.  I know none of this is long term, but at that moment, that was all I could do.  Then we prayed.
Day 2 in Ntenjeru/Ntanzi  –  Clinic & Kids Programs
During the afternoon, I had a few things planned for the students of the newly opened school that sits adjacent to the clinic and church. The structure itself was originally constructed with the financial support of many through Word in Deed Ministries with the desire to open a vocational school. There local villagers could learn job skills that could provide them with better earning opportunities. Unfortunately, the organization that had initially promised to partner with them in getting the project running had to back out because of lack of funds. Thus, the structure sat empty for almost 2-years. As a ministry, Word In Deed had expressed concern that so much time had passed since completion of the building project, and pressure was being put on the leadership in charge to not be wasteful with what has been given. Pastor Edward shared that this primary school was opened and run totally by faith, as they had no funds to run the school or pay the teachers. They have about 175 students now who have completed their first semester and school commenced a few days early so our team could help give health talks to the students.
At 11 A.M., Leslie Rosa was doing the health talk on Malaria Prevention and left her assignment in triage so we could go to the school. She did the talk wonderfully, involving the students by asking questions and being interactive. Many of them had confirmed that they had experienced malaria before, and we well aware of the side effects and now medical treatment was very important if you are to survive.
Of course there was lots of excitement because the students could see the piles of mosquito nets sitting at the front of the room. At the end of the lecture, the younger P-1 and P-2 students were asked to leave and after a head-count, we had just under a hundred students in the room. We gave out all the nets and the extra few were given to the teachers. Many of the younger students who didn’t receive nets had older siblings, so we were told that they would likely all be sleeping under nets.
Pastor Edward shared later that what we had done, by giving the nets to the children, was a good way to ensure that the nets were used for the purpose intended, by the kids themselves. He said that if we had given them out to the adults, many would have likely sold them, preferring to have the money instead of trying to protect their children. This way it also gives a boost to the school out in the village. The gossip will be, according to Past or Edward, that here is this team of Mzugu’s (white people) coming into this new school, it must be a good school so we need to send our children there.
In the afternoon we met again at 1 PM to talk to the older students who were interested in gardening and learning how to grow vegetables. Lawrence Kayma, who we met a year ago at the Botanical Gardens in Entebbe, had joined us on this trip to serve as a translator. Lawrence has started a non-profit organization in Kampala called Green Youth Conservation Uganda, trying to educate children about environmental protection, preserving medicinal plants, and doing camping trips for kids in villages who never get to come into the city to see the Botanical Gardens.
With Lawerence’s help, we got to talk to the kids about the importance of gardening and growing your own food for sustainability and for health. I brought with me a bunch of vegetable and fruit seeds for the school to use to start their own community garden and we determined that it would be good to develop their own “Garden Club†at school. We democratically had them vote in a male and female president of the garden club and charged them with the authority to ensure the garden was being looked after and that they needed to set up a schedule to make sure everyone participated and the garden was being watered. With Pastor Michael and the teachers we walked out onto the land in front of the school and determined what would be the best spot for the garden to be placed.
At that point, I thought we were done (it was very hot and humid in the sun) and that the kids would be in charge to get it done at a later time under the supervision of the teachers. But out of nowhere two hoe’s appeared and Lawrence and one of the male teachers started to clear out the land and prepare the soil for seed-planting. During this time, Lawrence talked to the kids about the importance of good soil, taking care of the seedlings, and what needs to happen during transplantation when they are ready. Many of the older children were very knowledgeable with gardening as they attended to the family garden at home, mostly growing sweet potatoes, maze and plantains.
So the land was prepared, seeds planted and a promise made. We asked the students how many of them had been to Entebbe to visit the Botanical Gardens. One young man said he knew that it was on Entebbe Road but no one had ever been there. I told them that if they were productive in keeping their garden growing and I saw photo’s (through Pastor Michael) of the fruits of their labor, I would arrange a field trip for them to go into see the Botanical Gardens and have a tour with Lawrence.  Ultimately, this just may have to be another trip to Uganda to verify the productivity of this project . . . like I’m always looking for a reason to return!!!
Thursday, Mpunge Covenant School -Â Mobile Clinic
There was much anticipation for visiting Mpunge this year, the reason being to see one of our patients from last year, a little boy named Moses. The 2013 PBAU team spearheaded getting this little boy the medical attention he needed as he had a life-threatening condition when we met him last year, so we collectively financed the surgery he needed to live a healthy, productive life. You can imagine there were lots of pictures taken with Moses and the scar on his tummy. He was smiling and playing in the schoolyard. It was such a joy to see.
I had a few tasks for myself at this school, and now the students had the procedure down pat – set up the triage while Paul, the HIV counselor, did a talk about HIV prevention to the patients waiting to be seen. The pharmacy is a busy place, being organized in one of the classrooms. Each of our two doctors, Moses and Robert, got their own classroom to meet with patients. We also used one classroom for HIV and Malaria testing.
