a lunch-date overlooking the lake.

It's well after 10 and for this young chic... it is way past my bedtime.  In my earlier days, the clock would often tick midnight before I found my pillow.  But as the years have gone by, my internal clock has demanded more sleep.  And I don't hesitate to comply.  Sleep comes quickly and before I know it, the roosters are greeting the day.  My eyes often open before seven somehow ready for the day.  Right now, my mind is refusing to let me sleep.  And so here I am bringing fingers to keyboard.  I've just nearly finished my vacation, my leave.  It has been a delightful 2 1/2 weeks of refreshment, relaxing, exploring, processing, and being.  It has been absolute food for the soul.  Good times with good peeps.  Tomorrow, I head back to New Hope.  I head back to a life I have come to love so much.  Today, as I sat at a restaurant overlooking one of Africa's largest lakes, I found my heart absorbing my surroundings.  I sat next to a couple having a last meal with one of their mothers.  They left so she could catch her flight.  As the wind blew on my face, I found my heart stirring.  It's been stirring for a while.  Today was the day for the stirring to find its voice.  I had brought my computer with me.  Nestled within my bag, I had hopped a boda boda and made the journey from the guesthouse to the restaurant.  Pulling it out, I found the words just pouring out.  So often, when I write, I write with the intention of updating my blog or writing with some other intention. Today, I wrote to an audience of One.  To my God.  And boy, did my heart cry out.  God has been challenging me to share my heart with Him.. it's been a theme for much of this year.  To be honest, I often pause, often struggle to do so with certain areas.  I have no problem acknowledging something to Him as hard... even opening up to a certain depth.  But with certain areas of my heart, I struggle to go much deeper.  And He has been so patient with me.  Nudging my heart.  Waiting patiently.  Yet, not absently.  And so today, the words flowed.  And my heart poured out.  And though I was sitting at a restaurant with a bunch of people, I seriously felt like I was sitting side by side with my God.  And in reality, I was.  And it was healing.  These last 2 1/2 weeks have been healing....have been rejuvenating...have been food for the soul.  Not because my life is in a bad place (anything could be further from the truth), but as is the case anywhere... life can grab you by the earlobes and propel you into a life full of busyness.  That busyness can become your worst enemy.  That busyness can stifle you, rob you, and distract you.  And today, with the wind blowing on my face and the sound of water in the distance, my heart tucked under the shadow of the last two weeks, opened up.  And my God and I sat.  And He listened as I poured out my heart.


Psalm 62:8
"Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us."

And that's that.  Thankful for His patience and His pursuance and His unwillingness to let me be stubborn with certain areas of my heart.  He wants it all.  And tonight, I give thanks for His pursuance with my whole heart.

Psalm 86:12-13
"I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.  For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol."

So thankful for my lunch date with my God today.

A bit of Variety.

Last night, I found my way to a blog.  A blog that I have frequented for well over five years.  A message on twitter let me know that there was a survey to fill out.  It was seven questions long and the big request from the author was that those who chose to participate would be completely honest.  She wanted this so much in fact, that the comments would not be posted.  This sounded simple enough.  I like these kind of things.  And so I read through the questions and began answering them. My soul and fingers seemed congruent.  The words flowed.  And before I knew it, I was finished.  Finished as far as the blog was concerned.  Not finished on what had been stirred within my heart.  Honesty had been requested and what had spilled from my heart was not only honesty, but rawness and vulnerability.  Now, even 12 plus hours later, I am still processing.  This morning, I sat in a coffee shop and dialogued with my God.  The rawness continues.  The peace ensues.  

It does.  The peace has graciously ensued.  And maybe the word "ensued" is not the best word... because to be brutally honest, the peace has not only "ensued"... it has been present throughout these last months.  Supernaturally so, if you ask me.  

