Mzunga Tribe Go-A-Trekking

Dear Friends

-------April is "Childs Month" and what that entails in Uganda is that the government supplies Vit A to be given to all children from 6 mo. to 5 years. Also all children from 1Yr. to 14 years , receive Albendazole, which is a deworming medication.


Well-we-the Mzunga Tribe (Myself, Marty Coda and Sofie from Sweden) visited all the local walkable schools, suppling over 2,000 children with these drugs.



This week we had received directions to a school called Kagira, which we understood to be perhaps 2 or 3 miles away. Unfortunately we asked directions from someone with limited english who said he was going that way and we should follow him. This pic of me with the red backpack (thanks Carol) was only the beginning of what turned out to be a long uphill, climbing trek.

-------Sofie named us the Mzunga Tribe (White people) and what a tribe we were. I have trouble walking up hill (always have) , Marty has a bit of trouble going down rocky terrain and our youngster Sofie is afraid of cows! Yep , afraid of cows! So while Sofie assisted me up steep inclines and Marty down, we had to protect her from the " fierce" cows, that she was sure were just waiting for their chance to gorge her. It was hysterical! ----------------------

------The best part was when we finally arrived at our destination, it was not anywhere near Kagira, but rather Gakenke, some 2 hr. walk-about AND it was the wrong school AND they had just received Albendazole "yesterday but one", which translated into english means two days ago! HA -------What a day we had and what memories we made! A favorite was when the school wanted us to sign their guest book and it was the LAST thing, I intended to do----my exhaustion and subsequent testiness led Mother Marty to say "Mind your Manners" to me -smile

The view on our unexpected journey was breathtaking (and in my case it was literal) Here a little boy is going to "fetch" water for his family to drink.

When we FINALLY arrived at what we thought was the correct school, I looked down at the building and thought-"Can't the children come here and get the pills-smile?"

This is me pretending to be having a good time.(HA) Truth is I was worn out from trekking uphill for 1 and 1/2 hrs

-----------Now that's a message worth teaching ---and living.

-------Maybe I'll get it someday without be accused of be aggressive

This one class room had over 130 kids crammed in, in perfect behavior.

There are many many signs painted all over the walls and grounds of the schools, most related to HIV-AIDS, in one way or the other. This one says "Don't let anyone touch your private parts"

. ----A wonderful Ireland-type wall, we saw on our trek

----This is an entire bed being delivered on a bicycle boda-boda!

Mzunga Tribe Go - A-Trekking- -Part Two

----Can you imagine so many children sharing one desk? And doing it happily?

======Marty Coda and Sofie (my sweet swedish daughter) and myself going from classroom to classroom to distributes Albendazole. Thanks to Marty and Sofie , it was a fun day!

-----The children are morethan willing to get their dose of Albendazole, as the serious worms they may get can make them very ill, sometimes ravage their inners so badly they can die.

Altogether we gave out over 2,000 Albendazole tabs to the various schools. This day , alone, we gave out over 1,000 to the Mutolere Primary School.

Here I am giving a 1st grader(P1) a chewable tab. They take them willingly as they are sweet to taste, so it is important we stress that one tab. every few months is good, two can make you ill.

-----This sign that Sofie and I are viewingin Gabenke reads "Be proud of being a virgin. It is healthy"

Cut One tree and plant two---now that's true ecology for you! -----The signs thruout the schools are unique, to say the least. This one "Abstinence is Safe" and above it "Violence is wrong" greet you as you enter Mutolere Primary School.

Some adorable children who recognized us as we trekked to various schools to give out Albendazole, as they had already received theirs one day pior.

-----Here I am discussing with the Teachers just exactly what I am doing at their school.

------Just when I think I can not walk another minute, along come a lady with a huge collection of fire wood to start dinner for her family .

=====This is Kagira School, a primary school , where we gave out Albendazole pills (deworming) to all the children age 14 yrs. and younger. (note the Ugandan Flag)

This is Susan! She recently went home

following an extensive stay in our Pediatric Ward, but the prognosis is not good. She has a serious heart condition--most likely endocarditis and Dr. Lou Coda has done all he can to stabalize her condition.