Mamma Resty, who is the headmistress of the school and village leader, is the heart of this community. She has 11 children of her own, so you can well imagine she’s got great personal knowledge of child rearing. We did get a tour of the completed dormitory, which was just in beginning stages of construction when we visiting last year. It was a real transformation from clay sand and bricks scattered, to a really sophisticated compound by Ugandan standards. I was particularly pleased to see a bathroom they had made with an actual toilet seat encased in concrete sous gal’s didn’t have to squat over a hole in the ground. I told Pastor Edward that now, because of this feature, I could live here.
I also got to deliver a gift from a girlfriend, Cathy Russo, to one of my bible study students from 2-years ago. I took photo’s of all the girls and when I returned from Uganda in 2012, I invited people to “pick & pray†for a girl from my Sunday school class in Mpunge. Cathy selected Gloria Makamya; she wants to be a doctor. When I arrived this time in Mpunge I showed Jackie, Mamma Resty’s daughter the picture I had of Gloria and asked if she knew where to find her. She told me that her name was not Gloria, but that her name was Jesca Agaati. I guess my administrative skills aren’t as good as I thought! Anyway, Jesca received the gift sent by her prayer partner, and I received a letter to deliver back to Cathy. I love being a postal carrier. When Jesca opened her gifts, she was elated to see all the things in her packages.
While we were standing there, taking pictures and laughing, a lady approached us with a little baby in her arms. He was extremely swollen all over his body. His eyes could barely open. Through Mamma Resty and Lawrence, I determined that she did have a number to get to seethe doctor. It was number 38. I asked Lawrence to take the lady and baby to triage so they could get ahead and not have to wait. This little child needed to see a doctor.
The rest of the day ran smoothly. A few people showed up needing medical attention that did not have a number, so we added them in and bumped a few people and children ahead of the line, those who clearly had a problem. Many people show up to get the free medical attention because there is no clinic in Mpunge that has doctors available, mostly they would be seen by a nurse and directed to go to the larger towns for hospital or clinical attention. And most people don’t go because they don’t have the money to travel to the towns.
May 16th Friday – Exhausted but grateful
Everyone is in his or her respective rooms. It’s been along, fruitful day, but I don’t think we will get much sleep. There is a ‘revival’ going on down the street and the singing with loudspeakers and organ music at a toxic (noise pollution) level; it will be entertaining us all through the night.
We finished our last clinic day in Mpunge today – it was exhausting, but invigorating at the same time. So, many great God stories these past 4 days, but also unfortunately, many painful experiences. But now, I am even too tired to type…so I must say goodnight.
Saturday, May 17th  –  We are more than a number to Jesus
Today, tears are flowing and I seek forgiveness from God for the hardness in my heart and lack of wisdom in seeing Jesus in the least of these.
Yesterday a little boy who looked to be about 9-months old was brought to the clinic by a neighbor ‘friend’. I first met him when the woman inquired about getting to see the doctor. Mamma Resty, the headmistress of the school (Mpunge Covenant School & Church) is where we have set up the mobile clinic, and she & I were talking. The woman approached us carrying this little boy, his entire body was severely swollen, and his eyes despondent and he looked malnourished. I told her that she needed to have him see the doctor and she let us know she had received number 38 and was waiting for her turn.
A short time later I was in the classroom were we had set up the pharmacy and Jenny, one of our students, came in crying and needing some water. She was working with Doctor Robert and he had just examined the little boy, number 38, I saw earlier. After examining the baby he diagnosed that this little child of God would probably die in a few days and he needed to be in a hospital, and even than, it was very likely he would not survive. After seeing and hearing that news, Jenny had to leave the examine room and recompose herself.
Soon after that, the neighbor ‘friend’ and patient #38 was seen in the pharmacy to be given the medicine we had available to help him. He got medicine for worms, and Steve got to give him some water to help hydrate him. Again, it was translated that this baby needed to be in the hospital, and while translating this our Word In Deed partner, Rachel, also had to leave the pharmacy because the toll on her during this administration was overwhelming.  As for me, I saw little patient #38 later as the women from the village all gathered around him as he sat on the ground. I could tell there was much discussion about the diagnosis, I touched his swollen feet, trying to be careful not to hurt him, knowing he must be in pain considering the condition of his little body; I took his picture with my iPhone and prayed that God would be merciful.
Last night we returned back from our successful clinic day, probably seeing over 120 patients, adding together the families with children. I was sitting with Lawrence, one of our Ugandan translators, during dinner and got to hear some background about patient #38 as Lawrence was in triage translating during intake. Apparently this little baby’s life started without much hope. His mother had died and then his father could no longer care for him so he took his son to his mother, wanting her to look after the baby. Grandma was really not interested in looking after her grandson but he was left with her anyway.
According to the neighbor ‘friend’, Grandma was not very good at looking after this little boy because she was angry that the son had left him with her.  Grandma left the village and was gone for several days when the neighbor wondered what had happened to the little boy, our patient #38. She went to the Grandmothers hut and found that the little boy had been left there on the ground, alone, and had been there for several days. She took him with her and was trying to do her best to look after him, and it was shortly after that we had arrived for our free clinic.