Present as I have looked at the lab work of our young man with serious kidney disease.  His kidney function has deteriorated seriously in the last month.  Before, we planned on how to maintain his kidney function and his life.  Now, the conversation focuses on next steps and facing the reality that his life on earth may be much shorter than it is longer.   Hard Conversations.  Hard Reality. If I were to hashtag this, it would say something like #hardhardhardallicandoistrust  but most times, life is more than a hashtag. (profound statement. ( c :  ) Watching a young man face death far sooner than I would like is very hard.  It puts any faith to the test.  It has surely challenged my own.   And it requires a decision to trust.  Trust in HIS goodness and His bigger plan.  Yes, for sure it is #hardhardhardallicandoistrust but it is also painful and sad, and everything in between.  Those feelings, those emotions are very much present.  His peace is also very much present.  I don't understand the peace, but I surely embrace it.  And I am thankful that it has been foundation ally present.  

And just as the peace has been present in supernatural ways.  Joy has also been present.  Joy in playing a game of monopoly with the kids in my family group.  I learned the word to pay and together, we laughed and laughed.  They were determined to buy everything they could and giggled with glee when it was time for a friend to "pay up".  Going to jail was a bummer... but was also met with laughter.  One boy stole the whole pile of $500 bills.  And tried to convince me he didn't take them.  Mmmm.  If he had swiped a few, I would have surely missed it.  Swipe the whole pile and well, it's hard NOT to miss.  I guess I am sorta thankful that he has not mastered the art of stealing.  Yep, I am very glad he hasn't.   Sasula! (PAY!)  Oh, if I had only had this word mastered months ago when I accidentally asked the waitress if she wanted us to vomit then or later... if only.... 

Yes, there has been peace and joy these last months.  And there has been tears, laughter, and other emotions.  Yep, a variety.  But life is a variety... isn't it?  Everywhere I look, there is variety.  There isn't just one type of ant or spider or rodent... but a multitude of different kinds.  I've come to know the varying variety found here in Uganda.  And though it's neat that there are a variety, I have to admit that I would rather focus on variety in other things.  

And this post is surely becoming the variety.  Ha! This past week Lyle and Ingrid came back to New Hope for a visit.  This couple is currently serving in the northern part of Uganda.  We were in the same training that started in January of 2013.  This past week, we met up with fellow students from that class.  We cooked traditional Ugandan food.  There was a chicken to kill.  Matooke to smash.  And things to share.  We had our fair share of laughter.  We also had our fair share of sharing the variety of things that had happened in our lives over the last year plus.  We cried together as we remembered baby Frank and mourned the death of U. Michael and A. Sarah's sweet baby boy.  We listened.  We prayed.  And at the end of the night, we all hugged.  A night was ending and a new day was preparing to start.  

The chicken on the way home...

The same chicken a short while
later! A lot happened between these
shots... 

Preparing the food.... 

And we enjoyed the food too much.... didn't get any pictures in the moment! Oops! 

A. Sarah and I.  Co-workers.  Friends.  Fellow sisters.  

Rebecca.  A dear friend.  And about ready
to have her baby.  I predict a baby girl.  I predict
her name will be Kimberly.  haa haa! 

Kids, Kids, Kids.... just chilling out! 

And before I bring this post to an end.  I'll leave with you a variety of highlights and mid lights of the last month.

-Last week, my grams fell and broke her hip.  I've been able to talk with her a few times.  This last time, I welcomed her back from the land of morphine.  She sounded good on the phone.   I don't know what God has planned. I just know that my grams is my grams and I love her! Praying for peace for her soul and healing for that hip.
-I'm currently on leave.  God has worked it out for me to be able to spend much of this time with different friends.  I've been on leave officially for 1 day and thus far it has been absolutely delightful.  Absolutely restful.  And I've been Absolutely thankful.
-The vehicle that i was able to purchase thanks to so many of you who gave sacrificially will be coming soon.  And when I get behind that wheel, I will surely take a picture.  So thankful for this HUGE blessing.  And it is just that.  A HUGE blessing.  Thank you!
-Ketty has finished her second round of chemotherapy! She is doing well.  Yes, she is feeling the effects of chemo... but she is doing well.  And that is pretty amazing!
-Watched from thousands of miles away as many of my dear friends and family attacked my rental property.  The previous tenant moved out and let's just say there was a LOT of work to do.  A LOT.  God brought up an army and the house is already being shown... less than 3 weeks after I got the email from my tenant.  Amazing.  Thank you!

