A final wee word...

Another brief update this week, as I will soon be able to update you in person.  Leave Uganda on Thursday, get back home on Friday.  It is bitter sweet, I have already started crying at the prospect of leaving the children I have come to know and love, but also cannot wait to see my mum, dad, Claire and her family and of course Harley, our beloved dog.  Apparently Harley has continued to go into my bedroom each morning to look for me, despite the fact that it is approaching 3 months, bless him.

Another busy week since I blogged last.. photos and prayer points this week!

Baking Ugandan style for visiting the kids in Boarding school, so hygenic working on the floor, alongside the flies!

They are called 'daddys' - I have no idea why, but are sweet, fried things!

Cindy sweazy and their puppy!

Had fun with the Sweazy kids on Monday - it is amazing what you can create using pipe cleaners and beads!

Visiting kids in boarding

105 mosquito nets on the boda!

Talking to the daycare kids about the importance of using a mosquito net, prior to issuing them with their nets!

Lots of exciting colours to be had!

Bless them - lets hope and pray these nets are put to good use

Took little Jordan to visit his mum, Joan, in boarding school this week.  Joan is in the pink.  Impressed I managed two bags of shopping and a two year old on a boda - think I am getting better!

I visited Open Hands to Serve.  Craft groups and saving groups.  It was a blessing.

Lots of new crafts will be coming home in my suitcase this time.

Visiting Isaac's mum and brother in the village

Isaac, our friend and boda driver, with his mum and youngest brother

Thank you so much for your continued prayer, support and love.

Update from this week - dentist returned to work on children's teeth - praise the Lord!

Please continue to pray for all the dear children who are a part of RUHU.

I am so thankful for safety and good health during my trip - such a blessing!

I feel terribly selfish asking you to pray for me, but those of you who know me well will know how I hate flying - please pray for the journey back home!

Funny story to finish on ...so yesterday I was visting craft/savings groups in Jinjja with two lovely new friends, Betty and Brian.  We left our last group, which was in quite a remote location.  Brian went ahead on a boda and Betty and I followed behind on a second boda.  It was very picturesque as we drove through sugar plantations in the sunshine.  However, our boda just cut out suddenly.  I asked Betty if he had just run out of petrol, to which she laughed.  We had.  What happened next was the most bizarre thing ever.  Betty and I stepped off the boda, the driver laid the motor cycle down on the ground and gave it a shoogle.  He then stood it back upright, opened the petrol gauge - spat into it and then we were off!  The combination of shoogling and spitting took us as far as the main road, where we got our bus.  Quite remarkable! 

Lots of love xxx

Thank you once again to all those who have been such a support these last few months x

Just a wee update this week....

I hope this wee update finds you all well.  Thank you once again for your continued prayers, love and support.  I cannot believe today is the 18th March and that I only have 12 days remaining!

This week I added a few more clinic/dentist /hospital trips to my collection. 3 trips on Monday, 3 trips on Tuesday, 2 trips on Wednesday, 4 trips on Thursday, 1 trip on Friday and 3 trips today....rotten teeth, malaria, cellulites, burns, ear infections, viral rashes....I have spent a lot of time this trip in clinics, but am so thankful for good health for myself.  Good health is certainly not something to be taken for granted, especially here, where sickness and disease are rife. 

Whilst Fred still has a long road to travel he has made progress this past week. I have arranged for him to start seeing a counsellor on a weekly basis. We had our first session on Tuesday. The counsellor is a lovely Christian lady. She was so gentle, sensitive and genuine with him. I am so thankful for her. 

I have continued to enjoy the work in the slums this week. I just love spending time with these precious children. Foot injuries are common as the majority of them go about bare foot. On Wednesday one of the boys, Patrick, had a bit of a hole in his foot from standing on a nail. This was an old injury, but on Wednesday I attempted to clean it out. Lots of little stones and grit had entered the hole. After cleaning, I dressed and bandaged it and stressed that it was now an open wound and he must keep the bandage on until I saw him tomorrow.  When I saw him on Thursday and called over to him, the first thing he said was, 'Please forgive me.’  I didn’t know what he was talking about, so I asked, ‘What for?’  Bless him, there had been a horrendous storm in the night and his bandage had got soaked and come off.  I had been woken up in the night by the horrific thunder, rain and lightning and I had lay awake for quite some time thinking about these children on the street, that I know and love.

On Thursday I arranged for a local dentist to come and talk to the children about oral hygiene. After this he then did examinations of all the children’s mouths.  I bought the resources and equipment and the deal was he would give free treatment – please pray he sticks to his word!