Because of the lack of clear understanding of patient #38’s circumstances, I feel we failed to be the hands and feet of Jesus yesterday. We let this little child of God down; we did not do our best for him. This morning Steve and I prayed for his soul and prayed for God’s forgiveness and wisdom in what we could do to help this little boy. We resolved that we needed to get Pastor Edward to call Headmistress Resty and see if she can locate patient #38, get the neighbor friend to bring the baby to the hospital and offer to pay for the costs to get him there. Is that the best we can do? Why Lord did we not see that as an option yesterday? Are we so incensed now with what we see here in these remote villages that we have lost our compassion or ability to see Jesus in the face of this little boy, patient #38? I am now burdened with my failure to do my very best for God and His children.
Sunday, May 18th – Â A New Number
We just returned from our trip to Malago hospital in Kampala.  After visiting 2 other hospitals in Mukono and being told that the severe malnutrition nature of this baby Moses, a/k/a patient #38, required he be admitted to the hospital which specializes in children. In the emergency room there were actually 7 – 10 other mothers and fathers waiting in the seating area to be checked by a doctor and there didn’t appear to be anyone in charge to ask how we get to see someone. After several minutes I walked through the area that patients were being looked at and asked a woman (assuming she was a nurse) if she could speak English and if she could come look at Moses, as he was in a bad condition (tome much worse than the babies I saw in the waiting room. She came with me back out to the waiting room and had Grandma bring him to a desk with a scale on it. She took down his name and wrote down his weight, and in her notebook I found it ironic that he given a new number, patient #36.
The nurse brought us into a room with 2 doctors and several examine beds that lined the perimeter of the room. One child was lying in a bed with an I.V. and there was blood on the floor under where he was lying. He was complaining to the nurse that they needed someone to come in and clean up the blood and she told him there was no one.
Moses was looked at by both doctors and the told us he was severely malnourished and that they would admit him and keep him in the emergency section for the night to stabilize him. Tomorrow he would be transferred into the other unit where he will be given a feeding tube to start him on better nourishment. He told the Grandmother that she was not to feed him anything while he was in the hospital, that they would do that. My thought was she wasn’t doing it before, given how sick he was, so they wouldn’t have to worry about that.
We watched for a while as the doctor filled out the intake paperwork and shortly after that another doctor came in and suggested that we leave because they would be admitting Moses and there was nothing else we needed to do. I gave Grandma $20,000 shillings so she would have some money to feed herself while Moses was in the hospital, as our first doctor in Mukono said after about 2-weeks in the hospital, there was a great chance Moses would get better and be healthy again. We prayed that Grandma would not abandon him again.
Backtracking now to earlier in the day, so many things happened at church service, it was very long but very special. The new students from the Ntanzi Covenant School did their traditional dances for us; we had a message from Pastor Kefa on how God changes us, that we are new transformations once we let Jesus into our lives.  He spoke in English and Pastor Edward spoke in Lugandan. Professors Nornoo and Souriel both got to say a few words and it was very touching.  Adwoa also told the church, “I hope you aren’t sick of us, because we will be back.â€Â Praise God.
At the request of the Pastors, I got to speak to the congregation about the necessity of them taking ownership of the 3 buildings they’ve been given – their church, their clinic, their school. God has provided them with great blessings and now it was their responsibility to “Make it Work!†was the message I tried to convey. The pastors had shared with us that they don’t want to pay to come and see the nurse at the clinic, they don’t want to pay for their prescription drugs, they don’t want to pay their school fees (which is typical in Uganda), they are wanting to just have a hand-out. This is life in Uganda.  I told them like the parable in the Bible, they have been given much (talents to grow and prosper), so they have a choice now to bury them in the sand and then have it taken away from them, or to grow and prosper what they have been given. It is their choice.
Lunch was served after church service, so you can well imagine since the news got out that we were providing lunch, the attendance compared to a typical Sunday had tripled. That’s a good thing! The rice was abundant and the kids love it, as they don’t get it very often.  We also handed out bars of soap and the PBAU students did a health talk on hand washing and the importance of using soap to prevent disease.
We had arranged for the sick baby Moses to be brought to the church so we could get him to the hospital.  Surprisingly, the grandmother did bring him and our adventure getting Moses to the hospital is another whole story in itself. We heard a very different story from what we had heard before.  The biggest question we asked was, “Do you love this baby?â€Â She said “yes†and she said she would wait with him at the hospital as long as it took. To me that was the right answer, but in reality, there is no way of knowing if that was the truth.
Today is now Monday and we purchased food for Moses so that there would be food when he got home. We also learned that Moses is not the only child Grandma looks after. She has 4 of her own children at home plus another grandchild. The oldest child who she told us was 14, was left to care for the other four children. This is also typical in Uganda & Africa. We also purchase extra food to be given to the children who were left alone and made arrangements through the church that it be delivered and asked that someone in the village check on that family since Grandma may be gone for a couple of weeks. Again, we can only pray that it happens because we are not in control.
Lots more to tell about today’s adventures, but its time to eat – so it’s time to go!
May 22nd, Reflections  –  It’s More Than Medicine
Had a few days now to allow my mind and body catch up with each other, and I will surely need a few more days to feel somewhat stabilized, but I would be remiss if there weren’t a few things I shared.