And I think I could keep talking... but I fear I may lose many of you.  I'll keep a variety to a minimal and will try and write some more later.

Love to you all.  Thankful for each of you.  He is good.  May we each know HIS peace no matter what we are facing.  May we rest in His goodness no matter what.

He is life and I rest in that today.

In Him,

Kimberly

Hair-doing, pythons, and God's provision....

It's somewhat early on a Thursday morning... early for it being a day off.  And yet, I am pretty wide awake.  It has been a long time since I have brought personal words to the keyboard and for that I apologize.  SO much has happened.  Just as I know so much as happened in the world and undoubtably for each set of eyes that come across this page.  It's been a mixture of goodness, hardness, and growthness... if that ever were a word.  Things seem to be shaking in this world.  So much to trust our God with.  Speaking of shaking... I was convinced that I had slept through an earthquake yesterday morning.  Now before you score me a drama point, let me explain.  I unlocked the main door just fine... no hint of a problem. My goal was to grab the clothes off the line before I headed to Kampala.  Getting the clothes was fine.... re-locking the door was not.  I could turn the latch, but I could NOT lock that door.  Eesh!  Mr. Ssettuba, the man who often drives us into Kampala, along with someone else, was able to apply the right pressure so that the door could be locked.  And once it was locked, we hopped in the vehicle and hurried off to Kampala.  And so here I sit. Ready for this day.  It's going to be full.  Been fighting some fevers.... going to get some blood drawn.  Been fighting not having communication with the world since my phone was stolen... going to go and rectify that situation.  And thanks to many, many very generous donations, I am God-willing going to be driving home a vehicle today that the Lord has provided.  It's a surreal sorta day and I find myself speechless at HIS provision.  Provision here and Provision back in the States.  Last Wednesday I received an email from my tenant.  He informed me that he had received a new job and was moving out.  And move out he did!  He was out of the house within a matter of 3 days! The house was left with a LOT of work to do.  Contrary to my wiring, I had a crazy level of peace.  An underlying sense of peace that it would work out.  My personality is to things myself, but being thousands of miles away with minimal warning left me in a position of watching and trusting.  And it has been an amazing thing to watch.  God has been bringing friends and family together.  A small army of people are coming together to work on that house.  And again I am speechless.  Absolutely speechless.  It is amazing to see how God is not only taking care of the details, but flooding me with HIS peace.  If you live in the Chicago area and are free, people will be working on the place at different times in the next couple of weeks.  Other good news is that house prices are increasing... it is very plausible that I can sell this house in the next year or so! Holla Holla! 

And in other news, the kids have been off of school for the last several weeks.  Their days have been full of resting, work in the garden, and time to be with others! The girls came over for a movie, pizza making, for a few of them, hair-doing.  It was so fun to sit and watch Parent Trap, braid hair, and make pizza together.  These young ladies are priceless and it is a joy to know them.  Looking forward to however many years God has for us to know each other.  

Another memorable event  from this break has been an opportunity to do community teaching.  On a Friday afternoon, my friend Wesley and I hopped into a vehicle and journeyed out into the bush.  We met up with the child care extension team and a group of mostly women who had gathered together.  Initially, they were quiet and reserved.  As we spent time talking and as I pulled out my Luganda, things warmed up.  We laughed together, learned together (I learned the word for fungal infection "lummu") and spent time talking about bacterial infections, viral infections, and malaria).  They were a lovely group of ladies (and one man) and I look forward to the next opportunity to teach. 

And those are a few of the highlights of the last few weeks.  It continues to be a season of stretching and growth.... times of laughter... and times of growing.  Though it has been a FULL season, I continue to be thankful that God has brought me here.... and that for this season (and for however long), I get to call this place home.  It is a beautiful place.... full of sweet relationships, growth, and laughter.... and going on a hunt for a spotted Python snake.... ( c : By God's grace it wasn't seen again.... which was to our benefit considering all we had was a stick.  That works for smaller snakes, but for a LARGE python... it doesn't do much... from what I have heard.  