Because of her long stay , I gave her several coloring books and crayons (which Mom quickly sent home so they wouldn't get dirty) O, dear, it took some time to convince Mom the books were for now to keep Susan's mind and body occupied. But she did let her keep the doll, which Joan had sent to me in pieces and our local Tailor , Mr. Innocent, made a body to attach all these pieces. Susan loves her doll and sleeps with it at night and nestles it to her when her temp. is elevated and she is in discomfort of one kind or another,

REBIRTH- RENEWAL + RESURRECTION

Dear Friends
Easter was a particularly special one for me this year, with all the elements of Rebirth, Renewal and Resurrection !
Holy week in itself was unique, with beautiful services of ; Reconciliation, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday; All thanks to Fr. John Vianney, who set the tone which led us from the Celebration of Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem, thru the washing of the feet on Thursday ,into the Way of the Cross , the reading of the “Passion” and the Veneration of the cross on Friday.
-----Easter Vigil Service of Light began outside with a bonfire!

By the time we arrived at the Easter Vigil Service Of Light, with a bonfire aglow, we were spiritually ready to process into a darkened church , soon to be bathed in candle light initiated from the Pascal candle. -----Michael visited over Palm Sunday Weekend, celebrating one year since his Baptism. Here he is looking at my display of palms, while I am dressed and ready for a day of work.
.

-----Palm Sunday-We all processed thru the hospital singing --Hosannah

Both Dr. Lou and I added an American voice as lectors : I with the first Genesis reading and he with the only new testament reading prior to the gospel. I felt honored to read the story of Creation ; slowly and with a feeling and an understanding that up to now had eluded me. As I started to read “In the beginning God created heaven and earth”, I had a knowing that whether one chose to believe this scripture as a literal interpretation or a metaphorical one mattered not, what mattered was that when God created the world, “He saw that it was good” .
Dr .Lou read from Romans 6(3-11) “as Christ was raised from the dead in God’s glory, we too might live a new life.” As Louie read clearly and distinctly these words of promise, I felt a sense that , perhaps they had been written just for me, as a reminder -----that I might start again to live a New Life in Christ.
How fortunate we all are to be given a second, a third, an innumerable number of chances to “get it right” I, for one, seem to need as many opportunities as possible to start over , to live a new life. It can be discouraging when I consider my faults, my misgiving, the same old traps I fall into over and over again. Yet it is then that I imagine God looks lovingly at me, smiles at my goof-up’s and says “ IT IS GOOD, you are good, the world is good. I made it, I should know”-smile .

I had the opportunity to teach 9 young women the ”Emmanuel” Liturgical Dance that so many have performed at* Heartsong Retreats over the past 18 years. Eight young Nursing Students and Sofie, a young student from Sweden doing her internship in Uganda . They were beautiful, reverent and with the added touch of the traditional skirt-wrap adorning each dancer, it was truly a Praise Dance worthy of a King –Christ the King.

Many of the better pics were taken by Diana at our final rehearsal Sat. afternoon, hence the variation in dress both for the dancers and the altar.

-------------------------GOD IS WITH US!

I pray your Easter was filled with Rebirth, Renewal and Resurrection, as was mine.
-------------------------------------Marie

* Heartsong Retreats- two retreats a year for those infected and affected by HIV-AIDS
Subiaco Abbey, Subiaco, Arkansas USA---

-------Marie looking on approvingly- Easter Vigil Service

!

Patience Now Rests In The Everlasting Arms Of God

Dear Friends

This is a difficult story to tell, as it was an equally difficult day to live thru, but all the stories; the experiences of my life as a missionary, are equal in God’s eyes. They are all stories of attempting to live my life thru Him who made me, thru Him who Called me, thru Him who sent me to St. Francis Hospital-Mutolere, Uganda, in the first place.

It was a typical Thursday morning at Public Health, immunizing babies and pregnant women. When from the corner of my eye, I noticed a newborn baby lying listless in her mothers arms. She had just been weighed and was now at my station to receive the required injection for protection against TB, as well as oral Polio vaccine.