The team of PBAU Gregory School of Pharmacy students, as a whole, was incredible. The cohesive teamwork that I observed was truly outstanding. I don’t give out compliments easily either; it’s not one of my spiritual gifts (LOL!). But, I have to say these young men and women were great examples of those being the hands and feet of Jesus in both word and in deed. This was our second team participating from PBAU. Last years team was also gifted, well planned and smooth… but we learned a few lessons and applied them this year. I think one of the major improvements was the prayer and spiritual aspect of this trip. One of the questions we asked each person during triage on this trip, “Would you like someone to pray with you?â€Â From the reports after each clinic day, most people replied, “YESâ€! Praise God!
As I roamed around each area to try and facilitate different needs for the clinic and monitoring patient flow between the Doctors, HIV & Malaria testing, counseling, etc., (with as much ease as possible), one of the joy’s of my experience was seeing that once people received their RX’s fills and instructions for proper administration of and drugs or vitamins, there would also be those who would be standing remotely aside receiving prayers from one of our team-members. It doesn’t get any better than that! These drugs can assist a temporary, physical need. Our improvement this year was in the spiritual needs and praying with 100’s of people.
I would be remiss is I also didn’t share this story. Melchisedek Dagis, one of the pharmacy students posted two beautiful pictures and this on his FaceBook page; “This picture sums up my trip to Africa. I meet Hadijjih during the 2nd day of clinic while I was triaging her. For some reason I asked to pray with her and she was reluctant because she served other Gods. I noticed a metal bracelet around her arm and she explained that her bracelet represented her commitment to the Gods that she served and the day that she took it off these spirits would terrorize and kill her. I proceeded to tell her about the only God that I knew, the only true God. I told her about Christ and what he did on the cross for sinners. She seemed interested to hear more so I told her everything that I knew about God and Jesus. She eventually accepted Christ and as I prayed with her I noticed that her taking off her bracelet. I asked her to come back on Sunday to church. I was worried that she wouldn’t come back but she did (we wore the same colors). With the help of a friend I was able to have a bracelet made for her. I told her that this new bracelet represented hope, a bring future and a new beginning. It meant that she did not have to resort to drugs, alcohol, tobacco and sexual promiscuity to find meaning in her life. JESUS was now her new identity. There is more to her story but I was glad that I was able to impact someone’s life by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. This trip was beyond amazing. God is good!â€
This is the kind of testimony that can only be given when short-term missions are accomplished. God is moving mountains in this. People who may be questioning their faith in these small villages where witch doctors are still prevalent, where strings are being tied around waists and wrists to ward off evil spirits, where Jesus is still being questioned as the Son of God. Seeing so many Ugandan villagers asking for prayers is a testimony to the medicine they are receiving. They are hungry for God. They are hungry for Jesus. They are hungry for the truth found in God’s word. What a blessing to be part of.
The two PBAU professors leading the trip this year, Adwoa Nornoo and Mariette Souriel, were instrumental in making things happen again this year. What really excited me also as a ministry leader was to hear that so many of the students who joined us in 2013 also wanted to return in 2014. Dr. Nornoo and I discussed this as a kind of after-thought the evening the team was departing. We had 3 students returning with us for the 2nd year on this trip to Uganda. For me personally and as a trip coordinator, it was an affirmation that what we are trying to accomplish for God’s glory is working also. These students returned with a passion and assurance that God wanted them to continue what they had started, to build on the relationships they had made last year. The reality of that shows up in Facebook and in photographs where they have been reunited with their friends and patients from last year.
This kind of medical mission trip takes numerous hours of preparation and planning, but it also takes of village of hands across the globe to be successful. I want to thank the numerous people who supported the trip financially and with prayer. The Ugandan volunteers, the two amazing Doctors, the translators, the Pastors & their wives who consistently go over and above the call of duty. All the people who fed us and provided the safe, comfortable place for us to sleep. Our sweet assistant Rachel, who is full of energy and without her, being my right hand, we would have had way too many complaints! It takes a village! God’s provision was full in so many ways.
Now, what is even more exciting for our small ministry, Word in Deed (WID) has expanded 1,000 fold by these experiences. Students this year have seen the changes at Mpunge Covenant School (the same village campus we did a mobile clinic last year was in the midst of construction and expansion). This year, offers to sponsor children to attend school have developed and affirms for me that what we, WID, is doing as a ministry is honoring God by providing education and spiritual development for these young children. As I sit here now, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the lives that are being affected, not only here in Uganda, but at home in USA.  Praise God.
Lisa Sorensen, Word In Deed Ministries
May 2014
Postscript – November, 2014
Baby Moses spent over 2-months in the hospital in Kampala. He has returned to his Grandmother and now we have set in place a monitoring system so that if she runs out of food for the children, she can go back to the school and ask for provisions. Moses has been there also several times and our prayer is that he will start school at the Mpunge Covenant School and grow up to be a mighty warrior for Jesus.