Thank you to each and everyone of you are journeying along with me.  The internet has been such a challenge and with that comes a break in communication.  My apologies for not being able to keep up as much as I would like.  When the next team leaves, I am planning on sending personal letters back.... for many of you.  Love to you all! 

Update on Ketty Okoth

An update written by Mary Britton on Ketty Okoth.  Planning on having a personal update sometime in the next few days! 

We’ve just welcomed Aunt Ketty home again. BUT, not from Nairobi!  She has only been away four days in Kampala!

Our hopes for completing her treatment in Kampala have finally materialized into reality!

Just three weeks ago Ketty was able to fly home from her second round of chemo and radiation in Nairobi because a generous, dedicated donor marked the funds specifically for the flight. We had received excellent care and two rounds of chemo and radiation by wonderful nurses and doctors at MP Shah hospital. We were cared for and catered to by a tremendous staff at a Christian guest house in Nairobi, and now we are back HOME receiving exactly what Ketty needs!!!

Just two weeks ago, those of us who are helping to manage Ketty's care met with Ketty and Okoth to discuss the way forward. We had been praying for God to show us which way to pursue and He began immediately to reveal the intricate weaving of his plan. 

Having been home from Nairobi just one week when we all met together, she was already getting stronger each day and was anxious to get chemo started. The Nairobi staff had set her next appointment for September 1st, but she was not comfortable waiting that long for the next phase of her treatment (neither were we).

Ketty shared her heart with us that she truly didn't want to return to Nairobi and be away from her family. We reiterated that such was our first and strongest desire as well. But, where to go in Kampala? Was there even an option open to us? Were there any doctors giving chemo outside of the large government hospital where we had attempted treatment, without success, back in April? Most of us who left that meeting left with some sort of research assignment.

Geoff called upon a friend who now works in Kampala, but had worked for years at Kiwoko hospital. His request was simple, "Can you help us to understand our options for Ketty to receive chemo in-country?"  Shortly after our committee meeting with the Okoth's, in which we had all prayed for an in-country doctor, full of humility and willing to pick up where we left off from Nairobi, our friend called back with the name of an oncologist who administers chemotherapy from the International Hospital in Kampala!

A week ago Friday Geoff, Ketty and I met with Dr. Omoding, a humble, Christian man willing to pick up where we left off in Nairobi. He was gracious and thorough and wanted to start chemo the following week! In addition, his chemo choice is the most up-to-date regimen for esophageal cancer!

Last Monday, in preparation for chemo on Wednesday,  Ketty went in with her daughter and had the necessary blood work and a couple of other helpful pre-therapy tests completed. When we returned on Wednesday, unfortunately the red blood count report showed she was too low to receive chemo and instead she was admitted for a transfusion. Being that we arrived on the ward near shift change, they waited to start until after 9 p.m. After 9 p.m. turned into 1:30 a.m. as, when they hung the blood, Ketty noticed it was not her O+ blood type and asked the nurse to stop. The nurse reran the type and cross match again from the tubes used in the earlier draw and confirmed A+. A third and completely new draw and third type and cross match revealed indeed Ketty is A+. She had been typed O+ a few years ago at another medical clinic in Kampala. Thank the good Lord for the diligence and dedication to accuracy here at the International Hospital!

During our time of waiting for the blood transfusion, I asked her what kind of foods she eats often or likes most. She included liver, ground nuts, eggs, millet porridge with milk, and chicken. When the cafeteria representative arrived and told her the options for meals Ketty smiled when she realized she would be receiving liver for supper, millet and eggs for breakfast, and chicken for lunch! God is the perfect provider! She is strong and eating very well. 

Though a broken radiation machine--currently the only machine in Uganda--was the catalyst for sending us to Nairobi in the first place, our heart’s desire to have her near her family has never waned. Now that the radiation portion of her treatment is completed, we are thankful that God led us to a doctor we didn’t know existed when we started this journey!

Here we are three weeks earlier than the intended start date projected by Nairobi and she’s already receiving a harder hitting and more effective chemo than originally planned!

God's timing and orchestration is beautiful and beyond what we could arrange ourselves.

God is GOOD!

Without the guesthouse accommodation fees and travel costs to and from Nairobi, we will be able to treat Ketty here for much less of a financial investment as far as those two entities are concerned. 