A brief blog this week, as somewhat brain – dead!  Please forgive me.

Love Ruthie x      

Tallest P7 boy ever!  Yesterday he said he was taking me as his mother - bless him!

Dental check ups.

Muganda the dog is not impressed by these dental check ups!

Visting my Aunt and Uncle's sponsor.

Don't panic - Sparky the bear is still around!

Juliette and her beautiful smile!

Another exciting week!

Hello there dear friends and family, I hope this blog finds you well.

So last Saturday I went with Sharron, the Ugandan girl that I stay with, to meet her family in the village.  Sharron cooks my evening meals for me and washes my dirty clothes – she is such a lovely girl and it has been a huge blessing meeting her.  She is just 19 years old but she has been through quite a lot.  Her father passed away when she was still in primary school and her mother passed away when she was in S6.  This left Sharron, her elder sister and her two younger brothers orphaned.  Not long after I arrived in January Sharron’s elder sister of 24 passed away during child birth.  Not only was Sharron heartbroken at the tragic death of her sister, she was also becoming increasingly concerned about her two younger brothers, Shadrack and Shafik.  After the death of her mother, her elder sister had been the one to finance the boys’ education.  Following the sister’s death in January the boys were asked to leave school as the fees could not be paid.  

As a family we agreed to pay the boys’ school fees for the first term.  On Saturday I went to meet the boys and the extended family and settle the school fees.  Our journey was interesting to say the very least.  The taxi/minbus only took us so far and then turfed us out into a Toyota Corona.  Myself and Sharon sat side by side in the front passenger seat, good thing she just wee! After a wee while we stopped to pick up more passengers.  I was greatly confused when a different man returned and sat in the driver seat.  I asked Sharron if we had changed driver.  She said, “No, the driver is coming.” The driver then jumped in the car and sat next to this elderly gentleman.  I actually couldn’t stop laughing, as the driver stretched over this old man ever time he wanted to change gear.  It was quite the experience, cracked windscreen, doors that only opened from the outside, 4 people in the front seats, several people in the back seats, holding a panel of glass...Praise God for keeping us safe!

We went as far as the Tanzanian border and crossed over for a brief period of time. I can now say I have visited Tanzania – albeit for about 20 minutes, before crossing back over to visit Sharron’s family.

Sharron and I - in Tanzania!

Her family could not have been nicer. They were so welcoming, appreciative and kind.  I was somewhat embarrassed when it was time to leave.  They showered the gifts upon us.... a whole sugarcane, a massive jack fruit, passionate fruits, mangoes, eggs, beans and two live chickens!  Those of you who know me well will know that I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to flapping birds; however I am getting braver by the day.  The journey back to the taxi was another interesting one, as we piled all of our goodies onto the back of the boda/motorcycle.  Our sack fell off several times.  But we all reached home safely, myself, Sharron and the two chickens and no cracked eggs!

Please pray for Sharron and her family.  It was such a blessing to meet them all.  

Sharron's little brothers!

Our chickens!

On Tuesday I visited the maama of two of the children that attend RUHU school.  My mum and I had visited this family in the summer.  The maama is HIV positive and last summer was looking quite sickly, in addition little baby Solomon was looking somewhat malnourished.  The maama had been instructed not to breastfeed, but could not always afford to buy milk and as a result little baby Solomon was a scrawny wee thing.  

However, on Tuesday he turned 1 year old.  He is looking so much healthier now and the maama is also looking well.  It was such a blessing to take some treats and help them celebrate the little one’s birthday.  Again, this family could not be nicer.  They are so appreciative and so lovely. 

Praise God that baby Solomon is looking so much healthier, and praise God that the maama is doing well and now has work. 

The birthday boy

Maama and her three beautiful children!

Excited by his new drinking cup!

On Wednesday I visited Robert and Junior's maama again.  She is the lady I mentioned last week who is suffering from cancer.  She showed me her wound this week.  I have to say I have never seen anything like it.  It was truly horrendous.  Please pray for her and the family.

I have spent a fair bit of time at the dentist with children this week and am going there again tomorrow morning! Seeing all these rotten and decayed teeth is making me somewhat paranoid about my own – I have been brushing my teeth harder than ever this week!

Thank you to those of you who prayed for Joan this week.  She is one of the young mums who lives in the safe house.  It is a long and complicated story, but she is now safe and well, thank the Lord!