Posted in Short Term Missions, Uganda | Comments Off on Uganda Medical Missions 2014
Monday, August 26th, 2013
Uganda Trip Reflection
My chance adventure to Uganda was made possible by no more than a lucky coincidence, rather than an actual interest in going. After initially being “chosen†to go on the Costa Rica mission trip, which I had no interest in going on, I was casually walking through campus when Dr. Chahine made me an offer that would soon change my life forever. The proposition was to go to Africa to begin my rotation. To say I was uncertain about whether or not to spend time in Africa would be a dire understatement of my actual skepticism. Not only was I unsure if I wanted to expose myself to potentially very sick people, but I was even more weary of whether or not my own health problems would drastically hinder my experience. However, my inhibitions and fears were far outweighed by the excitement I felt and the prospect fulfillment from helping those who need help the most.
The next step was to get the opinions of my doctors and the people closest to me. So I began with my parents, who expressed their doubts, and my doctors were no more promising. So even though that is where many thought my adventure should end before it began, I had a different notion. The very next day I woke up knowing that I would be very disappointed in myself if I let my health issues control my life and steal such great opportunities that were in my grasp. Now that my mind was made up I had almost an entire semester to look forward to the trip. However, my excitement was short lived and quickly turned to fear and second guessing my decisions. I began talking myself out of going to Africa and often tried to manufacture excuses to get out of my obligation. Nonetheless, my fear was overcome by courage and a desire to help those who need help the most.
After returning I realized God has a plan for all of us, and the path laid before us is never perfect but rather a rough one filled with fear and doubt. However, it became clear that the dark curves of my path made the light shine brighter, and the weakness I faced along the trail made me stronger, and showed me the meaning of faith. Similar to Katie’s experience I took a leap of faith by trusting in God and it changed me forever. I was able to draw my inspiration from Katie’s words and experiences by letting go and acknowledging that “Every day, we have a choice. We can stay nestled in our safe comfortable places, as I did when the rat was in my room. We can let fear of something that really is small compared to the greatness of God cripple us. Or we can take a risk, do something to help someone else, make a person smile, change someone’s world. Life to the fullest exists. It’s available. All we have to do is decide to get up and embrace it.†Regardless of the immensity of the decision I always struggle taking the next step because my faith often lacks the strength needed to let go and embrace the world around me. Yet, I took a big leap forward and allowed faith to carry me on an adventure to Africa, and became a stronger person along the way. By choosing to go on this mission trip with the group that was selected I know I made one of the best decisions of my life, so far. Leaving the United States, though still quite nervous, I reflected on how blessed a person I truly am to have such an opportunity, little did I know I would return a much better person. Though my suitcase and wallet were much lighter upon my return, it did not matter. I saw things clearer and the world was put into perspective for me and I came to the realization that money and objects do not bare the weight to happiness. Many Ugandans had close to nothing in belongings compared to many Westerners, but had everything in happiness compared to many people who desperately try to buy their way to happiness.
My experience in Uganda was overwhelmingly magnificent and eye-opening that I cannot wait to return, and I am more than willing to go back next year if given the opportunity to do so. One of my favorite things to do while in Uganda was to sit with Dr. Moses for hours on end where I was able to learn more from him in those couple of days than I could in any classroom. I have never met anyone as passionate and fun to work with in my entire life. My time spent with him and the experiences I had with him opened my eyes to the possibility of maybe one day becoming an MD….but that’s an entirely other story! Another fun and memorable day that I had, was going to the school on Mpunge in the afternoon and being greeted by all the students with singing and dancing; it almost brought tears to my eyes. It was truly an unforgettable day that spanned from seeing the singing and dancing and treating a little boy named Moses who had an open ileostomy and fecal matter coming out of him. Just meeting this child and seeing the picture of him smiling a few days after his surgery was worth the entire trip by itself. This little boy went home with a new “normally†functional intestine which is a great blessing, and I came home with a new brighter outlook towards life in general. In the end I was the one who was truly blessed more than Moses or anyone could ever imagine. It is crazy to think how I went to another country to help others and change their lives and it turned out that the Ugandans helped me far more than I could have helped them, and I was the one who was changed.
When it comes to tangible objects I am way more blessed than most people in Uganda, but I now know that blessings come in different ways and most of the time the tangible goods are often the least important things in life. Children running and playing barefoot in the sun yet smiling and thankful for what God has provided for them. I have returned from Africa a better, stronger, and more mature man, and for that I am eternally grateful. If I could do everything over again I would not change a single moment of the entire trip. The way the trip happened could not have been scripted any better than the way it unfolded. We saw some amazing cases that we are likely to never see again. After coming back and talking to many of the other mission groups there is no doubt in my mind that this trip was the best one as a whole and for me personally to go on. When selecting a mission trip earlier in the year my goal was to go on a trip with my friends, but it was a blessing in disguise that I had the opportunity to go on the trip with the group that we went with. I built relationships that will last a lifetime. The leaders on this trip, Dr. Nornoo and Dr. Sourial, were great because they allowed us to do what we needed in order to get the job done and trusted in the rotation students. This reflection is best summed up with a bible verse which I feel expresses the entirety of this trip, and why I was chosen to go. “For I know the plans I have for you,†declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future, Jer. 29:11.
