Last look at Yei, South Sudan

After a pancake and french toast breakfast by my wonderful host Simone, she drove me to the airport. It's funny how things work sometimes. We picked up the Eagle Air representatives on our way, to take them to the airstrip so they could check us in. Their vehicle was being repaired. Eagle Air only flies into Yei  3x a week on Tues., Thurs. and Sat.
Yei has been a very strategic location since it is close to the borders of Uganda and DRC. The prevalent languages are Kakwa, Bari and Juba Arabic.

This is the River Yei. If you look carefully you can see some people on the banks. They are doing washing and collecting water.

According to history, British missionaries, set up a clinic somewhere along the river banks  and the town was born.

Remember in a previous blog post I told you that these snails like to inhabit the bottom of the rivers and cause terrible health problems.

Every time I see people bathing and children playing around the water I think about the consequences of seemingly innocent activities.

Due to lack of understanding on basic health issues and no other real options for bathing or washing, people still go to the river.

Well here it is the mighty Yei airstrip!
The main building is a concrete structure with 2 rooms.

 The immigration people come out from town for Eagle Air flights that are arriving, but they don't bother for MAF flights, like the one I came in on. In that case you present yourself in town at their office so you can get a stamp in your passport.

After we had taken the photo we heard others say staff got vey upset with some other (Kawaja's or  foreigners) who took photos and wanted to take their cameras. Oops!

Location change and transport

After 8 nights on the Harvesters for the Nations compound it was time for me to move on to learn more about another ministry I had heard about for a very long time.

Elizabeth Perry, wife of Dr. Perry, who directs His House of Hope Hospital was kind enough to drive me to my next location along with 8 of their 11 children.

That's Adam, the photographer, setting up a video camera to film the drive.

Distances usually aren't that far within a town but because the roads are so terrible it can take a while.

This might not look too bad but let me tell you it takes 4-5 hours to drive from Yei to the capital, Juba only 100 miles away!

Now if you are looking for quicker transport, this is probably your best option.

It never ceases to amaze me, what people carry around.

This woman has her baby swaddled on her back, 2 Jerry cans for getting water somewhere along the route and then a bag of other goods.

This ministry has been around for 40
years in South Sudan.


If you would like to know more about them see
www.across-sudan.org

I spent half the day meeting staff and learning more about their radio programming in particular. We, that is Every Village, share a lot in common in that area.
I enjoyed eating dinner out under the stars with some of the local staff including Simone from Switzerland, Ruth and Christine from the U.K and 2 of the Perry children who came for a sleep over.

Education is the key

I came to Yei, specifically the House of Hope Hospital, to learn about the problems and struggles that prevent people getting health care. It is a multi faceted problem.

I have been participating in medical missions for the past 19 years. My first trip was to Romania and since then I have been to  5 Latin American countries, 1 other Eastern European country and 5 African countries. It is the same the world over. Education is the key to prevention and better health.

One of the main keys to changing the horrible statistics regarding maternal and infant mortality is teaching women what to expect during pregnancy and what the risks are without proper care before, during and after delivery.

Don't you just love when a plan comes together? I'm a kind of a plans person, but I know that it was God who set this plan into action. On the Harvesters for the Nations compound this week I have had the privilege of meeting many interesting people who are serving the Lord in unique ways. Adam, is a gifted in photography and multi media work. He even worked on the set of the film "Lincoln" in Hollywood.

Far from the glitz and glamor of big picture studios, Adam, was kind enough to shoot a video of Stephen, the head nurse for the hospital. In the photo you can see Adam's sister, Victoria, assisting by holding up the microphone, that was mounted on a pole.
 The topic was discharge instructions for mothers leaving the hospital.  The video can be played in the ward as mothers are resting and caring for their infants.  This will allow staff extra time to do other things in their busy day and it ensures that this important information is given out in a clear, simple and concise manner.

I am so excited about this and for future possibilities using this media. Thank you God for helping us change the face of health in South Sudan.

Points of interest around the compound

If you have read my blog before you know that I have had a growing interest in the bird life of Uganda. Guess what? There are some interesting birds that I have found here also.

Unfortunately my bird guide book is back in Uganda so I have to wait to properly identify him. He is solid black except for a bright red band around his beak. His tail is quite long and stiff looking.

Little 4 year old Josiah calls them Lizard birds since their tails resemble lizards. The name is catchy so I'm going with it.

This little guy is quite stunning. The actual bird is small, but his tail is at least 2 feet long.

He kind of sails majestically through the trees.

The tails reminds me of a wide,white ribbon.

Any bird enthusiasts out there who can identify him?

( After research I am pretty sure this is an African Flycatcher )

Not to change the subject or anything but... We are going from birds to bugs.

These are snails. They look pretty and harmless, but looks are very deceiving in this case.

They are capable of causing Shistosomiasis. No, it's not a dirty word.  You may have heard it called Bilharzia. Either way you don't want to get infected by this parasite.

