Thomason August 26, 2008 Update

August 26, 2008

Greetings from the mazungus at Labowa!

We are busy with life here. Sally is helping with implementing ongoing change for the clinic as directed by the Board. She has also been helping several children with specific medical needs. One girl, Alice, will have ear and adenoid surgery in a few weeks, which hopefully will improve her hearing and decrease the number of infections. She took Sylvia to the hospital today and in the morning Sylvia will have bilateral cataract surgery. Please pray that this will significantly improve her vision as she is a very bright 6-year old girl. She is very eager to see well enough to learn to write. Then on Thursday Sally takes Enoch to a pediatric neurologist. Enoch is a two-year old that came to the medical clinic that the team did back in late June. He appears to have some serious neuromuscular disease so hopefully an accurate diagnosis can be made that will help the parents assist the child. He is not able to sit, crawl, walk, or talk. Unfortunately there are not the early intervention resources here that are prevalent in the states.



The construction project races on. We anticipate finishing five of the seven buildings in the next week. Then we will focus our attention and limited resources on the final 2 two-story buildings. The final roofing has begun and we hope to attain usable status for both buildings. The promised finances for the buildings include an end-of-the year gift that will come later to complete the structures but we hope to have them ready for occupancy even though not completely finished. This is the third time I have reduced the crew size due to lack of finances.



Now to the latest scoop. August 20 was our anniversary (31 years) and August 21 was Sally’s latest birthday past 30-something. We read in our Lonely Planet book of East Africa that there is an actual boat here that was used in the filming of the movie, The African Queen, which gives dinner cruises on Lake Victoria. However, no one in our immediate African family knew any information about the boat. Our adventure began at 6:00 AM on the 20th with a long taxi ride to the docks at Entebbe. The taxis are minivans, usually packed with about 16 people that are the public transportation system here. After (1) locating the correct part of town (2) getting a boda boda (motorcycle) ride to the dock and (3) realizing that most of the people around the dock did not speak English, we realized that no one had heard of the boat. We began to realize that without more information our quest was impractical at best. We again consulted our book, which gives only part information, and decided that there may be other options for the berth of the “Queen.” We again took a taxi and went to Kampala and had morning coffee. We then took another taxi to Port Bell, another dock close to the city, but alas no “Queen” to be found. We did however find a guide with a boat who took us on an island excursion on the lake. We visited a small island inhabited by 250-300 people living mostly in one community. Housing was of sticks and mud for walls and thatch or tin for roofs. The folks are totally self-sufficient by fishing as well as farming the island because of the rich soil and constant water supply. They have a 12-month growing season so crop rotation is the key to success. There is no school, clinic or buildings of business, other than what is sold from windows out of the huts. There are hundreds of such islands on Lake Victoria and many are hours away from any major port or city. It is quite possible to be born, live your life, and die without ever leaving the island and its immediate waters.



A taxi back to Kampala and another taxi to Gabba Beach, our last option to search for the “Queen” this day. Another port, more fish and fishmen, boats, and ferries did abound, but alas no “Queen.” We had been informed by friends of a great restaurant up on the hill overlooking the lake and the city so we took a culinary detour as we foraged for food. We could see the island we had just explored as we sat at a table and enjoyed an outstanding meal. More bodas and taxis to make it back home ended a very memorable 31st anniversary and we have preserved the quest for the “Queen” for another day of adventure. Sally received roses for her birthday and a beautiful set of soapstone coasters.



Our time of fellowship with the singles continues and we are working on their upcoming retreat. We are excited to be a part and honored to be included in the planning.



Please pray for:



1. Sylvia’s surgery tomorrow

2. The singles retreat (September 5-7)

3. The work project

4. Finances for the project

5. Changes at the clinic

6. Wisdom as we enter our last month here (we would like to finish well)

7. Gorden’s knee which is injured and painful

8. Wisdom in relationships

9. Our son Ben arrives here September 3 and will stay until we leave the 23rd



Thank you for your prayers and financial support, both of which sustain us.



Gorden and Sally


PS we have attached some photos as we received a great used digital camera from a friend of our daughter. Hope you enjoy!