Emile Abdo
Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University
Tags: Gregory School of Pharmacy, Kisses from Katie, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Uganda
Posted in Kampala, Project Updates, Uganda | Comments Off on PBAU – Uganda Missions
Monday, August 26th, 2013
Reflection Essay-Uganda 2013
There are some events in your life which redirect the path you choose to take. The first morning upon waking up in our hotel in Uganda a young Ugandan named Gerald explained, very philosophically, what he thought about life to me like this. Your life is like a stream which is meant to flow. Of course there will be pebbles and rocks in the stream. This will deter the flow of the water and create some rapids but afterwards the water continues to flow. We all want to flow freely without any turbulence but when we get to calm waters is when we should take a deep breath and realize what those difficulties in our lives have taught us. Without challenges we would be nothing and the fabric of our lives would be plain. Proverbs 3:5-6 states “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.â€
The preparation for this trip was intense. In addition to all of the other classes in our last academic semester, trying to arrange how we would serve a population none of us have ever seen in a place we have never visited was at times stressful. As a team I believe from the beginning we were very connected. I have been on a couple other medical mission trips but have never had the same level of teamwork and understanding as this group. I also believe this group has been the most spiritually-based of all the groups I’ve travelled with. We pulled all our resources together and between us sixteen people and more than thirty bags we were off and ready to go to Uganda. There was still hesitancy though. What if the bags were taken at customs or didn’t arrive? What would we do then?
Thankfully we all arrived safely and with all of our supplies to Entebbe airport. After that long flight and the inability to sleep for over 24 hours I was still ready to go. If there was a word to describe this trip it would be “thankfulâ€. Thankful to God that my dreams have come true to go to Africa, thankful for the people I was with and those we were blessed to serve, and thankful that everything went better than we could have expected.
After reading Kisses from Katie I think we had an appropriate introduction to much of the culture and what we would expect. There is however a huge contrast between what you can read in a book and what you experience in real life. For example, many people see humanitarian ads on television but become desensitized to it. The book did give our entire group something to focus on and ways in which mzungus are already providing aid in Uganda. Since many of us desire to continue with missions in our own way this book shows us how this can become a possibility.
The following day was our first clinic day. We did not know exactly how this was going to function but I believe we all managed it really well. As we continued through all four clinic days it only became more and more organized, especially with the constant advice and guidance of Dr. Sourial. We were full of energy to experience this new culture and make an actual impact in the lives of these people. I remember during the first mission trip meeting we had Dr. Nornoo had told us that many times we could only place a bandage on these people but it is the spiritual strength that we give them that is the most important and lasting. I would agree. As you go through many of the patients, the ailments could be easily solved. Education and better access to healthcare would solve most of their problems. Although through all the hundreds of people we saw and the fact that most came through with numerous illnesses I would agree with another comment Dr. Nornoo made that they’re not “poor†people. They were not poor in spirit and many times not absolutely poor in material possessions. We in the Western world are the poor people. Matthew 19:24 states, “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” I also think of the 8 Beatitudes and how blessed these people are.
The main example I would focus on is the boy named Moses. He had a perforated bowel and had not been using a colostomy bag for a month or so due to financial restraints. He could not get surgery to repair his intestines since this would be considered “electiveâ€. This is the same condition my father had a few years ago and I remember how hard it was on him and yet Moses is only a little kid. When we saw him again on the third day of clinic with Dr. Moses (who coincidentally had his namesake), Sam and I knew without any doubt that we would pay for the cost of his treatment. We arranged for him to go to the hospital and you could begin to see relief in his father’s face. I had not seen Moses smile yet and he looked like the life had been taken out of him. When we visited him again in the hospital after he had received surgery he was not awake yet. To make a long story short I ran to five different banks and supermarkets to try and exchange American dollars to Ugandan shillings. This was extremely stressful and unsuccessful. Considering I had to leave the room Moses was staying in because I felt tears about to come, the thought that if we couldn’t pay for his treatment he would possibly be discharged prior to recovering was a lot to handle. While writing this reflection I saw a picture of him on Facebook for the first time in the hospital bed with a huge smile on his face. The operation and recovery had both went great. I am so thankful to God for all of this. That alone was worth the entire trip.Â
Upon leaving in London a few of us sat around discussing the trip and what was to become of our future. Every one of us already had decided that this was only going to be the beginning. We had grown both spiritually and emotionally and have created much stronger relationships. If there is a way to measure the success of a trip I would say it is this: Days after arriving back in the United States we are still talking about what is next and how we can continue this journey of missions in the future.
Chris Schiel, Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University
May 28, 2013
Tags: Gregory School of Pharmacy, Kisses from Katie, Palm Beach Atlantic University
Posted in Kampala, Uganda | Comments Off on PBAU-Gregory School of Pharmacy-Partnership with Word In Deed Ministries
Monday, August 26th, 2013
Uganda Mission Trip Reflection
“An Unforgettable Journey to the Center of God’s Heartâ€
We all expected for this trip to be out of the ordinary; we were going to Africa, this had to be extraordinary. We could never have imagined that Uganda would creep up into our hearts and take hold of us like it did. Perhaps it was the red soil described by Katie Davis in her book, or the huge smile that we were greeted with by our guide Rachel; I knew that this trip would be different from any other I had ever taken before, the moment I left Miami.