Some of the orphans on the Harvesters compound found a coconut to eat :-)

It is not like the coconuts I know. The outside has a smooth light orange skin. One of the boys threw it on the ground a few times to crack it open.

The flesh inside was orange like a pumpkin and very stringy in texture. There was no juice either.

They were thrilled with their find so I left them to enjoy it.

I usually carry my camera around and was so pleased to take the radiography techs photo as he hung his latest X Rays of someones skull outside to dry or set or whatever they have to do.

Maybe he was just looking at in a better light. I am thinking as I blog this that it might belong to a man who has a brain injury. No accurate diagnosis can be made from here due to lack of ability to do CT or MRI. The closest place for him to be seen is in Kampala, about 15 or more hours away using public transport on local roads.

Family has not made the decision yet to take him. Praying for his brain to heal and rejuvenate itself.

Future generations of South Sudanese

Like all nations around the world, South Sudan, will look to their youth to lead their country in the future. Sadly here,  many will die in childbirth or early childhood. The stories of resilience, persistence and strength in spite of obstacles and huge challenges continues to amaze and inspire me.

Let me share a heart breaking story with you.
In her 35th week of pregnancy, the woman pictured, went into early labor. She had attended a local clinic for her pre natal care. Unfortunately the clinic she attended does not have an ultrasound machine, so care is limited. This is the normal standard in most places. This lady was carrying twins but no one knew.

I was 9pm when her first baby was born. She continued having pain so her family tried to get her help. They live far away and no transport could be found. Now I want you to imagine this scene with me. They are desperate and the woman is having contractions. Four men, two of whom are in the photo, laid her on a mattress and carried her in the dark of night to His House of Hope. At 4 am, 7 hours after her first baby was delivered she gave birth to a stillborn. It makes me so sad that there will be hundreds more just like her.

Thankfully God cares about these precious little ones.

Next time you see a pregnant woman, would you please say a prayer for those in far away places that don't have the privileges of healthcare, good roads, transport systems, communications, and a multitude of resources that we so often take for granted.

Around the compound

The day begins here with a clanging metal bell sound which wakes up the 160 orphans at around 6-6:30 am.  The next sounds are of singing as they get ready to do chores before school. They sweep the grounds, use machete's to cut grass etc.

Sometimes after chores there's time for a little goofing around. The children took wood stumps and some sticks and voila, you have a band! It seems they just can't help but dance to it.

Meanwhile up in the kitchen, cooking for 400 is a lot of hard work.!!! These big vats are used for cooking massive amounts of rice and such. The stirring stick is lying on top.

I stood next to one for a short time and the heat was intense. The women stand on a small platform to stir.

Here are a couple of the women who work in the hospital kitchen. They are preparing cassava leaves for cooking. The leaves help provide some needed " greens".

Unlike a lot of places in S. Sudan, this hospital cooks food for the patients. Mostly, patients have to fend for themselves or families come and bring food.

Good Friday in Yei

On mission trips into S. Sudan with Every Village, we usually end each day by asking team members to share their highlights and low lights for the day. I am on a mission here so I have decided to share these same things with you.
I really enjoyed my first full day in Yei, yesterday. I woke up to the sound of some of the 160 orphan children who live on Harvesters compound, singing. They were up and about to begin morning chores. 400 children attend school, but only 160 actually live here full-time.

As soon as breakfast was over Linda, two of her children and I made hot cross buns. The dough had to be ready by 11 am so it could be put in the big oven where large volumes of food is cooked daily for the  orphanage.

So great to finish hospital rounds and then eat hot, buttered buns and enjoy a cup of tea :-)

Doctors, Graham and Rebecca look happy with this treat!

After arrival on Thursday I got to tour the compound and walked through the different areas of His House of Hope. Friday morning I got a bit more up close and personal with what is happening there.

Truth is, miracles are taking place. What a joy to see women and their newborns being skillfully and lovingly cared for in this environment. South Sudan has the highest rate in the world for maternal mortality and 7th highest for infant mortality.

I had the opportunity to get to know this lovely young woman who gave birth spontaneously at 33 weeks. One of the reasons I came to visit was so I could learn more about the challenges woman face and how I could address those issues as I write radio lessons.

I sat and talked fairly easily as Shida knows a little English.

I am thankful for some training in mother/baby nursing in the U.S., being on hand for the birth of 3 grandchildren and various experiences in Africa that has enabled me to offer some post natal teaching.

Along with seeing some of these women whose birth experience has been positive, the lowlights of the day are in recognizing that there are still thousands of women who will not get to a hospital because there is no transport available, the distance is too far and they have no money or resources or because of ignorance or lack of education they will suffer needlessly at home.

It's fun to see families doing what is "normal"just like they would do if they were still in their own country.

Here you can see some of the Poole family dying eggs :-)  Missionary kids (MK's) face lots of challenges as they grow up in unfamiliar cultures, but the eternal blessings far outweigh the difficulties.

Daily Delights

Somehow I just never get tired of watching the sun rise from my apartment windows and balcony.

