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! 

A Plane, some Paint, and a crazy wild bus!

Wow.  Yep, that is the way in which I am starting this blog post.  At least that is the way that I am starting it after having started and stopped multiple times in the last little bit.  It feels like there is much to say.  Because in reality there is.  Right now, I am back in Nairobi.  Sitting in the main room listening to the sound of shuffling of cards as a game is about to start and the casual stroll of an individual passing through.  I would love to say that I have a cup of hot tea next to me... but the reality is I don't.  Though, it's very possible that by the time I finish this post, I will.  It is surprisingly cool in Nairobi.  As I was pulling up my blog, I saw that my last post was just over a month ago.  I also realize that the newsletter that I finished back in MAY... is still on my computer.  a BIG arghh.  I could fairly blame the internet.  It is near nonexistent in my house.  Though, I confess that if I position my computer on my bed JUST write... I can sometimes pick up the signal.  But it's not about blaming anything.  The reality is that it was a whirlwind of a month.  To be honest, I can't even believe that June is nearly over.  I will apologize for the poor communication and then walk in His grace.  And so I am walking.... walking into a review of the last month.

About to board the plane in Nairobi

Arriving back to Kasana.... a warm welcome!

It was a month ago today that Ketty and I boarded a plane from Nairobi to Entebbe.  She had finished her first round of chemo and radiation and was eager to get back to her hubby and children.  After landing in Entebbe in the morning, I did my best to stall us as long as I could in Kampala.  I knew that a fun greeting was waiting for her.... I just had to make sure I synced our time.   And so I found every reason to not go back to Kasana.  Finally, after much stalling.... we began our journey back to our Kasana Family.

While in Nairobi with A. Ketty, I received the phone call telling me that Caleb was very, very sick.  He had been sick for several weeks prior to my going to Nairobi, but his condition had only worsened and he had been rushed to Kampala after having a fever over 107 F.  Caleb was escorted back to the States by one of my colleagues.  Alair remained back with Nico, Nate, and baby Norah.  It has been a rich month of being able to spend time with Alair and her kids, go with her to Kampala to work on needed paperwork, and live life together.  I am thankful for our friendship and am standing in faith with her as we trust God with His timing for her impending return back to the States with her kids.  

One morning as I was leaving Alair's house, I saw a snake out of the corner of my eye.  I thought it was a toy snake... one of those plastic things that boys love to play with.  Just as I was about to take a step, I thought it would be wise to move the rocks and see if it would move.  (Thank you Jesus!).  In response to my kick of the rocks, the snake moved.  I calmly called a friend.  And then the snake started slithering away. I grabbed a bat and started pummeling the thing.  As you can see... it was very dead... very quickly.

One of our boys who has
and will be blessed by the albuterol
that was donated! 

It's been a pretty significant month at the clinic.  Lots and lots of opportunities to love on MANY children fighting a variety of illnesses.   Chickenpox has found it's way to New Hope!  Calamine lotion, education, and pain medicine have been the prescription of choice. There has also been malaria, viruses, and coughs.  Lots of "normal". Lots of opportunities to love on and nurture both children and staff.  We have also been blessed with LOTS of donations this month.  We received nearly 5 FULL bins FULL of medical goodies.  And as we unpacked, we watched how God is so into the details.  In one of the containers, there were two boxes of hemorrhoid medication.  A need that we hadn't advertised.  When I asked the team leader about it, he basically told me that that medicine had been put in the bin on accident... I just smiled.  Maybe an accident on a human level... but for sure, God knew we needed it.  A similar thing happened when I was given a bunch of albuterol. Unknown to the one giving it to me... we had one unopened vile left on our shelf.

A. Debra going through the bins.... 

Just a glimpse of our treasures! 

My home church from Fort Wayne came as well! In fact, they helped deliver some of the donations to the clinic.  They came to be, to encourage, and to bless.  And BLESS they did! They painted much of the clinic..... working hard to prepare the walls and paint them.  They blessed so many by the use of the their time and talent.  Thank you! 

Cleaning the walls..

Having some fun.... 

Painting away.... 

And the finished product in the Wound Room...

Well DONE Team... Thank you for ALL the ways in which you BLESSED  so  MANY this week!

Tea time with Natasha and
Kate

Friday was a FULL day.  It included some solid time with the team.... and some hard goodbyes.  It was an early morning "see you later" to Alair and kids... in anticipation that by the time I return from Nairobi... they will be reunited with Caleb in the States.  Nothing is confirmed, but in faith, we said goodbye.  Later in the day, it was see you later to Natasha... a dear friend who is beginning the next chapter in her life.  And at the end of the day, it was goodbye to the BlackHawk Team.... a team who had blessed and served so well! Their presence here in Uganda was such a gift!   It was an emotional day.... but a day that the Lord knew about and was very much present.  Within 24 hours of saying goodbye at the airport, A. Ketty and I were boarding a bus to Nairobi.  It was a WILD ride... the most bumpy by far! But we made it... and were warmly greeted by the staff at Mayfield.

This morning, it was COLD.  I made myself some "not-so proper" tea... (Black Licorice) and decided to read a bit.  A. Ketty worked on her cross-stitch.  In the afternoon, we went to the hospital to see Dr. Abwao.  After greeting him, we talked about the next steps.  Hopefully tomorrow, Ketty will have a CT scan and some blood work. After that, she will be scheduled for an endoscopy.  Once all the information is gathered, her next treatment plan will be created and her next chapter of treatment will commence! I'll keep you posted on the next steps.

Lots of waiting today.... 

And a selfie for kicks and giggles... 

And so dear friends...  Thanks for reading this to the end.  So much has happened in the last month.... God is growing me... challenging me.... pursuing me.... and not relenting.  Even in areas of my heart that are stubborn.  He is good and I rest in that.  It continues to be a gift to be here... to be used by Him as leads.

Thank you to each one of you for your presence on this journey.  I am so thankful for you all.
Love,
Kimberly

Fried Grasshoppers.... 

Eating a grasshopper... I basically
only ate it's rear end.  I couldn't eat the head...
especially with the eyes looking at me.

Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whomwevery family3 in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to xthe riches of his glory yhe may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit zin your inner being, 17 aso that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being brooted and cgrounded in love, 18 may have strength to dcomprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and eheight and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ fthat surpasses knowledge, that gyou may be filled with all hthe fullness of God.

20 iNow to jhim who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, kaccording to the power at work within us, 21 lto him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.