One look said she was not well but when asked by Mom, she only stated that the baby had been born at home 4 days ago and started to have a slight cough three days ago.

The nursing staff, including Sr. Justine, spoke to her about keeping the baby warm and it was suggested she take her to the Outpatient Dept., for evaluation, but the mother just laughed nervously and said she didn’t have any money. In retrospect, I realize the mother simply didn’t “get” how fragile and sick her newborn was, and , I imagine, thought we were making a big to-do about nothing..

I took Mom and baby to Pediatrics to be seen by Dr. Lou Coda and what concerned him initially was that the baby’s body temp was so low (31.8 C) when it needed to be above 35 C. He said if the hypothermia could not be dealt with soon, he would need to put the baby in the Incubator in the nursery.

Mom and baby and student nurse Edwinah carried the baby to my home where we put the baby skin to skin on her Mama, then wrapped a blanket around them, with a hot water bottle nestled among the blanket.. After some time, we gave the baby a warm bath, I baptized her “ Patience” per Mom’s request, wrapped her in warm clothes + in new cozy blankets, that had just arrived with the Coda family as gifts from the Woman’s Auxiliary of MDA(Mission Dr. Association).and nestled her close to her Mom until Dr. Lou could re-check her.

By this time I noticed that though we had raised her body temperature, her breathing was intermittently erratic and her tiny fingers were tinged in blue.

It was a very busy day for Dr. Lou and he did not come home for lunch until 3pm. When he saw her condition he had Bernedette, my helper, translate to the Mom, that her baby was very ill and needed to be in the Nursery and started on medication immediately if there was any hope to treat the pneumonia and subsequent hypoxia.

When we arrived in Maternity, there was no one able to attend to the baby as they were involved in a critical delivery. Also, I noticed there was already a tiny preemie in the incubator So I heated water for the hot water bottle, snuggled the baby cocoon style, which is the way it’s been done here for years, often with very positive results-;Michael being a prime example.. Then we waited.: for a nurse to be available to start an IV and Dr. Lou to order the needed drugs.

Telling the specifics of our activities is one thing but explaining the emotions involved is quite another. I am in a small room with an apparently stoic Mom with whom I can not communicate verbally, who by this time “got” that her baby was gravely ill.. There is no nursing staff available, it is just the three of us and God (O, and I forgot to mention a wrapped corpse of a dead baby awaiting someone to pick up the body).

I would put the cocoon wrapped baby in her mother’s arms, ostensibly to try and nurse her baby, but in truth so she may be held by the arms that had held her for four days, against the body in which she had been lovingly carried for 9 months.

Dr. Lou ordered the medication but shortly after, as I was telling the newly arrived Sr. Vastina (Charge Nurse of Maternity), the story, the baby gently expired. It was so quick, so instant; one minute breathing, the next not. So un-American—no heroics, no attempt to breathe life back into the child. So culturally and medically different from what I was used to --- yet--- somehow more holy, more in tune with the rhythm of life .and death that beats incessantly, here in Uganda, like an African drum.

After Sr’s Bonnie and Vastina wrapped Baby Patience’s body in the same cloth in which her mother had carried her to the hospital on her back earlier that day, a boda boda(motorcycle driver) was hired to carry them home. Mama wrapped her shawl around them both and I watched them leave the hospital grounds as tears streamed down my face.

My tears were for the loss of a baby soul that only lived four days on this earth and only graced my life for some 7+ hours, my tears were for the mother as she returned to her village + her other 4 children, to bury their baby sister. My tears were also tears of gratitude for Dr. Lou , Sr.’s Bonnie and Vastina, my helper Bernedette, Nursing student Edwinah, that their respect for this little one was so great, so palpable, so generous, that the angels in heaven. must have been in awe..

As I walked home I picked a perfect white flower,which I added to the withered pink rose,in my room. The pink rose to represent her baby female body, the vibrant white flower to represent her undying baby spirit .

Patience now rests in the Everlasting Arms of the Eternal God (Deut. Xxxiii.27.)

