Tuesday, July 28

Thank you to all that are faithfully reading the emails AND telling me you are! I am on pins and needles each day waiting for these, not because I am worried or scared but because I can't wait to hear the wonderful news that they bring! I, of course, love it even more when Taylor is mentioned and am so blessed to always have "hard work" or "big smile" attached to her name.

Thank you again to all that have supported her mission trip with prayers and giving...I can't wait to see her face when she returns but I already know what will be on it under the dirt and exhaustion and that is the LIGHT that GOD is sending through her.

Please say an extra prayer for strength and energy and that the team will not be homesick, let them always see what they are giving to others and not what they are "missing" back here!

Love to all,
Lori

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"'



Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 2:34:49 PM
Subject: Clinic in Koch Gomo - northern Uganda

Greetings!

Today was our first clinic with the Methodist Church in Northern Uganda. It was a displacement camp called Koch Gomo. We have visited it all three years.

Side bar.... The camps are where the people in the villages fled to when the government gave them 48 hrs to leave their rual homes for safety. These were people in danger of the LRA and child abductions. Some of the people have begun to move back home since the rebels have stayed in Sudan and Congo, but they maintain a hut in the camp just in case. It is still a desparate situation due to there are no jobs, no real school or medical attention, and they subsistance farm for food plus government aid.

The day was difficult but incredible. We saw 619 between Drs and dentist and mothers getting mosquito nets. We received a $5,000 grant from the NWA UMC district office for nets and bought 1,000 to giver away in the North. We gave away around 300 today.

We had 4 doctors - Cross and Thorn plus Moses (a Ugandan Doctor) and another Ugandan doctor, plus Rebecca and Mary pulling teeth. They pulled 87 teeth today alone! Dewey and Hanna helped them and Liliia today in dental and Dewey pulled his first tooth! Rebecca has invited anyone wanting to pull a tooth to jump in and help. I am not sure I am ready!! Maybe! Katie and Elizabeth are in they say.

We had a great set up and the system flowed very well. We plan to use it the next 2 days. Keith set up a wound care station and spent the day treating, cleaning, and dressing wounds on kids. He saw around 100! I am always amazed at keith's heart. He interacts with the kids and always steps up to do whatever is needed. This was huge today. Awesome!!

I helped in crowd control and running scripts from doctors to pharmacy. I am not sure how Mike and Hank do it! This is front line and my first time. Emotionally it is draining. Almost all your interaction is telling people you cannot cut them in line or give them medicine or a beanie baby. It is tough. Breaks my heart. They do it with calm and grace and mercy. Outstanding guys!! Taylor helped me be the gatekeeper for the medical clinic and late in the day people began trying to walk into the drs area without a card. She did a great job. She needed a break from childrens ministry and I needed help. It got crazy as we neard the cut off point. It is always hard to tell the remaining people they will not be seen. You hate to do it but you have to stop sometime. I struggle with this part, but I know good was done today. God blessed us with a smooth, as smooth as it can be, day. We had over 20 people come to faith and get connected with a church. There was a 2 month old baby who was starving to death because her mother was not producing milk. The drs got the baby hydrated and found some help for the mother to begin feeding the baby. That is an awesome feeling. God at work. All I can say.

Childrens ministry looked like it was a ton of fun again. Tamara, Brittany, Joey, and Taylor always have games going on and I always hear kids laughing.

As we were wrapping up Keith and Tamara had the kids shouting out the teams names. They loved it!!! It was a great ending to a blessed day.

It was hard today. It was hot and there was no time to stop for lunch and relax. Everyone ate late and quickly. But we had people beginning a faith journey, a baby's life saved, medical attention to hurting people, and an opportunity to say we are here because we love you and we love you because God first loved us.

Everyone had some good rest last night and we were under attack last night. The bus ride, confusing hotel rooms, and hot and dirty people make for possible distractions. We worshipped though and prayed and rested. And today the Lord blessed us with the opportunity to love others.

A group of 5 stayed and showed the Passion of the Christ at the camp as well. Not sure how it went yet. Will report tomorrow.

Thank you again for your prayers. We are in need and feeling them. Keep them coming.

Mary sends out a "I miss you" to her family.

We are at the point of the trip where we need extra grace. We are less than a week from returning home. We miss our families. We have 2 more ministry days. And we all stink and are covered in red dirt. It will all wash off after a few showers at home. No worries!

Good night. We love you. Talk to you tomorrow after the day is done.

God bless

Crt

Zeph 3: 18-20