Hey Everyone!
I apologize for the infrequency of my updates. A lot has happened since my last post.
So when we got back to Masindi after our eventful
August/September, we really got focused on what needed to be done here. We put
the past behind us, and prayed for God to give us focus, direction, and energy.
He did just that.
One of the major ways that he answered that prayer was in giving
us some discernment about the future. When we moved over here, we had the
agreement that Newman’s job will last anywhere between 18-24 months in Uganda.
We set a target of 20 months for Newman to meet PMI’s goals. 20 months would be
December 2013. Around the 14/15 month mark, we started to wonder when we would
be wrapping up here. Not that we don’t love it here, but with many things going
on back home with family and with our financial situation of me not earning an
income and everything, we felt a tug on our hearts that we needed to be back in
the U.S. for the next season of our life. We had debated several months before
that, actually extending our time here in another part of Africa. We really do
have a love for this part of the world, but more and more signs began to point us towards needing to return home at the end of this season. Around July, we decided
that after we finish our travels for Stratton’s wedding and everything else
that we had coming up, we would see how we felt about where the project was and
when we needed to return home. I technically could go home any time, but Newman
and I did not want to be apart any longer than was necessary. Financially, it
would be good for me to go back and start working, but being together was more
important. After lots and lots of prayers and mixed emotions, we decided that
after going home for the holidays, we would remain in Charleston. PMI was so
supportive of that desire, and even though 20 months was the goal, we still had
a lot to accomplish. A HUGE weight was lifted once we had made a firm decision.
As the weight lifted, our eyes really went into focus here on what needed to be
accomplished in the time we had left.
The 1st item on the agenda was, find a new Administrator.
While we were still in Scotland, we got word that our current Administrator was
leaving. The clinic’s #2, Baluku, jumped in as Acting Administrator for the
time being and did a wonderful job as we tried to sort out what needed to
happen. Although this created a very busy and somewhat stressful situation, God
was definitely working everything out. With us deciding to leave by the end of
the year, we really needed someone solid in place as Administrator which is the
#1 position at the clinic. Our previous Administrator, James, was a great guy
who came to us from a banking background. He decided that was what he wanted to
get back into, so he is with another bank. In the time we had with him, he
helped us a lot with budgeting and finances. Then, in the time Baluku was
acting administrator, he and Newman really dove in putting in long and hard
hours working out some kinks and coming up with a really solid plan for the
future. They came up with a plan for what the clinic really needed to remain strong
through our transition out, and they knew they needed a really strong leader to
carry out the plan. They recruited a new Administrator within a few weeks. He
is someone who has always been so supportive of PMI and is truly committed to
the vision. Patrick has worked at the clinic before as Assistant Administrator when
the clinic 1st began. While he was away from us for few years, he
grew immensely professionally. He is a
really great guy, and his wife is one of our best nurses. MKMC and PMI Uganda
have a wonderful future ahead with him leading us. We were of course worried
when we found out our Administrator was leaving because we were planning on
leaving soon too, but God told us to have faith and He brought us full circle
to an even better place than we had been in before. Sometimes life has to get
all shaken up before it can smooth out.
Item #2 on the agenda for the project was to FINALLY obtain
the ambulance that was promised to PMI 2 years ago through a partnership with
Tullow Oil company. When I was here in August 2011, we did a 2 day outreach in
the town of Bulisa which is about 3.5 hrs away from Masindi. They were long and
hard days, but we were able to reach a community that had never been reached
before. Because we agreed to do this outreach where Tullow Oil had been
working, they said they would donate a brand new ambulance. Well due to the
fact that it had to come from Germany, clear customs, and be properly signed
over to us legally, it took FOREVER! Last week, we went with a few people from
the clinic all the way back out to Bulisa for a formal handover of the
ambulance. Some of us didn’t even believe it existed because it had been talked
about for so long with no results. But, alas, it exists and it was handed over
to us and driven back to Masindi. It is a fantastic ambulance, will all of the
bells and whistles (literally). It will be so helpful to those around Masindi
Kitara District and it can be used when we do outreach with the teams. It is
basically a mobile clinic, and will provide amazing care to people for years to
come.
So lastly, item #3 on the list of things Newman really wants
to see through is finally acquiring the title to the land we are leasing from
the church for the clinic. Land issues here take an EXTREMELY long amount of
time with endless paperwork and legal issues to sort out. After many trips to
Kampala and the Lands office in Masindi and after many conversations with the
church and the lawyer, we finally got the title today!
So, I think finally Newman is seeing some results from all
of the long hours he has put into these issues. God is really preparing this
clinic and this project for its next phase and I think it will be really
successful.
An item on my list of things to accomplish was seeing that
some hydrocephalus patients that were sponsored by our August team this year
got the surgery they needed to save their life. It was a little complicated in
that these 4 patients all live in different villages and they need to get to
Cure International Hospital on the other side of the country. Once we had all
of the funds in hand, my friend Jimmy here helped me contact them and round
them up to Masindi. We had all but one show up last Monday morning. One of them
is currently in Congo with her Mom, but she too will go to Cure when she
returns. Jimmy went with them for the long trip to Cure and I have heard that
they will be operated on this week. They may actually already have been by now.
I am awaiting a post-op report. Although it can be a lot of effort, it’s so
worth it to see these families’ lives change and to hear their sincere
appreciation.
So I guess the theme of this month has been having goals
come to fruition finally. We are so thankful!
I am left with only a few weeks here, which is very bitter
sweet. I’m becoming more and more sad as I think about leaving these people and
this place, but I know I will be back many times. I fly out November 26th.
I am leaving a few weeks before Newman so that I will be home for the birth of
my 1st nephew! My sister is due Dec 11th, so I wouldn’t
miss that for the world. I also am going back slightly earlier than Newman so
that I can begin the job search. Newman should be back in the U.S. just before
Christmas.
Thanks so much to everyone for your prayers. We feel so much
peace about where we are right now and where we are headed. We feel so
incredibly blessed to have experienced all that we have over these past 18
months. We still have a couple months to go, and we plan to make the most of
it. Please continue to pray for this project and these people and also for our
transition back home. I know it will be exciting but also very emotional. I
thank God for the amazing ride we have been on, and I can’t wait to see what
else He does with us!
Love
Trish
And now for some really random pictures...
Newman cleaning the onions he grew in our garden
Wilson on the new Masindi Kitara Medical Centre motorcycle "Boda", a gift thanks to my
Mom and Dad to aid in transport for clinic business
Newman was asked to sing the National Anthem at the ceremony........haha just kidding, he's giving a speech
Newman giving his speech
Downpour
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