Michael and Bernedette get the GIGGLES

Michael and Bernedette get the GIGGLES!

---------Dear Friends

If this mini video comes thru, I will be the happiest person in the world! The story goes like this: I had received phone calls from Potters Village that Michael seemed depressed (can an 18mo. old baby be depressed?-sure can). They wanted Dr. Lou to check him over and make sure nothng "else" physical was going on. So he did and besides the difficulty being with so may other babies--ie: pre-school syndrome, he seems to be quite healthy.

So one day, my helper Bernedette ask me what she should do that day and I said she should spend 100% of her time playing with Michael, as he was only with us for 24 hrs.

Well, I looked over when I heard this adorable sound and saw such a precious scene, I quickly grabbed my camera to photograph and video tape it. Hopefully the video will download but if it does and you are unable to hear it , I had to use a new program called VLC(given to me by my new swedish friend Sofie).

If , sadly it doesn't work, at least I'll enclose the photo's of this happy moment in time

---------Marie

ps: I was unable to download (or is it upload-ha?) the video so I may ask a friend in the States to do it, if it will send as an attachment in an email

pss: By the way---apparently the joy has lasted as they say Michael has improved greatly, interacting with other children, smiling etc. Alleluia !!

Live The Life You Love + Love The Life You Live

-----From Left: Dr. Damian, Waltraud, Dr. Robert, Carolyn, Marie, Dr. Lou, John and Marty
-----The Coda family-from left :Anthony, Louie, John and Marty and me in the green wig
Dr. Damian has fun being an Irish Ugandan (HA)

I have lots to share with you, so let’s get going: Last year at this time, my friends Carol Balderree and Bill Northrup were on hand for St. Paddy’s Day, as well as Palm Sunday and the special event of Baby Michael’s Baptism. This year with Easter not until April 12^th and St. Paddy’s Day holding at it’s traditional March 17^th, we have quite a different story to tell, some of which has not yet happened

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The Coda family and I were invited to Waltraud and Dr. Damian’s home for a farewell dinner for Dr. Robert (surgeon) and his wife Carolyn (artist)., as they return to Holland following their 3 mo stay. Both added so very much to our community here at St. Francis Hospital: Robert with his skills as a surgeon and Carolyn as she had painted delightful jungle motifs in the Pediatric Ward, and also gave Art classes for the Orphans. They will both be sorely missed until they return next year, same time

..

..

Early April Dr. Ronald and his wife Marike will return for their 3 mo. here, three month in Holland rotation that they have been following for several years. That leaves us with three months a year (July thru Sept.) when we are minus a surgeon altogether. So if you know anyone willing to donate three months of their time to help us out, we would be thrilled (and they don’t even have to be from Holland-smile).

Needing to make a statement that this invite just happened to be on the feast of St. Patrick, I adorned myself in the green wig, which Bill had brought me last year, and a green yoga tee shirt that Heather bought me while in NYC last winter. The front states a life’s lesson for any day of the year “LIVE THE LIFE YOU LOVE AND LOVE THE LIFE YOU LIVE”, while the back has a large Celtic symbol on it.

-----Fr. Louis, Me and the boys Michael (close to Father Louis ) and Daniel
-----Bonnie Olivia Justine Marie and Baby Daniel Feb 2009

.Baby Daniel and I enjoy the Valentines Tea Party.

Daniel being held by his grandmother, My Supervisor Justine and her Olivia and Hedwig, a young friend and teacher of English Lituature.

.I hosted a. Valentine Tea Party on Sunday after Mass, with a surprise visit from Fr. Louis (my friend and Bishop Callists sect)., who just happened to be in the neighborhood with three other priests, the day before. In an attempt to hold both Michael and Daniel for a photo, I was impressed with how far each had come, making it near impossible to hold both at the same time. Truly God is good and these healthy babies are faring well. Michael seems to have a bit of a shoe fetish, while Daniel much preferred my necklace to all the Valentine goodies on the table-smile.

I hope you will enjoy these festive occasions with me, if only in memory.

-----------------------Marie