Thank you for standing with her and the entire family in prayer and financial support.

As we move forward in this journey, given the nature of a patient receiving chemo, any fever of 37.5C or above is considered an emergency requiring blood work and a possible jaunt into Kampala. 

Here in are two important prayer requests: that she have no fevers during her treatment and that she will not require hospitalization from this point forward in the treatment cycles! 

Usually, chemo does not require an admittance. It is the need for a blood transfusion this time which required her being admitted. I spoke with the oncologist yesterday and asked if for the following courses of chemo we could check her red blood count from Kiwoko, possibly even receive a transfusion from Kiwoko if necessary, and only travel into Kampala for the chemo administration. He agreed that was possible.

I made such requests of the doctor as we had to jump through quite a few hurdles this week when we found out her hemoglobin was too low for chemotherapy. The admission meant I could not attend to her in the hospital as there was no bed for me to sleep in next to her. It meant two extra nights in a guest house. It also took much longer than I expected for her to receive the two units of blood (more than 24 hours as they split the infusions more than 12 hours apart.) Together we arrived around 6 p.m. to the guest house on Thursday evening after the final blood transfusion ended late enough that the delay ensured we would have to wait until Friday for the chemotherapy infusion.

We arrived bright and early at the hospital Friday morning and found her hemoglobin well above the doctor’s set parameter of 10--she was 13.2!! However, another delay meant she waited from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. before the chemo was actually started. I had left her with Aunt Lucy as I needed to get back home to attend to my own family. She and Lucy arrived back at the guest house just short of 9 p.m. Friday night. All the waiting made for a very long day. 

Me, Ketty and Lucy at IHK on Friday morning

Having her back home in Kasana is a real blessing! Her first follow-up appointment as a part of this first round of treatment will be toward the end of this week.

The projected ending date of her sixth and final chemo treatment is the week before Christmas.

Home for Christmas! Hallelujah!

Blessings, thanks and appreciation to all of you!

Clinging.

Yesterday afternoon, A. Sarah and I took off on a walk to Kiwoko.  We talked and laughed as we walked.  We were headed to town to pick up some ingredients for the big dinner we were preparing.  I kept looking over our shoulder... hoping to see a Boda Boda (motorcycle).  Walking is nice and most practical. But when you are walking with someone who is 9 months pregnant and the sun is shining high in the sky..... a Boda Boda seems like the better option.  And so when I saw the shadow of a Boda Boda against the horizon, I spoke last minute words to A. Sarah.  "I'll meet you in Kiwoko"  She wanted to share the ride.... but I laughed.  A 9-month pregnant lady and myself on the back of a Boda Boda sprinting into town avoiding bumps and holes along the way was a stretch for me.  I pulled out my Luganda and asked the man to return for me.  And I kept walking watching A. Sarah disappear off into the distance.   And I kept walking.  Apparently my Luganda failed or the man got distracted because he never came back for me.  It was no worries for me.  It was just nice to walk along and absorb my surroundings.  There were many to greet.  Yes, out of formality.  But for many of the kids, they were just wanting to greet the white person walking towards town.  Some questioned my strength.  Some just greeted and laughed as they passed.  And some just looked.  I kept walking.  And  eventually the hustle and bustle of Kiwoko was on the horizon. After a quick look, I found A.  Sarah. She had waited patiently for me.  We quickly met up with A. Rebecca at her shop.  Two pregnant moms both due within weeks of each other.   And in the process of their greetings... their bellies bumped....and we laughed.  The babies within were sure to be Age-mates, Play-mates, and quite possibly would one day be classmates. We walked through town buying pork from the butcher, looking for Matooke, and in the end making sure we had a cold drink (aka Coca Cola for yours truly) to celebrate our hard work.  And before we knew it, we were finished.  We hopped Boda Bodas back home.   The evening was FULL of fun times.  The clinic staff joined together for an evening of cooking and eating.  We laughed, we talked, and we laughed some more.  We spent time encouraging two staff that were leaving and embracing two new staff who have joined our team recently.  And we said goodnight... 