We arrived at Entebbe airport after two days of traveling non-stop through the world to reach this corner of God’s creation, all of us tired and dirty. It was amazing how even while exhausted I could appreciate the natural beauty of Uganda. We were reminded to look for inner beauty by Pastor Keffa as we ate a hearty meal at his spacious home located near the hotel we had been placed at. He stressed how the people we were likely to encounter would be dirty, beaten, and weathered by life. I was personally reminded that God could care less what we look or smell like and that I was here with the sole purpose to show God’s love to the people of Uganda. With His words in my head I went to sleep that first night, aware that the days to come would bring new challenges and blessings.
After sleeping comfortably in the modest hotel I was worried how many of the patients we would see each day would go without the things in life we so easily took for granted. Breakfast was always served in the morning by the time we woke up, and even though it was not an amazing breakfast by American standards, it would be considered a feast by any of our patients. Day after day at the clinic I could see the stamp of poverty on the patient’s faces and body. I would wonder how things could be changed for the better for these communities and time after time I came up with the same answer: they need education. In order to be raised from their social status these dirty children I was playing with needed to overcome the illiteracy barrier and finish school. We were unable to provide for them anything more than some medical care and a kind word, but at least it was a start. I was letting God use me as His hands and feet for their immediate medical needs, and for the moment it was enough.
I understand that these trips, like most mission trips, are not able to create radical change unless they are longer and more comprehensive. In the end though, it became more about showing each individual that there are people out there that care enough for their needs that they will travel the world just to see to some of them. Perhaps, and this is always my wish, they saw some of God in each and every single member of the team.
There is one man I will never forget so long as I live. He allowed me to be humbled and blessed me more than what I could have blessed him. At some point in the hustle of the second day of clinic I was changed from Dr. Moses to Dr. Peace and was not very happy about that because in my own will I wanted to stay and learn from the more comprehensive and prepared professional, but as always God has a purpose even in the small things that he does. I sat for some time more than a little irked in the room I was assigned to, and looked out the window from time to time out of sheer impatience. I saw a familiar figure going up the steep steps leading out of the clinic. It was an elderly man I had seen before in the clinic, walking with the aid of two roughly made sticks. I wondered how on Earth he would be able to climb all those steps with no help and I realized that it would not be possible. As he tried unsuccessfully to climb the first step while fumbling with both sticks I waited for someone to help him. At that precise moment I felt a nudge from God asking me why was I waiting for someone else to help him when I had able hands and feet. I don’t even remember what I told Dr. Peace, I just ran out of the room as fast as my feet would take me and hoped it would be culturally OK to hold the man like I did. I took a hold of him from the back and quickly motioned him to move forward with my help, that it was OK now. As we made our way up the steps he started to hum, and at that precise moment I knew that he was content. He was showing me and helping me understand a part of God’s word that was partially hidden from me until then. When God tells us in Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!†He meant always. He meant rejoicing in sickness and poverty like the man I was holding. I felt like anything that would ever come my way would be fine in the end because He has called me to rejoice even in the worst times. When the man’s humming subsided and we were still halfway to the level terrain of the road I started singing for him, I don’t know why I did it, I just know that it was what we both needed. As I started singing this man started humming once again, and I am sure we made a peculiar sight: the crippled man and the mzungu girl singing a universal song of praise to God.
This trip signified the true beginning of getting to know myself apart from every other identity I could possibly have. In Uganda I was no longer anyone’s daughter or girlfriend, no longer a student or mzungu: I was living God’s purpose in my life and this made me His. I believe that I was more touched by this trip and the many acts of kindness that I was able to witness and be a part of than any other single event in my whole life. It was in His will for the team to be assembled and to be blessed with the knowledge of the human body so that we could ultimately serve His people. If there is anything else that felt as good as this, I have never experienced it. I hope to be able to continue living in His purpose no matter where he places me, and while Uganda is far away from home, it will always have a place in my heart.
Stephania Almonte
May, 2013
Tags: Kisses from Katie, Medical Missions
Posted in Kampala, Project Updates, Uganda | Comments Off on Palm Beach Atlantic University-Gregory School of Pharmacy
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012
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April 13th Fundraiser Update,
A Letter of Thanks:
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Jambo Rafika! That’s Swahili for Hello friend!
We wanted to say thank you for all your prayers and support toward our upcoming mission trip and the long-term goal of seeing the Ntenjeru Resources Center being built. We also want to thank 100 Fold Studio, the not-for-profit architectural firm in Montana affiliated with YWAM, who diligently took the verbal description of this project and turned it into a visual design.