The colors are breathtaking. I just love watching the smallest sliver of color and light, as it swiftly takes over the darkness. If I have put the coffee pot on, once I see the sun starting to ascend from its resting place, I run to pour my coffee and take my seat on the balcony to watch the rest of the show!

 I have been reading from the book of Job in my daily time with God and I can't help say out loud, "Have you ever given orders to the morning?"

Check out this medium sized delight. He is a Hamerkop, named because of his hammer shaped head. He is the only species of his kind in Africa. Definitely can't mistake him for another. God is so creative.

 I spotted him as I walked over to the clinic next door. I did some quick fumbling in my pocket to reach for my camera. He was calm and cooperative as he quietly walked through the low grass, not seemingly bothered by my close proximity.

Every day I marvel at the things women carry. I was waiting for patients to arrive at the clinic for the women's health screenings when I happened to glance out and see this woman with her heavy and cumbersome load.

Even though it was International Women's Day, a national holiday, her day was no different. I don't know her but I can see that she is strong, hard working and dependable. She most likely has a family to support and will do what it takes to make that happen.

Everyday God gives me something to take delight in, but more than that, "I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God."  Isaiah 61:10

Signs

Signs and billboards are everywhere, no matter what country or continent you live in. I've started noticing the signs around me and one day a song from way back called "Signs" by a group known as The Five Man Electrical Band, started reverberating in my head. The lyrics are actually quite interesting. Here's the chorus so you can sing along as you read :-)

Sign, sign
Everywhere a sign.
Blockin' out the scenery,
Breakin' my mind.
Do this, don't do that.
Can't you read the sign?  







This sign speaks for itself. He's a popular person here. Enough said.







Now this sign is an interesting one. Mukwano is the name of one of Uganda's largest and wealthiest companies. Their interests are diversified in the areas of real estate, cargo, agriculture and manufacturing.
I am most familiar with the latter as I buy their water, cooking oil and margarine products.

Recently I heard how they got the name,"Mukwano".  I don't know if this is accurate but it's a nice story so I like to think it is.

The man who first started the company was Chinese and during Idi Amin's time he was vulnerable in society and was hidden from danger  by local friends. He was very thankful for that friendship.

Since there is a considerable population who have a more Arabic background, manufacturers are catering to their needs.

This one makes me smile as I can't imagine a billboard suggesting modesty to American or Australian billboard viewers.

There's food for thought here.

This billboard has appeared all over town. If you watched the London Olympics last August, you may remember that Uganda won it's first gold medal in history. Stephen Kiprotich, brought home the honors in the men's marathon.

Someone from the advertising division of  "Mukwano" who produces Aqua Sipi water, very cleverly came up with a way to draw attention to their product.

Uganda is proud of you Stephen.

Not to be left out, Mrs. Kiprotich, is featured here with her husband on the cover of a magazine.

His huge achievement has definitely changed their lives
and is an inspiration to Ugandan youth.

It's good to be able to celebrate good clean victories when doping is so much a part of the sporting world.
















This sign cracks me up. Baroda, is the name of a banking institution. Their slogan, as you can see is "Banking with Passion."

There are a lot of things I do with passion, but banking is not one of them.

This sign really got my attention. Obviously it's a huge problem, not just here in Uganda, but all over the continent of Africa and the world.


Uganda's First Lady has been honored with awards by the Aids Foundation. She began her tireless effort and campaigns in the 1990s to promote awareness and educate the population about HIV/AIDS. 





I am wondering what signs are grabbing your attention as you drive along? I have also been thinking about what the Bible has to say about signs. Matthew chapter 24 has a lot to tell us about signs. I hope you are reading and watching the signs of the times.

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign.....

What do you see?

Do you ever look around you, I mean really look? What is it that you see? Today as I was driving to the store I asked God to show me what he sees when he looks down here on Kampala.

Shortly after I asked God, the city skyline came into view. I thought well... it looks modern enough and fairly impressive from a distance but what about all the corruption and greed in government, the lack of concern for the poor ?

What can I do?

All along the way I see people carrying or pushing heavy loads.

Sometimes it's women with huge baskets or bundles on top of their heads and then there is always a man with a bicycle loaded down with bananas, coal, timber or crates full of bottles. It's so heavy he can barely push it.

Life is hard and everyone has to do whatever it takes to make some money to live.

How can I help?

Inevitably I will come across street children, disabled men in wheelchairs in the middle of traffic and young mothers carrying lethargic babies on their backs.

All of them will be begging for food and money. It haunts me. Today two young mothers came beside my car. I offered some lame sugar cookies and a bottle of water. I watched them in my rear view mirror as they moved on to the cars behind me.

I started to cry, "Oh God, do you see that? It breaks my heart, I know it breaks yours."

How do I respond to what I see?

Matthew 9:36 says "When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

Today I'll pray for the Shepherd to have mercy on all I see and that somehow they can know the HOPE of a better future through Christ.