This morning, Auntie Sarah found me as I was heading over to the admin building for a meeting.  She told me she was in labor and after she said a bit more, I told her she needed to get to the hospital.  From what she was sharing, it appeared the time had come.   It was a moment of anticipation and excitement…

A few hours later, we received the news we were absolutely not expecting.  The baby had not made it.  We were stunned.  I was stunned.  The emotion of loss quickly found me.  I struggled to digest the news.  Hadn’t A. Sarah and I just talked in excitement the day earlier on our walk about the impending birth of her third child?  And now he was gone.  Yes, he.  A little 3 kg boy. 

Deborah and I reached the hospital shortly after 1 PM.

We greeted the father.  We greeted the mother.  And we remained. 

We were taken into a room where the body of their boy lay.   He was precious.  And as we left that room, A. Deborah and I just embraced.  There were very few words. 

And so we sat.  And we were present.  And the tears came. 

And to be honest, I don’t have many more words to share.  I feel the tears seeping through.  Tears of empathy and sadness. Tears of a season of goodness and hardness.  Today as I walked through the maternity ward, I was flooded with so many memories already formed during my time here.  It was only 16 months ago that A. Rebecca (mentioned above) gave birth to sweet baby Frank who later went home to heaven.  Then there was the gift of being with A. Jalia as she welcomed her little Hannah into the world.  And a short time later…. Being present with Caleb and Alair as baby Nora made her debut.  Ah the memories.  And today, another one was formed.  Holding the hand of a sister as she begins the unanticipated journey of grief and deeper trust in her God.  God’s got this and I cling to that with everything within me.  

The story continues... with an unexpected turn.

Hello! It's about 20 minutes shy of 10 PM and I wanted to share a bit about today.  

Really, when it comes down to it... today was An amazing day... amidst all the tension in Nairobi today we got some pretty amazing news for A. Ketty.  The very short stick of the story is that Ketty's tumor/mass has reduced by 50%.  Yep, 50% since she began treatment.  The news we received today had a very different tune than the news we had received on Thursday.  VERY different... and VERY warmly RECEIVED.  

pretty amazing actually.  Her plan has changed a bit.... instead of going back to Kampala at the end of this week, she is slated to be here for a minimum of 2 more weeks.  During that time, she will be given radiation treatments five times a week along with weekly chemotherapy.  Once this phase is done, she is slated to receive combo-chemo.  

It's pretty exciting... pretty amazing... and we are just celebrating! 

Thank you Jesus for your presence.... you were very much present with us Thursday as we digested hard news and was also very much present today as we received some pretty amazing news.  Thank you. 

I am sure there will be more later.... but for tonight... I wanted to share the amazing news with you all.  

For now, we keep walking in faith.  The story is NOT finished.  That is for sure.  How it ends, we do not know... but what we do know.... is that we do not walk alone.  And for that I am thankful.  And so we keep walking.... 

The saliva of a giraffe.... and giggles!

Just chilling.... 

I can't say that kissing a giraffe was on my bucket list.  But today, I kissed one.  Several times to be exact.  And well, it was a memory for sure! A. Ketty and I laughed for a very long time.... and then we would just start laughing again. We were told that the saliva of a giraffe is basically very clean... and later we were told that the saliva of a giraffe has healing qualities.  Upon hearing that, Ketty was ready to go back tomorrow and kiss the giraffe again.  Oh the giggles we had today...  The depth of our laughter was medicine FOR SURE! The saliva of the giraffe... well, I would say NOT so much! 

Thankful for the friendship God has given us. 

This giraffe simply wants to greet A. Ketty (aka give her a kiss) and Ketty is NOT sure... at ALL! 

Can't say I was so up for it either..... 

But in the end... the giraffe and I locked lips.  

And A. Ketty allowed the giraffe to give a kiss.... 

And before you knew it Pat and A. Ketty had warmed up to being kissed by a giraffe... 

Who could resist?

My absolute favorite picture of the day.... 

And so that was today.  A day to just laugh and be.   And to embrace the day that He has given us.  Oh... it was a day full of laughter... 

I'll post an update on how Ketty is doing... but today it's all about laughing, giraffes, and well, more laughter!