Admin building

Dorm

Two-Story Classroom

Temporary Library

Update from Thomasons -- August 9, 2008

August 9, 2008

Greetings from Uganda,

Whew! Things are moving very rapidly here, yet we continue to be in the more hurried I go the behinder I get syndrome. Some major changes have taken place in the clinic relative to staffing, hours, and operations so Sally keeps busy assisting with implementation and advice connected with the changes to try to have the smoothest transition as possible. Please pray as change is hard for most of those involved.


Last week Sally took three orphan children from the school to an eye specialist for an evaluation. One child had an eye injury when he was two (he is now fou4) and it seems there is nothing that can be done to help him to have any sight from this eye. The second child has severe lazy eyes but he is 13 so the brain patterns are well set by this point so we are not sure if we can help him. We did get some glasses for him to use and Sally will take him back in a month for further evaluation. The third child, Sylvia, has congenital cataracts. She is six and again it would have been helpful to have this problem addressed when she was little. The ophthalmologist felt surgical removal and glasses would definitely improve her vision. So on Thursday Sally took Sylvia to the Uganda Heart Institute and after a seven- hour wait and an echocardiogram, got the approval from the cardiologist to proceed with the surgery. (Kids with congenital cataracts often have congenital heart problems as well.) Sally takes the report back on Tuesday and then the surgery will be scheduled. These three children all come from extremely poor homes where the family lives in a one-room dirt floor shack. They are being raised by the grandmother or other family members. As we have said many times, the needs here are overwhelming and you just try to follow through on what God leads you to do. At times it feels like it is just a drop in the bucket that is too little, too late. Please pray that the glasses for William help and that the surgery and glasses for Sylvia will greatly help. She wants so badly to see so she can have a notebook and learn to write like the other children.


The construction project could use your prayers, as well. The Seminary Masters Program begins August 19th (requiring four buildings to be finished) and the College begins September 1 (requiring two additional buildings.) The remaining administration building is needed as soon as possible and definitely before we leave here September 23. With all the construction projects under a time crunch, we are working feverishly, but seem to be crawling to a conclusion. I am, however, optimistic.


On the local scene we continue to meet with the leadership team of the singles and encourage them with food, fun, and fellowship. We are planning their first ever singles retreat. We are praying our son, Ben, will be able to join us for a time in September where he can assist us in the retreat. What a gamemiester he is!


Our latest cultural antics found us attending our first Introduction last weekend. An Introduction is where the groom is introduced officially to the brides family and the brides family determines if they will allow the wedding to take place. So I purchased a konzu which is a long white gown and borrowed a suit coat to wear over the konzu. Sally borrowed a gomas which is the traditional Buganda dress. The event took place in a village near Mt. Elgon (close to the Kenyan border) about 45 minutes drive outside of Mbale. Sixty of us in two small buses and a van left the church around 6:30 am for the journey. This introduction happened to be between two different clans so there was a little bit of tension and suspense not knowing if one clan would approve of a groom from another clan. We took many gifts for the family which are all part of the dowry. When we arrived at the home of the bride, her family and friends were already gathered. The yard was decorated with flowers, lights and other items. Several tents were set up so we could be seated out of the sun. The brides family and the grooms family each had a spokesperson and several hours of questioning and exchanging of cash proceeded. Then in a game they searched for the groom and he at last was chosen. We then went out to get all the gifts. In a procession back into the yard each of us carried gifts, which included bags of flour, sugar, baskets of fruits and vegetables. Sally elected to carry some hand baskets of clothes so she wouldnt have to balance a basket on her head. She hasnt mastered that talent yet! After the presenting of the gifts we ate a big feast. Sally and I were chosen to eat inside the house at the table of honor with the bride and groom and family. All this was eaten without silverware and without talking as Ugandans dont talk much when they eat. After dinner there was more celebration with music and tribal dancing which includes bobbing, weaving, and shoulder dipping. My workers loved my attempts! We then all piled into the buses for the five- hour trip home where we sang, laughed and talked together. It was a great day of fun and celebration for all.


Thanks so much for your encouragement and prayer support!


Gorden and Sally

Gethomason1@juno.com