As a ministry, are honoring God’s call and becoming very excited about traveling with an energetic team to Uganda on June 19th to share God’s love with the children and families in Ntenjeru. We will be working in one of the clinics built by Word in Deed, painting the vocational school as it approaches completion, and loving on the orphaned children and families surrounding the Mpunge District. Most importantly, we will be sharing the Gospel with brothers and sisters who are thirsty to hear God’s word.inflatable pirate ship
Scripture speaks volumes to us, and Jesus’ brother James’ New Testament book is filled with wisdom to follow.  “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.†James 1:27
Your continued prayers and support are sincerely appreciated as we embark on this next phase of the God-sized adventure. We truly want to honor God’s call and are genuinely thankful for our family and friends who want to join us, living out our faith, in Word and Deed.Â
Your humble servant,
Lisa Sorensen
Posted in Project Updates, Uganda | Comments Off on April fundraiser update, plans unveiled for Ntenjeru Community Center!
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
This spring and summer, two teams visited existing projects and reached out to communities within the vision of future WID endeavors. First, founder Steve DeMoss travelled solo in April to Kenya and Uganda to visit WID farming initiatives and the rising Ntenjeru vocational school. In July, a seven-member team visited Pastor Edward Kasija at WID’s second home in Kampala, Uganda. The team of lay people and medical personnel visited WID projects and villages nestled around the countryside outside Kampala and Ntenjeru. Included was a trip to Mpunge, where all recent teams have visited to build relationships with the villagers at the site of a proposed new school building in the AIDS-ravaged fishing village near Lake Victoria Inflatable Water Game.
Posted in Kampala, Project Updates, Uganda | Comments Off on Teams add personal touch onsite in East Africa
Monday, March 28th, 2011
Below is a letter written to the father of WID founder Steve DeMoss. The letter comes from a man named Derek, who, as a child, was left at a home opened by Steve in the 1980s in an area of Uganda called Busega. He was left only with a note asking Steve to care for him.  Derek spent several years with Steve in post Idi Amin Uganda inflatable tents. He now lives in America with his Olympic athlete wife and children. He is writing to thank Steve’s father for raising a son who loves God and serves him with his life. The letter is unedited, giving you a glimpse into “Ugandan English!”
Dear Steve’s Daddy,
Allow me even if it is a late message but as we say better late than never, just allow my warm regards and that of my entire family to thank you for affecting us all direct and indirect how you have and still living your life as a positive force in this world. Direct because I saw you personal in the 80s in a home your son opened in Africa and that was Busega home as we used to call it even though you did not like the lizard that was on the wall that one night, thank God you did not loose the love for Africa and through your humble up bring of your son Steve Demoss, I can say with all joy that I come out to be a good man and a responsible daddy too a force of good in the society and a good child of the most high, lets put this way, had you not lived a God fearing life, that would have passed over down to your son, and I real don’t know where I would be may be in prison and dead, who knows, but this I know, you choosing the best gift of God and that is salvation through Jesus, that gift was passed on to your son Steve Demoss and here we are rejoicing as a direct connection from the life well lived and still going strong and it is our family prayer to see that all your grands sons and daughters follow in the same foot steps you planted in your early age. Indirectly you have affected so many lives positively through helping the needy in so many ways and trust me on this, today someone in Africa or somewhere in the world is able to read or write because of your financial help and that is a positive way of living your life on this wonderful planet God has blessed us all with. You have a legacy that no man that I know can match and we pray and hope your Son may continue to carry on the touch as he has done and still doing all these years which I can also see his daughter and your grand daughter Stacy carrying on. I am proud of your family and am blessed to be part of your legacy’s family cause I am one those fruits that have yielded out of the well lived life you chose in your youthful age. God bless you and live many more years the World is a better place because of you and your entire family. Much love from Derek Sr., Derek Jr., Steve, and Lady Christine Mayanjaz
Posted in Uganda | Comments Off on Former child taken in by WID founder in the 1980s expresses gratitude, “better late than never!”
Monday, March 7th, 2011
This year through funds from Vista Hermosa Foundation and a non-profit thrift store in Pennsylvania we have been able to start the building of a vocational school in Ntenjeru that will service twelve surrounding villages.
Pastor Edward, working on-site in Ntenjeru, reports this great news: “The progress on the vocational school is opening doors for the gospel to go forward even before it is finished. People in and around Ntenjeru are talking about it and are very excited and anticipating its opening!”
Vocational schools in Sub-Sahara Africa play a critical role in a nation’s growth and development.  Focusing on the world of work and emphasizing employable skills creates a way for young adults in developing nations to emerge out of poverty. Over 80% of students who finish primary/secondary school are unemployable, lacking marketable skills for a sustainable livelihood. Through trade, agriculture, and technical training, our goal with building this vocational school is to help young adults in these 12 villages to become gainfully employed.
In April Steve DeMoss will be going to Uganda to observe firsthand the construction that has begun on this school. In Uganda he will be meeting with the executive director of Vista Hermonsa and Ugandan church leaders to strategize the next phase of the school. The goal of leaders in Uganda is that once built, this school will be self sustaining.  The school will have 8 classrooms and through Vista Hermosa Foundation and New Life Thrift Store over 50% of the funds have been raised and 4 classrooms are under construction. Check back soon for photos!uk inflatable castles
Posted in Project Updates, Uganda, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Vocational school groundbreaking in Ntenjeru, excitement mounts in surrounding villages.
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