I have continued to enjoy spending time in the slums this week.  Despite how dire these children’s circumstances are, they never fail to make me laugh and smile.  One of the boys was in hysterics on Thursday as I shared with him my recently learnt Luganda Numbers.  Number eight is ‘munana’, but I always forget how to pronounce it and just say ‘banana’ instead.  This made him laugh so much, bless him.  I just pray that my being there and spending time with these kids would remind them that they are loved and not forgotten.

So Fred went to Butabika Hospital on the 20^th February and I have been visiting him ever since.  After a ‘good’ week he got discharged today.  I am thrilled he is no longer there and so thankful that he had a good week, without any episodes (Mon-Fri).  Please pray for him as he is now back home.  He doesn’t want to return to Butabika and I don’t want him to return to Butabika, so please pray!  It is going to be a long journey.

Fred and I

Right, I think I am going to stop there as my brain is somewhat tired!

Thank you to everyone for their love, messages, prayers and support....

Love Ruthie x     

PS. I haven’t reread this, so hope it all makes sense and not too many typos!

This week's happenings...

Hello there friends.  I hope this blog finds you all well. So here’s a little update of the latest happenings here in Uganda.

I have added a few more clinic trips to my list.  Children with urine infections, teeth problems, stomach ulcers and malaria.  The frustrating thing is that almost all of these conditions have been caused partly by a lack of education concerning; sanitation, oral hygiene and malarial prevention...  During my final month I hope to do something in this area, in terms of some general education.  I made some posters this morning and it struck me how un-artistic I am and how I depend on my computer so much when I am back home!

Despite being sick with malaria and stomach ulcers, Fiaso still wanted a picture! 

My little posters....

Hope they help...

One of the boys at RUHU school wrote me a letter this week telling me how sick his mum was and how sad he was feeling.  In response to this letter I said to Robert and his brother Junior that I would happily come and meet their mother and spend some time with them.  Robert had told me in his letter that she was unable to walk or sit and just lay in her bed. When Robert, Junior and I reached their home I was lead into their mother’s room.  She was indeed very weak and incredibly thin.  I don’t think I have ever seen somebody so thin in real life.  However, she greeted me with the biggest smile ever and was so thankful for the juice and snacks that I had brought.  Communication was a bit of an issue, so I didn’t find out as much information as I had perhaps hoped.  I did find out that Maama Maria has cancer and that she has been lying in her bed like this for about a year. From what I gather, she is not receiving any treatment for her cancer; rather glucose infusions when they have enough money, in order to give her some more strength.  I was very honest with her and the boys and said that I couldn’t promise money, but that I could assure them of my prayers and the prayers of my family and friends.  Please join with me in praying for Robert, Junior and Maama Maria.

Maama Maria, Robert, Junior and Maama

Please pray for this dear lady...

Thank you for your continued prayer with regards to Fred.  I am so thankful for those here in Uganda that have been supporting not only Fred, but also myself recently – you know who you are and I want to thank you.  Fred is still in Butabika hospital.  Should you want some more information, please speak to my mother or father...they know all the ‘ins and outs’ of the situation and patiently listen as I offload! 

On Tuesday afternoon after the feeding programme in the slums, we went on ‘the hunt’ for my little friend Brian, from the previous two summers, armed with a photograph.  The story is long but the conclusion that was reached and I am hoping and praying is true....is that Brian has returned home to his family! I pray this is the case. 

Dear little Brian in the summer....

The vast majority of the street kids carry a plastic bottle or a small rag which they use for sniffing their fuel/petrol.  This is a common sight in the slums.  However, in all the times I have visited the slums I have never seen where they source it from.  I saw on Tuesday.  I found it very disturbing seeing a big fat maama sitting pouring this ‘poison’ into bottles as the street kids gathered around her.  I found it disgusting to think that someone was making money out of these poor children’s misfortune.  It is not only the kids in the slums that require prayers, but the likes of this lady!  

The daycare kids enjoyed a trip to the park this morning.  They got unbelievably excited when the parachute was produced and had lots of fun.  Thank you to those at Craigdhu Primary for funding this parachute.

I have been able to catch up with my aunt and uncle’s sponsor child, Brendah, which has been a blessing.  She is a lovely, lovely girl and is so appreciative.

Tomorrow I am heading to Masaka for the day with the Ugandan girl who lives with me, Sharron.  This will be quite a long journey and I will no doubt have lots to report on in my next blog! Sharron has such a touching story and such a kind heart...I will share her story with you next time. 

Thanks for all your love, prayers, messages and support!

Love Ruthie x